Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/75/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 5

51
ws a m.g.
firing from Bullecourt
upon the railway
level crossing.
Col Leane asked
him to fire on this
also - (3 or 4.6 pdrs)
Tank did this & it
ceased firing.
Tank went
abt 400 yds in
directn instructed
& then returned.
The German barrage
ws v. heavy at
this time & they

52
appeared to get
a direct hit on
the tank abt 30
yds from tt -Q-
They left the tank
& ran over to the rly
track. One man 
appeared to be slightly
wd. The Sergt. (or m.c.o)
on being asked by L.
why he had left the
tank sd they had got

a direct hit. Leane
asked if it were
possible to drive
the tank away. He
sd yes he thought

 

53
it was. But he
decided to return
& went on to rear.
Abt ½hr later it
caught on fire & is
prob. there still.
There were a lot
of men there & the
tank ws a most
inconvenient neighbour.
That ws the only
direct dealing tt
L. had with any
tank.
The L.G. wh beat
the attack ws firing
from a shell hole in
 

54
front.
Abt 9 a.m. L. sent
up Lient. Watson his
intellegence offr. to find
out the position.
(The runners were sev.
of them lost) & give
map refernces etc.
He got thro' & reported
(his brother ws dead
in / front trench) tt /
enemy, apparently
a battalion strong,
were advancing from
Hendecourt. L.
asked for arty assistance
from Bde & asked 
them to search the
Sunken Rds leading

 

55
up to position from
Rienct & Hendect.
The guns opened
fire (& are reported
by Corps on left to
have bn effective).
In the trench there
were constant
bombing attacks &
a T.M.. This cdnt
be reached w bombs
or LG. as invisible.
A man named
_∧ Pte William Bosward Carr jumped up
on parapet, went
down on hands
& knees & let the
L.G. fire over his back.
 

56
The L. Ganner ws k.
but Carr escaped.
This ws to get elevation
to reach Sunken Rd.
They got into the Germans
& drove off the attack
agn. This ws
just after 9 a.m.
The 46 Bn were
being bombed from right
Several of  45 Bn
went in & helped
to drive Capt c. attack
back.
From then till
retirement of 46 Bn
there were constant
efforts by Germans
 

57
get into trench but
thay failed each time.
Each man went into
this attack w 4 bombs
& each bomber carried
a bucket of bombs.
The forward dump
ws at Bn H.Q.
on  rly, & supplies
were sent by
carrying parties
-who had to
pass thro arty
barrage & snipers
from Bullecourt.
They lost pretty
heavily but these
supplies largely
 

58
got through.
Lt Imlay went
up in /c of one
carrying pty & Lieut
Menzies took 2
to the wire & sent them
on to / trench & returned.
The 45 Bn ws all
right for bombs till
the very end when
none were sent
forwd. [ a carrying 
pty had arrived
from Bde at 11.30
of 47 Bn. but they
were not alld to
come go on by Col. L].

59
The 46 Bn were
attacked & came
out at 11.15.
A amn of 47 Bn
ws (one coy of wh ws
helping 46 Bn)
when retirement took
place, saw / retirement
had placed 46 in a hopeless
position-
(Pte Dunnett.
Pte Herbert Lenks
Dunnett 4634 of
47 Bn did this
on his own initiative.
reported to Capt Leane. Capt.
Leane organised
bombg parties,
retook / trench & estab blocks

 ? reach the
48^th
 

60
again on the flanks.
He then held the 2
trench, 1st & 2nd objve.
with 48 Bn. If
any message ws
sent thro it did not
retire. They held
the 2 trench till abt
12 o'c. The supply
of bombs ws
running short
Germs were
pressing on both
flanks, L. decided
to fall back & hold
the one trench only -
He ws driven
from the German trench
by our own barrage