Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/77/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066843
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

18 53 Baldwin the little pholor th ts very it indeed with dysenter besastn for leave to go home ofed act proper food & white y woeddo 9 to 6 get our recad pholes Hwod be little wapt He let J.H.G. the have Corpl Sherle Baldein ten assestant to tatee austroplias phets I was 6 Aten secords and This is te in the face but gt8 Ir t what I hear te British eve been anven tof ever of
54 eofthen li Doeir we lest fall this e the en ad attack ex tine hold their oee Our men were stall in at Dan Osborne on end of his phone had put white out C attacks - which the beav Art observets dnot tce CF Osborne Deen tank the 1 Dion th tonight be being specially pat t o Bullecourt. The Ser saw them co p the wereless wh we overt ben edso. The 18
May 55 8 fed agst Hale t0 t tay one 6 h enceceded be ent vill X wards and troops What doy a chrous oight lpbear the Br test are an Cerisy ater call. 7th the patrols of the Dwa in all forts places! But were ceers stll empie t wall who attempti from Longette to Bullecoa white says b thiks then arei a corner House. Soe bu Bde Eo Ihear wore ttade no
8 120 126 120 56 27E00 1 125 1120 129 E & Coyo in bad Bullerl. & wys in sapport t coys in disouts on Siken R0betw Beilleet & Hendrd 1 Bn in front & sappttine 1Bn in Sanben Rop et Ruinch Hend Sillers 6s Bir in in pont t 6 Coys lve SFornear 2cys Rience 8 1Bn on Vellers. Ecoutst had doo afon at event
5 Our attack ceimo to have accounte for whole 6 loys of h 124 by shellfire they sd terriffe the B in Wf. Early hadorders of 124th at Villers Nr to come of there at 8.30 am aircrift also reported thi attir. they came upinto sapport time through barray of our heavies & abacked our rght in I support live. The 2 Coys in local reserve ont have come up before this same way with Bon of 25 Riencourt. The waves wh olomne reported were probly the resone bu of $12300 frost con from
56 59 X Res hes at are reserve & only Dive avollable wharef in thear Resirve. Vitlers If the 6Bns Envolved tll were used up&c certainly not c attack. Te Cattack on our right on night 3/4 wtte End se or Reserve Deva. Test leftaed probly be the be of $1200 grom Econ of S1 ention wie 20h or might belong to 69 Dun Cal has not been freth used The Eg Res. D arentiores Co 4 for &retieved 20 Die 1/2 by of ma
138 34 l ate Bullecont sir Hendecout a o e pty. RuncI 60 h o tank Mardoch May 4 Norcuil-Longatte watched boubt if Rd. Railway & country beliv Longatte & Bullcout by fermans. were to wak Our I believe it ws atack voluatary oper by tis t Bee at 830 They got ap the Extowds Riencourt &up th Y
64 I believe to the rt wene torye The ferm docn o hee barre at times bleter stery the valen Ond batter but our wen stopes in support plastern reer on ric Leems stopeso a few all right I heard from cawalties back last the I took Therten of some good pictures of this & of the shoote about awbulan At 4.57 pm Jennan Murdocl saw
62 52 awe people think to the corner of Bullecourb is the wont There is a strong esty hou trouble there wh British are suppos to have taken yesty. Willshere, a British, says wh w Flost 80 percutofme to aget o vellage. (600 are t have gone in have heard of sencs Th e bo going to have another British ar nameall Cloat relief t 50 but it. Gelly says of ought to have be part or sme operate as ours - & t Sausterlian Bno wd certainly have taken it Thd British sean conven to way to take is pot The argument seears to be St. trus the two other sides te to each tyfacles- the Egley way pcon where the St is from Co ten flabas a is 18 63 apparently counteraty ate from Beencount t frid 150 of the head near Sunte d Cndebj Ther were I hea barrages 6 we as t ed see l burat for lg reddes alone the right trench 6a the where wanked in above sketch) The no Lotea we were T8 far t br 30 to A7 tere slighty were still the to eight more be
The 25Bn as a whole a not ssent agt Bullecourt. It ws ordered to so in -but as the 5a corner ad swept for 1000 yrs by att 5 m 90 felly, only put I pla in fors Noorie, after seen & it was arped absolutely away. Ceaison Meay Willdwre 22 Bn. officer with the 167( de? The Bde was in Armstrong buts a long way behind langalle & the firdt shock Willshere pt us when the Bde major went to bes & so to his orderly Call m at the Gerobour. (20 think of what I have seen on such occasions at Bde Hars - the step captain Cookin after bombs, carriers it, the Bdle major keeping a continuous check on the times of getting into positi] The Bde, Wilshire 50, seemed to take for pospel every runour of where their ae were, from hearsay or bec. someone Ilhe hadseen them, casual reports, & sent them on to Divn - wh sent them to our Dion. They sd We are bomber towds the Ansocs, and getly didal believe & dion't want to knoww instead of saying our bombers are at the Tin Bullecourt- thenan ofr who had bn on by came on & told Pelly to this men when he ref them had bn sitting down not thinking of Combin Will in eat telle sober reports of this saete our Deviion swadowed all th 64 8 da May 5 Election Anstalia 2gin bed for treakfast on getting ap Murdoch told me that we were still in that coonds of trie to the right which we saw them late yesterday. the left the fermans countente we lost come treach on the lep oy a bombattack 7o Dion not get in Bullecourt agh had a conference arte Berdie and white rest in wh it ws arged t 1British must do coneting to help our men in their present posite or we ncontitho it the next Dronsent them, & on strength ffit ordered Celly to cooperate by throwing in 2513 Fortunatily Norrie assent to Gilly-

