Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 6

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badly burned – one man had all his
clothes burned off - they were v. badly
burned & were later carried in by our
men & some o the cavalry.
These bombs blew up the rear
truck of the train & it caught fire -
There were few men on this train beside
the crew. I
C.O. put 2 Coys in front line-
A Coy side slipped N wds on being reld by
 

111       78
part of 59 Bn. B Coy ws on left of
them - C Coy in support - D Coy in
reserve.
A Sqn of the 5th Dragoon gdS
wh had gone thro towds Vauvillers
ws badly cut up by m.g. fire from
the village. They sd tt practically all their
offrs were knocked: - they went out
on their horses in sqn. formation
 

111       79
at a jog trot - & this ws too
thick for the work. They got abt 800
or 1000 yds past the Blue line to NW.
of Vauvillers & were scattered when
m.g. fire got them. They brought in
47 prisoners (abt 11.30)
The rest of the cavalry went south of
Harbonnieres & later came back from
directn of Framerville with several batches
 

111      80
of prisoners - abt 500 in all, who
were handed to Col. Freeman &
marched back in fours. RAPof 31Bn
dealt w numbers of 5DGs & wounded
Germans.
All day from the directn of Framvillers
& Vauvillers there ws sniping. And a
gun from the woods behind Framerville
(Abt 1 pm ws time when cavalry returned
from there). Odd parties of Germans were
 

111       81
found abt Blue line all day long.
only odd parties were in the Blue line
when Bn reached it.
Nothing doing tt night. The men
were very footsore - & thirsty. A
large supply of extra water ws
got up. At abt 3p.m. the Engrs
got xxx a driver onto the train, pushed
it back S wds - then uncoupled the
damaged part o the train & steamed
 

111        82
the Engine, abt 4 trucks, & the gun
to a point abt 1000 yds behind the
blue line where the rails were broken.
The Engrs & 31 Bn repaired the
line next day & took the train back.
The German cd see working pties from
Framerville & ws shelling them
next on Aug 9. The prisoners from
the train who had ran towds
 

111        83
Vauvillers were mostly brought in
by the cavalry.
Next mg Aug 9. 31Bn ws
ordered to help 29 Bn advance line
abt 600 yds - objve Vauvillers. The
order arrived to go to Bde at abt 10 am.
Col. Freeman got back abt 10.45 - 10.50
with above order. Zero 11 am.
 

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The 31 Bn C. Coy - started at 11.15 am.
They had only to go a little past the rly
line. But as there ws fire from
the copse along the rd in X I A & D the
Coy went for this & took 2 mgs
& abt 20 prisoners & Estab. line
along the road as far as 1D91/2
8A.I.8. The tanks arrived at 11am
 

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Arty came down at 11am. But
as time ws too short for infy, attack
cdnt be got off to time. C. Coy cost
There were 6 tanks for 29 Bn & 31
Bn & they were all knocked out
by direct fire from an Anti tank gun
in a shed on the NE end of
Vauvillers. This gun aftwds
 

111        86
inflicted heavy casualties on
29 Bn when it attacked Vauvilles
but ws knocked out by stokes mortars
sent for^d to support attack by
Col. Freeman.
The tanks must go straight to
their job - it is no good keeping them
knocking about. Many of tank
men were wd - no tank came back.