Charles E.W. Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/54/1 July August 1916 pt8

87
men coming back report:
No m.g. on them till after in 1st line.
Casualties so far slight.
26 Prisoners arrd for 6 Bde.

9
88

troops will remain, _^as quiet as possible
9.15 Intense Barrage 3 mins
9.18 Intense Bombt to lifto.
(First & 2nd waves were to be in new
forwdline; 3^rd & 4^th    "      "   "   in
Tramline trench - not to get there till 1 & 2
waves were in new forwd line).
When bombt begins 1 & 2 waves
to move out - 1 as close as it can under
barrage, 2 abt 50 yds behind it. 3^rd wave
& 4^th wave then into Bxxx out of
Tram Line into Forward Line
At 9.15 1 & 2 waves go into 1^st
Objve & take it; 3 will follow &
go over trench & lie under barrage;
4 will follow at 50yds interval.
& lie on our side of parapet of
O.G.1.
At 9.28. barrage lifts
50(9850) yds from OG2; 3^rd & 4^th
waves to secure O.G.2.
at 9.30 barrage lifts another
50yds.
9.32 Barrage will lift another
50yds (i.e. 150 yds)
Imd. after 4^th wave pioneers
Etc to move up & begin work.
There with be intervals in
(p.90)

89
2.5. Old Gelly left _^& little Plant I hope to god all goes
well w him. It is frightfully dangerous
moving as he does.
2.30 am.
Now that German fire is
increasing esp out left.
2.45  7 Bde report little fire - Const trench 
arty./ left mixed w 6 Bde-
No report yet from Windmill.
 9   90

barrage. Patrols will be sent out
during these intervals by
5 Bde to R35 d 5.2.
7 Bde. to R35 d 06 & trenches at
R35. a 4.2. & 5.2.
6 Bde to R 34. b. 4.4.
Smoke barrage (from mortars) to be
placed betw 9.17 & 9.37. Mortars at
X5 a8.2, R34. c. 1½ .6; 6.7;  48.5.
M.g. barrage behind O.G.2. till
betw. 12 & 1 a.m.
"The tin discs ordered to be carried
"by each man are to be tied
"on / back when it is desired to
"show / position of our troops to our
"artillery behind or to our
"aeroplanes".
Must be ample engr stores for flank blocking posts.
4 Carrying Coys from 12 Bde.

9   91
The division is throwing it on to
Gellibrand to decide for it what
further shd be done - whether they
shd go further (if / Germans have
retired) or stop where they are.
Gelly thinks they will probably
use his Bde for another stunt
tonight. He is going to the tramline
trench to see for himself - with
Plant. 

There surely ought to be
someone here of a sufficient
status to take this decision &
take it quickly. We are thro their
2nd line now & there ought to
be nothing to hold us
3 red flares: abt centre of positn.
Barrage wanted, NW flank.
95.36.58.91
3.30 41 more prisoners (1 officer) in - 6 Bde.
4.20 3 red rockets over Pozieres
4.50 Another officer comes down trench ∧prisoner x
Regts 162 & 84 mostly.
Rifle & mg. fire increased.
Three red rockets aga seen.
36 Bde have taken Ration Trench - 
up to Pt]4. They had not junction but
had joined up w 37 Bde (directn to 2 central) 

92
Counter attack ws chiefly with  little
bombs: wh they can throw much
further than we.
The Germans got into our
line near 58 - but the 24^th
were put onto it.
One chap got the Iron X yesty
& ws captured / next.
84 men out of one Coy k. in 4 days.
English officers are all comrades.
(*170 - 200 prisoners*)
29^th July
They caught some of our fellows in
a semicircular trench & fired into
them from the flank & knocked them
over fast - The wire ws not 

cut in front off the Mill, but ws
cut in some parts. No one got
into their 2^nd trench
162 ws being relieved by 84.

