Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/104/1 - March - April 1918 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066549
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Page 1 / 10

54 01 old times here. But our field survey troops have been fighting & I daresay their valloons are in hands off germans. The trophies wh2nd tanellen got for us - the Lagnicourt gun of ours, blown up in orchard, a heavy T.M, &others are all in Jerman hands. & many of our trophies at Aveley. The genl of the 37th Dwn who is taking over our 4th Bde from Gen. Braithwaitz came walking round t a Naf oficer as I passed. He had a long talk to Young Davies - te Bde Intelligence off-+ seemed full of pleasure as having this Bde under him Maclagan badly wants it
is back wants to J Bde get back because Aust anoupt other things Copps better the feeds them much think. Atortay Heold t he did Brig told me 7 British not wonder t soldiers came back so fast considering I way they were feel. Bet then Brand is a man who doesn't thank his Bde is properly fed unless it is rotting fat. The chief complaint of men ws it they had biscuels & bully beef to live on (wh is not a great hards hip &I dont think after all were very much in they it. They were Earnest abt full & interested of Spirits fighting n
by 3i 56 The 17th Din ws I believe like Gellibrands Bde) attacked this morning. Its general told Jen. Maclagan tt the had only lost 2000 Divn men in Trecreat It was late so Bodde had dinner in Doullens. An officer of a Field Survey Coy, there ws taking during dinner of big battle. He sdd he went up th morning to bey and Bapaane. The German shelling ws first wet is near albert of the Boche tried apparently to fire on army 4grs at albert but his shells were 2 or5 miles over. There ws not much shelling after th
57 until you got to Bapanme But a H.V. gun was shelling Bapanine & every vill age beyond Bapanine ws going up in chunks his H.v. guns were turned on pouring shell into every village on 1 far side and roads beyond of it. Bapanie were very wastil. shelled quile lively to ger through At Rollencourt where arrived after dinner we Lytton ws in much better sperits, I asked him & fothers in particular abt Cattach wh ermans made on Veiy. Tey sd 18 Arras attack at arras ws t
58 exact an replica of that opposite Cambrai. the line on Te bombl & everything were there beny no mist same. But were able to Our ingo see o our arty to work & I ferms never in light any where pushed as beyond our main positions. Our live ws held by the 55 (.56 -3 forget wh) Brd & 15t Dns All held splendidly but Lytton 5d to the 15th Dwn lost more line than the others. The fermans had 17 dions involved (5 in support wh did not come into it, but 10 or 11 wh did. The 100011 suffered very heavily tho they did claim a victory they certaing completely failed Fy tton
56 was particularly pleased tt Ilanadions spoke in high praise of British division who beat off this attack. Permans Lytton sdt 1 Bsh had still 40 Dwns agst British & only 37 apst. Foench So to their next offensive stell ad piob apt o Britich. be The wh has frm questa days us all these pazzled has by. What are of French The fermd. Day1 Fench. doing have a reseive of 60 Dwns at I least it is sd to be 40. They have taken over line from our 5th Army & they have c attacked at Montdidier whereo ferms have cut one. of lines from Aweens lowds Paris
00 But they yet have not thrown in their great mann reserve, certainly The ferman drive is getting down to a pencil point very clangerous looking germans - rather like for Fram of a battleship Arras. They must Amiens. widen 1 stoutdidir Sabent to 8 that reat danger avoid wef why they trew these1 Dwns app arras. It was a realy serious part of their plan &oit has gone completes I best know t 15 wrong have today we ledge to Gen. Foch has secondb made chief at last been
61 of Uaison (in other words coodination officer - wh is Commdr in Chief really of the whole British Feach American force out Nr. front to coodinate (armie under Harg, Pelam, & Pershing He is responsible for 1 plan, therefore for 1 first time t one is certain there a plan. has temporary Tough, who disappeared from the 5ta Army in favour of Rawlinson, who sets on better wh Feneh has since bu made (to our great surprise Commander of Reserve army, whatever. to may be. The popularity of Sough we never lower othen just now - & for some reason offis of British Divns the men&
Philly 62 are blaming the 66th Dion Gibbs tells me to the 14th in wh his brother ws am Dwn officer of field arty near rly catting by St quentin, we ferms overwheled by firs the 18015 cannellin Coy say. to Dron by failing the 60 to th stand let thro permans on flank of (I think the 161h 890 Divns (I am not sure of theae). The Tunnellers were suddmt called on to man, the Endline treaches wh they did all th night. Wext morning they had to retire as ty were outflanked - &in doing so marched thro Roisel where there ws a great dump of stores & wh then wt empty - not a absolutel.
the gay man of ours or 1 ferms. in Sight. They say to the mea 01 6t Dun when the Tunnetters NC.O. met some & asked them what they were doing (goug way they were) answered to they were getting out of it as quiekly as they could. The wnnellers think to G.HC or Army ougt to have had plenty of time to throw reserves wto this gap thro wh 1 Germans came was open agas a day after 7 attack ws begun & cd apparentl still have been stopped. I to all of us the staffs of the British divisions & armys seem to corps. have broken down not cases but in many in all

79                                                 54
o / old times here. But
our field survey troops have
been fighting & I daresay
their balloons are in /
hands o / Germans. The
trophies wh / 2nd Tunnellers
got for us - the magnificent
gun of ours, blown up in /
orchard, a heavy T.M, & others,
are all in German hands -
& many of our trophies
at Aveluy.
The Genl. of the 37th Divn who
is taking over our 4th Bde from
Gen. Braithwaite came walking
round w a staff officer as 
I passed. He had a long
talk to Young Davies - the
Bde Intelligence offr - & 
seemed full of pleasure at
having this Bde under him.
Maclagan badly wants it

 

79                                           55
back & / Bde wants to
get back because Aust.
Corps amongst other things
feeds them much better, they
think.  Also they The "old
Brig" told me tt he did 
not wonder tt / British
soldiers came back so fast
considering / way they were
fed.  But then Brand is
a man who doesnt think
his Bde is properly fed
unless it is rolling fat.
The chief complaint o / men
ws tt they had biscuits & 
bully beef to live on (wh
is not a great hardship
after all - & I dont think
they were very much in
earnest abt it. They were 
full of spirits & interested
in / fighting).

