10th Battalion patch. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial
10th Battalion diary – May 1916
FRANCE
ROUGE DE BOUT
1916 MAY 19
At 2000 the enemy suddenly opened up a heavy shell attack on our billets in the vicinity of ROUGE DE BOUT – at that hour several worthy parties from our Bttn went marching along road between ROUGE DE BOUT + TWO GREE farm, several shells exploded quite close to HQ + INTELLIGENCE Billet – also BOMBERS BILLET – all within a few hundred yards of ROUGE DE BOUT two officers viz – Captain Charles Joseph BATES + Lieut Harold Baker SHAW. Also 3570B Priv T.C. O’MALLEY – were killed + 7 other ranks wounded – All ranks at once vacated billets + took cover in dug outs + slits shelling ceased at 2100 but at 2300 a second bombardment commenced but was of short duration – During the 1st shelling MJR MINAGALLS horse which he had ridden up to ROUGE DE BOUT – was killed by shell fire – the QM having a very lucky escape. During the first bombardment – when seven men were wounded on the road N° 1533 Sgt INWOOD + 168 Cpt HAMILTON- at great personal risk ran to the assistance of the wounded men + carried them to shelter – their brave action no doubt saved the lives of the wounded men-
20
At about 1815 a sharp heavy shelling in the vicinity of Weathercook house but no damage done to any of our billets – altho’ some fell very close to billets occupied by C. Coy near STONY LANE
24
During the morning a number of heavy shells fell along road RUEU- BIACHE – between ROUGHE DE BOUT + MARE’S NEST – (IE 3 Bgde HQ) doing considerable damage to road-
ROUGE DE BOUT
MAY 30
At about 2030 enemy commenced a heavy bombardment, our artillery responding most vigorously replying – by 2100 the noise was terrific and we were ordered by Bgd HQ to stand to – at 9:45 (2145) we were ordered to proceed to our Harm post which we did – C. Coy proceeded to G assembly trenches – A D. HQ + LEWIS MG – BOMBERS + INTELLEGENCE proceeded to and occupied J assembly trenches whilst B Coy manned CHARRED + WINDY POST – being in position by 2245 at 2315 I recd message from Bgd to resume normal conditions leaving one Coy (I detailed D Coy) – as Inlying piquet- Having advised O.C. 9th Bttn that D Coy was occupying J trenches I ordered return of BN to billets + shortly after 0100 we were settled down again- it was a very dark night +cold + the roads were very sloppy – the enemy’s shell fire broke our phone line to Bgd HQ +we consequently had to keep in touch by messengers. – A raid by Germans was made that night on 11th Battn-
