Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/75/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 3

26A
 

It was pretty light 
at 5 a.m.
when retired

27
partly to be switched
tt way. Enemy now
close in front. a good
many casualties - so
started retiring twd Vaulx
Enemy being between them
& Bn H.Q.
At Vaulx found 20 Bn
ready to attack. Vowles
only had 8 men with him & 
Lt Roper. Reported to
Bde. & rejoined Bn H.Q.
at 10.30
Strength of pln Coy tt evening
was 2 off. 47 o.r. but others
have rejoined (Now 56 altogether)
& 3 L Gs were brought in.
Went in abt 160.
German
 

28

Newlands
 

29
A. Coy. 18 Bn.
on right of D Coy

(Took over / piquet & 4
posts made it 2 piquets
with 6 posts).
All went well till
1st intimatn ws flares
going up on left &
hordes of troops moving.
There had bn no flares
direct on front till then.
(This had xx happened for 
a week before).
 

30
Finding tt / enemy
had broken thro on
flank & were getting
to rear the O.C. decided
to withdraw. to xxxxxx
point. This ground gave
a good fire front but
no protection. They
were then attacked
from front in force.
A Coy withdrew to
support line in Sunken
Road to rt of Lagnicourt
(thro 24 & 25 where 12 Bn H.Q. now is)
from wh they were able
to repel the frontal 
attack. They were
then attacked from 
rear & from Lagnicourt
 

[[?]] both sides of Rd
 

31
& warded the attack off.
It ws abt 5 then.
German was in rods leading
out of Lagnicourt & 
attacked up there
& from left rear
simultaneously. He
ws driven back.
As soon as Germs
had been repulsed on 
left xxxxx A Coy
pushed out pln in
skirmishing order. Before
they had gone 500 yds
they had more Germans
surrender than there 
were men in the platoon.
This ws abt 6.30. am.
 

32
The platoon gathered
up / Germans & took
up their old forward posts
in [[?]] being relieved
by 20 Bn.
Estimated casualties
It is estimated tt there were
100 dead in Coys sector &
they captd 100 -
8 k. 15 w. 8 m.
/ accounted for
______________________
32.
_______________________
xx (85 went in.)
 

11 Bn Boursies
33
Half a coy of 11 Bn. went
with the 12 Bn agst the left of Boursies.
The German xx. attack first caught
them abt 10.30 pm. Germs got as far
as the Sunken Road R of Louverval(Z)
They were driven out by xx c-attack
The 12 & 11 Bn on left attacked as follows

They went up valley, right formed
under bank - & then came on xx
hill & got into very heavy m g 
fire from Germs in [[trench?]] in 29A (X)
Only the first wave got there
over / hill, & hung on all day,
Coming back at night - the pln
on left having only 5 men left
by then. The Germans in the [[trench?]] at
X hung on all day, but they too
cleared back at night.

34
A coy 12 Bn.
At Bouries, early 8 April.

attacked with A Coy & 1 pln
agst mill at 3 am.
There were 3 mgs there.
Demonstrated on rt w
/ pln to draw fire &
attacked with bombers up
road. The main force
ws on / mill before it
was aware. L^t Sherwin
ws k [[?]] before they
reached the mill. acting 2 in C.
 

36
48 n. Ap11.

At 11.20 Capt Leane (
who when hit sent
back his message
book by runner.)
sent a message.
Sitn quiet.
pties of Gs moving in may
points in small numbers. Gs are
leaving village in ones &
twos & breaking from Hendecourt.
My snipers have accounted for many
& L. Gunners for numerous small
pties up to 1300 yds. Six further casualties
Other ranks with me
here are Hqrs - 7, A Coy 54,
 

37
B Coy [[?]] 67 &
D 60. It is imposs. to give more detail as
yet owing to the amt of wk to be done.
2 Vickers mgs have not reptd yet
These got to 46 & not to him
These wd be invaluable in staving off a
c/attack, as at present, owing to being
held up on both flanks we are in the 
air. These are very securely held
& blocks established & my positn
is as strong as it can be made.
Trench mortars wd be
invaluable, & I wd very much
like to get at Fritz with them.
 

38
This ws sent 5 mins
after 46 Bn in rear &
4 Bde had retired.
Runner who brought
it came in with the last of 46 bn.
A verbal message
at 12.15 from Capt. A.E.
lane (son of Col. E.T.L)
saying tt owing to our
barrage the [[trenches?]] were
untenable.
The retirement started
& 7 offrs covered the
retirement of the men.
 

39
All got in exc. Capt
Leane & Lt Watson
who ws hit in the
back & crawled in after.

Capt Leane ws
seen by Watson

hopping into a shell
hole behind the
German lines. Not
seen since.
The 4 tanks were
to start across level
crossing as marked
7 8 9 10. 3 got to the
Sunken road; 2 crossed