Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/194/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 2

8
B & D Sections were in the
"Peaceful Penetration" advance
by 4^th & 2nd Bn on Sept 11^th
at dawn 6.30 a.m.
The 2 guns of D went out
to try & dig in with the
outposts of 4^th Btn on
night of 10/11. They moved
up abt 9pm. just after
dark. From our own outposts
a patrol was sent out. The
Devons were on the left
& the infantry & mgs were
to go out from the trenches
near Haut Woods to the
Sunken Rd thro 8a & D.
The patrol was fired on
on the N side of the hill

9
in 8 Central. (The trenches
were then old grassed trenches
& intact). It ws decided to go out
in mg. at 5.30am there ws
supposed to be a barrage but
only 4 shots were fired.
They got out with the infy 
to 8 central on the hill just
in rear of it. The Germans 
were holding around
Templeux & on the valley
sides with small m.g.
posts. The men started to
dig in on the rd in 8
Centl. & were shelled
out at once. The infy
went back to the original

10
2 were w Sergt Davis from
Davison.
Lieut Hould ws in charge
but ws wd night of 10^th & this
left Sergts Blackmore & Davison
in charge.  Lieut Cumming
came up after that Sept 12.

11
front line with pretty heavy
losses. The Germans cd be
seen at in hous posts on the
country side & were probly
in houses in / village but
cd not be picked up there.
The guns got back to the
original front line between
10p.m. & 11p.m. The shelling
ws very heavy & m.g. fire
also. They had 8 gassed
on getting back to / front line.
D section had 4 guns in on the 10/11^th.
They were on the rt of Hesbecourt.
They came thro after 4 Bn & took
up positns in old German
arty emplacements. Abt
11.30 am they got word to
fall back as the flanks were
in the air & there ws no

12
Sept 11th  ammn w /
infy - no bombs. The German
m.gs were pretty active -
also arty fairly active.
They came back to the
original front line - one gun
in the rly embankt. in 19a
& the other in the NE
corner of Hervilly Wd.
That night the gun in /
wood ws sent up to
D Coy 4 Bn in Hesbecourt.
The Germans shelled Hervilly
Wood heavily & tt evg. the
hedges around Hesbecourt.
B Section was with
2nd Bn. on rt of 4^th Bn.
2 guns moved abt 10am on

13
11^th to the forward position
(before it started). The
bombers were sent up
a trench to bomb out a
German post which ws
known to be there - covered
by the m.gs which fired
on any Germs trying to get
away.
After taking the post at
noon they went on abt
1000 yds over the ridge
looking (on its left) into Jeancourt.
The Germs cd be seen evacuating
Jeancourt. They got past /
trenches into a sunken road.
There was fighting to get to
this road. There were
a few bombing stunts at
night. The 4^th Divn then

14
came up & filled / gap on
/ right. Lt V.C. Potter was
wd & L/Cpl Prior killed. They
were hit by m.g. fire after
the post ws taken in going
over / open.
They were drawn out
tt night.
Sept 18^th. On night of 17 Sept
1^st m.g. Coy came in (one
section to each Bn).
A Section with 1^st Bn.
A Section got into positn behind
the 1st Bn.  At Zero hour they
advanced imd behind the
Bn. Trouble _^ did not begin with till
German m.g. fire ws met

15
from abt 10 a 7.3 where
there is a hill - (chalk pit
is on the left of it). This was
the Hill S.W. of Hargicourt.
The infy worked round the
flanks quickly & got _^ abt 50
prisoners out of there.
From there they went
without further trouble to the
first halt line. There had 
been heavy rain & fog & when
the attack started it ws
therefore very difficult to
see. The rain was still
coming down on the halt
line but the fog had raised.
There was trouble met
with from the top of Cologne
Ridge as the attack went
on up the gully thro 12A.

16
This mg. fire was pretty heavy,
coming from all directions.
They were fairly well up w /
barrage. This slowed up the
attack a bit. There were no
targets for m.gs. The guns
finished up in positn at the
head of Buckshot Ravine
looking down into Bellicourt.
They were in old English 
trenches here - Further to
the left the Germans c attd
but not agst the Australians.
From our extreme left
guns the Germans cd be
seen in the afternoon abt
5.30 or 6p.m. It ws too
far for effective shooting w /
amount of ammunition which
they had. They fired off one box

17
of ammunition & warned
the British on their left
who cd not see them from
their positn.
After dark abt 8
or 9p.m. they had to come
back. The Germans had 
come up along a ridge
near Quennemont Farm
which cd be seen very
well from our positn.
The Tommies were then
holding the front British line
in 25A & B. The German
got behind them & they retired
into the Rifle Pit _^ the trench
behind the road (Sunken) thro
30 A & B. 29 B & D
The two guns of C section
were brought back at dark

18
at the request of
Lt Clifton 3 Bn to fire
down this Rd running
towds Ronsoy from
abt 5 B 9.9.  The Germans
leaked into Rifle Pit Trench.
C Section ws kept
there till night of 21^st Sept.
On the 21^st Sept. the
Tommies went forwd again
(& 3 & 1 Bns) over the hill
past Malakoff Wood.
The guns fired a barrage for
them from a rear position.
One pair of the crews were then relieved
for a sleep. I
During the day abt noon
they heard the word all 
up on top. The Tommies
were all coming back - there