Charles E.W. Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/55/1 August 1916 pt4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Part of Quest:
Subject:
  • Notebook and diaries of CEW Bean
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG1066819
Difficulty:
4

Page 1 / 10

36 in the fight when the were bombiy ap I trench; a boud 10 yards further was a second barricade I had get over the first and as okn for way togo & had decided ti0 to try o other truck a seemed to disappear or 90 down vally when a second bullet whistter past. That made we think I went along to Soten branch and it also seemed to peter out altogete men Tere as as sign of move along it at all - not a a footping. I cdn't be sare to it was a trench. just tri a tird bulled & I knewet must be smper ewaited for a bit then crept back, keeping tow as I cd, along the as branch I had gone along
37 first - I waited for a bit to give I saiper a chance to for get me & ten had to dive over ants a few more craters. The begar put a fourth shot just over my head after att I had got into shelter of the dive. end for a I waited again but it was not too bit because there was nice a good deal of shell fire to & tese craters - He truck here ws nothng wore made, no good cave from stwapnel. One gan was at throwing ligh explavive shells no great distance down hillside on I left. I reall began to think again to ws in a bit of a quandar but managed by keeping very low to crawe about so yards along trench & then after waiting a minute
when 58 two, decided to run for it. or It is not aice to thank of getting hit in those sort of places when you are quite alone because unless you can cravt to safety Ichance are no one witl find you ah all - especialy if a shell half buries you. 3139e net him onI way up tole me re & his friend has just found a poor chap who was buried by the arm had up to te shoulder & whe days. been in th posite for 4 They had fove down on them knces & scraped with their fingers at the eark but it we like cement. They had gone to get a fatigue par this was joay to dig him out I was not shot at as I ran & soon 6 into a trench wh sot 3 knew dead in it the
29 must be my old friend 4 Lbl truct. There was a ferman depont filled up to the wouth but not quite filled up; I sat there for a momet 0 & got my breat ws over. the advinture met two English I Soldines coming down 1 t presently veached a part wt had been quite There was decently dug. an occasionale heavy shell crashing on - but in decent you don't sory about them - besided there were man passay this way I knew by Frodden foolmarks Peiently I found some 4 B men o then te H.O. 4 Bn. Ievent down Wlackay & may. Dacey were there of ths save me I delails of Heary yesty nights caltack
49 pas disy str d 44 shell were thumping in up above nots for away I was directe on from there to the od down a lonely long truch (quel a good one) amodit a wilderness of crating – twice and ixth ton & twisted traiway - them ap a well revetled frman communicate Y to some more dugouts. The great Church bell was across an treck here one ducki in ndet to a well lighty gan po it Howeld Price we out. the a sending up of Hares for I contact acroptinn as I wint te I truch I had heard ap above aeroplane hooting
42 constantly two hoo- booting on some horn or bellows: My veryy to know flares from thei fron hig to show where Rrc tay realy ver as out seevy to this himself. the adit gave me the pi ontnap. It as well in front of posite given O Jen. Sangthe Presentl Rico came in he have me a kird positin & He had on round himself sd, & placed it as far he ybeary as he possibly cdt His right as at 99 & his op of calting in 120at. well to seemed toane to be positen of the well marked French in 1acr shots I told him to divr had be told be a a very diff back at positi
officers wer 3 two artillery there. They sd there ws a shoot on at a certain ferman o timed to begin at 6 pm. (& it tthe .30) The heaoy howitzers were to bombard this placeo news had arrived to H. Rice men were te witdrawn from abounced acertain ponnd SInear t it why - $5 300 y ard & bedin my frond live! he sd. It was too laty to do it -but it wsurgent anyway to fet I news back of where his line wasIt hard to say feghefully exagtly where you are in a wilderness of craten one of the Ciaison officers sd he ad hurry to Ecement House & tell his battery o sd I ad tell division came back & sent a message thoo an advances
44 then fiell artitlery tie entreway burried bac down & the Bapanne Rd was to drenchi to am 7 Sor They had Devision Obt 12 ar. before & not in were any stips & I don't time 5 an thought think Blo din rneeved tobe Sen. Hobbs woke? an dinned the Leevies have said chard properly HSiteleln What have ta done asked You wakn. Col. of the 30d Ba reports have by fer tl they his men cato it He gave the point cuthng in was other End. So t ws I seguet. The currons 20 to know get we dont
45 right 8 Sen Siyt ws not bu falling heavces may have shd have short of where they meant abe were wombg bn falling. They I well made treack in air phots. I ratin wish had gone on to seed fron tie that I might have droppes This shelling. But in to Ferman Landto from were advanceng Marlinfuich I didnt New want to be caught in An acroplanc had barryy Sen em. They made thei aback abt opm. a very diff boubt first set the fronb line wh on our reight Smaking a fence on a bush fire like rifle 10 latd few Then a
42 shotd. bet 94 never Ary in agst the Caneronian. en Si the 15 o Co settle the watter of W. eng 15 e the omonow morning, himself. I hear the fer suiped two men other day wherey were sedun at onc A furn acroplan ws brought down this ing in flawgs. It is carious to when hit bey often not place of their own action - but it fell last 300 feet We came back past the Church in Toywies Therei no longer a semblance of a window just one remaining sinnacte of tumbled bricks.

