Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/60/1 - September - October 1916 - Part 9

11
88
The big car will be far
more comfortable; but I 
am at this moment ashamed 
to take it. If it hadnt bn
tt Col. Anderson had already
asked ^The war office for 
the £11 car I shd
have tried to get White to
give me a permanent right
to ride in the Anzac Cars,
altho' they are only often not
available & not nearly so
convenient.
As Foote said to Smith
in front of an Elderly Major
at Marseilles who was
acting as Landing Officer &
couldnt understand tt
1st Anzac ws a "Unit": "Smith
we'll win this war in spite
of beggars like that!".
 

11
89
We made a raid on the
Germans last night & got no
identification altho we were in
their trenches 13 minutes
(19^th Bn). A Only two shell
shattered Germans were found.
Our Bombt lasted 20 mins
(at 12 (11.55 to 12.15.)
The Germans also raided
us - in two places close
together. One raid reached
our trenches, but as they
had bombarded them from
5pm to 6.30 we had 
withdrawn / men down 
Common Trench & to the flanks,
all except m.gs - & the
raid ws easily beaten off
possibly without entering. The
other party ws caught by our
m.g.s in crossing Nomansland.
 

11
90
& only got half way 
across.
I went over with
Butler, today, & Le'vy, to
lunch at the HQs of the
Intelligence of the 36^th French
Corps in Rosendael (Suburb
of Dunqkerque). Their aerial
photographic expert there
has just invented the aerial
stereoscopic photo - the
two photos taken 100 metres
apart instead of at the 
distance of your two eyes -
& it is a wonderful success;
The sand dunes stand out
under it tho' they wd look
flat to the xxx observer up
there at 3400 metres. The
French photography is better 
than ours - their photo at
 

11
91
13000 feet are like ours
at 2000. You can see men
& guns in a photo taken at
13000 ft, the posts of a 
barbed wire entanglement.
These French officers
are exceedingly well informed,
I noticed. At lunch there
arose question of what
had happened on the British
front last night - we raided 
near Bethane & found practically
no one at all in / trench & 
there ws no artillery reply
or rifle fire. They knew
this - & a bit more. Butler
& I had not heard of it.
Their mapping arrangements
are far more complete than
ours, & their apparatus vastly
 

11
92
better so far as we cd 
see. 
We went home by way 
of Dunkerque - round
the harbour where for the 
first time since leaving Egypt
we saw A large monitor
& several small ones.
The Sir Thomas More was
in harbour & 3 other big
monitors outside, coming
from the North.
We had tea in a 
French tea shop on delightful
cakes - & came home
thro' Bergue - The old
green ramparts of which, &
the moat, & belfries &
towers, are the most romantic
beautiful picture I have 
seen since Montreuil.
 

11
93
The Germans had several
shots at it, from 18 miles
away, they say; & hit
several houses including
a corner cafe' on the
square near the belfrey
are missing or opened out
like dolls houses. The same
gun, Levy said, ws the
one wh fired on Dunkerque
& hit the big church there.
We saw the church. One 
single shell had pretty
well smashed up the
whole side of it.
Oct 6th Our raids
- the ^ dry bones of them - have
bn as follows:-
 

94
5th ^ Aust Divn Raid abt 17 Sept.
McCay wrote: I had a raiding
team last night wh found Bosches
waiting for them on the parapet.
The team, however, cleared the trench
admirably, killing some 20
Bosches in hand to hand fight,
& taking 4 prisoners, of whom
two were obstinate & decided to
stay in Nomansland. The teams
casualties were: 1 offr slightly 
w., 2 o.r wd & 1 o.r died of w.
The team (30Bn) is naturally
very pleased w itself today.
My raid the night before found
the trench empty & badly smashed
by Arty & M.T.M., but
bought back the necessary
identifications-"
[This wants to be taken 
with a little salt, of course].
 

