Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/61/1 - October 1916 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066826
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Tem At 2ndealuo nbla at 66 a sbell in her foretunet. It came ir whinaction 4.2 bayan 4 18 ha you 8 Indeps. W2 Lim f through the port and killed other men there except the Major of 20.4 blew ex P12. Lion. 3.Ppo when Te Sighted auships for change marines who was hdibaaly hit. He had the sense 36 lyd courss & iir. ddmiu comhow to shout to the magazine & they did s0x hae a an for tene sto He 1) 9 m sent a wounder ser of marnes Abt Dusk took str at head of chambee pom tel turret ris senat up thro officer teling him Terman scatterd but all her shesting on breach above to the what had dappened 73 was burning one point Ahdwrnh went ard it s wut Be Shannon Defence Ste Asbakknot t had bund sone aie it to have lost his head and gone straight for the gt After seems charge which had fallen down the guve t Eaman, on, seeing heim a cordite ahead bakke fats between the & onto te floor of turnet. The & prob. two He sot from both sides would have condite (I) tunk he sd flast o Warrior got fire the shell explosed she had not had to be left by the any how it) pluched got away adie which was towing ther monge want of coal. plane stit. down the hoist into the amuun chamber & set on firc some ition host about 50 men here ship 50 one of amidl condite owh flasted ts E turrels his Dowmin Indefati 1? Thells hs the pating into the magazine 8 shell into mag. burning Sea Invincible cordite V se besat the paint did no more. and Basham had shell into hur mag passed through chamber room They are closing upad fis oidite cut shell & and the did not expeose exits for hame now Galatea hadshel Major roll down into her stoke hold 7 sot the V.C. That possibly a rick
57 new 25 3d 1 ✓ NCS Reggie Henderson. walsh Darley Radelift 2 + F tesir a81 y wd 2 2 10 5s9 e Gyroscopic 0 6 Runnanza - Ga Russian t
68 Capt paill M. 9. E Bn. 25 ap. 1915. Bn went in dose formation over enday? Hill must have been seen there by the curtes - came under mg fere - went down into valley extended firat found tarks on shell Green (3) in green open patch Thase were coming oor hill from Toppy Valley directen field ws behind trail just to et, & Gartfeeld to right of him- Gartfeeld sent some mea foward to see what ws strugt of Turks- Terks had dropped + were fing - our men had halled temporarily of fored on Tarks who w soon o 89 were fairly Far people cleared mddted by thenGo up t wend on over Tey hat & then Lone Pine right fin Rdi onto 90 reather there there abt & held till unsapported being whem 51 retirn. 2 the on 612 & 172 (parts) came the et afterwor on their up had few of his m gunner Faill they reached Fine alite lett bey went down Bidge on the diceward Ridge the but he did not side ofit Other did over it See into te Valley (one needs to b cautions probab places as bes lo
n 1at 70 N thy are right but they way be later dedections 7nst head hom from things thought ohers). He others had held and Bole forward pocitis later to W. of them the U86n There there. were gans (the stope. on Cuicked faci hill stope Soutwar They blown a had been breach ( despoyed the in way) the They were French stell cases used The 755. them but no around. were a0 mailes + wea They shallow Emplecements eerc in newly dug W & not covered. the no He thought t ae perns Col.
3822 77 haddes too the tre were not 0 on the 0o4e of hone Pend. Baill passed Turkish 5 tents brushwe. with covered 2 stope 4 Coppy Vally the wrte evidences o tarkes a cnd into bivonac the hillside there clothes the on skell were freen taken from theae ten t alory aver i officers Sword Etc know He didn't of any men going Pene beyond Ridn th he had heard 1547 some wc hat tome to They retured about Em. at During to night th tarks kept att acking; with shoutd of attah hans They going got up to
or 72 within about 20 yots - but to 8th charged several times the men dis what sadom happin of to close quarters bajonetoan tarks 40 Wellis t dificully was to ofecers had not ceaan 1 Froud before Foangham was ttted by a buttet before they started. T4 very place was bad for strays Night of Heonday Posieres. 3/4 The8 were ordered to 80 acroas & take the wit p loge hert trail we called down to nHC & told to he ws to tike two coys up to rettack to side village of the Th was only
6 n 73 hours notice 4 Fail Starte as the through the shattern were coiy foundatus & shell boles toward the Cemetery he suddenly saw fermans dinily about Londs abead of him. He hadns had any informatio Orch abt a tric in so be ws taken aboct. We could n't make out whi thiss fermans ddng fire. Then it dawned on him to the must be taken our men for cermans He passed &word to be down tk They quietly te be said. are fenans down guielly &th Li creep towards left your He took them quiet
74 round the to left betin the fernant If they think their own men and still to port of them the aogued t himself by crtainly wite not Suspectttco be any but sermand behind the his men them To to the trunch from the cane a rear then jumped right 0 of fermans. Tey bomde ontop them o killd tan all. A german officer (as he behieves rushed andup a dugont stair & tunged heavety co his bayonet at crail 13 who ws carrying a bajonetalso thought suddenly of his bayany excreises & garried it to
2 75 it aside simply sweeping baymneter with his hands the man truch Aftes getting this they went on to be Cemetery & took the trunch there. There were a lot of fin in this otey were hand fighters they knew of the Britist being in port of them this time. They had one or more maching guns Luckety traills live on the right outflanked them & enfilated him badle This gave 1. the chance of making another effort from in pont to his men fot in & tither o Germans in his t. My captand am.
24 76 When o came it ws 6 thear he had fot to I farte tan he tadarranged He sent back messengers to y where hes. Thee none them got through. Altho of had be rase to walk it abt just before there were in a redoutton gernans frear now the tep (it was a Deneceeater trench), wa maching gun. He warved cash massenger to hhe wd have to be careful opp just this particular point -F Clodge the M.g. Fown were killed sent of & allwere To pack set off hnesl. It ws argent as he knew and beavy suns t our