7        36
when in the fight when they 
were bombing up / trench; about 
10 yards further was a 
second barricade. 
I had got over the first
when and ws looking for / 
way to go & had decided 
to try / other trench as this 
seemed to disappear or go 
down / valley - when a 
second bullet whistled 
past. That made me
think.
I went along to  /
Southern branch and th also 
seemed to peter out altogether. 
There ws no sign of men movement
along it at all - not a
a footprint. I cdnt be sure 
th it was a trench.
Just then a third bullet
 - & I knew it must be a 
sniper.
I waited for a bit 
& then crept back, keeping 
as low as I cd, along the
branch I had gone along

 

7         37
first- I waited for a bit
to give / sniper a chance to
forget me & then had to dive
over into a few more craters.
The beggar put a fourth shot
just over my head after
I had got into shelter at /
end of the dive.
I waited again for a
bit - but it was not too
nice because there was
a good deal of shell fire too
& these craters - the trench
here was nothing more -
made no good cover from
shrapnel. One gun was
throwing small high explosive shells
no great distance down /
hillside on / left. I really 
began to think again th
I ws in a bit of a quandary
- but managed by keeping
very low to crawl about
20 yards along / trench
& then after waiting a minute

 

7                                                     38
or two, decided to run for it.
It is not nice to think of
getting hit in those sort of
places when you are quite
alone because unless you
can crawl to safety / chances
are no-one will find you
at all - especially if a
shell half buries you. Fitzgerald 
when I met him on / way up told me he & his friend had
just found a poor chap who
was buried by the arm
up to the shoulder & who had
been in th position for 4 days!
They had gone down on their 
knees & scraped with their
fingers at the earth but it
was like cement. They had 
gone to get a fatigue party
& this was going to dig him
out-
I was not shot at
as I ran & soon 
got into a trench wh by
the dead in it I knew

 

7                                                        39
must be my old friend "Kay"
trench. There was a deep passable 
German dugout filled up in to the 
mouth but not quite filled
up; I sat there for a moment 
& got my breath - &
the adventure ws over.
I pres met two English
soldiers coming down /
trench & presently reached a
part wh had been quite 
decently dug. There was
an occasional heavy shell
crashing in - but in decent trench
 you don't worry about
them - besides there were 
men passing this way I 
knew by / trodden footmarks.
Presently I found some 4 Bn
men & then the H.Q. 4 Bn. 
I went down. Mackay & Majr
Stacey were there & they
gave me / details of 
yesty nights c-attack. Heavy

 

7                                       41
shell were thumping in up
above not far away.
I was directed on from 
there to the 3rd Bn HQ, down
a lonely long trench (quite a good 
one) amidst a wilderness of
craters **past a lonely dressing station in a dugout**- twice under the torn
& twisted tramway - then up
a well revetted German
communication trench to some 
more dugouts. The great
Church bell was across the 
trench here & one ducked
in under it
to a well
lighted
gun position.
Howell Price ws out, managing 
the affairs for the sending up
of flares for / contact aeroplanes.
But in the As I went up 
/ trench I had heard the
aeroplane hooting up above

 

7                                                                 42
constantly hoo-hoo-hooting on
some horn or bellows. They were
to throw flares from their
front line to show where
they really were. Price ws 
out seeing to this himself.
The adjt. gave me the position
on / map. It ws well in 
front o / position given by
Gen. Smythe.
Presently Price came in 
& he gave me a third position.
He had bn round himself,
he sd, & placed it as far
as he possibly cd by bearings. His
right ws at 99 & his left
on / cutting in / road.
Well tt seemed to me 
to be / position of the well 
marked trench in / air
photos. I told him th
divn had bn told he ws
back at a very diff. position.

 

7                                                                  43
Two artillery officers were
there. They sd there was a shoot
on at a certain German trench,
timed to begin at 6 p.m. (& it
ws then 5.30) The heavy howitzers
were to bombard this place &
news had arrived that H. Prices men
were to be withdrawn from
a certain advanced point 38 near to it.
"Why - th's 150  200  yards behind
my front line" he sd.
It ws too late to do it
anyway - but it ws urgent
 to get / news back of 
where his line was - It is 
frightfully hard to say
exactly where you are in 
a wilderness of craters.
One of the liaison officers
sd he wd hurry to / Cement 
House & tell his battery &
I sd I wd tell division.
I came back & sent a
message thro an advanced

 

7                                                              44
field artillery line & then 
hurried back down Centreway 
& the Bapaume Rd - it was
drenching w rain - to
Division. They had got my 
wire abt ½ hr. before - not in 
time to take do any steps & I dont 
think Blamey thought any
needed taking. But During
dinner Gen Hobbs looked in
& said: "The heavies have
cleared / situation properly"
"What have they done?"
asked Gen. Walker.
"Col. of the 3rd Bn reports
th they have bn firing
into his men"-
He gave the point - it
was in / cutting & at / 
other end.
So th ws / sequel.
The curious part is
th we dont know yet th

 

7                                                               45
Gen Smythe ws not right &
/ heavies may have bn falling
short of where they shd have 
bn falling. They were meant to be bombarding
 / well made trench in / 
air photo.
I rather wish I had
gone on to see / front line
tho' I might have dropped
into this shelling. But I
heard that / Germans
were advancing from
Martinpuich & I didn't
want to be caught in their
barrage. An aeroplane had 
seen them. They made
their attack abt 6 p.m.
A very  stiff bomb I first
wh set the front line
on our right smoking
like a fence in a bush fire.
Then a few isolated rifle

 

46

The church 
47 

7                                                          
shots. Ill bet they never
got in agst the Cameronians.
Gen Smythe is going to
settle the matter of where the line is
tomorrow morning, himself.
I hear the Germans
sniped two men / other day
where they were shooting
at me.
A German aeroplane
ws brought down this mg,
in flames. It is curious
th when hit they often
vol plane of their own 
action - but it fell / last 
300 feet.
We came back past the 
Church in Pozieres. There is
no longer a semblance of a
window - just one remaining
pinnacle of tumbled bricks.

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Jacqueline KennedyJacqueline Kennedy
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