Charles E.W. Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/55/1 August 1916 pt11

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

425 a dumdi man coming into 12Bn Advance) H.Q) whosd They must do someting with tt suppey kept on repeating it nerves. course, but suppose the had b bit Super Thank for til said Haladan. Preaty ae Eavie down X hil a bit outo the sun ten road There ws no brench o the road. it ran o outo 1ad. T trench entered the opposite cath bank at +top
126 ran Walley down so tt we were very quictly out of all danger of smpers you could see fom here quite sharly the line of our men working on then yout towerds the 612th Bn. about 40 yards out from as Tame were slanding in the open - carelesly walkin about. Other wery waist or shoulder deep in their bit The morran of wench behind them mest was othe eneming forcunately have had a wdsl m. 9. on them. I suppose trench wo invisible his next tater we haard from there a dlogen snepi shots half not then 9 & could men. Perhaps ofou grouns. (over 30r pap t them this
i int 7512Br lid part July 2304 Sankn Ed Sumpits near 11 Be. away by my Fisher M.o. Toyer 12 Bn hit 7th Bn Cauybell Fister awa ws a Mon Jozer, Camphall wd Sent Dennis 12 Amb. &c Tozer buiet in over left eye into brain trough fright Ear I 33 Dgression (EBu in Aug 197e Aug 21 XI1 Bon of t cross truch ans bottin 4791 San Se Bollown into furtn 7 there Them they cleared from thei also went fam on into Mongnet o bomber duponts 00 some prsoners there. They wat into one dugont saw so a m down + but edut vig it there Had previousl avoy bom bel y trench Io 48 (5 4.7.2) threw bouts these. Ihrre were into went of the 5C Str ought It on mact have 62 some of thesr out who came afterwrs) Hearps wc Ds an neck by one new app
423 Butler Account. ee received oot from EL.A.B. May. rafferty 820 on less flank of pn Abt. 9. 16 holday will a small plation of men BrC. ) the left of the 12 Bns pocite. He had hed a suell & wal taler to have gone to peray tine when he ws not by a pacs of spalt. If the relief had not bo coming yn he wd have bor off that poe as wy killed A man Richardson of b along side picked Butter ut Corpl. Ganner carried him, to whose there ws a block in bruck towards my dugout. Yanner we exhansted had to leave him where. Hedirived in an Exhanslet state. He came reportes what had dappened. We see out atonce the Pietatens bearers & decided to bring him in Hevay t get people down ther we housh 122 136 Your shells Mongall en we garries into deor safer to bring him in right away to dugent. Sapr 124/41 25/3o assited by Felley 6. Tilley (Major 9 batman) brought him in and Repert we sent a long for the doctor s hayls away. 83 3of The S had to go right along in 1 S. B. open & possibly tt ts wher Butle was hita 2 ButterI time seto them and & Till found Buthey pend them He ws Llown ✓ calm collected a lot of there veing pla of blood on the stretcher under him. He asted for a cigdrettey and smoked it. X abt midnight or a little the cfoctor cames & gave him something to later send him to sleep for a while, He sd oe felt allday, it someting ws going to happen to hei 8
they ad not let him alk or let him know t tay had seit sorte Docler. He warquity conlin take his chance & did not want to be attended to there were ofter wounded t e alleded to while The Bri came away abt 3am. & arrived an at Posieres volentened to remain behiend Cfriy S.B. down, go they cd. bring him down under whith flay The 5/Bs said to1 Fermans t would not interfere with them so long as they 2 had a white flag - in the day time. thankful for all He shook hands & sd. he ws to hem. 32.C had bn done ap william 24 Bn evacuated apt Tohnson ad Con fized him up in night Cent ordered to gend him Willia had hgdalyady been sid along relieved & went up into line tro is 132 43 (3 very heavy