3.55pm At 2nd Salvo (Ind blew up)
65
5.4 when action began     4.7                            at 4.25
20.4 P                                  Indefat   NZ   Tips   Q.I Y.    P.R.   Lion.
3.40 pm when
sighted. 
Airships for change 
of course. 
12ins shrapnel. 

Explosion underwater from a submarine

"HAND DRAWN SKETCH - SEE ORIGINAL"
Abt dusk  took stn at head of
cruiser Sydney on

Wednesday time with crossing
Germans scattered but all their shelling on 
one point....& the Invincable went thro' it & went up.
Arbuthnot  w Shannon Defence etc
Seems to have lost his head and gone straight for the 
Germans on seeing them ahead.
He got between the two battle fleets & prob.

got fire from both sides. The Warrior would have
got away if she had not had to be left by the Engadine
(plane ship) which was towing her through want of  coal.
Lost about 50 men. 
Shells Ws V sea
Q.M. one of amid ship 
turrets hit burning Indefatigable 
shell into mag.
Invincible cordite burning 
in fore turret. 
Barham had shell into her mag
passed through cordite chamber into shell room
and did not explode. Galatea had 12 in. shell
roll down into her stoke hold.
possibly a rick

66
[*12]
Lion had a shell in her fore turret. It came in
through the port and killed every other man there except the Major of
Marines who was horxxx very badly hit. but he had the sense
somehow to shout to flood the magazine. They did xx so. He 
sent a wounded sergt of marines
from the turret chamber up thro :
the breach to the officer above telling him
what had happened. 
But some clothing was burning.
After it had burnt some time it caught
a cordite charge which had fallen down the gun
and onto the floor of the turret. The
flash of the cordite (I think he sd
exploded the shell; anyhow it) flushed
down the hoist into the ammun

-ition chamber & set on fire some
cordite there - wh flashed thro
the grating into the magazine
and burnt the paint, did no more.
They are closing up all their 
exits for Havre now.
That Major got the V.C.
 

 

67
Australians do 3 years guarantee. Essential men should be somewhat sterner than in British navy. Must be ready to relax.

Australian navy board must realise that it is a separate entity

and must administer the Australian board

Reggie Henderson

Walsh Darley

Radcliffe

Saw two ships.  xx 3 parapets appear.

Submarine in middle of main fleet given cover

two ways. Wonderful to see two

more [[?]] from/every.

Tiger had directions from Jan next to [[?]]

she was not supposed to have justified herself.

(Armed her ship with the Australian being rather handicapped with Sydney)

Wd fight NZ in day

No matter the ship had direct

 that it was a means to [[?]] 

With a joint strike a ship of her basis can run herself.

