Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/212/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066809
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

in Brasso Redoubt to Maxwell, 18Bnwto sent him up a plu (abt 12 men) abt 2 am Tis phy remainst I rest of night Just before daybreak ferns opened w T.Me pok to their trothrewa fe flares - but didn't come at it. Again at daibreat the fers put ovrr some more T.M. bombs presently our barrage can down in distance. This showed to someting as doin & 23 Bn ws coming out. Te Terms got up is if to leave their trinches & our LGs. got onto them at Abt 105
yds. A Lieutenent & 19 men werek & taken pirsones. The post contained 3 light mgs. the 18 Bn Ration Pty had clearly walked into his lot for put of rations (white breat) was tere. Te ferms had put I white bread into their packs. Te aer were very toud at a long march to start with - lasting several day as of. Ty had had a rough time W. of Clery in te old bank shelled oo S.Q. Butcer Kis fight I men worke almost on their own - 3 or 4 in at bgrin The toy wt weak from I start (not move then
Alt 70. when W. of 1 Soune lost a few at Clery; the casnatlies were in I end 28- of whom I were killed rest all being mg. wds & a few Combwounds The bombs wh got into fost were just 8g bombs an officer w A vichers gun ion ame ap durin 1 of & leam Teoff plaustins in save yx they sea pt i afte (3) in reserve. stayed the When Alem was 4 attacked he sent for this gun wh as bought ap (on occasion of one of these attacks; 2 Machine gunners were killed.
2Bn Sernancourt. Apt. Cor Faser. OBoose K Boase bad 1 rt of his phe abt where the buffers ly sidi -01 at the t end were shanting switch was Lef of the ws at bridge. 111111 I Teven weredig in on pozzies on 1to o1 bank on its N. side. Tos a field offire on 1 femans Kay depended on firing over Prails. The posite ws an awkward one. The Ledge foot of bank on 1S. at
side ad have gio some cover - but w bombs &xc valling rt I bank above it coat have by hels The Easiest posite wh aveo t in C.C.S. & there postof ws an old 2 just N of the bridge opening abt 30gds day como 5 from 1 opening MllIKIl MuIn T i Buffes They had had a warning of attact from C0 There ws a tobo movening over there also befor attack. You cd see 1ferms movi from one place to another across IAucre Tust as it got light they id
be seen on our side. 1 aere in 20C&d, evidat just timing up to come out. A T.M. bomb w8 1 first sign o f barrage. The P.M. as just S. ofI river it was a pincapple the ver & if seeweed to be trying to reach our P.M. wh ws a little to 1et o1 bidge. Bloy had its it on the level ky over the Hospital siding i ats lef abt 10 yds E ofthe Subway) The first news to left Frase had of ferms actually massi wsa abt an he before
show started. Cept Williams Coy (I) had a frontdabt sooyds of ity E. of Dloy. He sdt to Denn, one of his offes, who had be ont on a dawn patrot, had seca Iferms manin as driven in by one of thegan parties. Frases te sent Boase with Sey out L Morsison, a Coy runner & I ohers. They went ande. I sebway & down towds I ancre & tim turned right & moved down parshel to rises in diamond formate. As the got to one oI small foothred ys a doe ca seemed to be on guard there - starled to powt bark. They id her a lot o
of movement believ I rever wayons had be heard there 5314 night before – some juns apparently bu brought down there & put in, & Amonce for T.Ms. Boase had reported the funs & Frac Sent the reports wh appeared in Dist Samiary). There ws movement also in I village. H ws quite certain to 1 forms were massing Et Lade (who had rt pl reclous to be K. 50 or 60 opp his sector after 1 attack began ]. It is so certain to 1 ferms were caming to Traser stopped breakfast going out, + men. Slood to
At I start 1artillery barrag seemed to go over back – it seemed to be somay from I left & going well back. J. 9 pom I pouses started amed firg out we cd see th fert Comiy over Abt 6 her after the fight began the ferman THe seemed to concentrate on I subway & a definite attempt occureed to blow as of 4 pert. Abt tmns or toms after anty had began the ferman cnfy as seen advancry. Opposite 1 Embanks ferms came out from
directi o f niverbank in extended order - you a only just I'll I firms owing 6s 1 mist. Agst 1 sabway Jervis came out 0.1 Houses out o1 backgous, and Every where, very thick There us a hidden wig. in B's pl, on 1 forward slope Of Embankt, hidden behind hidge on 1S.W. side of Subway. This nig as firm down I road & must have bn doing a lot of demage. This gun cleared I road, but 1 germs were comay out of the louses on 1 at o1 vellage & out the back gdus. Te Es

19

to Maxwell. 18Bn ^in Brasso Redoubt who

sent him up a pln

(abt 12 men) abt 2 a.m.

This pln remained / rest o /

night.

Just before day break

/ Germs opened w T.Ms (probly from 

their trench) & threw a few flares -

but didn't come at it.

