Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/108/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066553
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Before we left last night one Coy of SO Bn andrs t. Beresford sappd by one pla o528 is 50 P s Bersfor i paoked out patice from flanck y ot Ben to Willaps inted nger ap te parcll aot vilye w ad ode Cestflank up to near ( aty line in touch w 15 Bd. He met wo no opposite as fer as / ad in T.C.B. OS3. 5 2nd flank ws then sweing round to connect w / Do Bn & thes five a complete tine. Hs Hleee sd when we got tho (rnd lis & all serms recived to Cott. This was when it wo handes to see. The servis put down two heavy barrages in reply to those too fours.
56 the British air service - some navel relot who was helf a mel away in fair- hasclaimed to bring down Bason Richthofen. I seemed to me so trivial a matter who sad him i I had not bothen o invesligati (various claims. However Hobbs has asked me to- He says there is a lot of feeling over it- Ferman Commen 1910 says It Rws shot from 1 ground. I sdAI I1 am. Ap. 213 ans wa amexton m mest soing on on, seemon post tot They id heas the serep gaay on bt it us too far aitict vale away to notic it muh who claimed painted onthenost to do it. they were bouht to 57Do Caty Og They say: t Our plane seemed behw 300 50 fat. ferman plane cand 2 30 50 to be overtiking him. You could e te perven dirois body. 27 you co heas te fiw going in short barsts. There sad to be only one naw in the Ext plane but s was all en i te plane ont
Mur. Buie R. 5 3801 we & Mr. Evans W.J. 598. abt yas ape 130 at 2 LGo Exgust plac firo apreand ou to of thit t thy Resener after him hidden by him genen came abt 154 above 1 other The plane & tok gune - find a bares at him ast 100 yart 00 t aoty. The plane wobbled of at once swverned bag and yiar. He served toright then speared towd He crashed abt 300.100 teeark. yesfrongans. He was hit in chin, neck, chest, left side, & right The wound in his chin les. came out jist below the Chic There ws also a bullet wound Ichin. L Doyle whows in 1 pit
80 I see the bits flying of plave Sat. Ap2d. a fine day - gesty we very nicity. The Aust. Corps has now taken over 1 whole 4th Army port. The 4th Dion goes wt line S next YB 16 Fench t Dion Sone (Moroccave (d days ago extended N ofthe Tomme; the 3rd Dun takes up to the C.C.J. Dernand. The End Din Extends up N of Albert. Each Bdeof mt Dun has 2 Bus in line, 12 in support & 1 in reserve. the 18th Din has bee split up & one Bele is being given to of3B0 each of three your Dions as
60 ceves. re Robinson tells me H t Dn 10 a ferman prisoner told him t they had plenty of casuatly from our planes & tt our arty as heavy on Ap4. But on 1 morning of 1 attack on V/B be says there ws no arty pre from us - No -we came under no art fire, "he sd. The baturies covernn to part (p.R St of town) clearly dis not do tir work. The M.g. fire from their rt /12. p of man Rd) held them up there The Pompey Elliott, who is very aggrieved because the converging attack on U/B is spoken of in some J.H.C. paper as
plan 61 "the brilliant atact the Sod Corps whea it ws saggested by him before 1sonilt had finished - got leave to advance his liae last night to 1Lo British Line (wh he has all along wanted to retake on! pretext to 1 Armens haw knew where he ws & cod shell him. mnight he move up 1007l? Hs as not quite on! & Road wh us his objective I gemans were there & he ws I 50yds away. Farshall told him there were 3 ferman posts there w a m.9. there turned out to be 10ings. in post on left hand cooner of rd (rear!. SWedp ot weed of vaire) but the 60 Bu got thene, loseng Tomen in down 30. We day in 50 yds beyond 1 road + reached houses on (Peronne Rd there. The fermans bolled from their line on this sector. This morning at 8& aguin at 2.30 they tried to come back but were caught by our shelling, This afernoon I got from witham the wording of ferman note to him; While be Sergt & Ranner with 1 tagot thrue were i him to were getting 2 fidgetty abt going back) a germen private arrived ot folls note The officer who commands I tross there has to come at once in the direction of the English Tank with the Erman lo comaande von Lensing (This ws recived at abt 9.4 The man who brought it Came, like 1 offr, from 1 directin of Hangard Wood & ws brought Cn by some Tomnies. The Officer (or sergt) & tanner cd see beneek their bandages. The sergt had seen too much. Witham didnt know he ws not surrounded indeed he may have been - + he rangup Ble to know if be
sad keep thse men. Bde lest yes. Terunner when told to be as a prisoner almost dapped his lands. when with am ws going to his posite chosen for Ba Agrs in Dunken RdS. of Eend of Bois CAquenne flares were being fired out o1 wood derectly at them & falling in Crd. Eg. fire Ws also coming fromwood. (They had bee told tt it wo cleared Christic Witham & Salisbury were to meet + have their Hgos there Crass, who as imped trying to rua from one post to another next day, ws(ma
64 who ws sutback frr in,al by walker of 25 Bn for malejering on I beach. (when he had dysentery, I believe. beta says he ws lan herted one o hravest men they had Witam took in all his Coy Commd is bec. it ws a difficult attack - be lost 2 of tem. Enrdwood straped him for not leaving some of them out Cuttack says to Maclagan heard to the Sth Divn had a move or less fresh Bds of their own wh they did not put in at WBretonnent to Cattack When he asked why they had put in his Bde they said we thought Austhus codo it.
Hught 109 118 Pors d'apen
Achictes act. vation ws to a few fermo - possibly 50-were in wood. 51Bn. 500it 2 Tape wa to be on the grid thoo 3 central Mt. offe found to 13.. Phillips 1C they were find on from I Corer of wood att P.30 spm. Instine only rcd. 8.30 67 ct 7.30pm.. Iat. off cent of at once. Moved from hers at 8.20 – to be in 7.30 8.20 posit on take to altock at 10pn 2 miles away. Phillps ws fird on pou cooner 6$102i oswoods laid slase, from point of wood. As thy jot on I tape a mif ws ws fired from 1 direct left & fired a mt flare. Bn went ut in arty tomete. May remand t C5 CB. in anty tom: on tap. Chrite wakeg of Bn oth teye Christic of.