wearly Every. barrage be e thet tha came to came across a wounded Whereon he man nge 12 sthyed in Tobuson ogur till daylight then went to Becourt to tell tem S0 ff somes there wd take and inferest in Butler Lopp Youner. Agted for an CR M.C man Weak 56 own O Sbs were attent worn yeurr expucted Doctor a come 4 a of 5b carring him down Cly Hews attached temperarily to He had Co deceided to ten him & had asked onds r. in men punped a thum al once. There as smeting or and att i him. Ingjof sawhin one vay freading sometuny, Miga asted him ieraf Henioan) is wat oaeay. a Henssa 91N 11710,1a New Ceolement. I nted my mother I would red 2
133 seft Yauieer had be shocked 3 w rlady & had been shevery at Maday riming Bn runner into dejours all day dive Sareat nunn operaln Boy of 19 delvern order 20 5 134
w 435 Angus Butler 18 314 Division 15t Homy lean 6 Dec Enes of Benvey 155 Corps Lilter ad be East sil 982 136 uas Ans 22 (Continues pom Vdor. payis back ecrafrative es back here, to our walk on the & the 1DthBng frout before we reached the sumfen road) 6 Eu 1927 could not see any trunch out through German the wist –only an almost level brown hilltop. The treack was pretty beoken that we were n) I am apaid theee circumstances S under as am concernit far to almost abvoys the chief dea opall we get to how soon decent covers & the surrounding country only forms a soitof backgound to that idea We came, before we knew it, rights oubon the sunken rvest of road 5000 monguet I am. These places are like a nightmare you scarcely recognice them when you find them. It is like coming on a man & finding him skinned - you wd have to took we a man. The twece to see he
ait their This was tia accoance orders 13 been played. There coustr ha the road alright - a strayle Fan strip between banks Mem were degpi across it further where our trunch than up out came it - or were on the banks of it there dippn near had pulen a pick The 12th Bn where the got to & the 11 oad Ione the same o they were working towards nke. Theth had starte late (or rather, not at all) & had nlyof when ordered to go to their objective, moved aptr two common Es towards 91 401. We descended the hill pretty rapidly pou the Tunken rd & realised to we were out of the smmpers range at once. Only one Geman whizg bang was skemon tow over jast down I bill + Cursty head fou dugout of Maj. Refter Here we
138 ar in command of C. Coy 1212 who Ba. He we dodged into eran depont I beard a ceery voice Hallo Charlie? say Butter It was des. I was immensely relieved to see him. I saw him a for daye before at Herissart o knew he was with the 12th & Idreaded his being bity for Uncle ord's sake. is wrapt upon Leo + ais Uncle Fd. very bad for some health has been H years. was a scancaly bearable bocnal to an Olet (20 come over here alreade Augus was m feel happy all day to It made 0 there after the fight have seen He & I sat garning in the half dark of the lower steps of the shap to the pedvy dugont. It had been a very night barrage falls Lownon the fernd the support If on that s lpe - it was Leas first of the hill experence of action, but he made
3 this foi was to up their tin 149. of it. H said their men little had got ito Far (be badnt the out berbed the degonts Some & a wounded & tey carre officer down into one I tere w an machend fum on it. Then had to come out of the Far but had being on guite close to it. several people say thy have found the farm very hand to t cate. But they take some fallen tember & debrs to be the place] Too had to go off to ration plation Dick Caser tI his go some details on the max from Raferty opgoode. Raffert sd beld N55. (I that we had never hear be is wrong - that the Gerna stiang point is at 48.) anyhow I genous had a strong point in that trench. Col. Robertson of 1he then when we reached agreed is 916

