Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/131/1 - July - November 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066851
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

offy was German been at Tones, comi dowon st. after rokwounded were up had 1956 to te wher be heard or orse bourt thrown. Ait Hc ugjestive 60 to W Exploded a To torer you moe pied He 3 at li d p orn that 8 6 oik officer wa dying when he found The pert depouts Teread be 8 sector ath one o the 20 Bus Sack owe at anusable who had Ferme dead of 4 tw Lome been dead there maps. Lew Some C this c f0 were by some of of it trench i dea the Rewes Junvers Hhe were had be smaste to not know did bits so to you of did it exested. T. notice any shrapnel co Arexand across fairt Hea sd it wt to cross weed where be The trench hit 50 Cl knocked abt fairly That Before dawn the enges had a sapthrs from trdinwan the sand bags etc were
1 h well through e Co bard. The consolitateo truch had be knocked abt by our fans 2 in parts it cn few fermans lying See move Tdint visible thee were pleal 3 than the back of it, at abt ly told Rusl to one for there lines between they had Martepuich then began day light 4 hea il bombard to had over To Co 4 50.9.2 A75 The thro there was prett trench bad the 200 were no depoutts. one dug Lydney Street or emclar renth about duet O.P. to from O.G.
26 E.T. Shaw at the3 09.2 was in &also time L5 16 Shaw this Cattack alt know wd He till 4 32 stayed 20 the of Ha reneved when 68 them fuy 6. morny reviewed Biid officers & of5 Code wight fer eveous an had Hhelld Cara them in Hell Pernors A 9 d Viceene back La Aug 16 of back to Sausage 20 full e livd look 721 to little Curcelett be in stek he H. frow outo tie
14 Rishoe Ev one mon durin k forward passpt in Ste st in The 20 Bn was lucky in oicer losses but suffered aevily to N.C.O. in fozieres. At Hers tey suffered heavily in offars -a tatimes, by a chance bep spell in Carttan Camp. They were degrin called what wt (a contin track pont 2dag by a at Her Op Clank to V.E o 28 Bn Ay. 28 18 out die Back alon ap te oat tion St Dron tin Air Te upwith Ti6 way helds 1
16 shell into month of ofthe Bn HD. which uffy wan Selt Rush ce even 1e.w ater rer. ent -municati. Tones wint up at dawn morning & found to Ralston had nex to ODonnell's H.C. night before. I got rations on 15Nov. At dawn to them i 26 Bn line 426 Bn. & Night of 15th 20Bn were reliev 27E 287. That dan 6e Rush who had fore back to Cartton amp in K.1 a stray shell. sick (tu) kX w i Offis. 8 men 18 84 35 messur all K. except a couply who very retunng 47 Walkers HC 201O& 19n Walkers advd. Position 1cif 4317 6 i 5805 fe $3 20 B sent 2 Cogt en 6.45 so sent on t0 war 26 Bn A & sent on almost at to be read once.) Abb 12 message to say one of them had not arrivd on written orders pou genl at 122 & D & m. gunners Call guus they id get crews for all HA.Combers). Balston abt 4 PM. went. up to Test Box(X for telephone com
£ of the our fov X a by tle ede t 19 B 67t 60 0 deas fr Fn early mornings germans here cbe seen on the pronounces e browon yu very ater readish, bank on the horison (wh we tas. dark O they c be seen in so over parties the broken down Y. We suipe v little & so did they - neither ante to be seen. i it 57 mars 567 15 13 o we 3d 43 x H.C. o 5 5 198m. old dressg Sto 1 X with lotg Food Gernall Caurages out wire splets Bi Orgen / Atenders y of greated 6 83 use of a $8 Ambutence th No i near & load ✓ tp p bad 608 t 35 9 X wounded insid ofols sheets in layers £ tenanyaterpro ve Frenchgrey etihers 2or fho 5p 3 with bg rederess 1p 5 AeKin eoch side. aft ye ge o1 oo w wa o 05 one on each sid gseat squarer on top then our ambulances. Driver ws by by on footboard- dead ty
19 Sunkin Rd-Banks at deepest abt 3H Taugiy off2 ws Co on left in Shellholes in 8 to pet a straight tie an Rear of 13 behind the D in kearof A Northum. Fuschers on 19 Bn left plank in toach with B3 Coy. When Arty sterted - Northurn. Fuseliers were in movin Scott (A coy) looking back noticed D Coy moveng behiend him. There we nothing to do but start. A loy ther conformedd to Northur Fschers. Saw no sign of people on our right. There was sergt of No3 plation placed on right specially to keep direction & commanication with 25 Bn on tt flank - but no one appeared on his right altho the m.gunners of 20 Bn were in with 19 Bn atternoos It we like going across a heavy it seemed from 50.Y to be going ap hill - bottom of shell boles we maddy but fairbydry. They knew abt where 9.Y wabe. The lime ws pretty well in its own barrage & lost mento 1p al hin sap 4.9 Tayort duyvygan & his Poneers on right rear to protect from Hank & rear Attack. A602.9. on lest at block Bombur posts at x1X, X way Gd had no larrage on tthis time. They puta heavy barrage abt support time & fron blew out some of surF.m. 9 crews Butline advancing dis not get that. There were fermans in the Eg when they got there. They were just coming up from dugonts wt i gs when
21 wire had sove Deagmel ap shown on map as crossing Tunker Rd. did not exist. Seryt Jones droppet in on 3f who slood Cooking as him. That first from the parapet - shot second to his revolver when in 2 & bayouited therd as be turned. yall nads away towards sumpen od.) 22 live got there - There were 2 dejouts not connected. 3 one on on right B Intrances. (h obervers lef w were in the truch There were kelled b 2 the fermans in the toasa heads the barrage. with their had bn tha where Smashe of atfew were over lookin out were still on look shot Scott believed abt Eprisoners Saglemen, for were laken escort donb wounded sir be spared fo a mnay have opnn. Stellhols may have on them or some away sot the As soon sot in as alory to pash N. Pasihiers sterted towards the right 5. our Seipt maj of D. Con. the Law on les with to to the He Capt. second Anderson O5p had bu wounded there ws to sign of anyone ong on B. lft So and objoe N. Fusilees The 2nd objoc
23 were crowding 15 2 got out of r & called for any Austrations to Jo on to 2nd. Objoe. Had to go thro their own barage there too. There seemed to be shells over every portion of o between B0 2n Objoc. It we abt 1507ds t Bnd Obive Fn 2nd objoc abs & Adiep (a clearly without defined not so much shelled as 1ot cpte) it came live or dear Germans to a dead end on the leftsfank looked out to see weti S happening on flanks. Foun to there ws only his own small orussf party of abt 40 men were (inchuding L machine funners) No germans visible. Abb 300 yards in pont is a big vise quite a hill. It ws impossitly to say what we doing on at
24 the 2nd on left of Sunken Rd. Objective adnot be found at all a trenery went dow it for sooyds & found only shell hope te aeroplane shotos indicated that might be ths case. The truch tay had bn told) as on right (5 they got into of hoad & loot was a commn wench leading to their firing time bluff from behind a little Jermans 24 42d 30ydo to fet up over open Ca into thes Common wstoe a Good officer 25 back of that xuseless to So up there. word came to the were being fin on from behind. showing th Jernans were still in Es at the back went back to first objectivs to fand out positin leaving L. m. ganners & party. Told them it of the were to come back he wd let them know. There ws only arty fire as sott went back (our own) In sst objoe he found both flanks in the air - (Done of L.M. Gunners of 25 Bn were sent by 4 dangham to left to N. Fusehers abt te he attrgoing over 50 S. Bent thege much have gob in & found 2 subalterns inn N. Fuschers. He sent for senior subo told him to estab a post