86        55
Before we left last night one Coy of the 50 Bn under Lt Beresford supptd by one pln of 52 Bn 
pushed out patrols  from flank of 51 Bn to / village; worked right up to parallel w / village estabd 13 Bde
left flank up to near / rly line in touch w 15 Bde. He met w no oppositn as far as / rd in U6B.
52nd flank ws then swung round to connect w / 50 Bn & thus give a complete line.   
His flares stopped when we got thro' / 2nd line & all / Germs seemed to bolt. This was when it ws hardest 
to see. The Germs put down two heavy barrages in reply to those 
two of ours.

 

86        56
The British air service - some naval pilot who 
was half a mile away in / air - has claimed to bring
down Baron Richthofen. It seemed to me so
trivial a matter who shot him tt I had not bothered
57

to investigate / various claims. However Hobbs has 
asked me to - He says there is a lot of feeling over it - /
German Communique says tt R ws shot from the ground. I

[* sd tt I
must
see the 
actual
men
who
claimed 

to do it.
So they
were brought
to 5th Div
Arty Hqrs
They say:*]

11 am Ap 21st
There ws aeroplane scrap
going on over German front line.
They cd hear the scrap going on but it ws too far
away to notice it much.
The small machine painted right on the nose

Diagram - see original scan
Our plane seemed betw 30 & 50 feet. German plane seemed 
to be overtaking him.  You could see the German airman's body. 
You cd hear the gun going in short bursts.  
There seemed to be only one man in the Engl. plane but 
our ?attention was all ? taken by ?on the other plane.
Diagram- see original scan

y him.

86       58

Gnr. Buie R. sa 3801
& Gnr. Evans W.J. 598 were
at 2 LGs. abt 130 yds apart.
English plane first appeared over / top o / hill 
& then the German after him hidden by him.
The German came abt 15 ft above / other 
plane & both guns fired a burst at him abt 100 yards 
away.
Diagram - see original scan
The plane wobbled
at once & swerved
to Germans right. He
swerved to right &
then speared towds
the earth. He crashed abt 350 - 500
yds from guns.
He was hit in chin,
neck, chest, left side, & right
leg. The wound in his chin
came out just below the chin.
There was also a bullet wound in
the chin. Lt. Doyle who ws in / pit

 

86      59

cd see the bits flying off /
plane.
Sat. Apr 27.  a fine day - yesty ws 
very misty. The Aust. Corps
has now taken over / whole
4th Army front. The 4th Divn
goes into / line S. next /
French (Moroccans) ^up to V/B; the 5th Divn some
days ago extended N of the
Somme; the 3rd Divn takes
up to the C.C.S. Dernand.
The 2nd Divn extends up N of 
Albert. Each Bde of 2nd Divn
has 2 Bns in line. 1 2 in
support & 1 in reserve; &
the 18th Divn has bn split up
& one Bde is being given to
each of 3 Bns of three of our Divns as