11
95
18 Sept.
C. in. C, through
2nd Army Commander
congratulates 2nd army on
results from recent raids. Army Commander
adds: Continuation "at / present time a
continuation of such minor offensives
is greatly to be desired".
White is "therefore to ask tt in
Each Divn preparations be made to
carry out as many raids as
possible.  Will Divn Commdrs
kindly submit a programme
accordingly".
From Army (To 1st & 4 ^th ast Div.) " Identifications
are needed of enemy troops
between Ruined Farm & the
Ypres Comines Rly.
Sept 19 2nd Army says tt
raids have shown tt in most
parts opp. 2nd Army
enemy is "weak ^ both in numbers
& morale."
Army Commdr wished a 
series of raids either simultaneously
or on successive nights in abt 10 days time"
 

11
96
1st Divn: proposed 2 raids, abt 30 Sept, 7 & 8 Bn at
I.34.d.30.72, & I 34.G.40.04.
But not at Hill 60 bec there
(1) Our own works are in an
unstable conditn & it will be some
time before they are in order.
(2)  The enemy has two distinct tiers
of fire (White thinks 3)
& other reasons.
White agreed.
2nd Divn. Proposed 34 raids & artillery
stunt
(1) 26 Sept arty stunt
(2) 28 Sept. 2.30am. J.19.c.1/2.6.
40 men 18 Bn without
arty preparation but "box"
after entry. No special
wire cutting needed.
(3) 1st Oct. 2am. I24.d.9 1/2 2.
70 men 20Bn w arty &
T.M. preparation. Wire has
to be cut.
(4) 4/5 Oct. 12p.m. I.30.b9.8 1/2
50 men of 19 Bn. arty & T.M.
- also on Mt Sorrel.
White is "doubtful abt the Silent Raid".
 

97
X Arty to be turned on as soon
as raids enter trench.
White doubts use of these [[?xc]] to capture
sentries -
Brit. Now have captd on Somme (:to 30 Sept):
29 heavy guns & hows.
92 field guns & hows.
103 T.Ms.
397 M.G.
 

11
98
? Div
4th Bde propose
(1) Sept. 30 ^ 46 Bn at Hollandscheschuur Farm
Salient at N.12.d.3.1.
(2) Sept 30. 47 Bn at 0 7 b 0 1/2 to 22.

*{(3) Sept 27 or 28. (Later 27th) 13  Bn O 2 C 3 1/2 1 (Later. O.8.a 1/4 7 1/2)
*{(4) Sept 27 or 28 (later-26th) 15 Bn No 5 Crater (later 0 2 d 77)
*{(5) X Sept 26 or 27. 16Bn O 3 b 9.1.
 X altered by Divn to 25th Sept. 03 b 7.1.

No of men abt 25 eacht time in two first,
& 10 to 15 in (3). (4) & (5).
(2) to be silent raid & (3) (4) (5)
more like "cutting out expeditions"
by strong patrols. (also silent)
 

(White asks what is a "cutting
Expedition"?  Also numbers seem
a bit small. Also - "has the
wire bn considered?"
He writes: As regards (2), our
x previous experience has shown
tt a silent raid is a difficult 
operation, the success of wh
is largely dependant upon chance".
& to 2nd Divn: "Our previous
exp. has shown tt such attempts
are extremely difficult & depend
for success upon / enemy being
particularly quiet & unobservant
as well as upon previous careful
reconnaissance & preparation).
 

99
2 Army
/ Anzac.
Programmes.
1 Div. 2 raids
2 Div. 4 raids
4 Div. 5 raids
VIII Corps 3 raids (altered to 2)
IX  Corps. 36 Div. 3 raids
                    7 Divn. 4 raids
II Anzac. 5 Aust Divn (15Bde) 1 raid
                 34 Divn. 3 raids
( as from 36 Div. 7 Div. Franks Force
if possible.
Stokes Mortar. bombt on all fronts.
 

11
100
Results
25 Sept. 16Bn. at 10 p.m.
1 off. 2.ncos 10 men.
Wire too big for our wire cutters,
& new wire placed there on trestles.
Party got to within 15 or 20 yds
stopped there & then bombed.
Cries sd to have bn heard.
Signal for starting arty cd nt
be gn by telephone as this failed.
It ws accly the 1st shot fired
by our party.
German M.Gs. fired on our
arty diversion - so pty got
in safely w one slight casualty.
26^th Sept. 15 Bn