Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/111/1 - May 1918 - Part 8

68

102
[* From here
Bazleys a/c*]
NW of the Church at abt 6.45 a.m. (Only
balloons cd see them now).  They cleaned
their rifles & box respirators, called their
rolls, & got ready for going forward again.
On getting Macneils message, C.B
sent Lt Bazley up to see Macn. & arrange
dispositions.  At this time A Coy ws
holding a defensive flank along the
track from _^where the left of 22 Bn shd have 

67
102
(?MacNeil)
on his immediate right - He sent a
message back to / C.O. saying tt
he ws going to withdraw into /
village to reorganise & wd go forwd
again later.
They dribbled back in 2s & 3s.
Gaston had bn previously sent back
to meet them by / Church.  They
rendezvoused on the open ground 

66
102
(?MacN)
rear he cd see the slope of the knuckle
in front of Morlancourt - There were
Germans running back up the hill.
Presently 3 m.gs from there & from
/ banks in K2A & E26D began
to play on / ground about them -
fortunately not closely aimed but
making it necessary to lie very
guiet.  There ws no one on his left nor 

65
102
taken - if they did not come up
when called a bombt ws put down &
/ house ws left.  They pushed quickly
thro / village to the E edge of it & 200
yds further & stopped on a line of
trees (marked on / map) at 26c 1.5.
This ground ws swamp - they were
in shellholes & ditches up to their
waists in water - Looking to his rt 

64

102
pickhandle in / post at / N.W. corner o /
village  &  then up came / Germans w their
hands up.  As they got near / village
/ Germans cleared - many surrendered.
They worked thro / village keeping to /
back gardens o / ruins, avoiding
/ roads, mopping up any house
wh looked as if it had a cellar.
There were Germans in almost
every cellar.  Abt 100 prisoners were 

63
102
pretty active firing from houses, behind
hedges, & / little out post trenches.
They deployed in lines of skirmishers,
whistles blowing & orders being shouted.  They
made rushes by parties - down to fire
then up w a yell. under someones command
& down again.  The boldness o / method
frightened / Germans, seeing these determined
men coming at them.  Up went the white 

61
102
m.g fire from hills to S.E.  At 6 he sent a message
to C.O. to say both flanks were in / air & he cd not
see over / hill on rt flank.  He decided to withdraw &
reorganise w a view to digging in at night.  They
withdrew & reorganised near / church. At 7 a.m.
Macn. came back w / last (L.G. team, & found Dearden
Benny & Bazley.  Dearden under C.Os orders (w one pln
of C Coy) had bn ordered forwd to support B Coy. He
had pushed 2 L.gs. to the SE Edge of village & had rest of
his pln by the shed.  The telephone now came up.  C.O. told
Macn. to arrange w Bazley what to do.  At 7.30 Am Gaston
reconnoitred & put his pln in an old Germ. post in / only dry ground
on NE edge of village E25 D 5.6.  At 7.45 as Macn. started to move to Caterpillar
Germ. started shelling village & one pln had to be taken round / edge to miss it.
They got into N Continuatn of Caterpillar & were digging in abt 8.15 when a German
plane came over low & dropped white flares.  This brought his arty down on the
2 Coys - 42 & caused casualties.

62
102
Bazley. [*(? still with
MacNeils
assistance.)*]
At 4.15 when orders came to mop up Villg
it ws light.  By 4.30 Macneil & Gaston
had reorganised B Coy under / bank
on / edge o / swamp.  They formed
B Coy in lines of skirmishers &
went straight at / village firing
as they went.  The "Hochs" cd be 
seen moving a good deal & their
snipers & m gunners were still 

60
102
& many m.gs - more that 6.  The Germs in
/ village put up very feeble resistance - B
Coy went thro very quickly not waiting
if / Germs didnt come out but simply bombing.
A sergt & 6 men were sent back to help
23 Bn along the N. road where / Germans
still were.  At 5. 15 am. they got onto /
line of trees in / mud mostly in
shellholes - half of the men on / left of the
rd up to the river (about along grid line
betw E25 & 26).  The Germ opened heavy 

59
102
while / rest  were firing - sectional advances,
/ Germs surrendered.
As Macneil passed Gaston he gave
him orders to follow up as 2nd wave w
his 2 plns.  He got in touch w Reilly &
arranged tt his rt flank shd be on /
main road tho / village (Reilly inclusive)
left flank on road E past / church.  He cd
see some of 23Bn there_∧by Church by then.  Going thro
/ village they killed abt 30 & captd abt
150 - Macn. saw 2 T.Ms (light) (There
was also a TM at the shed in Eele's sector) 

58
102
pass to final objve.  At 4.30 began advance
in open order w / men behind / bank -
Winstanley's party (he had bn knocked just before)
& abt half the coy.  The Germ ws sniping from
NW Corner of / village from a trench. At /
same time they started, 20 or 30 of them, chased
out o / swamp & trees by 23 Bn - &
were seen dropping into this same trench
& / houses abt it.  When we had worked
to within abt 50 yds & / line in
front o / village - strolling abt 50 yds