Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/60/1 - September - October 1916 - Part 10

101
x This ws misleading 
 

11  102
26^th Sept. 2nd Divn Bombt.
Enemy replied with 5. 9 4.2
barrage for 10 minutes.
Similar bombtn on
Oct. 1. 5am: This Bombt. (in part,) was to form
a "box" as usual - & then, inst.
of coming back onto front line
after lengthening, ws to go further 
back & bombard points where
enemy wd probLy be massing
for repelling raid in Commn 
trenches & flanks
(enemy retaliated w a few rifle guards)
X 28 Sept. 4 Aust Div. Reported
that Strong Patrol of 13 Bn
had entered enemys trench
at 0 8 a ¼ 7½ (on silent raid) but found 
it empty.
White informed army of this
adding "exact time in trench & reconnaissance 
made not yet known".
Durrant: Reported that day tt
after questioning a number of party he
ws of opinion tt they crossed first
trench without knowing it & ran
into a diagonal trench 0 8 a 2. 8½
where they were when guns opened.
 

11  103
No trouble in wire. Saw 20 Germans.
Did no fighting. Few bombs thrown
from diagonal trench.
Birdie asks for further report.
Was it not possible to recover
bodies of offr & man reported 
missing.
Durrant reports tt Fitzpatrick,
O.C patrol led them thro wire
& across old ditch; left old
ditch at right place, but then
(tho' he & some of men had bn
out often before - 3 or 4 times)
went too much to left. When at
enemys parapet he gave the
word "Go". Our Artillery burst
out & he ws right under it
- he & one man seem to have
bn k. Word ws gn "scatter for
your lives."
So they never got into
Enemys trench at all.
 

11  104
Sept. 29. 2.30 am. 18^th Bn Raid
under Capt Bruce. & Capt
Party left at 2.29 am. crept
towards enemys wire. When close
to it some 10 bombs fell amongst
them from (apptly) enemy bombing
post in his wire. Capt Lane fell
wd. & several other were wd.
Rest retired bombing as they went.
Bruce led party out agn
but this time bombing intense
both from T. head & bombing post.
Also some rifle fire.
Wisdom says "I feel the failure
v. keenly & can only hope the
Bn will have a chance to retrieve
it soon. I think Capt Bruce &
his party did all tt ws possible."
Raid ws probly expected.
Legge reports that this raid appeared to
offer a reasonable prospect of
a surprise & he cdnt acct for peculiar
readiness o / enemy at this point. Possibly
 

11  105
arty registering on this pt day
before had given them the tip.
2nd Divn Raid of 30 Sept/1st Oct at 2 a.m.
"Off" as C.R.A. says it wd not
be safe to put a barrage on
enemy's 2nd line while our men
were in front line. (This raid ws
originally to have bn "Silent")
(He had reported on 27 Sept that
"both the Bde & Bn Commanders
concened in this enterprise
consider tt / conditions referred
to by you are fulfilled & tt
at this point / enemy has shown
tt he is quiet & not very alert
& / locality has bn carefully
reconnoitered by both these offficers."

30 Sept/1 Oct.
1 Offr 20 o.r. 46 Bn raided between
N. 12 d 3. 1 and N12. d. 5. 1.
Got 1 prisoner of 12 ^Inf Regt. One
killed.
Left trenches at 20 to 10 p.m. & formed
40 yds in front of our wire.
10 - 10.5 arty bombt. 10.5 trench rushed.
 

106

? I think this ws after Bombt. }
But apptly Possibly these 2 raids got } →

in without bombt, but bombt started }
when they were in }
 

11  107
Left bombing pty met w resistance
but made a block.
Rt ^assault pty went along trench &
Commn trench for 40 yds twds N. 12. d 3½ 3¾
& found nothing. Left pty found nothing
in Crater at N. 12 d 4. 1.
Returned at 10.43.
1 off, Lt Harrington, sl. wounded.
1 or. k. 2. o.r. wd.
Enemy retaliation feeble & slow.
TMs began in 12mins & field guns
in 15 mins. m.g. at once but little
of it.
Enemy used egg pattern bombs
w small effect.

Same night: Silent raid between O 7 b. 3. 3
& O 7 b. 6. 5. failed. Wire ws
not eno' cut. 11 rifles seen firing from
Enemy's trench. (47 Bn?).