18      53
Baldwin, the little photographer
is very ill indeed with
dysentery; & has asked 
for leave to go home & get
proper food. I got asked White
if we cd do anything to
get our record photos.
It wd be little use applying
to G.H.Q.  He let me have
Corpl. Shirley, Baldwins
assistant to take any
photo I want for Australia's  xxx
army records. This is flat in the face 
of G.H.Q. -- but exactly what
I hear the British have
been driven out of every 

 

18     54
one of their gains -
and our men alone
of all this - the greatest 
attack ever got made , - 
hold their objective.
--
Our men are still in at 9am.
Osborne on / end of his phone
had put White onto 3
c,attacks - which the heavy
arty observers had not 
seen ( Osborne was near
the tank ) .
Tonight the 7th Divn is
being specially put in to take
Bullecourt . The Germans
saw them coming up -
'their wireless, wh we overheard,
sd so. The 62nd Divn

 

18      55
failed against Bullecourt tho'
they say one tank
succeeded in crossing
behind / village towards
our troops.
[May 4  A hot day & a
glorious night. 
Appears the British
are in Cherisy after all,
& the patrols of the 7th
Divn in all sorts of
places. But they Germans were
still enjoying 3 officers
who attempted to walk
from Longatte to Bullecourt
-- White says he thinks
they are in a corner
house. The 6th Bde
I hear swore to take no prisoners]

 

18     56
Diagram - see original
120 had
4 Coys in Bullect
4 Coys in support
2 Coys in dugouts
in Sunken Rd betw.
Beellect & Hendict
123.
1 Bn in front & suppt line
1 Bn in Sunken Rd from
Hendict to Rienct.
1 Bn in Villers les C.
124
6 Coys in front & suppt 
line
2 Coys SE or near
Riencourt
1 Bn in Villiers
120  had also a Bn at  Ecoust St
Quentin.

 

18     57
Our attack seems to have
accounted for the whole 6 Coys of
124 by shellfire wh was
they sd terrific.
Early in evg. the Bn
of 124th at Villers had orders
to come up. They got
there at 8.30am.
Aircraft also reported
this at time.
They pro came up into support
line through barrage of our
heavies & attacked over
right in / support line.
The 2 Coys in local reserve 
must have come up before this
- same way with Bn of 23rd
in Riencourt. 
The waves wh Osborne
reported were probably the reserve
bn of 123rd Regt coming from

 

58
Diagram - see original
50th Res )   are at [shorthand] 
26th Res )   in reserve
                      & only Divs
                     wh are fresh 
                     in the Army
                      Reserve.

