Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/78/1 - May 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Hem number: 3DRL606/78/1
Title: Diary, May 1917
includes references to Lagnicourt, Bullecourt
and the 15th Infantry Brigade.
AWM38-3DRL606,/78/1
 

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[Hand drawn sketch, please see original document.]
 

4  May 5-15  1
Diary

Reps
35 Lib.
15 Hughes
25 Opp. Labour.
May 25
Last 23
Senate
Lib 10
Hughes 13
opp lab. 13
May 10
Lost. minority 1.

4  2
May 5 (contd) There
was a heavy bombt
about 11pm. An SoS
signal had gone up in
our line- The Germans
are Counter attacking
Gen. Russell (NZ) is
here w Tiperby.
troperly says tt if we
are not supported by an
extension of / line we are
sure to be put out, Gen.
Birdwood & white quite
expect to be put out.
Boase tells me - he told
me / absolute truth abt
5 Bde - that yesty
afternoon before 3. 30
our S.bs out picking up
 

4  3
wounded were not fired
on. So they came back
& the 2nd Bn suddenly
rushed abt 200 yds of
O.g. trench es from near
sunken Rd. Aterwds
2nd Bn born bet a lon
way. When the bombiny
b 0f.1 got a hand of thin
croased over
O.f.2
the
(or & Bndit) from of1 to2
& reacher the old Bdi
objective. They were
tryin a patposts pertuer
out 6 protect 1 plante
but hadat managed
a very good
it
show besd.
He cloesnt know
wh
the I Bdefaile is
 

clearly
broken up
abit by it. He trink (as
doea felly) tt it ws
partly lack of offis. when
Pattact ws Croken
oncl
o
as of course
disorgonised
for good
they secued
all
Eae
aror
a
T0
Selly
when
says
I
&on
ame
the
back
durg 1h
teack at 10m

were
the
thean
torear
his
but a
ofis can
to shouted in
dart
here wen, tt
csn't I way to 1 sarbank-
-ment
they turn
linet
embantement at
once
The 28 Bn had
 

5
claimd
rach a
st rooyds along1
before they were minen.
werfered out of it, but
this of couse ws impossible
The t te s
known ws then
Frear
stocaming
out of the hoad wh the
had be living. If t
id were gove allwo
over it as ouly channe
of supplies (& when the
2Bus of H Bde were in
I sap there the carryin
pties had to use the open
road)
Our
were thick
CE when
deroplive
but only
atover
w
of Serman
sualeptie
 

we were down
back abot on left
 

here were as S Bde
in yestes bombattack.
say the 5 Bde 1or.

into our own barrage. fell
sowed our own
says
shells fell behind the
rly live.
play Ste ro
Then were
on our line
Ballacks
a tremende
last night
noise att 11, 114.30
i seemed to me. In
one of these the p got
well in amongst our
God Bde, 11 On troop
But they suffered ver
heavily for bombs &
mogs. I were thrown
out aga - some say to
the .
 

The attack they sayy
madeby one B
The army seem to be
doing notiig in particula
to bele us out. At presing
there is an almost endes
vista of Bdes pabey
to hold tis impossible
position . The 7t Dun
going for Ballecourt
again toaght - I believe
one brigade of it. (Ht
us two Bus the first
night) They have creempeed
Bullecourt a lt today
white says - & mudbed
Who was up there.
notical the defferenc
White is very anyry
with the way in whe
 

Lagnicourt Jigt Ap.15.
The Seyt of 2 Bn who bombed
a m.S. & captd. F on t
ed from Dqnict wd sert
whittle.
12Bty had 4 gans ferm
with opten sights at abt 1200yds
13Bly Zobouton egun &a
stray shell got oneof tan.
 

Yough has messed up
this corps. It is
very hard luck that the
first Divn std be dragge
in like this jast when
was coming out
it
Derdwd or Sa
fer
today to he might
the army
to take Bullect
Diom of
r
with our
dlo anything
they i dat
quarantee
He could
the 5t Devin
they doing
d
cordons
sot
Divons

It3.45
83
May 7. 5.45
Very neavy
n Ballecourt
Shellin
siotlers con
back thro
wire
Abt 3.3
aeroplape
found formar
surve
over the open Siof
factor & pat
on to
Piene
catacombs in
 

X