Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 5

111    67
15 Bde.  31 Bn went on thro N edge
of B/V & were fired on from the rt
& from the main rd thro 3 central.
Past B/V field guns opened up
from near the Harbonnieres Rd. They
had horses concealed among the trees
o the road.  They wd limber up &
retire 1000 yds & open up again.
The L. gunners ^of A Coy (wh ws w 15 Bde) knocked out the horses
 

111   68
of one gun at abt 1000 yds & it ws
abandoned on the road.
There ws only intermittent
firing from rifles on main St Q. Rd
- Germans cd be seen going back in
4s & 5s.  Also batteries in the distance
cd be seen limbering up - Especially
from rt front, & clearing out.
A motor cd also be seen working
along the rd S. of Harbonnieres
 

111  69
dragging its balloon stick in the air.
The advance was a good stiff walking
pace the whole way.  Men were not
allowed to stand abt dugouts or pick
up things - they had to go on.  (Div 1.
Commdr sd tt 31 Bn ws 1^st on
Blue Line).
Next resistance came when they
reached the rly junction at W 4 central.
 

111   70
This is slightly broken ground - (where
we found 29 Bn same night).  When 
they reached this they got fire from the
bush on edge of the Morcourt - Harbonn
valley & from the high ground on the far side
where there were tents & huts.
The fire ws heavy & the line ws
held for a time.  The tank worked
about the bushes from the right &
 

111    71
sections with L.Gs were sent ahead to
clear the wooded sides o the valley.
The 30 Bn were held up by the same gully
at Ashwell wood.  The 31^st went
ahead & got Buchanan Wood.  The 31^st took
the S. Edge of this gully - there were lots
of Germans further N - running around
like rabbits.  A L.G. was firing on the
Bn from the main Rd near the hospital.
 

111   72
There ws not much resistance in this part -
odd 2s & 3s along the E.W. rd thro' W 6 A.
The C.O. called a temporary halt on the
main road in W 6 A & C. & sent
forwd patrols towds Blue line to see
if it ws held.  Having little
resistance he informed 30 Bn major
tt he ws going to take Blue line
without waiting for Blue tanks.
 

111   73
(The men were already in these tanks -
V guns, L guns & teams) but these
tanks had not appeared yet as
31 Bn ws ahead of time.
Looking back from high ground near
Buchanan wood C. B. cd see
Col Freeman

Cavalry coming along the Bayonvillers
Harb. road - & the armoured
cars racing at a great rate along
 

111   74
the main St Quentin Rd
59 Bn had not yet appeared thro
Harbonnieres - & A Coy of 31 who had
then moved ahead of 15 Bde rejoined

31 Bn & extended line into 15 Bde sector
as far as Harb. Station.  It ws abt 
10.30 or 11 when they got to the Stn.
The 31 Bn ws in the Blue line trenches by
11 am.
From abt Red Line 3 or 4 armoured
cars were seen going along road to St Q
 

111   75
& some probly abt 10. am.
The cavalry went thro A Coy abt shortly
after 31 Bn ws in Blue Line tho a 
few scouts were thro before.
At 10.30 just as 31 ws passing
Red line an aeroplane knocked out
the train carrying 12 in gun wh had bn
firing till then at X l D 4.7.
The first tt ws seen o the train ws tt it
ws steaming up & down this bit of line -
 

111   76
w a great mass of yellow smoke
enveloping the train firing the gun.  There 
was a tremendous crash of & smoke &
the shell ws overhead before it cd be heard.
The Plane ws a Camel (probly). It 

dropped 5 bombs from abt 100ft on or
abt the engine; the train shifted abt 
20 yds & then stopped - the engine
giving out a lot of steam.  The 
driver & his assistants had bn