 

Mar 21  |
79                                   56
The 17th Divn ws I believe
(like Gellibrands Bde) attacked
this morning - It's general
told Gen. Maclagan tt the
Divn had only lost 2000
men in / retreat!
It was late - so Boddy
& I had dinner in 
Doullens.  An officer of a 
Field Survey Coy there ws
talking during dinner o /
big battle.  He sd he went
up tt morning  to beyond
Bapaume. The German 
shelling ws first met w
near Albert - the Boche
tried apparently to fire on
3rd Army HQrs at Albert,
but his shells were 2 or 3
miles over. There ws
not much shelling after tt

 

79                            57
until you got to Bapaume.
But a H.V. gun was
shelling Bapaume: & every
village beyond Bapaume
ws going up in chunks
-  his H.V. guns were turned
on pouring shell into
every village on / far side
of it; And / roads beyond
Bapaume were very nastily
shelled - quite lively to get 
through.
At Rollencourt, where
we arrived after dinner,
Lytton ws in much better
spirits.  I asked him & / others
in particular abt / attack
wh / Germans made on
Arras & Vimy. They sd
tt / attack at Arras ws

 

79                                58
an exact replica of that
on the line opposite Cambrai.
The bombt & everything were /
same.  But, there being no mist, 
our m.gs. were able to
see & our arty to work
in / light; & / Germs never
anywhere pushed us beyond
our main positions. Our
line ws held by the 55th
(?56 - I forget wh) 3rd & 15th Divns.
All held splendidly but Lytton
sd tt the 15th Divn lost more
line than the others. The
Germans had 17 divns involved
(5 in support wh did not
come into it, but 10 or 11
wh did. The 10 or 11 suffered
very heavily & tho' they
did claim a victory they certainly
failed completely; & Lytton

 

79                              59
was particularly pleased
tt / Canadians spoke in
high praise o / British divisions
who beat off this attack.
Lytton sd tt / British Germans
had still 40 Divns agst /
British & only 37 agst / 
French - so tt their next
offensive wd probly still
be agst / British.
The germ question wh has
puzzled us all these days 
has bn:  What are / French
doing.  The Germs. say / French
have a reserve of 60 Divns -
at / least it is sd to be 40.
They have taken over line 
from our 5th Army &
they have c-attacked at
Montdidier where / Germs.
have cut one o / lines
from Amiens towds Paris.

 

79                               60
But they have not yet
thrown in their great main
reserve, certainly.
The German drive is
getting down to a pencil
point very dangerous looking 
for / Germans - rather like
/ ram of a 
battleship.
They must
widen /
salient to
[hand drawn diagram - see original]
avoid great danger - & that
ws why they threw these 11
Divns agst Arras.  It was
a really serious part of their
plan - & it has gone completely
wrong - tt is / best knowledge
tt we have today.
Secondly, Gen. Foch has
at last been made chief

 

79                                      61
of liaison (in other words
coordination officer - wh is
really Commdr in Chief)
of the whole British French
& American force on / W.
front - to coordinate / armies
under Haig, Petain, & Pershing.
He is responsible for / plan;
& therefore for / first time
one is certain tt there is
a plan.
[Gough, who has temporarily
disappeared from the 6th Army
in favour of Rawlinson, who
gets on better w / French,
has since bn made (to our great
surprise) commander of /
Reserve Army, whatever
tt may be. The popularity of
Gough ws never lower than
just now - & for some reason
the men & offrs of British Divns

 

79                              62
are blaming the 66th Divn.
Phillip Gibbs tells me tt the 14th
Divn, in wh his brother ws an
officer of field arty near /
rly cutting by St Quentin, ws
overwhelmed by / Germs,
first.
The 180th Tunnelling Coy say
tt the 66th Divn by failing to
stand let thro / Germans on /
flank of (I think) the 16th & 9th
Divns (I am not sure of these).
The Tunnellers were suddenly
called on to man the 2nd line
trenches wh they did all tt night.
Next morning they had to retire
as they were outflanked - & in 
doing so marched thro Roisel
(?) where there ws a great dump
of stores & wh then ws
absolutely empty - not a

 

79                                    63
man of ours or / Germs.
in sight. They say tt the
men o / 66th Divn when
asked the Tunnellers N.C.Os
met some & asked them what
they were doing (going / way
they were) answered tt they
were getting out of it as
quickly as they could.
The Tunnellers think tt G.H.Q.
or Army ought to have  had
some plenty of time to throw
reserves into this gap
thro wh / Germans came -
the gap was open xxxx  a day after / attack
ws begun & cd apparently 
still have been stopped.
To all of us the staffs
of the British divisions,
corps, & armies seem to
have broken down - not
in all cases but in many -

 

 

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