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 trench 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
consolidatn 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 directns.
(This gunner ws
a S. Australn &
brought out his gun.
Leanes brother ws
k. Nephew wd
& missing.
Capt Fairley, foster
son 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 ([[?]] Fight)
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 Bn
4 Lieuts
12 N C Os
50 men. after [shorthand]
6 [shorthand]
Got orders

[shorthand]
[shorthand]
[shorthand]
_______________________
1st & 7 Div got 76 mgs.
2 HTM  1 Belt [[?]]
1 YEW  1 10 cm How
2 Grw
2 [shorthand] 1 77mm F 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
_____
58 Bn 1 3 B 7 8
 

80

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

81
A Coy rt. from D 23 D
cent. to D 30 centl.
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 unobserved
trench abt 120 yds away before
bombarded one post with
rifle grenades & blew out
the L.G They worked