Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/51/1 - July 1916 - Part 4

61   35
"The Bn has just rec^d
the order from Lt Col. Kumme
tt it is placed under /
orders o the 3^rd Bn 16 Bav. I.R.
as Sector Reserve.
"The Bn consists at / present 
time of 
Lt Greiner, Adjt. 2 Bn/184
Lt Reinhardt, O.C. 8^th Coy/184
Lt Lucas Platoon Commdr.
2 N.C.Os
19. men.
The Bn is dug in on the North
Edge of Baz. le Petit.
I am in a dugout near /
battle positn o / Lehr Inf. Regt.

61    36
10.30 pm. July 13.
(v. Reitz.) 3rd Bn. 16 Bav. Inf Regt to
Res. Lt Merz & Vizefeldwebel Sterr
"All fractions of the 3rd Bn.
16 Bav I.R. will be formed into 
a Coy under the command of 
Res. Lt. Merz.
"The 'Merz' Coy will proceed
to the N. edge of Baz. le Petit
wood where the 3rd Coy 91^st
Res. I.R. is also stationed.
"There the Coy will dig
itself in facing S. " v. Reitz"
 
3.20 am July 14. Violent arty
3rd Bn 16 Bav. Inf. Rgt to
Royal Lehr I.R. (morning report)
" Violent Enemy arty fire

61   37
continuing on the 2nd line in
/ wood near Baz. le Petit.
2. By means of inf. & m.g. fire
before & after midnight, barrage
ws produced by us.
3. Reports from coys not yet
recd.
v. Reitz-

5.25 am (July 14)
3rd Bn. 16 Bav. I.R. to "Merz" Coy
English have advanced
to the front line. Forward
at once to reinforce.
von Reitz.
5.30 am
1467
3rd Bn. Bav. Regt to Vizefeldwebel
Deubel, 2 Bn/184
"Enemy penetrated to front

61    38
line. Parts withdrawn to
/ edge o / wood. Advance
at once to c. attack.
v. Reitz.

6.15 am.
3rd Bn. 16^th Bav. Regt
to Rehr Inf. Regt.
Enemy has penetrated into
Bazentin Wood.
Put in Reserves.
Success doubtful
Support urgently needed.

61   39
Letter from man in 6^th Coy, 16^th Regt
10 Bav. Inf Div. to his sister in 
Munich:
13 July.
...My Regt has bn transferred
into the Somme Region. We are
since the 1st in an unentrenched
positn in a region where the 
English lads seem to play the game
properly. Our trenches have bn 
completely overturned, & what
we have gone thro, since this time,
& suffered under the Eng. arty
can scarcely be described here.
It put / greatest strain on /
physical strength & endurance of
our troops and one asks oneself
if it is possible for men to hold up
under such things. We are in
The village where we are, which is
close to a much named wood,
is now only a heap of ruins & offers

61    40
a spectacle o / utmost
desolation.
Today I got for / first time
a sample of a gas shell. That is
the worst means of fighting wh
one can think of. I ws
just helping to get comrades
out o / dugout where /
shell had burst when suddenly,
I myself went quite queer in
the heat & lost all notion of
what ws passing around me.
I had just strength to draw
myself out o / pit &
let myself sink on a heap
of chalk in / open & after
some time got better.
But two of my poor
comrades were very
afraid. They stared wildly

41
Howse has broken down w
heart trouble In England - has
had to take 1 months leave &
probly 3 after tt. He has bn
clearing men out of England: He
went to various O.Cs.
How many men have you working here?
18- Sir- Well you must do it with 4.
They cdnt get on w / work Sir.
Oh. What time do they come on.
9 Sir. - well they must come on at 8.
What time do they knock off ?
4.30. Well they must go on till 6.30
He doesnt get on over well with either
Anderson or Sellheim - but if he
were well he wd be master, no question,
in anything tt concerned him.

61    42
around them like idiots without
recognising anybody, believed
tt somebody ws tearing their
breasts to pieces while we stood
there & cd not help them. They
cd not help themselves - then
wept like small children. Both
however came to themselves after
an hour, but cd not speak.
What are shells or shrapnel to
this?
We will probly be relieved
tomorrow or / day after, & it
is fine weather. We all look
like wild animals . . . . ."

61    43
German orders.
Div. orders 3rd guard Divn.
17^th July - 7pm.
The 190^th Regt was placed at /
disposal of 3rd guard divn
this morning for digging on
the High Wood Switch line....
The M.G. Coy must always
be in a position to occupy
the m.g. positions in the 
High Wood Switch at / shortest
possible notice.
All Town mayors must make
preparations for / defence of
their villages : prepare barriers
at all entrances, put up
wire entanglements round
/ edges, construct strong points

61             44
(fortified houses, cemeteries).
"Occupation Coys" must be
formed from / troops in / village.

Kumme July 9 : I must also
thank the men for their
exemplary conduct during
the strenuous  days we
have of late passed thro!
Nothing has affected tt -
not even / regrettable way
in wh the 2nd Bn has bn
imperilled by / fire of our own
artillery. This incident has bn
made by me the subject of
rigorous & strict inquiry, esp.
the resulting loss o / lives of faithful
comrades. God grant tt / offensive
power of our greatest enemies in this
war may also in / future be stayed by our
resistance . Kumme

45
Kaiser to 3rd Guard Divn.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
" And you Kolbergers ! We have
already met once in the East.
Now I have brought you over here.
The heroism wh you have displayed
shall never be forgotten. You
have dictated / law, writ
in iron, unto / enemy , who
will not soon forget / butt end
of your Pomeranian Rifles."

61               46
The Kaiser says abt the 
Western front in speech of 20 Ap. 1916 to the 3rd
Guard Inf. Divn (brought
here from the East) from
"(The Divn) is now in the
west to do its share in / 
great task in / overwhelming
of our enemies. The foe
fights differently over here;
defending his native soil
foot by foot, wh we must put
to his credit. This is the resistance
of despair. But it must 
be broken.