10
Hand drawn diagram - see original
German offr must have
been at 3.
Jones, coming down stairs
after un wounded were up,
had got to 4 when he heard
bomb thrown - or noise
suggestive of it. He
jumped to 2; bomb
exploded at 1; J. looked
round corner & saw
someone move (by some dim
light) at 3. He fired & threw
bomb - then went along & 
found officer dying. Rush
was doing some sort of work -
that morning.

11
11
The G. officer ws dying when he found
him.
There wd be perh. 6 dugouts
in the 20 Bns sector of wh one
ws unusable owing to smell
of dead Germans who had
been dead there some time.
Some of C. Coys Lewis mags.
were lying in front of this
trench (W. of it) & some of 
the Lewis gunners - dead.
The wire had bn smashed to
bits so tt you did not know
it existed. J. did not 
notice any shrapnel going
across - Alexander
sd it ws fairly heavy
where he tried to cross
(he ws hit). The trench
ws fairly knockd abt.
That Before dawn the Engrs
had a sap thro' from tramway
trench & the sand bags etc were

 

11
12
coming through well. Men
consolidated hard. The
trench had bn knocked abt
in parts by our guns; v.
few Germans lying in it
visible (J. didn't see more
than 3 - there were plenty
lying abt at the back of it).
[One German told Rush tt
they had 5 lines between there &
Martinpuich]
At daylight they began
to bombard heavily.
[C & D coys had gone over
thro' A & B - to O.G.2. The
trench was pretty bad & there 
were no dugouts. The 20 Bn
dug Sydney Street or one
similar trench about due E
from O.G.1 to O.G.2.