125
7
a wounded man coming into
12 Bn Advanced H.Q,
xx who sd "They must do
something with tt sniper—" &
kept on repeating it —
nerves, of course, but I
suppose he had been hit by
a sniper.
"Thank God for / mist"
said Halaban. Presently we
came down / hill a bit onto
the sunken road. There ws
no trench on the road - it
ran out onto / rd. The
trench entered the opposite
cutting bank at / top &

 

126
7
ran down / valley
so tt we were very quickly
out of all danger of snipers.
You could see from here
quite clearly the line of
our men working on their
trench out towards the 6 12th Bn.
about 40 yards out from
us. Some were standing in
the open - carelessly walking
about. Others were waist
or shoulder deep in their bit
of trench. The morning
mist was behind them -
fortunately - or the enemy
wd surely have had a 
m. g. on them. I suppose
his next trench ws invisible
from there. Later we heard
half a dozen sniping shots
 & I could not then see
any of our men. Perhaps
this sent them to ground. (over ½ doz. popn) 

 

Joint 7 & 12 Bn
Aid post   July 23 or 4
in Gunpits near Sunken Rd
Fisher M.O. 11 Bn away lying dn
Tozer     "  "  12 Bn         } hit
Campbell "  "7th Bn    }  "
Fisher ws away at moment
Tozer, Campbell wd.

Sergt Nimmis 17. amb. k.

Tozer bullet in over left eye into
brain through right ear.
127
 

128
7
Digression 12 Bn in Aug 19 fight
? Aug 21
XII Bn. Got into cross trench
47-91 Saw Germans bolting
into further trench. Followed
them there - they cleared
from there also; went
on into Mouquet farm
and bombed dugouts - took
some prisoners there.
They went into one dugout
& saw some a m.g. down
there but cd nt bring it
away. Had previously
bombed up trench 55-48
- threw bombs (5.4.7.2)
into these. There were
screams & they went
straight on - (It
must have bn some of these
who came out afterwards).
Lt Hearps ws wd in M neck by one
new appt.

 

129
Leo Butler (Account
received from xxxx Maj. Rafferty)
ELA.B. 
Leo.
Abt ^9 to 9. 15 p.m. on left flank of 
B & C. Coy, holding with a small platoon of men
the left of the 12 Bns position. He had had a spell & was later to have
gone to / firing line when he was hit by a piece of shell.
If the relief had not bn coming in he wd have been off that post.
A man named Richardson ws killed
along side of him. 
Corpl. Yanner picked Butler up
& carried him to where there ws a block in /
trench towards my dugout. Yanner ws
exhausted & had to leave him there. He arrived
in an exhausted state. He came & reported what
had happened. We sent out at once the stretcher
bearers & decided to bring him in. It is very difficult to
get people up & down there. We thought it wd be
  

130
7
1 of our shells in Mouquet
F. & ws carried into dugout.

_____________________________________
safer to bring him in right away to / dugout.
2 S/Bs saps assisted by Tilley (Major
Raffertys batman) brought him in and
we sent along for the doctor straight away.
[*Sap blocked in 24th*] The S/Bs had to go right along in /
open and possibly tt is when Butler was hit a
second time.
Tilley found them and 
guided them down. He (Butler) ws
v. calm & collected. He
complained of there being a lot
of blood on the stretcher under him. He asked
for a cigarette and smoked it.
Abt midnight or a little
later the doctor came & gave him something to
send him to sleep for a while. He sd he felt
all day tt something ws going to happen to him.

 

131

They wd not let him talk or let him know tt
they had sent for the Doctor. He was quite content
to take his chance & did not want to be attended to
while there were other wounded to be attended to.
The Bn came away abt 3am. & arrived
at / Pozieres
S/Bs volunteered to remain behind to bring
him down, as they cd bring him down under white
flag. The S/Bs said tt / Germans
would not interfere with them so long as they
had a white flag - in the day time.
He shook hands & sd he ws thankful for all
tt had bn done to him.

