Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/193/1 - August - November 1918 - Part 2

14
X 2 Bn went in 316
strong to this attack -
The prisoners were over
200 - 26 m.gs.. 2 TMs
& a field gun.
 

These results are
extraordinary all thro. There
ws a heavy percentage of
Germans killed also. It is
quite on / cards tt / Bn
accounted for 316 Germs k. w.
or prisoners.
 

15
crest of the hill in 8 Centl
ws just beyond. The tape
ws abt 10 yds behind
the part of the Sunken Rd (the
(part in 14 A & C to 14 A Central)
 

X The Bn ws having some
tea in Hesbecourt abt
1.45 a.m. When the rain
came down. Abt ½ hr
later the Bn started for the
tape line in soaking rain.
The rain did not delay
them - they were on /
tapes on time (the Engrs
had laid a tape-line
from Hamelet - the best
line & route the Bn ever
went in on - partly
along rd - (as far as

16
Sigr. Jones ws going forwd
w / telephone with B Coy HQrs
& got hung up in some barbed
wire beyond Hargict Switch
on / left of our 2 Bn sector
SW of Hargict. When he got
free he had lost / Coy & wandered
on expecting to pick them up.
He went away to the left to
the Fosses beyond Templeux.
He ran into a Germ. post & ws
captd. They took his kit & rifle
Abt 6 Germs were taking
him away when some Tommies
appeared. While / Germ. attention
ws on the Tommies he bolted &
got back to / Tommies, got a
rifle, & these Germs & others
later there abts were later captd.
He returned to the Bn with 2 ^Germ.offrs &
∼ 50 Huns.

17
Roiselle; then across
country to the Hervilly
Hesbecourt Rd; then
along road thro Hesbect
to 14C. where the
tape line crossed the
assembly track. The tape
was laid along the embankmt
& grass at / side o /
road. Across country
it was on screw pickets
abt 18in above / ground.
(you didnt have to feel down
on / grass-). The consequence
ws they were on / tapes
1 ½ hrs before Zero. They
had a travelling kitchen
in / shape of an old German

18
Capt Miller who ws w /
Tommies as liaison offr says
th / Bde staff of the British were
congratulating themselves on
getting hot tea to / men on
the 4^th night. He ws not
impressed with their staff work.
 

Our lessons were /
advantages of tanks for
supplies; & / advantages
of mounted orderlies (L.H.
Section attd. to 2 Bn - 4 men). Only one
horse was wd by a
shell. -

19
cooker & two salved
mules. This cooker
made eno'. tea for /
whole Bn (more than
ours wd - splendid for
tea - after the fight
the cooker used to go
round / outposts
(support them) in daylight.
 

The rain continued
till Zero but eased
abt 4 am.
 

There ws no shelling
before / start. The left
ws troubled by a gun
which shelled short thro'out.
 

The first trouble ws
on left from Hargicourt
Switch - a batch of

20
prisoners ws sent down
from there & reached Bn
HQrs 20 mins after Zero
- abt 12 of them. This
switch ws occupied in
very few places - (where
dug it ws v. full of water).
One officer & several men
were casualties at this
place - Lt Granville wd.
Lt Ryan ws k. by a shell
(xxx of a scattered German
shelling ws now occurring).
 

The rt met w opposition
from Hargict Switch in
15 B. & again at Cote
Wood. It was very foggy
& dark & / smoke
made it difficult to

21
keep direction. The
offrs were working by
compass & known
objects (quarries etc).
The chief oppositn
was met from a 
ridge just E of the
Sunken Rd from 11 A 2.0
to 11 A 4.7 From one
post there 3 heavy &
3 light m.gs. were captd,
the crews being killed.
The fighting there was
heavy. The flanks
worked round - while the
L.G. engaged from the front
the bombers worked
round & the guns were
settled with bombs.

22
Lt Hillman who ws
leading the attack at
this point was killed
by m.g. fire as his
pln came over /
ridge. The first burst
of fire k. him. Sergt
Armstrong took his
place & organised / attack.
The brown line just SE
of Hargicourt was then
reached along 2 Bn front
& it consolidated there.
A field gun ws captd in /
hedge at 11 A.8.6. It seemed
to be an anti-tank gun
- it ws not seen firing
direct on the troops. There
the 2nd Bn dug in and

23
1st Bn went through.
In one post on / objve
there were men of 1st 2, 3,
4^th, 10^th 11^th & Tommies
- but all heading East.
 

When Bn got on /
objve a body of abt
400 Germs were seen
coming towds us & were
taken by a pln as
c/attacking. They were
fired on by the pln &
turned & ran back.
It ws then noticed tt
they had no arms nor
kit & so presumably
were coming in to surrender
This was before 1^st Bn
went through, but after

24
^X under Capt Collingwood.
Collingwood, who had to move
up after / attack had begun,
dribbled his men through a
heavy barrage w / greatest skill
a few at a time & so saved
their losses to a very great extent.
It wd be easy to lose ½ the Coy in
such a barrage. (This is undoubtedly
far better work than cd have been
done w our want of experiences
at Pozieres time.)

25
2 Bn reached objve.
Late in the day
the Germs shelled Hargict
heavily & / trenches around
Cologne Fm where 2 Bn
moved a Coy up to
support 3 Bn.
 

2 Bn stayed there &
B Coy supported 1st Bn
in attack of Sept 21.
This Coy ^X took up positn
in Minnow Trench when
1^st Bn moved. They were
heavily shelled there but
were not called on to
reinforce front line.
This was further S. than
where the line on left

26
^X The S/Bs did v. good work in
this barrage.
27
came back. They 2 Bn were
reld night of 22/23 by
8^th Bn.
Casualties         o.r.
k. 3 offrs             19
                             or
w. 1 offr               63
Lt Sheen ws k. by shellfire
while Bn ws in support
at Hargicourt just before
relief.
_____________________
This was the heavier of
the 2 fights for 2 Bn but
their casualties were heaviest
at Proyart in support (125
casualties - going thro Proyart
in advance ^X , & by gas two days
later).

28
Bullecourt was the heaviest
fight 2nd Bn has had in
France - The Germans fought
very hard. The Bn had to
fight for every inch of ground
won & then had to fight
to hold it. The Germs there
fought probly better than they
ever fought agst this Bn.