Frank Swannell Diaries: Part I
Diaries of Frank Cyril Swannell Learn more.
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BC Archives MS-0392 - Box 1, Volume 4-5
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8 Festhubert (Continued from Diary May 20
The Charge of May 20th (see proper place) May 20
Continued From Page 9 (From Page 9)
All this time we are being 'sniped' at from orchard & under shrapnel fire, occasionally fr the Brit. guns. Too
Jack Enoch knocked down by concussion left for dead. (Killed Fall of 1915)
Germans making Trench Burned Blds M10 (See Pge 43
5 Germ. machine guns
13th Batt. Trench dug at dawn Portion of Trench destroyed by shell fire heaped with dead
X Milburn Killed
Near Richebourg [l'Avoree ?] & Festhubert
x S. M. Flammond
Our machine gun Fort
our advance Trench made 19th May at dawn
Road Ruined Farm Road Bethune TaBassee
Peck's Hdqt. Badly shelled 1000 yds Brit. Trench Blown to Pieces filled with dead & debris held by Wiltshire's line
Just before dawn Wallis gets us out (We were supposed to be only supports & made the charge instead of the 13th as the latters' guide did not turn up
3rd line 21st
Most of us never saw a German. They did not wait for us. The Platoon which took the German machine guns got back with 5 men. At 6 am 21st get back to 3rd line & stop there all day. 84 Casualties out of 126 in our company The machine gun fire was like sleet. Our company comes out under Lce Corp. Brewer. Maj. Peck wounded 3 Times. Capt. Moore Twice attacking the house. Sgt. Maj. Williams, Plat. Sargt. Milburn killed. Corp Halmbourg wounded. We were a woeful sight, what was left of us. Mud from head to foot, stained with lyddite clothes torn with shrapnel, barbwire. Chapple & Bradburg got by shrapnel.
Continued over page
BC Archives, MS-0392 Box 1 Volume 4 / FRANK SWANNELL PAPERS / Diary and enclosures, 1915.