 

86        60
reserves.
Robinson 5th Divn I. O. tells me tt one
a German prisoner told him
tt they had plenty of casualties
from our planes & tt our arty
ws heavy on Ap 4. But on /
morning of / attack in V/B he
says there ws no arty fire
from us - "No - we came
under no arty fire, " he sd.
The batteries covering tt part
(prob SE of / town) clearly did 
not do their work. The 
m.g. fire from their rt (i.e.
N of Main Rd) held them up there.
The Pompey Elliott, who is
very aggrieved because the 
converging attack on V/B is 
spoken of in some G.H.Q. paper as

 

86        61
"the brilliant attack plan of 3rd Corps" when it ws
suggested by him before / bombt had 
finished - got leave to advance his line
last night to / old British line (wh he has
all along wanted to retake) on /
pretext tt / Germans now knew where he
ws & wd shell him. Might he move
up 100 yds? He ws not quite on /
X Road wh ws his objective.
- the Germans were there & he was 
Diagram - see original scan
50 yds away. Marshall told him there
were 3 German posts there w a m.g.
There turned out to be 10 mgs. in / post 
on / left hand corner o / the rd (near /
SW edge o / wood of Vaire) but the 60
Bn got there, losing 70 men in doing
so. We dug in 50 yds beyond / road &
reached / houses on / Peronne Rd there.
The Germans bolted from their line on
this sector. This morning at 8 & again
at 2.30 they tried to come back but were
caught by our shelling.
This afternoon  I got from Witham
the wording o / German note to him:
(while the Serg & Runner with /
86       62
flag of truce were w him (& were getting
fidgetty abt going back) a German private
arrived w the follg note.
"The officer who commands /

troops there has to come at once

in the direction of the English
Tank with the German soldier
Commander
Von Linsingen
(This was received at 
abt 9.40 am.)
The man who brought it
came, like / offr, from / direction
of Hangard Wood & ws brought 
in by some Tommies.  The Officer
(or Sergt) & runner cd see beneath
their bandages. The sergt had
seen too much. Witham didnt
know he ws not surrounded -
indeed he may have been - &
he rang up Bde to know if he

 

86      63

shd keep these men - Bde sd
yes. The ^last runner when told
tt he was a prisoner almost
clapped his hands.
When Witham ws going 
to his positn chosen for Bn
Hqrs in / Sunken Rd S. of 
E end of Bois l'Aquenne
flares were being fired out o /
wood directly at them & 
falling on / rd. M.g. fire
ws also coming from / wood.
(They had bn told tt it ws cleared,
Christie Witham & Salisbury
were to meet & have their
Hqrs there.
Craes, who ws sniped
trying to run from one post to
another next day, ws / man

 

86        64

who ws sent back from 
Anzac by Walker of 25 Bn
for "malingering on / beach"
(when he had dysentery, I believe.)
Witham says he ws lion hearted
- one o / bravest men they had.
Witham took in all his
Coy Commdrs bec. it ws a
difficult attack - he lost 2

of them. Birdwood strafed him

for not leaving some of them out.
Cutlack says tt Maclagan
heard tt the 8th Divn had a 
more or less fresh Bde of their
own wh they did not put in
at V/Bretonneux to c-attack;
when he asked why they had
put in his Bde they said:  xx
"We thought / Austlns cd do it."

 

86       65
Diagram - see original scan

 

86       66

Col Christies acct:

Notion ws tt a few Germs - possibly 50 - were in / wood.
51 Bn:

Tape ws to be on the grid thro 3 central. Phillips Int. Offr. found tt 
they were fired on from / corner o / wood abt 8.30 (pm) Instrns only recd. 
at 7.30 pm. Int. Offr sent off at once. Moved from here at 8.20 - to be in 
positn on tape to attack at 10 pm 2 miles away. Phillips ws fired on from / corner
o / wood & laid the tape from / point o / wood.
As they got on / tape a m.g. ws ws fired from / direct left & fired a
flare. Bn went up in Arty formatn. They remained
in arty formn on / tapes. Christie ws ahead o / Bn & got to / tape.

Diagram - see original scan

 

 

Last edited by:
Helen MartinHelen Martin
Last edited on:

Last updated: