Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 104]
Halfway House
28/6/16
Wet and grey day again. It is not safe to venture out without a cloak. Col Jackson & Brig. round to look at our men revolver shooting. After lunch went up to the firing line and saw the different points of exit very clearly indicated and made arrangements for breaching the parapet and cutting the wire. Attended a conference by Brigadier, - General Gellibrand was also present.
Turned in and slept like a top.
29/6/16
"The Day". Busy fixing up final details and expect to have a success. Conferred with the artillery brigadier & others and arranged to give my officers final orders tonight. I am in command of 13 officers and 270 men in a daring venture and shall return either crowned with laurel or wreathed with cypress. Be propitious O Jupiter.
30/6/16
Punctually at midnight our intense barrages commenced and our lads got to work. The net result is estimated at about 100 Germans dead officially. We lost a number of men poor chaps and the stretches congested the saps terribly. Our rear communication trenches were crowded and hostile shells would have been awful. In our trenches the shells were very thick.
We brought back all our dead Carwick doing splendid work in carrying 5 corpses right across sheltering in shell holes with them. The booty in helmets &c. was considerable. The first prisoner was brought to me. He was a fresh faced young chap dressed neatly & cleanly in their grey uniform with cap. He said "B----- clever done!" and could speak English very well.
The attack lasted ¾ hours and was considered a great success. It was entirely under my command. The whole was reviewed by General Legge in the afternoon. After refused [indecipherable] giving[indecipherable] to drink on excited [indecipherable]. Some disgusting sights were seen. Cut it out next time.