Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/75/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 7

73
steel helmet in
the head in 2
places - penetrated
into / skull - He refused to leave
his work mending
/ lines until
after / fight ws over.
The 48^th came
back - L.Gunners w
guns over shoulders
- one sergt standing
& rounding them up
- at a walk as if
coming from a football 
match.
They were shot
to ribbons before /
attack - but not a
 

74
murmur - not a
man shifted - when
wd ws gn they
were up in an
instant & forward,
at a quick step.
In trench
they dug firesteps
& manned .
One o / bayonet
men going round the
corner in bombing
down [[shorthand]] met a big
German coming round
/ traverse. German
seized / bayonet & 
wrenched rifle 
away. Australian
also a big man
 

75
went for him
w his fists.
Offr coming [[?]]
shot Germ. w his
revolver - Germ.
let go - ran 
20 yds & then
dropped dead.

Our L.G.s firing
from shell holes in
front covering
consoligation shot
at parties of germs
in front - one pty
ws coming down a
sunken road packed
- L.G knocked
helmets off them in
 

76
all directions.
(This gunner ws
a S. Australian &
brought out his gun.
Leanes brother ws
k. Nephew wd
& missing.
Capt Fairley, foster
sun of Mrs Taylor
of Kalgoorlie -
Leanes sister - eye
knocked out)
No one k. of Leanes
till this year.
Then A.W. Leane
of 28 Bn; Cpl. W.
 

77
Leane ^(sons of A.E.) of 27 Bn k,
in Nov. at Flers in 
attack; G. Leane
in 32nd hit lately
severely (son of AE.)
E.T.L's son Geoffrey
in 2nd Divn Corpl. is 
alright.
2 Cousins ^named Short
in 57 Bn & 10 Bn both
k. this year - both
Privates.
_________________
 

78

Maj. Rafferty is commandg. the
11 Bn. His account of where
happpen posts were does not quite tally with
that of Coy offrs.
B Coy had only 60 men.
D Coy 110.
C Coy 115 - 120.
A Coy 
[Rafferty had been a grand old fighter,
but is rather thick & slow}.
B Coys posts were 3 posts
as marked by its O.C.
on map, not as Maj.
Rafferty gives it -
This resulted in shelling 
coming in B Coys rear
sometimes. C Coy ws out
of touch with them & in 
front of them - & they
dont know what 
happened to it.

79
11 Bn ([[?]] [[?]])
Night of 13/14 Ap. 1917
11 Bn ordered to move forwd
& take up D 30 cent.
D 23 c.9.6. D 22 Cent
D 21 A 28.
Day posts to be estab.
D 30 cent. D 23 D 7.2 / D 23 c9.6
D 23 B 2.0/ D 11 B 5.4/ &
night posts at D 30 A 2.8,
D 23.c.1.8/ D 22 A.1.2/
Support line to move
forwd to concept.
.. D Coy Left from D 21 A 28
to D 22 cent.
C Coy Centre from D 22 Cent.
to D 223 D centt.
 

D39
106 
INTER-OFFICE MINUTE
[[?]] Policeman
Benoit H.Q Bulte.
alt. 53 [[?]]
4 Lieuts
12 N C Os
50 men after [[?]]
 

[[?]]
[[?]]
_______________________
1st & 7 Div got 76 mgs.
3 HTM  1 [[?]]
1 YEW  1 10 cm How
2 Grw
2 [[?]] 1 77mm A G
1 [[?]]
 

D39
106
Attack of 25.9.17 ws
intended to take the
Wilhelm Line
_____________
We are now being
c/attd.
14 bde ws c/attd
last night in Zwarts
_____________
5 8 Bn | 3 B78
 

80


There is some question
as to whether bombt
occurred. Nothing ws
heard to left

81
A Coy from D 23 D
cent. to D 30 cent.
B Coy to remain
D27 B5.9 to D 28 A 58
This ws done on 
night of 13/14.
On morning of
Ap 14 the Enemy att d
abt 9 a.m. & cleaned up
2 posts of the Centre
Company. He bombarded
small sentry posts seem
to have been put in
instead of picquet posts.
The Germs. from an observed
[[trench?]] abt 120 yds away before
bombarded one post with
rifle grenades & blew out
the L.G They [[worked?]]