 

11
13
Lt E. J Shaw was in O.G.2 at this
time & also Lt J. L. Shaw.
He wd know abt this c. attack].
20 Bn stayed till night of
Aug 5 when (?) 26 Bn relieved
them.
Aug 6. morning Birdwood reviewed
officers & men of 5 Bde.
Previous night German's
had shelled them in Tara
Hill trenches.
Aug 6 to Warloy -
Aug 9 to Pernois
Aug 16 moved back to La Vicogne.
Aug 20 Sunday got back to Sausage 
Gully.
Aug 21. to front line looking
into Courcelette. A little
heavy stuff (some 11 in stuff)
onter front line.

 

14
Evan Richards ws
k. during one morning
standing on forward parapet
in mist.
The 20 Bn was lucky in
Officer losses but suffered heavily
in N.C.Os in Pozieres. At Flers
they suffered heavily in Officers - 4
behind the line by a chance
shell in Carlton Camp.

11
15
They were digging up along
what ws called "The Goat
Track" (a continuation of
a front trench dug by 1st Divn)
Their left flank ws in Air -
N.E of O.G.2. to link up with
23 Bn.
Aug. 26.
Came out (Friday) to Tramway.
27 Back to Brickfields

 

16
(Shell into mouth of
19 Bn H.Q. which
faced enemy}.
*Most of the
officers - Gavan Duffy, 
(bad w feet) Rush (shelled)
Carlisle (w.) were k. in
tent in Carlton Camp.
(just like C. Manning &
Ferguson).
-municatn. Jones went up at dawn
next morning & found tt Ralston had
gone to O'Donnell's H.Q. night before.
At dawn on 15 Nov. J. got rations
up to them in 26 Bn line.
Night of 15th 20 Bn + 26 Bn & 25th were relieved
by 27th & 28th. Thursday, Rush
who had gone back to Carlton Camp ws
k. by a stray shell.
             k*     w.     m.     sick (feet)
Offrs.   5       5        -        8
Men.    35     84     18
(all missing were k. except a couple who
returned).

11
17
Walkers HQ
20 Bn H. Q & 19 Bn.
X or X Walkers
advd. Position
Turk Lane
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Zero 6.45 At 8.30 20 Bn sent 2 Coy to
26 Bn. (A ws sent on & B warned
to be ready & sent on almost at
once.)
Abt 12 message to say one of them
had not arrived; on written orders
from Genl. at 12 - C & D + m. gunners
(all guns they cd get crews for - &
all H.Q. bombers).
Ralston abt 4 p.m. went
up to Test Box (:x:) for telephone com.

 

17a
Hand drawn sketch - see original
This ws burnt by 19 Bn to get rid of the
smell in their Headquarters & the burning
debris pushed over onto the horses
by Lt Marshall.
In early mornings Germans
cd be seen on the pronounced
brown reddish dark bank on the horizon (wh ws
O.G.1) They cd be seen in
parties going over
the broken down trench. We sniped
v. little & so did they - neither
wanted to be seen.

11
18
Marshal & Weedon
pegging out trench with
pegs & white signal
forms here were
fired on by 6 Bde
Lewis gun in
orchard abt
100 yds away.
This trench ws partly
dug by 21 &
finished by 19.
Well traversed trench
built.
Old German trench
by Ambulance
Dugout.
This bit not held
Wallack called
this Blancmange 
trench bec. it always
changed shape next
time
you looked at it.
This trench was abandoned
by 19 Bn as soon as daylight
broke, ½ of A Coy
having been lost
in it - Forsyth hit
there - (Heritage k. there
eventually in front
of H.Q. dugout without
a helmet.)
1st Div. had 2 Bns
where 19 Bn put in 2 Coys but had
to withdraw one imd. as trench too thickly
held. ½ of Sherborns coy ws put back in
Copse Ave & ½ in 
Sunken Road.

H.Q. of
19 Bn. old
dressing stn.
with lots of
good German
bandages, 
wire splints,
Big Oxygen
cylinders
of greatest 
use.
Ambulance
near X Road
had 6 or 8
wounded inside
in German waterproof
sheets in layers on
stretchers - 2 on floor & 2
above them on each side.
Waggon was French grey
with big red cross.
1 one on each 
side of seat -
squarer on top than our ambulances. Driver ws lying on footboard - dead.

