Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/248/1 - 1917 - 1931 - Part 7

4

& right down to the Douve whether "inclusive

or exclusive I cannot remember, however

one could jump across it, it was that

small then, just a mere trickle.

If the 39th Bn crossed the Douver

Douve or were immediately on the other

(North) side we saw no sign of them. 

the first day - hence I cannot

understand. why in page 629 (first of

your typewritten sheets as sent to me) your

mention the 39th Bn. advancing on the

south side of the Douve. & then go on to

speak of the 9th Bde. pushing forward

on the low rise South of the Douve - This

seems somewhat contradictory in view of

the fact that Grey Farm _^itself was only

about two hundred yards from the Douve.

However my memory may be

unreliable on some of these points

Yours faithfully

R Stewart

Diagram - see original document

6772.

25 June 1931.

Major R.J. Stewart, M.C.,

c/o Bank of New Zealand,

Wellington, N.Z.

Dear Major Stewart,

I have to thank you for your letter concerning Messines,

which is helping to solve the difficulty.

The 39th Battalion have among their records a receipt

signed by yourself - "I have taken over the Black Line of

consolidation from my left to the Douve from Captain Paterson,

39th Bn., A.I.F. 10.20 a.m., 7 June 1917. R. Stewart, Captain,

34th Bn." They had advanced in the narrow space between your

left and the Douve, but were temporarily held up by two machine-guns

firing from the roof of a dugout. Captain Paterson silenced

the guns by rifle-fire, and then with a few men rushed the dugout

and captured the crews and two guns. I take it that this was at

the shelter dugout to which you refer.

I should be grateful if you could give me any further

assistance towards solving this difficulty.

Yours sincerely,

C.E.W. Bean.

C/o Bank of N.Z.

Wellington

18/7/31

The Historian        )

Victoria Barracks )

Sydney                   )

Dear Sir,

Regarding the incident you

mention in yours of 25th ult. i.e. Capt.

Paterson of 39th Bn. rushing dugout on

the Douve - it is quite possible this

could happen outside my Knowledge

of that day's morning's events - I only remember

seeing the shelter dugout the next day

& it never occurred seemed to me that it had

been used as a defensive post.

A machine gun was firing ^in the open from

the trench just in front of the Grey

Farm dugout (in addition to those

firing from inside) otherwise we saw

nothing of any other M.Gs in our

2

neighbourhood during the attack.

I'm afraid I'm unable to give

much further assistance without

reference to maps, dates &c.

I had quite forgotten ever giving

the receipt you mention

Yours faithfully

R Stewart

[* Battle of

Messines

June 1917 *]

No 2300 Private W.N.R. Foster of the 36 Battalion

[*killed 10/6/17*]

Statement by No 158 Private N. Rhodes _^Boolaroo In a letter to

his sister Mrs R.I.R. Foster after the battle of "Messines"

says,

"I saw Warwick in the field during the battle,

he was twice buried by the heavy shell fire, and

released, suffering greatly from shock, & otherwise,

badly wounded, but he refused to retire saying,

"I have an important message to deliver at the front

line, and I must go." That was the last I saw of

your Warwick. Subsequently he was found dead in

the field." ("Amen")

I have been told his grave is to the left of

Plugstreep Road. If he is ever removed. I would like

his remains brought to France, and buried by the side

of his brother in the Rouen Cemetery. I will pay _^the cash.

James I Foster 

Boolaroo

26th May 1921

TELEPHONE: FL. 4151.

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

No. 6695.

HISTORIAN,

VICTORIA BARRACKS,

PADDINGTON, N.S.W.

22 May 1931.

E.A. Clarence, Esq.,

Bank of N.S.Wales,

Mungindi, N.S.W.

Dear Sir,

In writing the official narrative of the Battle of

Messines, I find a reference in the records of the 33rd

Battalion to an attack on "Fuze Cottage" in the Potterie line

on the night of 10 June 1917. In this it is stated that an

N.C.O. of your platoon was killed in the bombardment, that the

attack was checked by a machine-gun but that this was rushed

by the bombers, and a post established at Fuze Cottage. The

New Zealand history, however, states that on June 12 this post

was not held.