Capt. Williams 24
Bn evacuated him.
Capt. Johnson had gone up &
fixed him up in night. Capt.
Williams had promised to send him
along. Johnson had already been 

 

132
7
relieved & went up into / line thro' a 
very heavy
barrage. Nearly every ?bed? that they came to,
wherever he came across a wounded
man he injected them -
Johnson stayed in Pozieres
till daylight - then went
to Becourt to tell them there so tt someone
wd take an interest in Butler.
Corp. Yanner. Asked for an exp.∧erienced A.M.C.
man & fresh s.b.s. as own
s.b.s were utterly worn.
Never expected Doctor to come up
Dr came up & / s.b.s
carried him down
He ws attached temporarily to C Coy. He had
decided to stay there & had asked to do so. The men
jumped at him at once. There ws something grand abt
him. Major saw him one day reading something. Major
asked him (it ws at Herissart) "Is that poetry?" He sd"
"No, its a New Testament. I promised my mother
I would read
[* a bit every day & I intend to keep that promise"*] 

 

133
Yanner had bn shell shocked
3 times already & had been
shivering at midday.
Bn runners running
all day & diving into dugouts
w sweat running.

Boy of 19 delivered operation
order


134
7 
Mouquet Farm
from point 60 - Friday 25 Aug.

 

135
Angus Butler 180 field Co. RE
8th Division
1st Army
Chateau Des Pres

S. of Beuvry.
1st Corps.
w Lillers
 
 

7

136
Tues Aug 22 (Continued from
½ doz. pages back). 
(The narrative goes back here, to our walk on the 10th 
& the 11thBn front before we reached the sunken road)
CEWB 1927 
I could not see any
German trench out through
the mist – only an almost
level hill brown hilltop. The
trench was pretty broken that
we were in; & I am afraid
under these circumstances I as
far as I am concerned
the chief idea is almost always
how soon shall we get to
decent cover - & the surrounding
country only forms a sort of
background to that idea.
We came, before we knew
it, right out on the sunken
[*xShd be East*] road 500 X yds xWest of Mouquet Farm. These
places are like a nightmare -
you scarcely recognise them
when you find them. It is like
coming on a man & finding him
skinned - you wd have to look
twice to see he was a man. The

 

 7  

137
country has been flayed. There
ran the road alright - a straight
strip between banks.
Men were digging
across it further
up - there where our trench
came out on it - or were
digging near the banks of it there.
The 12th Bn had put in a pick
where they got to & the 11th had done
the same & they were working towards
one another. The 11th had started
late (or rather, not at all) & had
only, when ordered to go to their
objective, moved up the two
common trenches towards 91 & 01.x

[*xThis was in accordance with their orders*]
We descended the hill pretty
rapidly from the Sunken rd &
I realised tt we were out of the snipers
range at once. Only one German
whizzbang was skimming low over
head & bursting just down / hill.
Here we found / dugout of Maj. Rafferty 

 

7

138
who ws in command of C. Coy 12th
Bn. As we dodged into / German
dugout I heard a cheery voice
say "Hallo Charlie!"
It was Leo Butler. I was immensely
relieved to see him. I saw him a
few days before at Herissart & knew
he was with the 12th; & I dreaded
his being hit for Uncle Ted's sake.
Uncle Ted is wrapt up in Leo & his
health has been very bad for some
years. It was a scarcely bearable
wrench to them to let Leo come -
Angus was over here already.
It made me feel happy all day to
have seen Leo there after the fight.
He & I sat yarning in the half
dark of the lower steps of the shaft to the
dugout. It had been a very heavy xxxx night
- the German barrage falls down on
the support trench on that reverse xxxx slope
of the hill - it was Leos first
experience of action but he made 

 

7
140
little of it. He said their men
had got into the Farm (he hadn't
gone out) & bombed the dugouts -
& they carried a wounded
officer down into one - there ws
a machine gun in it. They
had to come out of the Farmx

[*xThis was to join up their line.*]
but had hung on quite close to it.
[Several people say they have found
the "farm" very hard to locate. But
they take some fallen timber
& debris to be the place].
Leo had to go off to ration
his platoon. Dick Casey & I
got some details on the map from
Rafferty & Lt Goode. Rafferty sd
that we  had never held Pt. 55. (I
hear he is wrong - that the German
strong point is at 48.) Anyhow
/ Germans had a strong point in
that trench. Col. Robertson of the
9th agreed w this when we reached 

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