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 

identificatn 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withdrawn / men down 

Commn 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 No mans land.
 

11
90
& only got half way 

across.

I went over with

Butler, today, & Lėvy, to 

lunch at the Hqrs of the

Intelligence of the 36^th French

Corps in Rosendael (Suburb 

of Dunq kerque). 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 Bethune & found practically 

no one at all in / trench & 

there ws no artillery reply 

or rifle fire. They knew 

this - & a lot 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 Dunk erque - 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.

M'Cay 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 trenches empty & badly smashed 

by Arty & M.T.M., but 

brought back the necessary 
identifications-"

[This wants to be
 taken with a little salt, of course].
 

11
95
C. in. C, through

18 Sept. 2nd Army Commander 

congratulates 2nd army on 

results from recent raids. Army Commander 

adds: Continuation "at / present time a 

continuatn 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 Divl Commdrs 

kindly submit a programme 
accordingly". 

From Army (To 1st & 4 ^Aust Div.) " Identificatns 
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.b.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 preparatn 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. preparatn. 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 trenches

.White doubts use of these exc. 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 27^th) 13  Bn O 2 C 3 1/2 1 (Later. O.8.a 1/4 7 1/2)
*{(4) Sept 27 or 28 (later-26^th) 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 25^th 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 expeditns"

by strong patrols. (also silent)
 (White asks what is a "cutting 

Expeditn"?  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 dependent 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 & preparatn).
 

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 Div. 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 cdnt 

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