Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/173/1 - October 1917 - Part 3

Diagram- see original document.
red bricks 
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26
direction conceted.
At 38 Objve beyond 
Bordeaux Fm the barrage 
halted a while. While
waiting there there ws 
trouble from 16 A 10.0
a Pillbox ruined 
Farm sheltering 2 
m.gs. As they were 
in the ruins they cd
not be picked up 
at first. 
One of the men then 
spotted some Germs 
moving in the red 
brick dust heap & 
this gave a clue to it. 
 

27 
X
A message ws sent 
to the New Zealanders
during the halt to tell 
them of this by runner 
from M. 

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28

Rifle grenades were 
put on - & as soon as 
the barrage lifted it ws
rushed & captured. 
Middleton left some men 
there to go thro / place. 
The  Sergt. Gothard ∧ in charge there
ws wd but 2 guns
had bn captured & some 
Germs.
Heavy oblique m.g. 
fire came from Abraham 
Heights, from 2 Pillboxes
on the hill top. x These were 
rushed by NZ  as soon 
as / barrage lifted & 
this ceased. 

29
X 
tumbled farm bldgs
w portion of one wall
standing.

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30
X
Beecham Farm 
offered no oppositn
tho there were a few
Germs there. The barrage
had bn picked up at
the halt & ws being
closely followed.
On the 39 Bn
objve they got a lot
of trouble from mgs
in Pillboxes along
S. portion of Dab
[[shorthand]] firing through
the protect barrage
wh 40 Bn ws following
(halt at 39 objve ws
only 12 mins)

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31
The 39 got into shellholes
while 40 Bn ws
passing through - 
39 reinforced them to
help them take these.
They were just over
the bend of the ridge.
(These are the Pillboxes
you see from abt Seine).
While consoldg. & aftwd
39 Bn got trouble from
Berlin Wood (stumps
of trees). Several men
were shot from there
- beyond NZ objve.
Abt 11 am. NZ probly
dealt w this for

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32
it ceased altogether.
This trench D-L was
support trench & ws made
with a continuous 
line & wired.
It linked w NZ
on left; but on rt
was 120yds of
morass separating
10 from 11 Bde.
The line ws made
in shape of a figure
Diagram see original & very few
casualties occurred.
Water ws struck but
trench ws dug to abt 3'6"
wit parapet.

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33
Lt Speering (B Coy) ws
killed abt 5 mins after
start by a shell.
Lt Grant ^(C Coy) ws k on
approach march
by a shell.
Lt M^cCay ^B Coy d of w. ws
sniped very early, on

right.

______
Wd
Capt Cumming) wd
Lt. Maxwell        )
from m.g fire from
Dab [[shorthand]] dugouts just
after reaching objective
during start of digging
in.

34
? J W. Gration
Sergt J.W. Grayson
got the D.C.M. in this
fight & Capt Middleton
the M.C.
Grayson got the DCM
for settling the m.g. in
the lowest portion of
Dab [[shorthand]] (right). He went
forward during the halt
in the barrage with a
section - into our
own barrage. This m.g.
ws annoying the 39 during
consolidn.

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35
Lt Barker ^(now Capt) O.C. D Coy ws hit by
piece of H.E imd
after start
Lt Howson (Bombg. Offr.) in/c dumps
ws hit by a sniper
from Berlin Wood imd
after objve gained.
Lt Brocksopp ^D Coy ws
hit on way to 39 objve
after passing 38 objve.

_____
A Capt Cumming wd.
B Lt Speering k.
C Capt Middleton -
D Capt Lt Barker wd.