Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066564
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

day. wt Mucgill. asing as saison off to To Bn ws bades cod by a shell. on Endday. There advance ended for moment. At 4.S0 p.m. End Dion came this & attached Bamerville & I attack Endet. ( The Endl Dion had Mark 8 star tanks pt day Shaw His by a shell advancey outs starting pt. A Strachan. Shell in lig- on tape line. to Nelson. Shell - on tape line CCo to Larnach on Blue us his by del 1 day in neck. He carried on. In advang 22d day he ws bit by bullet this kidneys whils consolidation Died, b Bulet wd on Bl line -. He went out to rescue a H Miller- St men had bn sniped & ws pit in stomach. nt serious
29Bn Spent night of Ig to Nw. of Harbounin at 7.40 C.0. got word to go to a confce at de at 9.50 ad recd a message from Colonel to Bn we to be ready to move at once & man to have a ncal right away. Adit at once collected all coy conndrs had thewting for C.O. At 10.0 Co. return from Blett Ers. & toto Coy commdrs verbally of attack. Obive ws a tine w of Vanvillers, but if possibletey
were to exploit success & pust out posts Eofit. Jew hour ws Mar & by then they had to be on Blue timne abb 3500 yds ahead. Tanks were to cooperaty obanag at 1am. By time Coy Commdss got to Cogs & gt tem under way it t 10.00 am. Tey o along in attellery formation N of Harbounceres- Jermans saw them att II am & tey came under heavying & rifle fire from Vanvellers & around it. The tanks were knocked out almost and
after leaving the Elec Lime – abt t00 to 600 yd out – I of them were out there useless bit by direct gunfere from sunken roads at Vanvellers, He attack us actuall launchedat 11.40 am. from Blec Lime A Coy FCE. Davis Caps Ear Dorham & Su. Cleman ne. K. this day (hit pist day ss DFE. Howe in Blutine Cohens than remained, ic one plan
as soon as operate began it ws reported 93 to Adi by Coy Commds of it coy to there were no troons moving on the right, where 15 Ble were supposed to be attacking at Same time Instens were sent to Coy Comor ws to take steps to protect his ot flank himself Davis threw back his flank. Halfway between Blue ling & objie Bn was halted for a while owing to heavy casualties caused by mig, 77s, & smpers. Te 77s co be seen fering over thin sights from Vanvellers but mogs coat belcated. they were fining from buske on roads
(From Harbounceres they extended. From] the hall onwards advance we made by rashes + crawling thro long prass. be mops were engaged one by one by Lig. & rible fire when they id locate them & one by one were knocked out. They were abt booyds from VW when they began to deal in these. Most o1 camalthes were caused by German fire from Owny to 1 difficulty of rt flank.
94 getting runners thro I mig barrage & of belnee what we doing, Col. Enacartur shefted his Hess from the road inX12A to a posite in Blue heme at X 7A0.2 From this position the whole attack we under direct observation. At 12-30 am. Cof Inacartheir ws wd by a bullet in 1 neck whiole looking over I top to see 1 posite of coys - heavy mig fire as sweeping
over these trenches; Macarther we sent 9. back & command of En passed to Derhams ho wo w C. Coy. Comnd of C. Coy w passes to L Stanton. C. Coy t dos were in the Blul line. At 2.15 pm. the 3 coys were or their objic - 15 Bde had not yet started. Lef Coy were in touch to St Bn on lep. Re flank still in te air. At his lime alll ofs of A& C Coy were casualties & agt many N.C.OS. K Davis, A. Coy, tho
96 shot taro I week wa m bullit. and unconscious for a while after regainn conserousness toot charge of A T C Coys. Ind. after taking the objve theoy explaited cuccess & moved around I flank of Vanvellers - fermans who had not be kor w. having retured into Ivellay. A Coy established posts ont far side of Vanvellers & & daves io a small
97 party of men begin to mope up villep. One off & 13800. were sent back as prisoners. The villeg t contained many fine duponts in the Lunken roads & we Hgrs of the 5151 P Corps. Many documents were capt in 1 dejonts & bldgs At Spm. the line 7am X 135.9 R8B G.&. NIABS7. No troops moved

87
111

 

2nd day.

McGill -acting as Liaison offr to 30 Bn ws badly wd by a shell

on 2nd day.

 

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There advance ended for moment.

At 4.30 p.m. 2nd Divn came thro

& attacked Framerville & / attack

ended. (The 2nd Divn had Mark 5 Star tanks).

1st day. Lt Shaw.  Hit by a shell advancing onto starting pt.

Lt Strachan.  Shell in leg - on tape line.