I should be grateful if you could tell me the name

of the N.C.O. who was killed, and also let me have the

benefit of any recollection that you may have of the fighting

that night.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W.Bean

C.E.W. Bean

Official Historian.

No 6695

MUNGINDI N.S.W.

25th May 1931

The Official Historian

Victoria Barracks

CR XVI to 703 -    

Noted in text

Dear Sir,

Referring to your letter of the 22nd inst. I regret that my memory

is not good enough to give you the desired information. What I can

remember is briefly as follows@-

I was in charge of B Coy and Capt Linklater in charge of "C"

At about 3 p.m. on the 10th june I was advised that I would have to

send out an attacking party that night my objective being the last "N"

in uncertain Trench as shown in trench maps then in use (see rough sketch)

I already had an outpost of 10 men about ¾ of a mile in front of main

line. I had to take twenty men from our front line drop 10 of them at

my outpost and take the 10 from there on with me. Just as I was getting

the 20 men out of the front line the Bosh shelled us like blazes and

there were a number of casualties but I could not wait - One of the men

I took had just seen his brother get his issue

When I got to our outpost further shelling occurred and one man's

head was lifted off by a direct hit with a shell. We moved from the

outpost under a barrage (creeping) which we lost. When we got into

UNCERTAIN TRENCH a bosh Machine Gun opened on us from a dug out at about

20 yards. Our bombers immediately threw a couple of bombs and we saw no

more of the Bosh but got their gun. No one was wounded in Uncertain Trench

I think it was 10 p.m. when we moved from the outpost under the barrage

and it was about 2 A.M. before I was relieved by the 36th Battalion.

I had had a hurried confab with Linklater before going out on the

above Job and arranged with him I would not clean up on the right of the

Road shown on map.& told him I knew there were bosh there. It 

appears that he could not get word back from his attacking party who

had started out from Thatched Cottage(?) and he and his runner started

out from his H/Q in a direct line for their objective and of course

bumped into a trench full of bosch - they never returned and I think died

of wounds while prisoners - Linklater was given a Post-humus M.C.

I am not certain as to the date given above 10th june but the

attack described above was made the night we were relieved by the 

36th

Battalion for my Battalion were all out of the line by the time I got

in (just before daybreak).

I trust the above may be of some use to you.

Yours faithfully

E.A. Clarence

I cannot place "Fuse Cottage" nor can I state if the outpost established

by me and handed over to the 36th Battalion was still held but I do

not see any reason why they should not have held it. 

6694.

22 May 1931.

Major W. Wells, M.C.,

"Corinthic",

4, Justus Street,

North Bondi,  N.S.W.

Dear Major Wells,

In writing the official narrative of the Battle 

of Messines, I find that the records of the 36th Battalion

are very deficient of any detail of the attack on the

Potterie on the night of 10 June 1917, when you were wounded.

I should be grateful if you would give me the benefit of  any

personal recollection that you may have of that night's

fighting.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W.Bean

C.E.W.Bean

Official Historian.

[*Does Can anyone 

tell us 

more?

This noted in

text.*]

"Corinthic"

4 Justus Street,

North Bondi

27/5/1931

To the Official Historian

Dear Sir,

With reference to your letter

no; 6694 of the 22^nd of May, 1931, re the fighting

at La Potterie Farm on June 10^th, 1917,

I wish to advise that as far as my

recollection goes the Germans had

machine-gun nests in this farm

and naturally it was a strong post

of theirs, which was causing our side

a lot of trouble - I understand that 

two attempts were made previously

to take this strong post but were

unsuccessful - and our battalion

had definite instructions that

La Potterie Farm must be captured.

Accordingly my battalion-commander,

Colonel Milne, gave me a strong

platoon out of each of the four 

companies which were holding the