Same night. { 8 Bns
{ 7
left Pty. 8 Bn.
9.30 pm parties left Sally Ports.
Reached enemy trench abt 30
 

11  108
yds to left of proposed entry
point. Crossed wire by mats
Moved 25 or 30 yds to left meeting
one man who ws captured,
but later wounded. There stopped
by arty barrage
Right portion of Left Raid went
150yds to right in k. one man.
Both parties bombed dugouts.
Enemy fired only one m.g.
from rear. Lt Joint sl. wd. by
our Shrapnell & one man by
a bomb. Enemy trench like our
own, w dugouts.
Right Pty - 7 Bn. arrived at trench
unmolested. Left squad met
7 men whom they killed. Tried to
capture 1^st man, who fired at
them. from re
Right squad moved down
a commn trench without meeting
enemy - Then returned & went
15 yds down fire trench meeting
one man Slightly wd. This man
 

109
 

Army (& G.H.Q) made
a fuss abt no identification
being obtained.

Str. Pt at 34 d 2. 6¼
Points of entry intended
were left Pty. 30 yds to left of
where intended.
Rt Pty abt 12 yds to rt
of above Strong Pt. (wire
being cut there).
On rt our arty got on to
men at point of entry & one
battery opened fire a minute
early. Bombt ws to be opened
at Zero on rear trench, Commn
& flanks.
 

11  110
ws captured, but had to be killed
owing to difficulty in getting him
to our trenches"
X The party brought back
4 rifles, 2 caps, & 2 notice boards
etc. No m.g. seen.
We had one man k., who
ws brought back.
Trenches similar to our own
but more dilapidated.
Left pty back by 10.7
Rt pty back by 10.13.
All means of identification
seem to have bn removed. But
a wd man who died & ws
buried ws later dug up again
& a disc found on him w
name & Regt.
—————
※ Appeared to be a strong Pt or
2nd trench abt N 12 d. 4^1/8. ¾.
46 Bn Raid.
 

11  111
4^th/5^th Oct.
This day enemy tried to raid
us twice, as well as we him once.
He heavily bombd. front line
trenches from O. 34 to O. 41, Estaminet
lane, & Old Kent Rd between
5 & 6.30 p.m. using shells "of
all. calibre."
most of garrisons were
withdrawn well down Old Kent
Road & to flanks. L. guns &
small detachments left to hold
line - wh accts for small
casualties.
7.45. Enemy came out
under cover of an intense
arty Barrage & tried to enter
our trenches at O. 3. c. 9. 9 &
O. 3. b. 7. 4 simultaneously.
Both pties seemed abt 50 strong.
Left Raid ws easily driven
 

11  112
of by L. Guns, & only got abt
½ way across Nomansland.
Right Raid got up to trenches but
"failed to Enter them." Met with
heavy m.g. & rifle fire &
retired quickly.
Apparent got away all his
k & w. Patrols cd find none.

Our Raid - by 3 offrs & 50 o.r. 19 Bn.
entered German trenches at I 30 b 8½
8½ after bombt. Garrison
had withdrawn. Our pty remained
at Enemy trenches 13 mins.
No enemy met with. Two
bodies of Germans seen, shattered
by shell. & half buried.
Trench ws considerably
damaged (20 mins bombt).
No identificatns. Retaliatn
by mortars & "minnies"
slightly damaged our trenches.
No hostile rifle fire or m.g. fire
during our bombt. Trench entered
 

11  113
seems to h. bn used for
observatn & outpost rather than
occupation.

Oct 7. Anzac Book all
morning & till 3 p.m.
Then went (as yesty) to 6^th 
Bn (yesty 21^st Bn) to pick
up details of Pozieres before
they had forgotten them.
Called in on Gellibrand. He
ws having dinner at
Auderdom - quite a number
of guests - to celebrate
Newcome's going on leave & gently
cheer up those present.
As Forbes says - tt 6^th Bde
staff is "a great team." old
Crozier has been drawing caricatures
for them. I never knew he cd do
tt. Gelly let him sketch as he
wished at Pozieres - very wisely
- & I have asked Pearce & Fisher if
he can paint some pictures for the nation.