Charles E.W. Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/52/1 July 1916 pt5
40
Bomb attack towards Munster Alley "fails”
Bde HQ. ws in a deep dugout near
[* ?3rd Bde.*] about 14 steps down - & the other ofices
in similar dugouts around.
[(then in Sausage Gully). MacLagan asked
me to come to his H.Q., if I cared, for the
attack. [see this diary, later, & Diary 54. p. 28]
C.E.W.B. 16.7.26
69 41
Paper covering half of the page.
& the 3rd A.M.C.
At the rly stn. - wh is strafed
ce time.
France! heard
off - I wonder
20 the British regained
& Delville wood
advanced N & S of the
behind our guns wh
up across country to
we dropped. After leaving
some old lines into
p more frightfully than
een. The lines o /
the Germans Huns shelled
them - but there here we came out into what
looked like an absolute a field dug by a Titan.
[*9/92 19/8/16 Dear old Chas - I am writing*]
40
Bomb attack towards Munster Alley "failed”.
Bde HQ. ws in a deep dugout near
[* ?3rd Bde.*] about 14 steps down - & the other offices
in similar dugouts around.
[(then in Sausage Gully). MacLagan asked
me to come to his H.Q., if I cared, for the
attack. [see this diary, later, & Diary 54. p. 28.]
C.EW.B. 16.7.26
69 41
& the 3rd A.M.C.
at the rly stn - wh is strafed
7 41
9/72 Dear Old Chas - I am writing
from 1st Anzac Corps H.Q. &
the signallers are going to
send on the letter for me early.
I am at War Coy now
attached to the Special Hospital
(in a regular Hospice Building)
for Abdominal Cases as Anaesth-
etist - Come over & see me
soon. I have had a very
wretched time with my teeth
but had 3 out under gas to
day & am now alright
Ever yours
Jock
them - but there here we came out into what
looked like an absolute a field dug by a Titan.
40
Capt Bean
Bomb attack toward
Bde HQ. ws in
[* ?3rd Bde.*] about 14 steps down
in similar dugouts a
[(then in Sausage Gu
me to come to his
attack. [see this diary,
C.E
69 41
& the 3rd A.M.C.
At the rly st - wh is strafed -
can’t have a nice time.
Jock is in France! heard
from him today.
Attack put off - I wonder
why.
On Thurs July 20 the British regained
a little in Longueval & Delville wood
and the French advanced N & S of the
Somme.
We walked round behind our guns wh
were registering - & then up across country to
a commn trench into wh we dropped. After leaving
Bde Hqrs we passed through some old lines into
a patch of ground cut up more frightfully than
anything I have ever seen. The lines at
11th were bad eno' after the Germans Huns shelled
them - but there here we came out into what
looked like an absolute a field dug by a Titan.
69 42
It was difficult to pick your way between
the craters.
We xxxx sat for a while in / observation
trench - Contalmaison very clear ^close on right.
Then Bazentin Wood. In front of that,
a little, was the an object wh I at first
thought was a white horse & cart (what
cd a horse be doing there); then the stump
of a white house. Dick Casey told me.
It ws / wreck of an aeroplane. Yesty
afternoon the Germans attacked two of
our aeroplanes - flying quite low.
Casey sd he ws in the old German 2nd
line when he looked up & saw 11 aeroplanes
circling like bees or birds above his
head. He took it for granted they
were ours - but & then realised they were German.
& tt they ^/ majority were firing on one in their
midst - wh ws flying very low.
All of a sudden it dipped, made
two or three quick circles, & then
43
We relieve 34th Divsn.
38th also gone out
48th on left. 1st on Right
69 44
pitched on its nose abt the p 150 yds from him.
45
Hand drawn diagram - see original
69 46
July. 22
Last nights bombing attack on the Munster
Alley failed. No particulars.
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Sketch of Pozières made on aft-
ernoon of July 22 from the trenches of the
2nd Bn., during the slow bombardment
of the village. C.E.W.B. 24/8/16.
47
Hand drawn diagram - see original
The Bapaume Rd near La Boiselle, looking into La Boiselle towards Pozieres
1st Objve.