18      59
Villers.
Of the 6 Bns. involved
all were used up & cd
certainly not c.attack.
The c.attackx on our right
on night 3/4 wd be 2nd [[?]]
Reserve Divn. That on
left wd probly be the bn
of 120th from Ecourt St
Quentin 8 miles away,
or might belong to 49th ^ Res Divn
(it has not been greatly
used up). The 49 Res. Div
came from Armentieres
& relieved 220th Divn
on night of May 1/2.

 

Diagram - see original

18     60

Diagram - see original

May 4. Murdoch & I 
went to Noreuil-Longatte
Rd & watched bombt. of
Railway & country between
Lany Longatte & Bullecourt
by Germans.
Our men were to make
a ^bomb attack - I believe it ws 
a voluntary affair by the
5th Bde - at 3.30.
They got up the trench towds
Reincourt & up the trench

 

18       61
to the rt, I believe.
The Germans were laying
down a heavy barrage
at times, obliterating
the valley - and battle
slopes - but our men
^in support plastered on / rear
slopes o / valley rly cutting seemed
alright - a few
casualties, I heard, from
backlash.
I took Shirley & he
got some good pictures
of this & of the shooting
at our ambulances.
At 4.57 pm
Murdoch saw / Germans

 

62
Our people think tt the SE
corner of Bullecourt is the worst
trouble. There is a strongish house
there wh / British are supposed
to have taken yesty. Wiltshire,
who ws w / British, says 
tt they lost 80 per cent o / men
sent agst / village. [600 are
supposed to have gone in & have
never been heard of since. The
British are going to have another
go but they naturally don't relish
it. Gelly says it ought to have
been part o /  same operatn as
ours - & tt 3 Australian Bns cd
certainly have taken it ]
The British seems convinced
tt / way to take B. is from the
SE. The argument seems to be
tt they tried the two other sides &
each try failed - therefore the right way
is from the SE ( where / country
is as flat as a tennis court.

18     63
apparently counterattacking 
from Riencourt - abt
150 of them running forwd,
he sd,, near / Sunken
rd (2nd objve) There
were 2 heavy barrages.
At J 6.45 we
cd see the bomb bursts 
- red dust mostly - along
the trench ^far to the right
(where marked in above
 sketch). I had no idea 
we were so far along.
At 7.30 the bursts 
were still there slightly
more to right. I thought

 

The 25Bn as a whole ws not sent agst
Bullecourt. It ws ordered to go in - but as the
SE corner ws swept for 1000 yrs by abt 5 mgs.
Norrie, after seeing Gelly, only put l pln in first
& it was wiped absolutely away.
Maj Wiltshire, 22Bn, ws liaison
officer with the 167(?) Bde. The
Bde was in Armstrong huts a long
way behind Longatte & the first shock
Wiltshire got ws when the Bde Major
went to bed & sd to his ordely " Call me
at the zero hour."  (To think of what
I have seen on such occasions at
Bde H.Qrs - the Staff Captain looking
after bombs, carriers etc, the Bde
Major keeping a continuous check 
on the times of getting into positn.]
The Bde, Wiltshire sd, seemed to
take for gospel every rumour of where
their men were, from heresay or bec.
someone sd he had seen them, casual 
reports,  & sent them on the / Divn - wh
sent them to our Divn. They sd "We are 
bombing towds the Anzacs," which Gelly
didn't believe & didn't want to know
instead of saying "Our bombers are at the 
T in Bullecourt" - Then an offr who had
bn in / trench came in & told Gelly tt the men
where he left them had bn sitting down 
in / trench not thinking of bombing. Wiltshire
sent Gelly sober reports of this
but our Division swallowed all tt

18     64
May 5. Election day in 
Australia. Stayed in 
bed for breakfast.
On getting up Murdoch
told me that we were still
in the 600 yds of trench
to the right which we saw
them take yesterday. In 
the left  The Germans counterattacked
We lost some trench on
the left by a bomb attack.
7th Divn not yet
in Bullecourt.

---

Gough has a conference with
BIrdie & White yesty in wh it 
ws agreed tt / British must
do something to help our men
in their present positn or we
 cd not continue to hold 

it.

-----
[*the next Divn sent them; & on / strength of it
ordered Gelly to cooperate by throwing in 23 Bn
fortunately Norrie was sent to Gelly -*]

 
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