9
93
The first officer brought in thought
asked at once if we had got
to Carcelette.
6.15 messages recd from 7 Bde
tt Germans _^were counter attacking heavily.
by windmill (N of Rd).
Gelly & Plant just returned
& asked us to get on all arty possible
as the men were getting Hell up
there.
Gelly rang up Divn at once.
Prisoners told us tt they (84) were
just relieving the Platoon Commdr
in front of his coy men when
- abt / Windmill - the bombardt
met them.  When they got into
/ Windmill trenches they found
x 3 "English" prisioners  men wounded.
[They had 26 Engl. prisoners / other
day]

——
22nd went in 1 platoon strong
at first - as they were not in
place in time. The 7^th Bde & wounded
were blocking / trench - & the 22nd
had to be sent across country.
From Arty: Barrage along 6 & 7 Bdes fronts.
Enemy bombing.

9
94
Gelly - just back from Poz. says
tt if the 3 new Austr - & some Brit.
Divns had bn there they cd undoubtedly
have got thro; but as it was
the 2nd Divn cd never have 
got xx thro of itself - it was just
far too hot a time for from the
bombing attacks.

Some counterattack _^ prisoners
just bn sent back - abt 50 of them.
Arty to stand by for barrage.
6 a.m. Latest news: Germans can be
seen retiring in small nos
across bridges to N.E. in groups.
Gelly found _^(by personal investigation on spot)_∨ tt patrols of his Bde
had moved out in totally wrong
direction (O.Cs never checked
this) & were shot at _^probly by own guns_∨ & bombed & died over
nothing.
22^nd lost 10 officers.
Breakfast with Lloyd,  5 [Inf?] Bde.
Crawled back to Tara or [Uxxx?] Hill
where I watched for a bit the [recking?]
shelling of Pozieres.

95
1.49. O.C. 27 Bn sent officer round front
line & reports only 3 offrs & 200
men left.
1.55. Observer of 7 Inf Bde reports sev.
hundreds of enemy constructing
fresh flanking trench from Mouquet
Farm towards R 22  600.
1.2. Enemy shelling OG.1 & OG 2. v. heavily
Counter battery asked for.
1.10 Front line report enemys shelling
slackened
12.20 7 Bde reports shell fire v. heavy &
casualties v. heavy.
12.40. 20 Bn in O.G.2 heavily shelled.
many casualties. men cant work. Trenches
knocked abt. Request for retaliation H.A.
9.15 Arty Liaison officer at X 4 B 10.5 reports
enemy retiring on defeat of c-attack.
5 Bde Line. X5B 2.6 (20 yds N of tram) - OG2 -
left on Bapaume Rd. OG.1 from X5 B 2.0. to pt. 79.
10.45 Trenches _^7 Bde enfiladed fom Thiepval.
10.35. 5 Bde [from] shelled but casualties not heavy
Commn _^trench_∨ O.G.1 to OG 2 77 to 08 finished.
Walker Ave continuatn to Pt 77 prac. finished.
10.20. 6 Bde front line heavily shelled w 5.9 & 8.2
9.45 Heavy double barrage across outskirts of Poz; & one
across [CP?]_x Chief trouble, dif of getting supplies.

9

96
8.45. 27 Bn report OG1. OG2. Windmill taken. cas 3 offrs. 400-500 o.r.
7.55. 2 Coys of 25 Bn sent up [agst??] c-attack.  xxxxx Brought back.
line thinned

7.5  Heavy shelling of Poz.
7.5. 5 our aeroplanes up.
6.50. Repeated Reports our arty shelling
OG1 R34 Central to R34 d77
(18pdr.)
6.44 Fwd men report Enemy c-att repulsed.
5.10. 27 Bn reports Enemy c.atting R35 c B
25 Bn report Enemy C.att in large
numbers.
[*8.5. 5 Bde: No Patrol reports recd.
7.20. 25 Bn report Enemy attacked abt 4.40 am. Repulsed.
7.5 [Enemy surrendering in large nos?
1st Anzac says it inpt 2 Div.
shd asc. [certain ?] positn on left
flank. Take sp. measures*]
6.20 Enemy c.atting along whole front 6^th &
reported 7 Bdes. S aid tt line for
100 yds NE of _∧Pt_∨ 58, _^ R_∨34 C has bn evacuated
G. ordered one coy of 24 to fill in breach.
5.50. 6 Bde occupies at 4:30.
22^nd: 77.60-12-91; 23^rd 90-58-85
24^th 58-75-23. Work of consolidating
goes on under heavy shell fire
combined w bomb attacks from
90 & 95.
5.45. Strong bombing c.atts on
R34 G1.2.
4.55 3 red rockets.
5.5. 7 Bde still no news as to Windmill