Become a [[?]]. in the direction in which she has need

The gyroscopic composition is only in then 

Rumania & Russian refuses to help. Thinking of making a separate position


[*12*]
 

 

8 BN
68
Capt Traill m.g. 8 Bn.
25 ap. 1915. Bn went in
close formation over M Cay's Hill
- must have been seen there
by the Turks - came under
m.g. fire - went down
into valley extended - &
first found Turks on Shell
Green (?) in green open patch
These were coming over hill
from Poppy Valley direction.
Field ws behind trail just
to rt, & Gartfield side to right
of him - Gartfield side sent some
men foward to see what
ws strength of Turks-
Turks had dropped &
were firing - our men
had halted temporarily & fired
on Turks who were in soon
 

8 Bn 
69
cleared. Our people were fairly
[*12*] 
muddled up by them. Germ
They went on over to 
Lone Pine xx & then half
right onto Pine Ridge - 
reached there by 9 o'c.
& held there till abt 10'c.
when being unsupported
on rt they retired. They 
The 6th & 7th (parts) came 
up on their rt afterwards. 
Traill had few of his m. gunners
left when they reached Pine
Ridge. They went down
the Ridge on the seaward
side of it - but he did not 
see over it. Others did
- into Legge Valley
(one needs to be cautions
as to these places - probably

 

 

8 Bn
[*12*]
They are right but they may
be just later deductions
from things heard from
others). He thought others
of the 2nd Bde had held
forward positns later, to
the N. of them.
Traill 8 Bn: There were 3 guns there, 
on Pine Ridge, on hill slope (the slope facing Southwards)
They had been blown up in 
the breach (& destroyed in
this way). They were French
75s. The used shell cases 
were around them; but no
men & no mules. They 
were in shallow emplacements
newly dug
& not covered. {diagram}
He thought they were the 
same guns Col. Brand 

 

8 Bn
71
had destroyed but they
were not on the N. slope
of Lone Pine.
Traill passed 3 Turkish
tents, covered with brushwood
on the slope of Poppy Valley
with evidences of a Turkish
bivouac cut into the hillside
there - the clothes on Shell
Green were taken from
these tents along w an
officer's sword etc
He didnt know of any
men going beyond Pine Ridge
tho' he had heard some say tt
men had done so. 
They retired at about 1 p.m.
During the night the Turks kept
attacking; with shouts of Allah &
horns going. They got up to 

 

 8
 

8 Bn
72
[*12*]
within about 20 yds - but the
8th charged several times &
the men did what seldom happens
- got to close quarters &
bayoneted som Turks. 
[*May 8, 1915*] 
At Helles the difficulty - 
was tt the Officers had not seen
the ground before. Possingham 
was killed by a bullet before
they started. The camping
place was very bad for
strays. 
                 ______
Pozieres. Night of Sunday 23/4
[*July 1916*] 

The 8th were ordered to go
across & take the village. 
2 coys were to be sent  Traill
ws called down to Bn H.Q.
& told tt he ws to take
two coys up to attack tt side
of the village. This was only

 

 

8Bn
73 
¼ hours notice. 
Traill started & as they
were going through the shattered
foundations & shell holes toward
the Cemetery he suddenly
saw Germans dimly about
20yds ahead of him. He
hadn't had any information
abt a bunch in this cemetery "Orchard"
so he cd ws taken aback.
He couldn't make out
why these Germans didnt
fire. Then it dawned on
him tt they must be taking
our men for Germans. He
passed the worst to lie down
quietly. "They think we
are Germans", he said.
"Lie down quietly & then
creep towards your left."
He took them quietly 
 

 

8 Bn
74
round to the left, behind
[*12*] the Germans "If
they think their
own men are still
in front of them," he
argued w himself "they certainly
will not suspect tt there cd
be any but Germans behind
them. So he & his men
came up to the trench from the
rear & then jumped right
on top of the Germans. They bombed
them & killed them all. A
German Officer (as he believes)
rushed out up a dugout stairs
& lunged heavily w his 
bayonet at Traill. T, who
ws carrying a bayonet also,
thought suddenly of his bayonet
Exercises & parried it by 
 

 

8 Bn 
75
simply sweeping it aside 
with his hands - & bayoneted
the man.
After getting this trench
they went on to the Cemetery
& took the trench there.
There were a lot of Germans
in this, & they were hard
fighters - they knew of
the "British" being in front 
of them this time. They had
one or more machine guns.
Luckily Traills line on the
right outflanked them &
enfiladed them badly.
This gave T. the chance of
making another effort & from
in front of his men got in
& killed the Germans in this
trench. They captured a m.g.
 

 

8 Bn
76
When morning came it ws
clear to T. tt he had got
farther than he had arranged - 
He sent back messengers to
say where he ws. These none
of them got through. Altho'
it had bn easy to walk
abt just before, there were
Germans in a redoubt on
the left rear now, (it was a
semicircular trench), w a 
machine gun. He warned
each messenger tt he wd
have to be careful opp just
this particular point - &
dodge the m.g. Four were
sent off & all were killed.
So Traill set off himself.
It ws urgent as he knew
tt our heavy guns wd 
 

 
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Janene RandallJanene Randall
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