Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/194/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 5

Diagram - see original

40

This was The right post of 12 Bn was R6D 5.6.
(S.E. of Garenne Wood).
The German did not c. attack
tho' on the left some of the
German posts were very
close.

No one knew of the existence
of the big gun before the attack.
The 4th Bn as C. Coy starting 
out ws following a Coy of 1st
Bn. Thinking that it ws necy
to keep closer to / Barrage
McDermid went thro' them 
before the arty halt line ws
reached. He had no check
till he reached the gun.
1st Bn claim that
when the halt line ws reached
they noticed a gap between
McDermid & the 4th Bn.
They sent a pln. to fill this 

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gap & they claim that this
pln got the gun & 100 prisoners.
The officers of C. Coy all say
that they passed the gun &
had a look at it & took some
prisoners from there. They
were on the first halt line
& scouts were out ahead; 
as soon as the barrage moved
a pln 3rd Bn followed it & came on
the gun & went from the gun
to Arcy Wood (a small copse
on the opposite hillside where
there was a 77 gun). When
they came back, they came
back to the top of the W slope
of the valley just W of the gun,
& were still in front of any
of 1st Bn there

During rest of 23 Aug. 

42
nothing happened except
reorgn. & consolitatn &
protective patrolling. One German
post on left was within 100
yds of our line in old French
trenches. On the rt they were
further back in Canard Wood
No 1.

On Aug 24 ws quiet.
On night 24/5  12 Bn
relieved B (left) Coy & C. Coy
3rd Bn relieved left part of
D Coy. D Coy extended right
to take up their correct
frontage.  At 9 a.m. 25 the
Bn ws N & S on its proper
objve & boundaries.
N.S.Bdy: E & W line thro' S. edge of Square M7,8 9,

on grid.
N. Bdy E & W line thro' M7.B0.6. 

43
The front ws prac. N & S.
thro M7 central.
On 25th Aug. informatn ws
recd of Germs. retiring - front

only lightly held. Patrols

ordered to exploit.
Patrol on rt moved thro
Canard Wood, & coming out at
E abt midday ws heavily
fired on from trenches at M8D3.8.
The trench ws across / valley 

& commanded / valley up

wh they were moving (wood 
is across ^most of / valley).
On left Germs were only
200 yds away, (N of Wood,
on edge of plateau) & patrols
cd nt make progress.
All patrols drew very
heavy fire - TMs. m.gs.,
arty - for an hour - a very 

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heavy barrage - the heaviest

that was laid down in 

this sector. (Probly they thought
we were going to attack).
We put our arty onto that
trench across the valley & their
shooting ws v. good - right
onto it.
At 10 p.m. same day A & 
D Coys moved forwd & establd
a line E of Canard Wood about
at this trench line, which Germs
had abandoned in / meantime 

- anyway they didn't wait
for / patrols. From there further
patrols struck heavy m.g.
fire thro / night 25/26.
At 10 a.m. on 26 ^Sept. Aug.
patrols went forwd supported
by platoons which sent them
& pushed forwd line to 

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M9 C 6.3 - to M9 B 5.8.
Touch ws gained with 11Bn
on left at M 9B 5.8. 4th Bn
ws still some distance in rear.
This meant an advance
in 24 hrs of 1800 yds.
Patrols at once pushed
thro Fontaine to M9D.3.6
& found Germs holding / ridge
E of village in some strength.
The 3rd Bn ws ordered to
consolidate / line it had
reached. Supporting Coys
moved up. Line handed
over to 24 Bn at midnight
26/27.
The tanks w wh Bn
worked on 23d were first it
had ever worked with.
Tank Commdr ws v.

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Wd.
Lt O.C. Kellner Support Coy- wd by
shell on 23rd. 

Lt E. Hawkshaw Aug 23 In 2pm attack
on top of crest

w Jackson & Darwin
were wd at / same time as Corma
Lt A.D. Arnold - on the flat before
2pm attack - screwed
ankle & wanted to go on.
Lt W.D.L: Lamrock
Hit just after start Aug 23.
Lt A.J.S. Croll. on way over on
Aug 23.
Lt E.H. Jackson D.C.M. Same time
as Cormack.
2/Lt C.L. Wainright MM
Aug 23 in 2 p.m. attack.
2/Lt G.P. Darlow. Same time as
Cormack
Wd (R at D) Lt F.J. Jarvis. wd in aftn
attack (rejoined from Dressing Stn)

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anxious to do what he
cd - getting out of tank,
producing his map. The
tanks drew a lot of fire
on themselves & may
have helped infy in tt
way.
Casualties Officers

k.

Lt M. McL. Keshan (Jujitsu
instructor of Sydney)
k. at Zero on 23rd. Bn ws
formed W. of Proyart & started at Zero.
Just then 2 shells got the whole of Keshans
platoon - exc. 2 men.  tho
Capt ^A.G. Cormack k.

Wd. see opposite: 

48
German casualties.
Abt 52 k.
Capt. 4 offrs 155 o.r.
Guns: 5 – 77s

            1     15 inch.

           15 m.gs.

            6 minenw.    

The main casualties
were from 7a.m. when they
reached the final objve, to 3p.m.
Up to then the chief casualties
had been in the pln laid out
by a shell. 

49
The Big Gun.
As C. Coy of 3rd Bn got
over / slope towds / big gun
& its wood (wh ws on rt
flank) Germans cd be
seen running out o / 

wood. The Coy passed
the wood on its right, going
into the valley. M.g.s had been
firing from trenches on Proyart
side of wood & they
were abandoned by / Germs.
The wood ws giving no
oppositn when C. Coy passed
it. Cpl. Doughty went
thro the wood as they were
advancing. He had 3 or 4
men with him. They captured
a German offr, a bn. commdr,
who fired one shot at him 

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w a revolver & then threw
/ revolver away. Doughty
got him & 2 other offrs.
You cd see / Germs running
away trying to climb / 
opp. side of the valley & 
a lot of them were shot

up there trying to get up
it.
The Coy followed thro
the valley - but our shells
were falling short in the
valley & the follg slope.
McDermid withdrew his
men a little (abt 100 yds or
less) & lay up for 20 mins.
just to the left of the wood w /
wood on their right. They
went on again & the tanks
had some difficulty in getting