97
9
4.50. 6 Bde had _^ taken_∨ 1 off. 60 o.r.
on m. g.
4.20. Commns being dug from our trenches.
4.34. Vickers emplacement completed
at 77. Strong Post & 2 Lewis
guns at Tramway.
Pioneers extending Walker Ave.
(from 5 Inf Bde)
7th Bdle got it T.M. into O9,
& kit.
By 12.30 Comm to capt trench
ws almost thro.
Pioneer Bn wh ws to dig trench
to Windmill got lost & not
done much (up to 4.15)
27 Bn at 3.15 report 2nd objve
entirely obliterated
2.45 E. shelling heavier
18 & 20 Bn had suffered no
resistance in O G 2 up to
abt 1.30. Germans abt 500 yds
away. Trenches abt 3 ft
deep to start w.
Abt 100 men went beyond
2nd objve & Capt Saddler
1815 had to go out & pull

98
9
them back. Germans as retired left
in ground betw. 0G.1 & 0G2 phosphorous
flares - uncomfortable but not
deadly. (? our own smoke bombs)
Prac. no fire shell or m.g. at the
time.
12.25. am 27Bn report no hand to hand
fighting in trenches. No hand to hand
Trenches mostly deserted.
1.25 20 Bn reports front line being dug
300yds in front of OG.1. Rt flank
abt 20 yds to left of tramline,
prot by Lewis gun.
10.55 Sappers report in Enemy's line.
1.55. 20 & 18 Bn connected up.
19 _^ 9 G prisoners of 53 Regt passed thro.
18 [?]. 21 wd _^ & prisoners G capt by 27 Bn.
Man of 27 Bn ws just to left of Windmill
No barbed wire where he was.
Enemy had mg fire from 0G1.
on 26Bn. All men say prac.
no wire
4 Aust Inf Bde at Brickfields
at 12.15 am. 

99
9
Brit attack on Munster Alley &
Tors Trench held up. 5 Bde
at request of GOC 68 Bde made
a _^ demonstration_∨ hq agst centre of Tors Trench
w Stokes mortars
12.5. 18 Bn says tt O.G.2 will have
to be completely reconstd.
10.9 pm Trumper reported tt large
nos of enemy left switch line
at dawn over open.
______________
Res. army line. 0G² X 5 D 78 X 5 B28
R35 C 65 R34 D59 R34 C48
R33 D 8.5 to near R33 D7.7. where
small break - Thence to RE
all Ration trench to X2B90 -
& X2.B6.2 X 2 D 47.
Thence unchanged.
Believe we hold Munster Alley to
neighbour hood of X5B43.
______________
30 miles of wire were used for
last nights commns & it remained
 

100
9
good w 1 Bn H.Q.s almost
all through
Pozieres
[Diagram. See original document] *The scheme was something
like this.*
Sausage
Valley
________________
It ws a most interesting time we
had w those two young German
officers in Gelly's dugout this
morning. Gelly himself & Plant had
gone off to Pozieres to "give things
a shove" - & Norman, the
Coy Staff Captain boy, brought
down a German officer. He was a
well built youngster w fair hair, clean
shaven. He sat on / bed looking down
at his knees, one hand clasping / other
wrist - & sd nothing. Just "Thank you" -
when he was offered the seat. We got
another "I thank you", when Norman
gave him an xxx pannikin of
enamelled cup of porter. After tt
he sat quite still again - looking
utterly vexed; _^ or even ask angry w himself -
I asked him if he were
wounded. He simply said "Neh".