Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/190/1 - 1915, 1918 - Part 4

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

Page 1 / 10

were but to en prett close thy did not fight had a few fought - 400 20 k. The Bn only skirtit I Edgeo1 (wood without opposite & Dobig in on 1 furter side The other Coys pa too at I same nt n +C Coy were their object nichl or to the American took a bil of holdin there 14ma after Zers the C.O. had a wessa ye from nd uary to say D ws digging in. All I teleph apperatis ws Jerman ste taken at Boctonacur a
A beautiful little reet. to An howr after gero te were talkin io all four coys in Clin &B Coys (f under tapt -one of Murrays per In fNO) were round Edge of Vaire wood . Hhe en had be taught to Vaire wood ws a FerumI double they wereto round it as fast as the could like a Scrun T get to half they were to corner. There from E again. them round Marpes got to their corner by X Rd in strack somew wher they 15C
5 There were opposity in a trench wh as carefull camonflaged ot know to us - att A tank ws 52. 15 C baddlin along abt 50 yds behind ourn This ws one of tanks W B Br coloars. Marper rushed a porto tank waving his arm in 1 direct 81 gans & as shot thro I chest & arm by 1 gan. The tank saw it & wweat ttraight on & trample over one crew . The other crew put up no more ight & ws taken by infantr
105 100 still in centre w 16 Bn 15 Bn ws hidden of Havel bood one of saballe Pwyer, wd in leg at time took them on & fanctioned w1 15Bn where Hus walk crossed the road on the finel objec. At junction of two Coys 2 THs were taken. These had bu finy at 1 start. a little They were duput - A square bole to a piece of tin over it Camonflaged to grass. There were little slements of trenches there on no definite principle. The german deging w
05 10 up to his standard lass to woried nights. Only one of his ws poopery camoullyed Terim we Altopke 13 Bn got 14 20 +2 MS. & 2009 b artillery appeared have k abt 200 anor this sector. The BBr. day in in.I open & wiring pties were working in Daylight. The tanks were toto to they cd t as son as Ba had seache its objic. But thy diont do this. They pottered around tarte for a bit. Our men wandered out up to 400 or 500yds
110 in oddmen. One brough t American Corpt & yaukles were put on in port at Somee in a crop abt 600 ds- away an fering regalar in cop volly at Germs. to get away The acros their t5 usefel amona doopped. (The se imitated this nex& dayo dropped rations from planes very low flyng plo without parachule. supply tank got to its place excellently_ I had a part from Bn onit to unlead When C.O got there be frum a
10S 10 positi dump at ead i is the be asked what + ped out anew sd its from our damk Sir Then supply tanks had bo made to take up boadrs the We no origina i armond tws a comm a catch in te - ewhere its Easy? The taking of the 2 loys OSnr aire 5 all lsame racy On the port of 13 Bn the ferman ws just having an cisue of sometain in Schuapps fars. They we the B Rept 13t Den, 8 some of 5516 Reft (on ot)
105 110 Abt 8 wasarce Artis really organised directo by therr, from Tcrops we I moon sent a patrol alon a Northern Co.T. Abt 350 9ds along – & there they ans Asleep, ARIC mea. Sons pont line seemed bu built up by them have About 1t tis of Vaiswood were 2 positus down 12 or 14 feet. fut otherwise no deep dejonts The T.Mssccond to have be fired from dugonts the tanks passedo infantry just abt I first leap of barrage- The tanks were more or less neck & neck w 1 wify - Sometan
10 20 ahead sometimes behie The middle tank 13 Bn got ahead & ws bit by one of our own shells but g out later under his own power. Another walked up & down Hans walk. These tanks are better & had 1 pick of their offis in them The tanks were determined to make a success of it.
105 110 famer th Bn the reas ind. Kidney Trench is ready a Sumken to to a complete MW. battery (MTM. Foo 47 Huns were out of one dugont. taken There were ferms everywhen but they cdnt wait for them - in order to key up wI barrage. The ferms on the left at Pear must have had an idia we were The whole of left t con from 1hip wood. Th

110

were a few Germs but

tanks were pretty close

& they did not fight hard

-  a few fought - 15 or

20 k. The Bn only

skirted / edge o / wood

-  without oppositn -

& D Coy dug in on / further side.

The other Coys passed

thro at / same moment

& C Coy were  v.

quickly on to their objve

- the Americans took

a bit of holding there.

14 mins after Zero the

C.O. had a message from

2nd Quarry to say tt D Coy

ws digging in. All / telephone

apparatus ws German stuf 

taken at V/Bretonneux - a    

30

 

110

beautiful little reel.

An hour after zero they

were talking to all four

coys in / line.
A & B Coys (A under Capt

Marper - one of Murrays

old N.C.Os) were round /

edge of Vaire Wood - The

men had bn taught tt

Vaire Wood ws a screen &

they were to double

round it as fast as they

could like a "scrum

half" & get to /

corner where they were to

form E again.

Marper got them round

to their corner by X Rd in

15C when they struck some 

31

 

110

oppositn. There were

2 mgs in a trench wh

ws carefully camouflaged &

not known to us - abt

15C.5.2.  A tank ws

waddling along abt 50

yds behind our men.

This ws one o / tanks

w 13 Bn colours. Marper

rushed in front o /

tank waving his arm in

/ directn o / guns &

ws shot thro / chest &

/ arm by / gun. The

tank saw it & went

straight on & trampled

over one crew. The other

crew put up no more

fight & ws taken by /

infantry.

32

 

110

16 Bn ws still in centre

of wood. 15 Bn ws hidden

by Hamel Wood.
One o / subalterns

(Dwyer, wd in leg at time)

took them on & junctioned

w / 15 Bn where Huns

Walk crossed the road

on the final objve. At

/ junction o / two Coys 2

TMs were taken. These had

bn firing at / start.

They were in a little

dugout - a square hole

w a piece of tin over it

camouflaged w grass. There

were little elements of

trenches there on no definite

principle. The German digging 

33

 

110

ws not up to his standard

- he has bn too worried

at nights. Only one of his

trenches ws properly camouflaged

w scrim.
Altogether 13 Bn got 14

m.gs & 2 T.Ms. & 200 prisoners.

Artillery appeared to

have k abt 200 more in

this sector.

The 13 Bn dug in in /

open & wiring pties were

working in daylight. The

tanks were told tt they cd

go as soon as Bn had reached

its objve. But they didnt

do this. They pottered around

in a hou for a bit.
Our men wandered

out up to 400 or 500 yds &

34

 

110

brought in odd men. One

Aust American Corpl &

5 yankees were put on to

snipe in front at some

Germs in a crop abt 600

yds away - firing regular

volley at Germs in crop

trying to get away.
The aeroplanes were

very useful w their

ammn dropped. (The germs

initated this next day &

dropped rations from planes

w very low flying planes

without parachute.
The Supply Tank got to

its place excellently. It had a

party from Bn on it to unload -

When C.O. got there he found a

35

 

110

dump already in positn.

He asked What is this?

A man jumped out &

sd its from our tank Sir.

Then supply tanks had bn

made to take up 60 pdrs

originally - they were not

armoured.
_____

It ws a common comment

"There's a catch in this

somewhere - its too

easy." The taking of the 2 Coys

round Vaire Wood ws not

easy all / same.
On the front of 13 Bn

the German ws just having

an issue of something in

Schnapps jars. They were

the 15 Regt 13th Divn. &

some of the 55th Regt (on rt)

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110

Our 2 prisoners out of APM & C.
Abt 9 a.m. sniping

started from Warfusee

directn - really organised

by then, from / crops.

The next morning we

sent a patrol along a

Northern C.T. abt 350 yds

along - & there they found

3 Germans asleep, AMC

men. Some front line seemed

to have bn built up by then. 

About / ^near side of / centre of Vaire wood were

2 positns down 12 or 14 feet -

but otherwise no deep dugouts.

The T.M.s. seemed to have bn

fired from dugouts.
_____

The tanks passed / infantry just

abt / first leap o / barrage.

The tanks were more or less

neck & neck w / infy - sometimes

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110

ahead sometimes behind.

The middle tank 13 Bn got

ahead & ws hit by one

of our own shells but

got out later under his

own power. Another

walked up & down

Huns Walk. These tanks

are better & had / pick

of their offrs in them.

The tanks were determined

to make a success of it.

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110

16th Bn Hamel.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

The rear end of

Kidney Trench

is really a

Sunken Rd w a complete

M.W. battery (M.T.M.)

Abt 47 Huns were

taken out of one dugout.

There were Germs everywhere

but they cdnt wait for

them - in order to keep

up w / barrage. The

Germs on the left at Pear

must have had an idea

we were coming.
The whole of left & rt Coy

were firing from / hip

going thro / wood. There

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