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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066567
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

7 were a few shells but not many Esection ptont began to get good targets amongst to fermans comen down from the road Bony at the top of the valley. The Gernans came right back to Refle truch. They were back Tee so tig a Commees were very scattered & did much of a fight there make. The ferws. got in be him them as before on 18th Section, has followed with 3rd. Bn (its original sectir) They met no opposite till E of Hargicourt. About booyds D.W.J Malak of Farm,
after 1 barriag lifted, the german mgs. in the 2 on both sides of hill made a by fight. The german guns were att here (alsoon both sides of the road thro [oally). None of thes juns got away. But I ferman m gans tought till we had lost I barsage. Our in people kept stalking the juns & fot them one by one. No bombery there. ferman fiet yans didnt fore direct their craws were mooth captured. The country ws very open & oar attack without protection. B Section bt w18
27 End Bn On Sept 18th B Section ws with Bn het up for a few minutes o on the ridget of Hargcourt. When this ws cleared out they want stiaght on right of Harpicourt & pt some shooting away on the left onto germans returny along (Ely time. They moved up to night to how to the Rt Bn. Rdg. Cologne The prina sheller this heavily. On the prett erms Callacher on 1B 14 onleft 2 off yous fired + coveri our own fhank. Re punswith the Ht Bn never had to come back from the
2 position they reached on the day of 2151 H Section was in te on Sept attack 21 From the to5 Buckshot vallery tay moredon cife a fille agap between th 107 Bu on left #Bn on right Te strengt was of the ferman my. weak & arty fire was heavy. They started from Minnow French thoo wood into trench function und. St of wood facing down Buckshot ravin. poss was farther E Bn as reld back. 1t Bn & to night. Bn by 84 another Sectu covered as same fround as 4A Secti
23 there were fw itha Tat was when the came line out bBn. post nearest it lank wh on probt it 62 C.S.E 2 0. 0. & Dsection was with 44 Bn on Sept 18 with They want over 4th Br fot line Coys t of & owen to darknessr smoke barrage put down ot hopelerst by Harly they wexed up before reaching M Templenk of to far 5 lef On passay Templenk the rnfy they loct & found cn no one font of them. My
24 hit a nif post St of & put it out the village of action. some of 1 rifleen firet a few shote into the trench where o ferms were - & made them keep low - on Jerman as billes at least - Flook advancing took the7others They then prisoners. Frt lins went onto where there was, a general formang up. as the light we better The attact pashe up into the Quarries from there Neds. There were nid ferms there & a good
deal of M.S. fire. Fere af a system of in port of the behied parrces the Queris In we were in English Dector- ty moved further left then we No Here opposite in Hargict village Iusy 24e Om.Juns Started entrencty on to the blue line tht ne gunwonextrame cPomnies left in touch Our own 18pow were 151 shooting out our Objve, shrapnel. Dsection did not
- again till mave You to Evg. Ten then dhesk movedon & attache temsetues to DBn. 2 gaas took up positin in Minnow 4 & 2 in Square 4/B near Enfilade trench. That night on the English et flank the ferms came out & look away a be of yuns. It was not where our ings, co reach it. They were in Nomansh just in port of English of malak of wood Te stn The 2 guns wh went foudd were salled back on night 19/20
2 into a command in position in Iagar trech to in dept. give support Wight of 20/21 they went up, 2 gans into Mannow French, 2 into Cocoa French. The 2guns in Mmaow trunch wend over with 3od Bn at 630 on Sept 2151. There wa no opposition on the way over. The ferman barrage fell on Nomansland here, but on Minnow 2 further S. There we oneman hit in beg going over by a shell. Tate- Abt 10 am. a shell landed on (idge o 1 post wh had bu dag - blew out o tripod d wen shorth
48 after oway to the peope on 1left (Bustish Buffs faliy back, our flank ws exposed & we had to ple back also under very heady n fire. They had gone out abt booyds to the orside of Buckshot Ravine had t fall back to Menn ow trench & took up again a defensive possting That nigh well t reld came back to Hervill

19                                                                                                              

were a few shells but

not many.  The SB

C Section got out & began

to get good targets amongst

the Germans coming down

the road from Bony at the

top of the  valley.  The Germans

came right back to Rifle

trench.  They were back

in no time.  The Tommies

were very scattered & didn't

make much of a fight there.

The Germs. got in behind them

as before.
C Section ∧ on 18th had followed with

3rd Bn (its original sectn).

