Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/190/1 - 1915, 1918 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066807
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

tre cont Bn 15 15 Bn we lying a gars stope & they country an font mostle Grass a some onr own crops. The wire we cut with out anything noticed on beiy parto 1 germs Tapc we his abt midnight The tanks were at heard it all. The tanks were heard by some at om The tautes -werent sem by t Pon until they were at I halt in [banak 10
10 The banag we noton fermice were whs most concertine as some barb. Te first fers seen were small posts in his were wh were overion quickly. There were in centieof Pear French. ast line starte t gx over were the opened up. They did. a ford deal of damap in A coy o also enfileded Br Cloys. Hhe flanks going ahad closed in abit. The left los
There were cases of fermans petting up their hands of bonbs being thrown by ferms behievd them & Capt. Carter A coy we hit. He had both legs troken & his staff ws knocked out at I same time. This made 1 mea rato wild. There weam Americaa plation in Each cay wo were thorough up to r before it finester. From the chard trench there ws apot deal of trouble from the Chord trunch too. The ng. which Dalziel rushed wi in the Pear pont l just when 10
0 1Rd cats it. Dabziel ws carrying sov sanniers Hes No 1 ws carrying 1 gan. Dabziel's gan wo being fired from I hip by his No 1 on another gun. Fitz then started to bering this end gan into Action & Dalziel Kille most of crew. They letone go because be put up a good fight, Dw shot this bgger finger in doing this He venton to objvc. He collecte amnin & brought it up from near Haviel J. Ammn whereso c ws hit the 1 ws dropped
10 head At the halt there anget firing from roads thro I terraces Hamel. A 3od D tank came along +. knocked them out The 15 Bn frontag on I final obji ws po road tro! 10D to the Rd thro 16C where it cat Huns will. The ferman got boc thro His walk & there were a good may mogs. in Accroche Street (herd at 2te to He walk). An isolated m.9. or two ws all the renan
to opposit on I right. Beton I lef there ws a number of nps. of old in the taugle tods the top of Hamel Hill – on 1S. side of N of the road. E These were very active but one tank weat up + down Y & they gave in They had the 6ndr going with a sortof duck shot becides their m.g Abt So mgs were sot out of here - our is straight into it After I tank i The smake + dust
110 barrag made it very difficult to see it was not till the halt to most people of their bearings & Even the it wed Serpriss to see Hawel where it was They cosolidated with practically without loss. One amcrican of ts weach coy- 2 were wounded, one on the objoc. &one at I starts who wenton to objve Thiping started from I wood very soon after we got there. Some of the G.E Shellholes were found on right. no on tlefes
Ir 177 - " 7:- 6.237 17 C 0 ✓W. - - 60 1 in e - 6. 0 13 On Hawel 13 Bn saited opp N.end Vaire wood in contanous tive. Tape ws placed on 40ogds poutage. Half wire cut night of July 2/3 - every bit of wire clear away night of 3/4 21Pr on Bn after One American pt w Each Cor 3Pon has only
o tapes by plus. I coy came tho wood came straight to its objoc. Br ACoys had to get round coones of wood & wheeh to Hun balk while barrage stood te getom move t again found E Germ Coy osts is Sheltholes 8oyds in froot of tape jast with Edge of a crope wh our patrots cd pas it Every night without being seen. Along the rd from
Rdto wood there was a line of potholes - separal tll along these underents Cermons had be k be our artillery - The Bn had had the banage put Kroad as it knew on t were forms there there agusted to have w Hart further back it In the H Quarr at Kroads there were hs ferms onl an old French Buggy. There ws a my abt200 y 20 2ad further on to a cirrcular abovt Here tire

110
Hamel 15th Bn contd

15 Bn ws lying up

on grass slope & the

country in front ws

mostly grass w some

crop. The Our own wire ws

cut without anything

being noticed on /

part o / Germs.

Tape ws laid abt

midnight.

The tanks were nt 

heard at all.

The tanks were heard

by some at 11pm.

(The tanks werent seen

by 15 Bn until they were

at / halt in / barrage.

