Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/57/1 - August - September 1916 - Part 4

31
The British Communique says tt
/ only infantry activity yesty
(Tuesday) "ws / approach of a small
hostile force towards our trenches
near Pozieres Windmill, wh
ws quickly dispersed by
our fire leaving 7 men
killed. [ This made me
a little anxious- I had
missed a c.attack. When I happened
to pass Hamilton, Bde Maj. 7^th
Inf. Bde, he told me tt there had
bn no attack at all. "We reported tt
we shot 7 Germans," he sd; "I dont
know where they got / rest from".
 

13  32
L men in / battalions
holding / line didn't
attempt to go thro' the
barrage. They wd laugh
about it after they got
back.
Yesterday at Warloy
for / first time I passed
Canadians. Today there
is a Canadian Brigade in
the line - they relieved
the 7^th Bde.
A prisoner taken by
the 48^th to 47^th at Point 77
this morning belongs to
the ?5^th Foot Guard Regiment
 

13  33

The Guards (4^th Guard Divn)
relieved the divn the 69^th
Regt belonged to - who reld. the
Jaegers.
In the 4th guard Divn the
93^rd Regt went in first; then
the Grenadier Guards reld.
them; now the 5^th Foot Gds
have reld. the Grenadiers.
The others have gone to Cambrai,
On their left (our right) were
the f 1st & 2nd guard Reserve
Regiments of the ^1^st Guard Reserve
Divn., wh have been
holding Mouquet Farm
in our recent attacks.
This prisoner sd tt he
had heard there had bn an
 

13  34
attack a few days
ago - the officers told them
tt / British had lost a
trench - the Germans had
suffered heavily. They
thought they were told
stories favourable to / Germans
to keep their spirits up.
They had read abt
Romania in / papers - 
It seemed to them, then,
that it was all "Kaput"
with Germany!
_____
Sept 2nd 1916. Glasgow went
round his front this morning.
He Had to go (with Dickinson)
straight down the O.G.2 trench
N. of 60 where it goes down
 

13  35

the hill. It is open as the
palm of your hand to the
Germans, some stretches
at about 300 yards.  A Guard
Reserve regt is holding the
place - 2nd Guard Res. Regt, I
think. But they didnt fire.
Some Stretcher bearers were
going walking along the
bank at the side - with a
white flag. They signalled
said "Come on, get up here!
they don't fire at you" -
but Dickinson didn't as
it wouldnt be a fair
thing. He says the
Germans were dropping
lots of shell into the Quarry.
[5 more German prisoners -
a w. officer & 2 men of the 5^th
Foot Guards & 2 men of the
2nd Guard Reserve Regt - gave
themselves up at point 77
last night.]
 

13  36
The Germans were reported
yesty by some C.O. to be
moving in troops under
cover of 3 stretcher bearers -
3 s.bs. on / bank & abt
30 or 50 men in / trench
moving parallel to them.
Others who saw them told
Dickinson tt every man in
/ procession either ws wounded
or ws carrying a wounded.
man.
Our authorities however
referred / matter to /
Army & the Germans were
to be notified today (by a
stretcher bearer going across)
tt not more than 3 men
were to be allowed to a
stretcher, & not more than
 

13  37
3 stretchers in a party.

On the evening of Aug
26^th we lost 5 out of 8
aeroplanes in a heavy storm.

Sept 2. Eng:
13^th Bdes Attack:
5.20 a.m.
R. 28c. 95-66-36-03.
R 27d. 94-73-42-12,
R33b. 29 -28 thence
connecting with R33a77

From Pont
28c.95 on right a
defensive Hand to be formed to
join present E front.
Attack will be launched from a
set of trenches dug parallel to enemys
positn.
 

13  38
Main attack agst
Mouquet F. will be in
great depth & strength
& will be launched from
a trench dug. R33b55 to
B33a77. A small party
will also rush / farm
from near R33b 59 directly
the barrage permits it.
V, stormy mopping up Pty
to trench dug outs as far
as R27d 12 inclusive
Very rapid consolidatn
is essential
To avoid running with through own barrage
Troops attacking on rt of
farm to advance w left
on line R27d 6.0.- 5½ 2½
Bde Reserve in "The Loop"
"Park Lane" - to improve this
 

Sept. 3rd I Slept in Gen.
Johnstons dugout. The
bombardment woke me up.
 

39
The smoke barrage was
put up & was successful.
No interference at all ws
experienced from the left
flank. Holland & his men
went up Skyline trench.

hand drawn image - refer to original.
 

13  40
Smoke barrage
if wind favourable by
No 2 Coy 5^th Sp Bn Spec. Bde RE
from R33 a 54 - 47. &
in rear of it.
Overhead m.g. fire on
trenches N from R27d 73 42
& 12 & agst the
Feste Zollern. Infs
also to cover flanks of
Common trenches.
Rt. Centre Way - O.G.2
Centre. ^Across country Kays ^to Dump Toms Cut
Box Lane.
Left ^across country to Kays Dump
joining Kays trench N of
junction w Toms Dump
 

41
hand drawn diagram - refer to original
 

Germans can be seen
following. 52nd from shell hole
to shell hole.
2 coys of 50^th Bn being sent
up in support.
2 coys of Canadians being* 

13  42
0-08. Quickest route
08 to 0.30. 2 rds per gun per min. 
0.30 to 1. per gun per min.
Later as required
Counter batteries to be standing by to
engage hostile batteries
______
Sept. 3rd.  
Mouquet Slept in Gen. 
Johnstone's dug out at 4^th
D.H.Q. was waked by
our bombardment at
about 5.15.
A runner has come
in from 51st to say tt
the 52nd had only got
a platoon in & these are
being driven back. The
50 51^st has swung its
reserve support company round

*sent up from La Boiselle to Park Lane.