They met no oppositn till

E of Hargicourt.  About

600 yds S.W of Malakoff Farm,

 

20                                                                                                             

after / barrage lifted, the

German m.gs. in the trenches

on both sides o / hill made

a big fight.  The German guns

were abt here (also on

both sides of the road thro

/ valley).  None of these guns

got away.  But / German

m.guns fought till we had

lost / barrage.  It Our

people kept stalking the m. guns

& got them one by one.

No bombing there.  German

field guns didnt fire direct -

their crews were mostly

captured.  The country ws

very open & our attack

without protection.
B Section ws w / 18th

 

21                                                                                                                

2nd Bn on Sept 18th.
B Section ws with Bn

held up for a few minutes by

m.g. on the ridge E of

Hargicourt.  When this ws

cleared out they went

straight on right of Hargicourt

& got some shooting away

on the left onto Germans

retiring along / rly line.

They moved up tt night

to the 1st Bn. to hold

Cologne Ridge.
The Germs shelled this

pretty heavily.  On the

19th / Germs c/ attacked on / British

on / left & 2 of / guns fired

covering our own flank.

The guns with the 1st Bn never

had to come back from the 

 

22
position they reached on the

day of 21st.
A Section was in the

attack on Sept 21.  From the

top of Buckshot Valley they

moved on w / infy &

filled a gap between the

1st Bn on left & 6 Bn on

right.  The strength was

weak & the German m.g.

& arty fire was heavy.

They started from Minnow

trench thro wood into trench

junction imd. SE of wood,

facing down Buckshot ravine.

6 Bn post was further

back.  1st Bn ws reld

by 8th Bn tt night &

as anotheer section covered  /

same ground as the A Sectn

 

23                                                                                                   

these were withdrawn.

That was when they came

out o / line.
6 Bn post nearest

on rt flank ws probly

at 2 C.O.4  (62 C.S.E)
D Section was with

4th Bn on Sept 18th.

They went over with

the 1st line coys of 4th Bn.

& owing to darkness &

smoke barrage put down

by / arty they got hopelessly

mixed up before reaching

Templeux.  They got too

far to / left.
On passing Templeux

they lost the infy & found

no one in front of them.  They

 

24                                                                                                  

hit a m.g. post SE of

the village & put it out

of action.  Some of / riflemen

fired a few shots into the 

trench where / Germs

were - & made them

keep low - on German

ws killed at least - & took

advancing took the 7 others

prisoners.  They then

went on to / rly line

where there was a

general forming up -

as the light ws better -

The attack pushed up

into the Quarries from

there, Nwds.  There were

many Germs there & a good

 

25                                                                                                            

deal of m.g. fire.  There

ws a system of trenches

behind & in front of the

Quarries.  In the Quarries

we were in / English

sector - they moved

further left then.
There ws no

oppositn in Hargict

village.  The Infy & m.guns

started to entrench on

the xx the blue line.

One gun ws on / extreme

left in touch w / Tommies.

Our own 18 pdrs were 

shooting onto our 1st 

objve, shrapnel.
Th D Section did not

 

26                                                                                                 

move on again till

dusk tt evg.  Then they

moved on & attached

themselves to 3 Bn.

2 guns took up positn

in Minnow trench & 2 in

Square L/B near Enfilade

trench.
That night on the English

rt flank the Germs came

out & took away a bty

of guns.  It was not

where our mgs. cd reach

it.  They were in Nomansld

just in front of / English

N of Malakoff Wood.
The night of
The 2 guns wh went forwd

were pulled back on night 19/20.

 

27                                                                                                             

into a commanding

position in Sugar trench to

give support in depth.

Night of 20/21 they went up,

2 guns into Minnow trench,

2 into Cocoa trench.  The

2 guns in Minnow trench

went over with 3rd Bn

at 6.30 on Sept 21st.

There ws no oppositn on the

way over.  The German barrage

fell on Nomansland here, but

on Minnow trench further S.  There

ws one man hit in / leg

going over by a shell.  Later -

abt 10 am. a shell landed

on / edge o / post wh had

bn dug - blew out / tripod,

& wd. 2 men.  Shortly

 

28                                                                                                          

after, owing to the people on

/ left (British - Buffs)

falling back, our flank ws

exposed and we had to fall

back also under very

heavy m.g. fire.  They had

gone out abt 600 yds to

the N side of Buckshot Ravine

& had to fall back to

Minnow trench & took up

again a defensive positn
 That night we xxx they were

reld & came back to

Hervilly.

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