Again at day break

the Germs put over some

more T.M. bombs &

presently our barrage came

down in / distance. This

showed tt something ws doing

& 23 Bn ws coming out. The

Germs got up as if to 

leave their trenches & our

L.Gs. got onto them at abt 100

 

20

yds. They were A Lieutenant

& 19 men were k : & 

4 taken prisoner. The post

contained 3 light m.gs. &

the 18 Bn Ration Pty had

clearly walked into this

lot for part o / rations (white

bread) was there. The Germs

had put / white bread into

their packs.

The men were very tired

after a long march to

start with - lasting several days

on & off. They had had a rough

time W. of Clery in the old bank

shelled w 5.9s. But in this

fight / men worked almost 

on their own - 3 or 4 in a

pty - xxxxxx The Coy ws

weak from / start (not more than

 

21

abt 70 when W of / Somme -

lost a few at Clery; the

casualties were in / end

28 - of whom 2 were killed

/ rest all being m.g. wds &

a few bomb wounds.

The bombs wh got into /

post were just egg bombs.

An officer w a Vickers gun w one

offcr & team came up during /

aftn(?) & placed a post w

The offr placed them in Save trench. They stayed

Save trench stayed there in reserve. When Allen was

attacked he sent for this gun

wh ws brought up (on /

occasion of one of these attacks).

2 machine gunners were killed.

 

22

52 Bn

Dernancourt Ap 5.

(Capt Fraser. Lt Boase)

Lt Boase had / rt of his

pln abt where the buffers

at the E end o / rly siding

were shunting switch was

Left of Pln ws at / bridge.

Diagram - see original document

The men were dug in in

pozzies on / top o / bank

on its N. side. For a field

of fire on / Germans they

depended on firing over 

/ rails. The positn ws

an awkward one. The hedge

at / foot o / bank on / S.

 

23

side wd have gn some

cover - but w bombs etc

bursting falling on / bank above

it cdnt have bn held.

The easiest positn wd

have bn / old trenches in

front o / C.C.S. & there

ws an old trench just N of the

bridge opening abt 30yds

from / opening, & commanding

it.

Diagram - see original document

They had had a warning

of / attack from C.O.

There was a lot of movement

over there also before /

attack.  You cd see / Germs

moving from one place to

another across / Ancre.

Just as it got light they cd

 

24

be seen on our side & /

Ancre in 20 c & d, evidently

just lining up to come out.

A T.M. bomb ws /

first sign o / barrage. The

T.M. ws just S. of / river

 - it was a pineapple thrower

 - x it seemed to be trying to

reach our T.M. wh ws

a little to / rt o / bridge.

[B Coy had its rt on the level

Xing to the over the Hospital

siding; & its left abt 10

yds E of the Subway]

The first news tt Capt Fraser

had o / Germs actually massing

ws at abt an hr before /

 

25

show started. Capt Williams

Coy (D) had a front of abt

500 yds of rly E. of B Coy.

He sd tt Lt Denn, one

of his offrs, who had bn out

on a dawn patrol, had

seen / Germs massing &

ws driven in by one of the Germ

parties. Fraser then sent

out Lt Boase with Sergt

Morrison, a Coy runner & 3

others. They went under / Subway

& down towds / Ancre & then

turned right & moved down

parallel to / river in 

diamond formatn. As they

got to one o / small footbridges

a dog - came wh seemed to be 

on guard there - started to growl

& bark. They cd hear a lot of

 

26

of movement behind / river

(waggons hd bn heard there

/ night before Ap 3/4 - some guns

apparently bn brought down

there & put in, & ammn for 

T.Ms. Boase had reported the

guns & Fraser sent the

reports wh appeared in Divl

summary). There ws movement

also in / village. It ws

quite certain tt / Germs

were massing.

[(Lt Lade (who had / rt pln)

reckons tt he k. 50 or 60

opp. his sector after / attack

began].

A It ws so certain tt / Germs

were coming tt Fraser stopped

/ breakfast going out, & /

men stood to.

 

27

At / start / artillery

barrage seemed to go over /

back - it seemed to be 

coming from / left & going

well back.

In Gs from / houses started

aimed fire onto

We cd se the germs

coming over

Abt ¼hr after the fight 

began the German TMs seemed

to concentrate on / subway

& a definite attempt occurred

to blow us off tt part. Abt

5 mins or 10 mins after /

arty had begun the German

infy ws seen advancing.

Opposite / Embankt

/ Germs came out from

 

28

directn o / river bank in

extended order - you cd

only just see / Germs owing

to / mist.

Ast Agst / subway /

Germs came out o / houses

 - out of / back gdns, and

everywhere, very thick.

There ws a hidden m.g in

B's pln, on / forward slope

of embankt, hidden behind

/ hedge on / S.W. side of

subway. This m.g. ws firing

down / road & must have 

bn doing a lot of damage.

This gun cleared / road, but

/ Germs were coming out of the

houses on / rt o / village

& out the back gdns. The

 

 

Last edited by:
Helen MartinHelen Martin
Last edited on:

Last updated: