Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/194/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 7

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

Page 1 / 10

62 100 within man wd a ds of leaving They were tiel tefts behind to the gound matthews of grass. 4ep trench the pliht saw from this patrot ws in & hoppen out on his own in itiative tle with some prenades. As he ws leaving (trench andther man saw what he ws doing & followed t some more penades Matthews went Doyds second out into topen - a mg. ws turned outs him. He fired prenades as fast as he co. & shul 1 mgs ap &1 patrot ws able to get back. As soon as he stopped bering grenades
64 turned to come back bothhe&man t him Rochrig) were wd matther tho1 chest- M. got the DCM F Rockrig the M.M. The supporting Coys on the et took on the patroling further Sowere able to get a head (as above There as probably a baltery of guns alongside the Larden wall at Cheiqes theywere st be seen there &f emplocemen to were found but by them gens had gone so possibl Party got them. officers were shot offents this fight at a moments Sturt came in from notice
65 London leave & ws sent straight up on (after of the 2fst Ang. in his London clothes. Clarbe the L.B Ws Sent up on 25th to take a Coy for the exploctation 464 & surrett who ws on his way to the Flyng Corps & came up torations to see how they were ws promptly Dent off to 1 pardon after of 23r3 Aug
Zero 20 oys Sept. Grearf. into Seays 30 DBn. after first line P2. Report. of 3guns & 50ferins add. Thes post was rushed b Serg Macmillan HCal Bradford & Pli O' Donnell. They kept close up to I barrage. They cdsee one gun ging on 88 Bn moving up on their left. They made a detoar thei et & went as fast, as they adto trench, when thny got there they ot a terribly shock finding it pull of germs. They put a boto face on it o threw a few bombs in g whole trenat surrendered This gan ws holding our left up- & these three men were alone in the next pl to to Baiid's - who ws on the right of the Bn. H Lord comid that Patoon & Lord Mack. each took half apl
terd Let Baird Coy Each Coy Consisted of 3phs 6 Baird & Lord had kept their plas together going up thro 1 fog & went too r far - jirst they for. into Templenx (where 4 Bn. ws fighting); then cut of to right from there & struck the right of Hargict in stear Gentra street. The of the ma cut up from there N.W. cossed the many road thro I broken backyards & met Clark the T.O. There & H.R.D. Leggett (the Srd. Pn Comndr of y Coy). Clark did not know. any other troops of Sod Bn there - various men of X&E were in village not where they were knowin
& foir & Clark toto thought Baird (as Clark no other croops there ware 30d Bn there to go to thi Pe his et of Coy. wo 15t Bn. link with found Legget Lord& in frondo 2 Coye X had fore tho they villo 4. Kelley also 4th Br 65 ters. He with M.C. Coy. he after abt wd ws 8.30 at After the bariag Am. on went eventuatl Coy Baiid Lord Lyren pace all Lord make to
7 he command divided his given Seryt Macwillam the 2t half phy took 7 lef 6 ws half huncely. this fou came bow McM 00s back from the Cooking Baird was poaite where barray they adsee the 2 had on the left wh curie in backwardd behind it & the troops it ar vally other side on 6 lift. waiting for it Lord divides Baird at the firk Roads or t of thevelef WS This the left tak 17 for the wait ere 6 2
50) DS 282 108 0 i £ 41 18552 < 8 on t S) N an m o 0 4 r hom sest into Mg. lift Te was ran McMillan wh 1.4 at the Jrenctu at 46. A trinches Enfilade as fone over Baud had Fin without weeting Cologne Ed see t aferm. but away down ferms ranne left pout valley on shots were fired Only abt Banrds lot before at obvc then reaching them Clark had told te by as ast very. So barrage they to the left. help wt objve Ferret The
m o t t 60 74 68 soe o 28 Baiid reached this French. They stayed therew (barrage. a banage. As soon as Carrage lifter Baird went on himself towds Minnow Or. & seeny ferms going for all they were worth up the valley he took his plu over to Mennow Tr. Vloys left Fank ws Ruby have & Rt Hank we Rd. running t & to down to Buckshot Raving. In minnow trench they were looking into the valley towds Qucunemont Io wh they cd. see on top oIvalley; the crest ws just ahear; on 1rd on (et it wd be possible
on C p2 y os 70 11 t 52 7 + os 5 5 orto o o a02 to 89 Yo 53 M Ms8 so 6 on do 81 p cire N ferfo any m 4) to took down into Bellict. There as a battery of guns abt 3ooy do to Bairds left just in port of Mnennow French. Jerms. gan from there when obji ws reached. The barrage still bent back to 1left & McMellan Bradford & ODonnell - they came over the lat to 1 lett of Sugas Factory to the tomgue on Wh Sagar & Cocoa trench are. They mast have followed on down Enfilade French to Amnow trench & they caught a german Bly Commdr there pretty drunk when they got him They sd they followed 1 Germs up to Matak of wood. 15t Bn were across the rd

63

a man wd within 100

yds of leaving. They were tied

to the ground behind tufts

of grass. L/Cpl Matthews

saw from / trench the plight

this patrol ws in & hopped

out on his own initiative

with some ∧rifle grenades. As he

ws leaving / trench another

man saw what he ws 

doing & followed w some

more grenades.
Matthews went 50 yds

out into / open - a second m.g. ws

turned onto him. He fired

off / grenades as fast

as he cd & shut / m.gs

up & / patrol ws able

to get back.  As soon as

he stopped firing / grenades

 

64

& turned to come back

both he & / man w him

(Rochrig) were wd Matthews

thro / chest. M. got the 

DCM & Rochrig the

M.M. The supporting Coys

on the rt took on the advance

patrolling further S & were

able to get ahead (as above).

There ws probably a 

battery of guns alongside the

garden wall at Chuignes

- they were sd to be seen

there & / emplacements

were found but by then /

guns had gone so possibly

/ arty got them.

Officers were shot off into

this fight at a moments

notice - Sturt came in from

 

65

London leave & ws sent

straight up on / aftn of the

21st Aug. in his London

clothes. Clarke the I.O.

ws sent up on 25th to take

a Coy for the exploitation;

& ∧Lt C.L.L. Burrett who ws on his

way to the Flying Corps & came

up w / rations to see how

they were ws promptly

sent off to / front on /

aftn of 23rd Aug.

 

66

18th Sept.

Zero 5.20

Coys. (reorg. into 3 coys)

X |

Z | →

Y |

67

3rd Bn:

Report. P2. after first line

add. This post of ∧of 3 guns & 50 germs was

rushed by Sergt MacMillan

L/Cpl Bradford & Pte O'Donnell.

They kept close up to / barrage.

They cd see one gun firing

on 3rd Bn moving up on

their left. They made a detour

to their rt & went as fast

as they cd to / trench. When

they got there they got a terrible

shock finding it full of Germs.

They put a bold face on it

& threw a few bombs in &

/ whole trench surrendered.

This gun ws holding our left

up - & these three men were

alone in the next pln to

Lt Baird's - who ws on the 
right of the Bn. Lt Lord

Commd that Platoon & Lord

& MacM. each took half a pln.

 

68             ↑

_____    ____     _____

Baird   Lord   Leggett

"Y" Coy

Each Coy consisted

of 3 plns.

69

Baird & Lord had kept

their plns together going

up thro / fog & went too

far right right - first they got

into Templeux (where 4 Bn

ws fighting); then cut off to

right from there & struck the

right of Hargict instead

of the main ^central cross street. They

cut up from there N.W.

Crossed the main road

thro / broken backyards

& met Clark the I.O. there

& Lt R.O. Leggett (the 3rd

Pln Commndr of Y Coy).

Clark did not know of

any other troops of 3rd Bn

there - various men of X & Z

were in / village not

knowing where they were -

 

70

& joined Y. Clark told

Baird (as Clark thought

there were no other troops of

3rd Bn there) to go to the

rt of Coy w his Pln &

link with 1st Bn.

Lord & Leggett found

X & Z Coys in front o /

village - they had gone thro

w / 4th Bn. Also Lt E.R. Shelley

M.C. with Coy HQrs. He

ws wd abt ½ hr after

the barrage lifted at 8.30

a.m.

Y Coy eventually went on
______    _____    _____
Leggett  Lord  Baird

Lord, to make all / pace

 

71

he cd, divided his command

& giving Sergt MacMillan

the rt half pln took / left

half himself - & tt ws 

how McM. came on this 

post.

Looking back from the

positn where Baird was

they cd see the barrage

on the left wh had a

backward curve in

it & the troops behind it

on / other side o / valley

waiting for it to lift.

Baird & Lord divided

at the fork Roads

E of the village, Lord

taking the left. This ws

where they waited for the

 

87

barrage

and it came down

exactly where wanted.

(A good example)

Casualties

O.r.

k.    w.

13    76

Offrs -  6.

Strength

                      offrs       o.r.      Nucleus

18th Sept.     17          301           55

23 Sept.         14         232          105.
 

72

lift. The m.g. post into

wh McMillan ran was

at L6. A 1.4. at the Junctn

of Lag & Enfilade trenches.

Baird had gone over

Cologne Fm without meeting

a Germ. but cd see the

Germs running away down

/ valley on / left front.

Only abt 3 shots were fired

at Bairds lot before

reaching their objve.

Clark had told them to

go very fast as by keeping

to / barrage they wd

help the left.

The objve ws Ferret

 

86

Strength:

Casualties: } see next 

                     } page.

An arty liaison officer Lt ^RA Ulcoq

went over with Baird, from

Hargicourt & stayed till 4.30

pm making sure where they

were & making out barrage

line. He asked where they

wanted / barrage. When he

got back he put down / barrage 

and

73

Trench. Baird reached this

w / barrage. ∧They stayed there w / barrage. As soon as

/ barrage lifted Baird

went on himself towds

Minnow Tr. & seeing /

Germs going for all they

were worth up the valley

he took his pln over

to Minnow Tr. Y Coys

left Flank ws Ruby Lane

& Rt flank ws Rd. running

E & W down to Buckshot

Ravine. In Minnow trench

they were looking into the

valley towds Queunemont

Fm wh they cd see on /

top o / valley; the crest

ws just ahead; on / rd

on / rt it wd be possible

 

85
mail had just arrived

& they had just missed

their breakfast.

Offrs. C.J.M.Donald MC.

wd 18 D of w. 19 Sept.

Lt E Hawkshaw

ER Shelley MC (lost an eye)

2Lt S.J. Holman wd. 18 Sept.

wd near end of day. "X" Coy.

2Lt Patrick Kinglington MM.

wd. 18 Sept.

at beginning in head by bullet
"Z" Coy.

Lt C.J. Clifton wd. 19 Sept.

Estimated Germs k.   60

                     Captd.     200.

(Receipts held for 100)

Guns captd:  4   5.9

                         3   4.2

                         1     73

                        14    77

of the 77s one ws gn to each arty

Bde covering the front 5th Bde A.3.A.

74

to look down into Bellict.

There ws a battery of guns

abt 300 yds to Bairds left

just in front of Minnow

Trench. Germs. ran from

there when / objve ws reached.

The barrage still bent back to

/ left & McMillan Bradford

& O Donnell - they came

over the flat to / left of /

Sugar Factory to the tongue on

wh Sugar & Cocoa trench are. They

must have followed on down

Enfilade Trench to Minnow

trench & they caught a German

Bty Commdr there pretty

drunk when they got him.

They sd they followed / Germs

up to Malakoff Wood.

1st Bn were across the rd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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