Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 4

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Diagram - see original scan
(Drawing of Hill W of Lihons, made by me during the battle - Aug 9. 1918.)

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6 Bn
Started from F 4 A 1.7 to X 28 C 3.8
at 7.45 w barrage (to last 15 mins.) to Red line
(29 AC [shorthand] & F 5 AC [shorthand]
They began to get casualties at once.
All m.g. very heavy from across rly & Bois de
Crepy. & wood in 6 A & C. Bn went ford splendidly.
Opened out their [shorthand] into sections. Then
tried Rushes. Then / [shorthand] out into
lines of skirmishers. In F 5 D 8.2-8.8
they got it heavily & had to get down. T

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9 [shorthand]
7 Bn struck it v. heavily
thro 2 Div not being
up at start to 11pm.
1st Div had to come
from V/B & didnt
start till / 1 so Divn did.
6p.m. A 1 D22 at X rd a 
post is holding 6 Bn &
Canadians up.
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cover their own advance w fire. This lasted
till 10.45. Then tank came up voluntarily & began
to fire at 6 c. 7.4 shortly after the Canadians started
at 10.50 am w their tanks. They advanced
behind their tanks on their side of / rly. This
eased pressure on 6 Bn. [5 ws held up on left.
by Lihons village defences - at A F6 A 3.8. S to
F6 C 3.8.] 6 got fwd abt 300 yds with left
flung back to 5 Bn. 5 also eased thro
Can^s. & got right to F6 A 6.2. Shelling
quietened & at 1 p.m, our arty pulled

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5.45 attack
on Crepy Wood.
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1^st & 2 Bdes
in in front of H.Q. (at F4 A.2.5.) since then
progress only thro local fighting (supports 8 Bn mile
behind) Line now F6 C 4.0 (6pm) to F6 C
7.6. to F6 C 8.6. F6 C 7.4. F6 A 7.1.
trying to reach Meharicourt - Lihons Rd.
Canadians continue left rt along
rly. (Cans [shorthand] right out of our sight)
2pm all ws quiet till our arty started
Then Germ. aeroplanes came over heavily.
Abt 18 - They had a good time. Queries were
raised as to / line - it ws fixed by

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Germs are c/attacking in 20 & 26.
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A reconnaissance. (Germs are still in wood -)
14 offrs lost today. 2 yesty. supporting 8 Bn.
2.  68 Aug 9             )
14. 150 at least wd. )  Went in abt 600.
(2. k)

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60

111
Administration of

Personnel. 2 offrs. (1 genly in London)
                     2 Corpls.
                     4 men.
1 Box Car & driver.  1 motorbike.

______________________________
61

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31 Bn Aug 8.
Started from Albury Line at 5.20 am & swung
gradually obliquely across road. ^Halted on W of Warfusee for 1 hr 2 Coys went
each side of Warfusee (our own
shells were still on far side of Warfusee.
One German bty was firing from about a mile
beyond the town - & Bn aftwds caught
these. They had scouts up the trees on
/ road watching near the Bayonvillers
Road for tanks above the smoke).

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German planes came over while
our men were on the Green line flying
low & machine gunning - mostly very
large planes with split tail - & followed
advance.
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2 Coys were in firing line, 1
in support, 1 in reserve (a little
deeper than Polygon Wood -)
moved thro at 8.20 with 6 tanks.
E of Lam The tanks were 200 - 300
yds ahead. As soon as / tanks
appeared over / crest & beyond Laurette,
5 or 6 tanks were hit direct by
the German bty wh ws firing just N
of Bayonvillers near where the dumps
are by road side. There is a big

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The battery at Q32 A 1.1 continued firing
til infy were abt 300 yds away w H.E.
Then infy got L.Gs onto them & crews
lay down in grass & surrendered when the
infy came up to them. Abt 8 guns were found
in 2s & 3s here. (5 guns had bn in action)
Other Germans came out from round the quarry.
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Chalk quarry there where / gun
crews were aftwds taken.
The infy passed thro the tanks,
only 1 tank being left to patrol the
area. It did very good work. The
mist had gone at 7am.
From edge of B/V came some m.g.
fire. Here 15 Bde seemed to be
held up & one 31 Coy (on rt)
held back keeping in touch w