Lt Nelson.  Shell - on tape line

Lt Larnach ^C Coy on Blue ws hit by shell 1st day in neck. He carried on. In advance
2nd day he ws hit by bullet thro kidneys while consolidating  Died of w.

Lt. Miller - Shell Bullet wd on Blue line - He went out to rescue a

man who had bn sniped & ws hit in stomach. Not serious

 

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29 Bn. Spent night of 8/9 to NW of Harbonnieres.

At 7.40 C.O. got word to go to a Confce at

Bde HQrs.

At 9.50 Adjt recd a message from

Colonel tt Bn ws to be ready to move

at once & men to have a ^hot meal right

away.  Adjt at once collected all Coy Commdrs

& had them waiting for C.O.

At 10.10 C.O. returned from Bde HQrs

& told Coy Commdrs verbally of attack.  Objve

ws a line W of Vauvillers. but if possible they

 

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were to exploit success & push out posts

E of it.  Zero hour ws 11 a.m. & by then they

had to be on Blue line abt 3500 yds ahead.

Tanks were to cooperate & barrage at

11 a.m.  By time Coy Commdrs got to coys &

got them under way it ws 10.40 a.m.

They moved along in artillery formation

N of Harbonnieres.  Germans saw them

abt 11 am & they came under heavy mg

& rifle fire from Vauvillers & around it.

The tanks were knocked out almost imd

 

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after leaving the Blue Line - abt 400 to 600 yds

out - 3 of them were out there useless hit by

direct gunfire from sunken roads at Vauvillers.

The attack ws actually launched at 11.40

a.m. from Blue Line.

       ↑                                  ↑                                     ↑
___________              _____________              ____________
       B                                  C                                 A Coy.
Lt S.W. Coleman   Capt CAM Derham     Lt C E. Davis
k. this day                M.C.
                                 (hit first day slightly)
                 ___________________________________

                                  D  Lt E Thomas

                             in Blue line (there they

                           remained, exc. one pln)

 

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92

As soon as operatn began it ws reported

to Adjt by Coy Commdr of rt coy tt there were no

troops moving on the right, where 15 Bde

were supposed to be attacking at same time.

Instrns were sent tt Coy Commdr ws to take

steps to protect his rt flank himself.  Davis 

threw back his flank.  Halfway between Blue

line & objve Bn was halted for a while owing

to heavy casualties caused by m.g., 77s., 

& snipers.  The 77s cd be seen firing over their

sights from Vauvillers but m.gs cd nt be located -

they were firing from bushes on / roads

 

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93

(From Harbonnieres they extended.  From

the halt onwards advance ws made by

rushes & crawling thro long grass.  The 

m.gs were engaged one by one by L.G. &

rifle fire when they cd locate them -

& one by one were knocked out.  They

were abt 600 yds from V/.v when they began

to deal w these.  Most o / casualties

were caused by German fire from /

rt flank.  Owing to / difficulty of

 

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94

getting runners thro / m.g. barrage &

of hearing what ws doing, Col. Macarthur

shifted his HQrs from the road in X12A to

a positn in Blue Line at X7A0.2.

From this position the whole attack

ws under direct observation.

At 12.30a.m. Col. Macarthur ws

wd by a bullet in / neck while

looking over / top to see / positn o /

Coys - heavy m.g. fire ws sweeping

 

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95

over these trenches.  Macarthur ws sent 

back & Command of Bn passed to Derham,

who ws w C. Coy.  Commd of C. Coy ws

passed to Lt Stanton.  C Coy HQrs were in

the Blue line.  At 2.15 p.m. the 3

Coys were on their objve - 15 Bde had

not yet started.  Left Coy were in

touch w 31 Bn on left.  Rt flank still in
the air.  At this time all / offrs of

A & C Coy were casualties & a gt

many N.C.Os.  Lt Davis, A Coy, tho

 

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shot thro' / neck w a m.g. bullet,

and unconscious for a while, after

regaining consciousness took charge of

A & C Coys.  Imd. after taking the objve

the rt Coy exploited / success & moved

around / flank of Vauvillers - / 

Germans who had not bn k or w. having

retired into / village.  In A xx Coy

established posts on / far side of

Vauvillers & Lt Davis w a small

 

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party of men began to mop up /

village.  One offr & 138 o.r. were sent

back as prisoners.  The village ws

to contained many fine dugouts in

the Sunken road & ws HQrs of the 51st (?)

Corps.  Many documents were captd

in / dugouts & bldgs.

At 3 p.m. the line ran X1D5.9

X8B6.4  X14B5.7.  No troops moved

 

 

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