Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 8

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on / rt flank till after Vauvillers had bn
captured.   2nd Divn ws to come thro 8^th
Bde. They came thro abt 4 p.m.  &
Casualties were very heavy especially
amongst offrs & N.C.Os.

     Offrs   &   o.r.
K.   3              17
W.  9              67

Two of the offrs were sniped Lts Clug & Braden
Lt Coleman ws k. by shell fire. (He had reported
this whizzbang).

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The Germans bolted thro' / village. Bn captured
9 m.gs. Telephones, wireless, motor car w wheel
smashed by a shell, medical stores, electric
light outfit, papers of great importance, harness
bicycles, senior offrs sword & helmet.
He ws probly wd in beginning to lead his troops
around / village - the blow in neck knocked
him unconscious). Germans got away w / field
guns.
Artillery fire ws got onto both / road where
m.gs were & this did some good.
Lt Bolitho - Adjt made a personal reconnaissance
some time after C.O ws knocked when they were out of touch

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(Davis is a Melb. solicitor.)
Lt A.C. Farmer when Davis ws knocked took Coy
on 200 yds other side of village. He ws badly wd.
(probly since died).
Sergt W.L. Sinclair on left managed to get his pln
round on flank of 2 m.gs. wh were
holding / advance, & captd. crews under
heavy m.g. fire & open ground. He managed
to dir inform LTM Bty wh silenced the
Antitank gun N. of the village.
Diagram - see original document
Sergt & Lt W Mackenzie after all offrs of centre coy were
gone & coy disorganised took command & led Coy to
objve. He rushed a m.g.

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Sergt M A Pitt - when pln ws out of touch
found touch with both flank units by
reconnoitering himself.

Runners managed to get thro' & back.
Pte P.T. Feehan wd. L Gunner kept on w gun & got onto G. flank on left
flank.
The offrs were mostly wd early in / fight
& practically all by m.g. & sniping fire.
From leaving Harbonnieres they were under fire -
bullets began to fall 2000 yds from Vauvillers.
It ws most intense abt 1000 yds from Vauvillers
where they were enfiladed.   All sorts of HQrs

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details volunteered for SBs when they heard
of / casualties (pioneers etc) & some were
k. trying to get / wd out o / grass. S/Bs
were sniped - Germans were then used
as S/Bs.

111                                                           
Aug 8. Notes at time
3.40 For 5 minutes. German barrage
started w one heavy shell.
gas and [[shorthand]]Germans
v. misty [[shorthand]]
Can hear [[Shorthand]]
Plane up on left.

10.4x
4am - Plane - Sound like [[shorthand]]
Lorries unloading of the shell [[?edld]]
in this gully. 
Just getting light 4am.
4.5 Another plane.  [[shorthand]]
4.7 Light enough to see along / trench
4.9 P Came ^∧ 3 whistles low down around
Fair German barrage on at light stuff
4 8. Scattered G. Shelling on rt front.
Light barrage
5 mins to go.
2 mins to go uneasy barrage
ahead & on left Aust
Bde.

103

111                                
left starts 1 min early
6.25  / German shell back.
Huge guns in valley just
ahead of us.
[[shorthand]]
A thundering good start.
mist still v. thick - too thick 
to see.

104

111                                                         
German map found w
Austln divns marked
as under.
Diagram - see original document
You have in front of you Austln divns.
The Austln tps are always attacking & have a habit
of capturing outposts & killing / garrison. They also
frequently push ahead & estab. posts forward.

________________________________________________
8 July 13 Division in Raid Captd a wounded Corporal & got mg.
On 16 July 3 & 5 Aust Divns were identified in / line
by ?Power Buzzer.
On 18/18  203 RIR got prisoners who assert tt they belong to
18 English Divn 8^th Northants. This Divn relieved 5 Aust
Divn after / attack
on night of 29/30.  This is confirmed by /
? fact that the I.T. have not heard / call of the 
5 Aust Divn except one.   
5 Aust Divn wireless 
heard only one message are dismantling.

105

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[[shorthand]]

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13
[[shorthand]]