Diary Henry Arthur Goddard 1918 - Part 10

- Barrage Map "A" -
- Ref. Map Sheet 62n N.E. 1/20,000 -
Secret
[Hand drawn map - see original document]
 

33^rd Bn 34^th Bn 35^th Bn 36^th Bn
9th AMG Coy.
Bl 37  6 - AAA
CO's all Bns and O.C.  9th Aust  by
will meet Brigadier xxxx xx at Bde
Report Centre at O 28 d 34 for Conference

at 10 am tomorrow 7th inst aaa
CO's to bring with them full details
as regards casualties (killed,
Wounded and missing) fighting
strength, losses incl Machine
and Lewis guns and moves
of 33^rd and 34^th Bns as
arranged verbally by Bde
major this afternoon to stand
fast in meantime
9th Aust Inf Bde
Bdett Q 
[[?????]]
 

List of German Phrases with approximate pronunciation.
ORDER.  GERMAN TRANSLATION.  PRONUNCIATION.
"Hands Up" HAENDE HOCH : HENDER HŌCH Ō as in "Hole"
"Surrender" ERGEBEN ICH SCHIESSE : AIRGAYBEN ZEE ZISCH.
"Or I shoot" ODER ICH SCHIESSE : ŌDER ISH SHEESSER.
"Come Here" KOMMEN SIE HIER : KOMMEN ZEK HERE.
"March in Front" MARSCHIEREN SIE VOR MICH : MARSHEEREN ZEE FOR MICH.
"Throw down your
arms" WAFFEN NIEDER : VOFFEN NEEDER.
"Throw away your
revolver". REVOLVER WEG : REVOLVER VECK.

"Halt" HALT : HALT.
 

VILLERS BRETTONNEUX
AVRIL
[*Officers others
Killed.  1
Wounded. 2.  12*]
6 5 VENDREDI

The enemy continued to shell the town
getting several hits on my headquarters
In the afternoon the 17 - 18 Battalions under
Col. Murphy came up to relieve us.
I advised Murphy not to try this stereotyped
relief as our troops were mixed after
the fighting - but to allot his companies
frontages and let them take over, but
I could see he was neither mentally
or intellectually capable of handling the
situation. At midnight things were going

badly - I ordered Major Blake to see what
he could do, but he has utterly cracked
up. I had hoped to get an hours
sleep for I have not slept until since
5. a.m. yesterday. but did not dare to
rest. As daylight drew near I could not
trust myself with Murphy I went out
into the shelled street. Our boys were
falling back - but Capt Bushells Coy was left.
for which poor Bushell paid dearly for he was
killed that morning. I consider Murphy
an incapable ass unskilled to be entrusted
with the lives of men. The remnant of the
35 only got through by a squeak.
 

6. 7 Apl
We (Hqrs) moved off about 7. a.m
and dragged ourselves to the Bois l'Abbe
as we arrived at our bivouac spot the
bosch aeroplanes dropped bombs on us
but no one was hit. They made me a
bit of shelter with some old canvas and
twiggs into which I crawled but I was too
tired to sleep and went out and looked after
the men. Have had no sleep since 5. a.m. 5^th.
In the morning I held a conference
of all officers - and went thoroughly into the 
past few days, pointing out errors &c. It
is clear that Warden threw back his right
flank without first fixing a point to rally on
and that Capt Hawkins behaved very badly.
At 4. p.m I crossed over to the Cachy aerodrome
intending to bring the men over, but enemy started
to shell it, so I delayed them. I put it to them
whether they would prefer to take the greater
risk of casualties but by going to the aerodrome
and they were so fed up with the cold and wet
and misery of the open they said they preferred

to risk casualties & leave the wood. They came in
at 6. and I had them all tucked in and asleep
by 9. p.m when some shells dropped into
one of the shed killing one man & wounding
several. It was difficult to look after them as
we did not dare to show a light. I worked
at the report on the operation - it was hard to
get Mackenzie & Yates [[?]] to work they were too
done up. Turned in about midnight and
got first sleep in 92 hours. Heavy rain,
cold and very miserable.
3 wounded
 

VILLERS BRETTONNEUX.
CACHY
AVRIL
6 7. Sunday SAMEDI.
Relief only completed 5. a.m. The Bn moved to
BOIS L'ABBE and rested till nightfall when it marched
to the Aerodrome Cachy to sleep for night
11. p.m. enemy shelled aerodrome 2 men killed
and three wounded as a result.
rain fell from 9. p.m till midnight
As we arrived in the Bois this morning the
Hun was dropping bombs on it from aircraft.
It was miserably wet they made me a little
lean to with bits of waterproof into which I
crawled. but although I had been on duty
without sleep for more three days and three
nights without sleep I could not get
to sleep.
 

AERODROME CACHY
VILLERS BRETTONNEUX
AVRIL
8 7. DIMANCHE.
1 Killed
2 Wounded
Bn rested at the aerodrome till 8. p.m. when
it moved to Villers Brettonneux arriving at
10. p.m. One man killed and two wounded
during move. Cold, wet, miserable day.
Major Grant reported from 36 to undertake
duties Senior Major
It was weird marching up in the black night
over the shelled muddy roads
I tucked the men into cellars. Made my
Hqrs in a Chateau (11 rue de Herville)
a splendid place but now wrecked. We
made our quarters in the cellars. I made
a bunk of a stretcher and did very well.
 

VILLERS BRETTONEUX
AVRIL
8 9 8 LUNDI
1 Killed
Rain all day. Very little shelling One man
Killed.

Enemy shelled the town with heavy
stuff at 5. a.m. Several shells hit
the building. I could hear the walls

tumbling down. At first it looked
like another attack and I was inclined
to get up, but thought better of it
shelling continued most of the day
heavy firing on our front where
5^th Bde are advancing their line.
Major Blake came to me to know if it
was true that he had to go back to a
Company Told him "Yes" and pointed
out to him that he had failed in
his job as second in command.
Miserable, cold wet day.
 

C.O. 35^th Bn
 

"A" FORM
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.
TO { 33rd, 34th, 35th and 36th Bns
{ 9^th AMG Coy
Sender's Number. BM 39 Day of Month. 8.
The 5^th Aust Inf
Brigade and 175^th Inf
brigade will carry out
an operation tomorrow morning
9^th instant AAA Our
present line will be
advanced to CEMETERY in
U.29.b - U.24.b - V.13 central -
V.1. central - thence along present
line AAA Zero hour
has not been notified
AAA For your information
AAA Artillery will co operate
From 9th Aust Inf. Bde
(Z) JA Shaw Major

"A" FORM
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.

TO {35^th Bn
Sender's Number.D 3/28 Day of Month. 7.
Have informed D8th Battalion

that the two battalions available
for counter attack in defence of
VILLERS-BRETONNEUX are
34^th & 33^rd
9^th Aust Iny Bd
2.15 am
By runner
L.H  Dixon Capt
per B.M. 9^th Aust Iny Bd