Charles E.W. Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/55/1 August 1916 pt3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Charles E W Bean Diaries
Subject:
  • Notebook and diaries of CEW Bean
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG1066819
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

cobe seen hopping out of 22 & the & rannig for all they were R worth The Ameronians were sander uep & shooting - keen as mustand? They are in dead earnest to get the super who shot our nan the momiy. They have a party with bor bo + every bing read to out& scotch him. There o nothing wrong with her Lothst soltiers. Littie has an extraording hold on his men & his officers He cant be 23 - but officers of 27 or 28 who are under him are never teres of talken him quick to decide cuntane in his grasp. "He'll do we I think you may think mc foolish but I tell you hed make a Corps commander that thap; solone of him or words to th effect.
33 Br 234 a 2t 3369.5 33553 Below quarry (Son at a8320 50 glony d abt 6t ave Anq. 16. Econs bomb 5 parbline & support from 6pn & from 0 orards small N6 seen advancin from shell hale to shell hole in ponb of us. we took out shots at him M.Gs. got onto them. At 3.30 his art fere becaus intenser rifts shots wit from men in caters After 10 m boubt shellin lifer & abt Serman a ward dama Abt 9.30 on por 50 fobt 10 ford on a fort C 23
in offer on of 50 78 states to be saw abl 6 of ti lines Th 4 admance to Witing Foyds firt on were emined. ropis rifefire M. S 6 bambs+ many fell & an foled Rest broke our fire prob. 68 A goodina oddare lying tere today ou arty fire ws Seen to fall amoupt temn From 10 tell abt 130 they were seen for is if to attack & under art orf fire noting came of it/ t0 they drew we were this happened se tim clll I same the wight closer to durin
25 34 dPons R 3 to 4 26 have bombing us. They pasts out - a bomb is seen C ing from one occasionall but tiy are casily cleared ontly a few stots I coy was opp ean the allack they were no tomences next us at 81 thes mon the garrison of S1 co aust Bat ther are no Aust alians yet mne behind the Quarny 1332d Saxous were the att aalee Regt. Prisonar ws in 41 ben his job as to dig i. 34 a 34 83 3 35 99½ hotes shell 3465
Ing 27 579 15 The day 1 Germans say 1 warwill and. The Heinath says it - as a sternny necked little saxon told me. I went across to fot Dion & found that the 412 Bn had been attacked night before There we an acroplane shote in showing, a beautifully clean line dug by one your bus - the 515 O think 2 4 2 o 15 X me our men It seemedto must be in it - but Brig. Gen. Smy the said No Hesd he had bn round 1 time to-morning, & what we held was CBYD. I think he sother an advanced post at G I lanched A I Division & decided togo up to the
Dunner h i red rou the arms fove t C are gaing fellow. They want down there an BnHa. during an action & then a call goes ap Runney and nextman on Prostw comes ap - he knows hehas to straight thro' the Barrage 23 4th5 Bod Bno I had not been t the left for a long time Ao I was gouy Blane told we a Br Avenue French was the best- It was bad in parts but the Poniers wd beon to it aftr I pm started up the Bapanie It was been repaired Rd. you could see it running right apan tieres - But 72 inlittle traffic on there is an 0dd. Aubulanse or it Engineers wason, + some engineers ores by sidle road. I weat up to where trench rung down beffond ha Boisetle (into Mash valen Dr Hoenue. It had been aiiy (He last I days have bean uncertain- otherwise the weather has been oplended onc we arrive. & the chalk was very shppery. I was walking on the path by the trench seal solitar until some rugner recopsed me o told me to I best way apt trench So ws Lons Boneers it into Gob
50 mak it 1 were a pod deep nariow Y A Ronei officer as comig down. He sd. do mstaking (was tove there It wend thagght on to Kemiter Io not all as good hesd. he addes. as this The germans were throwing high explosive down Bation French or one of the paralet in the valler & on the top Frid pretty constant but all seeme t be puh too far to tlep except one whige bang gun ar battery which I notined had te t backated but seemed to fal Ectow over or short. As I got near this place I saw two staff officers in a cutting off standin ho si bebt trench 2itzgerald of the 1nd Corps. Ibey had be uptoser if their men were in It I had shents a wilderess of craters dead men + come
in end nit across countr t French had atterly lost themloes were se way back & didnt know where tha were. As we were talking several by sprapots pomke Entish shell falling in pout ovellers Feranat Bang Te fermions fell close 6y high shrapnel explided a brought Xto I or two to an end caation Con harried on e trugh ws well warked notso pod as tower the down I had evidents on cnhabited for all sorts of kit were an /1t mess tims took rifes in the little possies on Litter side of it. arkeed 151 Aia was well To FRONTLINE
52 every wherean Santes we on ten plates bleck woas there banched of Sugdenl bealin truch a shallow the had to ditch wh into you 8feet & this ws Step up warker 1st Avenue A started about 3 feet deep bul it rapitly became shallower - booken in b2 shell after shell. dead aeus legs - A shoulder now a half buried bod stick out of the tumbled bodies in all red sit sorts of decay, some calin away to the Skull; blackem with the dried black skin drawn back from ths teek cyclids dried te wick flallened like toose of a mamm There was a perhaps i Denal otrench 50.A in Ibottem
33 2 34 cannot have be used of i teesshe weren prisoner kelled by a shall burst. Then the trunh besaue Shallowyr and one had to hop pom one crat into and they But you c generally recomis caste a bit of French somewhere a head within 10 yards tanbl of you &a over cratie There ws no towards i one at all about & even dead me had disappeard buried somewhere Brok below over brow of Ahead hil were shallened dead tree I knew must trunks wh orchard of Foyueres be the this side of them Some way entanglement was an old stakes eft the the on l simply a wildenss rest Fcratirs trench The wd still with difficulty traciable

7    22
& they cd be seen hopping out of
them & running for all they were
worth. 
The Cameronians were standing 
up & shooting - keen as mustard. 
They are in deadly earnest to get
the sniper who shot our man
this morning - They have a
party with bombs & everything ready
to go out & scotch him.
There is nothing wrong with these
Scottish soldiers. 
Lillie has an extraordinary 
hold on his men & his officers.
He cant by 23 - but officers of
27 or 28 who are under him
are never tired of talking of
him. Quick to decide - constant
in his grasp. "He'll do me -
I think you may think me
foolish but I tell you he'd
make a Corps commander - 
that chap", sd one of them
- or words to tt effect.

 

7     23
4 Bn.
R34 a 21 5½ 7
33 69.5
33 65.3½
below quarry (Some men at
33 a 81. 33c & abt 50 yds along
6th Ave.
————
Aug. 16. Germans bombarded
front line & support [[trenches]]
from 6pm. & from 7 o'c. 
onwards small 
seen advancing from
shell hole to shell hole -
in front of us.
We took odd shots at them.
M.Gs. got onto them.
Abt 8.30 his arty fire
became intenser &
rifle shots w it from
men in craters.
After 10 mins bombt
shellfire lifted & abt 9p.m - 
Germans were seen
advancing agn.
Abt 9.30 on front
of abt 50 yds some
came ford on a front

 

7    24
of 50 yds & one officer
states tt he saw abt 6
lines of them. They advanced
to within 30 yds of [[trench]]
& were immed. fired on 
w M.G. rapid rifle fire,
bombs, & many fell
Rest broke & are folld by
our fire.
A good many - prob 60 
odd - are lying there today.
Our arty fire ws seen
to fall amongst them.
From 10 till abt 1.30
they were seen forming
up as if to attack
& under arty & rifle
fire nothing came of it (as
they saw we were ready)
This happened several
times.
All / same, they dug 
in during / night closer to

 

25


7    26
us. They have bombing
posts out - a bomb is seen
coming from one occasionally
- but they are easily
cleared out by a few shots.
D Coy was opp. the main
attack.
There were no Tommies
next us at 81 this morning.
The garrison of 81 is
Aust. But there are no
Australians yet immed
behind the Quarry.
133rd Saxons were the attacking
Regt. Prisoner ws in 4th line o
his job ws to dig in.
————
3 Bn 34 a 34 35 38 99½
24.
————
Shell holes.
34  -  65.  74 . 24.
————

 

7
27

Aug 17th - The day / Germans
say / war will end. "The
Heimath" says it - as a
skinny necked little Saxon
told me.
I went across to 1st Divn
& found that the 4th Bn had
been attacked / night before
There ws an aeroplane
photo in showing a beautifully
clean line dug by one of our
bns - the 51st I think

It seemed to me our men
must be in it - but Brig.
Gen. Smythe said "No" He sd
he had bn round / line
tt morning; & what we held
was C B Y D. I think he sd there
put was an advanced post
at G.
I lunched w / Division
& decided to go up to the

 

28

x Runners have red round
their arms & by jove they 
are game fellows. They wait 
down there in Bn H.Q. during
an action & then a call goes up
"Runner" - and / next man
on / roster  comes up - he knows
he has to go straight thro' the
barrage.

7    29
4th & 3rd Bns. I had not been
to the left for a long time.
As I was going, Blamey
told me tt 1st Avenue Trench
was the best - It was bad in
parts but the Pioneers wd
be on to it after 5 p.m.
I started up the Bapaume
Rd . It was been repaired &
you could see it running 
right up into Pozieres - But
there is very little traffic on
it - an odd ambulance or
engineers waggon, & some
engineers stores by / side
o / road.
I went up to where
a trench runs down beyond
La Boiselle into Mash Valley
- 1st Avenue. It had been
raining (the last 3 days have
been uncertain - otherwise
the weather has been splendid
ever since we arrived.)
& the chalk was very
slippery. I was walking
on the path by the trench side
until some solitary runner x recognised
me & told me tt / best
way ws up / trench so I
got into it. Some Pioneers

 

7    30
were improving it - making
a good deep narrow [[trench]] - A Pioneer
officer ws coming down - He sd
there ws no mistaking / way.
It went straight on to / cemetery
he sd. "Its not all as good 
as this ," he added.
The Germans were throwing
high explosive down Ration
Trench or one of the parallel
[[trenches]] in the valley & on the top
o / ridge pretty constantly
but all seemed to be going
too far to / left except one
whizz bang gun or battery
which I noticed had the
[[trench]] bracketed but seemed
to fall either over or short.
As I got near this
place I saw two staff officers
standing in a cutting off /
[[trench]] - & who shd it be but
Fitzgerald of the IInd Corps!
They had bn up to see if
their men were in 81 or had
got into a wilderness of craters
& dead men & come

 

7    31
across country in / end into
K trench - had utterly lost
themselves - & were on their
way back & didnt know
where they were.
As we were talking
several big spraggots from the
British shell falling in front
of Ovillers
fell close by. The Germans
exploded a high shrapnel
or two & so I brought /
conversation to an end
& hurried on.
The trench ws well marked
- tho not so good as lower
down & had evidently bn
inhabited for all sorts of
kit were in it, mess tins,
tools, rifles in the little
pozzies on either side of it.
It was well marked 1st AVENUE
TO FRONT LINE 

 

7    32
painted everywhere in
black board paint on tin plates.
Suddenly there branched off
the beaten trench a shallow
ditch into wh you had to
step up 3 feet - & this ws
marked
1st Avenue.

It started about 3 feet deep
but it rapidly became
shallower - broken in by
shell after shell. Bits of
dead mens legs - a shoulder
now a half buried body
stuck out of the tumbled
red soil - bodies in all
sorts of decay, some eaten
away to the skull; blackened
with the dried black skin
drawn back from the teeth
eyelids dried like thick &
flattened like those of a 
mummy. There was a 
German - perhaps more -
in / bottom o / trench so tt

 

33


7    34
it cannot have bn used of
late unless he were a 
prisoner killed by a shell
burst. Then the trench became
shallower and one had to
hop from one crater into another.
But you cd generally recognise
/ craters a bit of trench
somewhere ahead within 10 yards
of you & dived stumbled over / craters
towards it. There ws no
one at all about & even / 
dead men had disappeared
- probly buried somewhere
below.
Ahead over / brow o /
hill were shattered dead tree 
trunks wh I knew must
be the orchard of Pozieres.
Some way this side of them
was an old entanglement
- only the stakes left. The
rest ws simply a wilderness
of craters. The trench ws
still, with difficulty, traceable. 

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