Strong points 1st Positn
1st F. Coy x 4 d 1.1
3rd F.C. [x 5 C.7.1 (Comm trench).]
[- x 5 C.4.3. ]
1st Pioneers: Ste Pt x 4 d 8.3
Commn to x 10.13.9.7.
Str. Pt x 5 6.2.0½
x 5 1.4.1.
1st Objve.
1st Coy at x 4 d 5.5
3d. x 5 a 2.2.
Pioneers x 5 a 9.5.
x 4 d 9.9.
Comm trench from x 4 d.8.3 to x 4 D.5.5.
(i.e. is 2 post).
3rd objve. 1st coy 9s at x 4 d 3½.8. & x 4 d.4.9¾.
3rd Coy 9s x 5 a 3.6½. (all 3 one)
Pioneer Bn. x 5 a.7.9 - and x 5a. 9.9½ - x 5: x 0.8 & x 5 a 3.6½.
69 48
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Engrs to make 4 strong points
in each positn
& Commn trench to first
49
Inquired way at 2nd British Bde HQ.
Waited for 10 mins at Pioneer Dump
till shelling eased a bit & then ran
for it.
Hand drawn diagram - see original
x with gas
69 50
The Battle of Pozieres
July 23. 12.15. After an awful series
of adventures w shrapnel &
gas shells arrived at Gen.
Maclagans - dugout in Contalmaison.
In the scurry of the last
100 yds across shrapnel swept
roads in middle of wh I had to
put on my gas helmet - forgot
to thank be British signaller from
2nd Bde who acted as my guide
Felt v. sickx just before getting
in but helmet is certainly a help.
We have had several men
lose their way here already.
Pioneer sheltering under their own dump.
Someone coughing. Helmets on again.
12.30 bombardment around v. heavy.
Aromatic smell of gas all round.
" They ought to be in by now " Brigadier
says. A lot of men have bn hit on the (? road ),
Gas shells
This was written in gas helmet in 3rd Bde H.Q.
almost impossible to see thro them
51
Everyone sitting round table with
gas masks on - Two candles lit -
my cigarettes on table - Bdier
& most of them in new pattern
helmet - gas much better of late
12:45
69 52
Musty gas smell in this dug out all
the time - Shells falling Explosions outside about
3½ to the second. actual close bursts
Some
of these
our guns
At 12.40. Brigadier orders two reserve
coys of 12th Bn to move to positn in
Black Watch Alley.
'Dont let him sleep" - says someone in
dug out - one of orderlies - "Kick him,
dont let him sleep."
When I hear these two coys
ordered up I cant help thinking of the
(scene I saw outside - dark, shells, smell of gas.)
Bdier sent off a party wh
had lost its way (party w petrol
bombs.) They started after 12 - Bdier
sd: "Two men had better go to guide
them - one might be k."
They now (12.50) report tt they
are abt 700 yds out of positn -
Bdier says to Henwood "I'm
afraid you'll have to take them up
53
3rd Bde H.Q.
during Pozieres
fight
Hand drawn diagram - see original
69 54
old man." Henwood gets up & says
"Yes Sir". Bdier. Isnt there another
man we cd send. Tries to ring up H.Q. 12th
12.55 - "All lines down to everybody
exc. Division".
Sends message: send messenger to direct that party
My eyes are beginning to sting b
12.58. tear shells probably.
1.4. Second ½hr barrage begun 4 mins ago.
No information to hand yet -
[gas smell lighter] - coffee &
sandwich
1.15. Visual Signal - "Is Jimmy or
Jack anywhere abt or near?".
Very few heavy shells above. Most
of the smacking is our own arty no
doubt - smell of gas lighter.
[Here Henwood came
back from / darkness
above - I put
down his
sentences as
he spoke]
Guide back - dodges in. "Guided abt
a dozen pties since I saw you"
When you start off w them ½ of
DaphneThis transcription item is now locked to you for editing. To release the lock either Save your changes or Cancel.
This lock will be automatically released after 60 minutes of inactivity.