 

19
Sunken road - Banks at 
deepest abt 3 ft.
A Coy ws in Jumping Off trench
B - on left in shell holes in Nomansland
to get a straight line.
C - in rear of B }
D - in rear of A } behind the trench
5th Northum. Fusiliers on 19 Bn left
flank in touch with B Coy.
When Arty started - Northum. Fusiliers were
seen moving - Scott (A Coy) looking
back noticed D Coy moving behind
him. There ws nothing to do but
start. A Coy then conformed to Northum
Fusiliers. Saw no sign of people on our
right. There was sergt. of No 3 platoon
placed on right specially to keep direction
& communication with peop 25 Bn on
tt flank - but no one appeared on his
right altho the m. gunners of 25 Bn
were in with 19 Bn afterwds.
It ws like going across a heavy sea -
it seemed from J.O. trench to be going up
hill - bottom of shell holes ws muddy
but fairly dry. They knew abt where
G. trench wd be. The line ws pretty well
in its own barrage & lost men tt

11
20
Hand drawn sketch - see original
L.G. in sap
dug by Capt Taylor & Lt Logan
& his Pioneers
on right rear
to protect from 
flank & rear
attack.
Also L.G. on left
at block.
Bombing posts
at  X   X   X 
way - G.s had no barrage on at this
time. They put a heavy barrage abt
support line & front trench & blew out
some of our [[shorthand]] m.g. crews. But line
advancing did not get this. There
were Germans in the trench when
they got there. They were just coming
up from dugouts w m.gs when

 

21
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Wire had gone.
Diagonal Sap shown on map as
crossing Sunken Road
did not exist.
Sergt. Jones dropped in on 3 Germans -
who stood looking at him. Shot first from
the parapet - shot second w his revolver
when in trench & bayoneted third as he turned.
(They Germs all made away towards Sunken Rd.)

11
22
line got there - there were 2 dugouts
on right - not connected - & one on
left w 2 entrances. The observers
were in the trench. There were 
Germans in the trench killed by
the barrage - with ^ the tops of their heads
smashed where they had bn
overlooking - & a few were
still on lookout & were
shot. Scott believes abt 80 prisoners
were taken - ^ single men for escort cd only
be spared for - wounded in
shell holes cd may have opened
on them or some may have
got away.
As soon as S. got in the
N. Fusiliers started to push along
our trench towards the right. S.
saw the Sergt. Maj. of D. Coy
(wh ws to go on with C to the
second trench.) ^ He sd Anderson (Capt. O.C. "D")
had bn wounded - there ws
no sign of anyone going on
to 2nd objve - so S. left
2nd objve. The N. Fusiliers

 

11
23
were crowding 1st trench so S.
got out of trench & called for any
Australians to go on to 2nd
objve.  Had to go thro their
own barrage there too. There
seemed to be shells over every 
portion of Nomansland between 1st & 2nd
objve. It ws abt 150 yds to
2nd objve. In 2nd objve -
(a clearly defined trench about 4 ft deep not so much shelled as 1st objve) - without
live or dead Germans - it came
to a dead end on the left flank -
S. looked out to see what ws
happening on flanks. Found
tt there ws only his own small
party of abt 40 men ^ or less there
(including L. machine gunners).
No Germans visible. Abt 300
yards in front ws a big rise -
quite a hill. It ws impossible
to say what ws going on at 

 

24
On left of Sunken Road 2nd
Objective cd not be found at
all. Lt Trenery went down it
for 300 yds - & found only shell holes
(the aeroplane photos indicated that
^ this might be the case - they had bn told) The trench
they got into ws on right (S)
of road & look was a commn
trench leading to their firing line
from behind a little bluff
30 yds to rt of rd. (Germans
came up over open to get
into this Commn sap).
X Lt Armstrong, a good officer.

11
25
back of that - & useless to go
up there. Word came tt they
were being fired on from behind -
showing tt / Germans were
still in trench at the back. S.
went back to first objective
to find out positn - leaving
L. m. gunners & party. Told
them tt if they were to come
back he wd let them know.
There ws only arty fire as Scott
went back (our own).
In 1st objve he found both
flanks in the air - (Some of
L. m. gunners of 25 Bn were sent
by Lt Langham to left to N. Fusiliers
abt ½ hr after going over - so
these must have got in.) S. sent
& found 2 subalterns in N.
Fusiliers. He sent for senior
sub.x & told him to estab. a post
 

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