20

 

110

The barrage ws not on /

German wire wh ws

mostly concertina w

some barb.

The first Germs seen

were small posts in

his wire wh were overrun

quickly. There were

2 m.gs in / centre of

Pear Trench.

As / line started to get

over / wire these opened

up. They did a good deal

of damage in A Coy & 

also enfiladed B & C Coys.

The flanks going ahead

closed in a bit. The left Coy

21

  110

110

There were cases of Germans

putting up their hands &

bombs being thrown by Germs

behind them & Capt. Carter

A Coy ws hit. He had both

legs broken & his staff ws 

knocked out at / same

time. This made / men

rather wild. There ws an

American platoon in each

Coy who were thoroughly

mixed up w our men 

before it finished.

From the Chord trench

there ws a good deal of

trouble from the Chord trench

too. The m.g. which

Dalziel rushed ws in the

Pear front trench just where

22

 110

110

/ Rd cuts it. Dalziel

ws carrying some panniers

His No 1 ws carrying /

gun. Dalziel's gun ws

being fired from / hip by

his No 1 on another 

gun. Fritz then started

to bring this 2nd gun into

action & Dalziel killed

most o / crew. They 

let one go because he

put up a good fight.

D. ws shot thro / trigger

finger in doing this.

He went on to / objve.

He collected ammn & brought

it up from near Hamel

where some o / ammn

ws dropped & ws hit thro /

23

 11head.

110

head.

At the halt there ws

a m.g. to nest firing from /

roads thro / terraces S

of Hamel. A 3rd Divn

tank came along & knocked

them out.

The 15 Bn frontage

on / final objve ws from

/ road thro' 10D to

the Rd thro 16C where

it cut Huns walk.

The Germans got back

Thro Huns Walk & there

were a good many

m.gs in Accroche Street

(the rd at rt angles to Huns

Walk). An isolated m.g. or

two ws all the remaining

24                     

 

110

oppositn on / right.

But on / left there ws

a number of m.gs.

in the tangle of old

trenches twds the top of Hamel

Hill - on / S. side of

it N of the road.

A These were very

active but one tank

went up & down /

trench & they gave in.

They had the 6 pdr going

with a sort of duck shot

besides their m.gs. 

Abt 30 mgs were got

out of here- our men

going straight into it

after / tank.

The smoke & dust in

25           

 

110        

/ barrage made it

very difficult to see -

it ws not till the 

halt tt most people

got their bearings -

& even then it ws a

surprise to see Hamel

where it was.

They consolidated without

practically without loss.

One American offr ws

w each coy - 2 were

wounded, one on the objve.

& one at / start who

went on to / objve.

Sniping started from / wood

very soon after we got there.

Some of the 9.2 shellholes were

found on I right - but not on / left.

26                                    

 

[shorthand]

 

110

13 Bn Hamel.

13 Bn. started opp N. end

of Vaire Wood in

continuous line. Tape

ws placed on 400 yds

frontage. Half wire cut

night of July 2/3 - every

bit of wire cleared away

night of 3/4.

21 Bn on right.

16 Bn after a short gap

were on left.

One American pln w

Each Coy (13 Bn has

only had 3 plns in

Each Coy since Bullicourt -

only 380 strong now)

Started at 3.10 as on

map, having got out 

27                               

 

110

tapes by plns.

D Coy came thro wood

C came straight to

its objve. B & A Coys had

to get round corner of

wood & wheel to Huns

Walk while barrage stood

& then get on move E

again
_____
D Coy found 2 German

listening posts in

shellholes 80 yds in

front o / tape just within

/ edge of a crop where

our patrols cd pass

it every night without

being seen

Along the rd from

28

 

 110

Rd to wood there was a 

line of potholes - separate.

Diagram - see original

All along these undercuts

/ Germans had bn k by

our artillery - The Bn

had had the barrage put

on tt Xroad as it knew

there were Germs there - 

it ws suggested to have

it start further back.

In the 1st Quarry

at Xroads there were no

Germs - only an old

French Buggy. There ws a

2nd quarry abt 200 yds

further on w a circular

S/P above it. Here there 

29

 

 

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