Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/108/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 5

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52 Bn jumped off from (left) B A.7.3. - 51 Bn went to 3 A 7.7 
52 Bn went to 3C 9.3. Bedfs on right. W. Kents out on right 
of them to road in 9 A & B - but they were not there. 
^Left  Querrien noon via Bussy, Vesquemont 
*B. Tronville* to N 35 Bivouacked there Intelligence offrs went 
forwd & laid tape with 4 guides from each bn -* 51st & 52.nd* 
They were given that the line ws Cachy Switch; but 
the German ws in Bois l'Aquenne in strength  to 33 with a m.g. 
(heavy) on top end of the road

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[*Moved in*] arty formatn  [at 8.30  The Wood*] ws to be the objve
-by the monument in U6 central. After got away from / tapes over / top
o / hill they would see the wood & had to make for that.
Directn ws due east.  Rt flank eventually got on / road from (or
thro') 9,10,4 &5 wh ws its directing sign.
Support Bn had to get in touch w / 15 Bde.
Abt 9.45 got onto / tapes. The reconnoitering people
had been seen (?by / Enemy) but not the 52nd.
In laying the tapes a patrol of 10 Worcs. w 4 Austrlin (Scouts)

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was put into / corner o / wood at 3 A 77 in order to drive / Germs
there in a bit. The 51 Bn coming along were a trifle late owing to being seen from /
wood & fired on by a m.g. before they reached / tapes.
They pushed off abt 10.10 pm. having been on / tapes abt
half an hour - the later lot only recently arrived.
The 51 Bn at once struck mg. fire from / left.  The 52 Bn right
coys under Capt Stubbing got as far as / rd in 4 A (N& S) when mg.
fire was opened from X roads SSE in 10 A&B & Stubbing ws hit.
This did not stop them at all. The Bedfs were travelling well at this time.

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We were in 2 waves - the Dr  went over w /first waves &
establ himself in 4 A 1.7 behind  the a heap of manglewurzels
A m.g. ws enfilading the wire along the road from 4A, from
the north. The German had dug in behind / wire in 4A& B with
2 big m.gs. & several small ones. There ws no trench of ours, but
this wire & goodness why it ws  put there. The 51st ws
got at very heavily at this point from the wood behind, & from a gun (?m.g.) shooting
down the road. This drove the 51st SE, & 50  & 51 who shd have bn on / left
got on to / right of 52nd.

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Sketch in original document
[* S  H.Wilkins
Sketch By Bill Dyson*]

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The guns behind / wire in 4a held up / advance. They lay in a
fire fight for 3 or 4 mins.
here. The left of the rt pln. swung round the left where the wire bent, &
then the men in front o / guns rushed them.  It was "Apron wire".
Everyone was trying to get thro' & so tightening the wire. There
were abt 2 wire cutters only. The Bedfords
well up here. Some of the crews surrendered
& some were killed, some were wounded, some ran.
The left ws a bit ahead  b but the right soon got up.

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The German support company in 4B in potholes  ran
when they saw / men thro' / first line.  But there were  8 guns (rifs)
in a system of potholes abt 90 yds long in 5A, to the East of the road.
There ws another firefight for 2 or 3 minute. We were not close
enough for grenades.  After firing some of our L.Gs. opened on them.

Germans were throwing flares so we knew where they were - he ws throwing
many flares.  We let out a wild yell & at them. The Germans ran.
By this time / guns on / right held the Bedfs up & they finally
stuck there.  They got across road in 11 A & C & 10 D. 52nd temporarily

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lost connection w / left at this time ( they swung a little ^⇡ to meet these
guns) & crossed / road too just SE of the junctn in 5c. & then sent out a patrol
to N in 5 A. While this patrol ws away the suppt Coy of 52 Bn came up under ^Maj. Craes
threw / suppt Coy ( one of / plns) over to / left in front o / road
& re-estabd connection w / left coy. Bedfs were satisfd tt they had joined their
objve & their officer ws digging in abt 200 yds in front o / rd in 11 a.
Germans began to shell there & they at once came straight back across / rd
300 yds west o / road.

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[*men across steadyig the Tommies down & got them to dig from  10A*]
We then came back to conform w them & dug in across 5c.
51st came round [*in a semi circle*] swung round SW o / village
& abt 700 yds from it.
( Is this -
? had been - & some o / 52 - right up)
51 Bn  & 50 Bn  joined C.1, & some of the 52 reached up on to the
ridge where the monument is. These returned & estabd themselves where / others
were. 50 Bn dug in in support behind.
They dug in & sat tight. They never saw / Germs until 9am
in / morning. The Germs came down S.wds past the monument & dribbled

a few posts out.

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These were abt 700-800 yds ahead with a dip between. There ws a
gt deal of movement on his part along / rd but he didn't attempt to attack.
The Bedfs had no one on their rt. The people on their right dug in in a 
defensive flank & Germs were dribbling round apptly right in the rear of our
positn
Abt midday we put a barrage on Germ positn along / whole front
Abt 6 or 7pm another barrage went down. 1st barrage ws [[?]] followd.
2nd barrage barrage got on to  / rd thro' / monument.  There ws no attack.
The Germ ws firing white ^with either of these? flares in U10
There ws a derelict tank on / rd in 11 D 8.5 wh seemed to be German
but it ws diff. to see.