Extract from 1st Machine Gun Company Diary AIF
(Diary held in Australian War Memorial Canberra)
Molenaarelstoek, south of Zonnebeke near Ieper, Belgium
5/10/1917
…. Enemy airmen flying low all along our lines. Our airmen declined to fight though they were about in large numbers. Our men were very disappointed at poor showing of our airmen and very apparent superiority of the enemy. … Enemy counter attacked but did not pass barrage.
6/10/1917
… Fine then showers on and off all day. Enemy airmen again had the sky to themselves over our forward positions firing down on troops. … Casualties since Zero 1 Officer 34 Other Ranks.
7/10/1917
Received orders to be ready to support a forthcoming attack by
bringing machine gun fire to bear on targets in E19 A & B.
… From 0700 to 1100, enemy aeroplanes flew low, in one case,
only 300 feet from the ground. A large number of our machines
were in the air but there was no fighting. Shortly after 1100,
enemy shelled rear area with heavy high explosives and did
considerable damage to roads, pack trains etc. Winter time was
taken into use and clocks were put back one hour. At 1600 enemy
again shelled roads in rear heavily. Weather very cold and wet
towards evening . S.O.S. shown all along the front at 1800 but
there was no attack on our front. Lieutenant Rex was killed
.......