Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/194/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 8

84
across the Rd into the
Triangle Trench.
Lt. C.J McDonald ^M.C "X" Coy ws shot
thro the lung on tt road
there by a m.g. which
as playing down / road -
They cdnt get at McD.
for sometime. He died
later at the C.C.S from internal
haemorrhage & transfusion ws
tried but the loss of blood had
bn too great. (McD got his
M.C. at Strazeele on June 20
in an attack on a German trench wh ws held apt 5 c/attacks
when Higginbottom ws killed
Hawkshaw ws wd in the
thigh by a mg. on this road.
In Triangle Trench was 
found a fine big boiler of
hot coffee, cakes, unopened
parcels - the German 

75

(wh ws the German Corduroy
Rd) from Baird.
In / aftn / Germans
threw minenws. over towds
Ferret Tr. - over Minnow
trench & towds 1^st Bn -
In the aftn Baird went
to Sugar trench (thro
Factory) & found McMillan
there & Coy HQrs & some
men of other plns.
Noone in Sugar Tr cd
say where X Coy ws. Baird
brought the men from Sugar
trench to Minnow Tr.
Just before dark a runner
arrd to say that X Coy.
ws also in Minnow T.
x Triangle Trench (where they
had got to from Hussar
Post) & Baird found tt
Z Coy had also got there.

83
Germs in whole valley
seemed to go for their
lines - / whole seemed
to give way (there 3
isolated men cd be seen
going up alone towds
where / guns were).
The resistance gave
way & Leggetts pln followed
as fast as it cd. They were
on the "Buffs" ground.
They finished on / left
o / road. When they got
almost to Trollope Tr. the
Buffs seemed to come over
/ hill from the NNW. Leggett
cd see he ws off his ground
He had a talk w a Tommy
offr & took his men

76
Z Coy ws practically on the
tongue going into the valley.
The trenches there had bn
badly knocked out by our
artillery. (This later became
/ German barrage line wh
accounts for the battered
state in wh they were on
Sept 29). Baird found
/ rest o / coy there &
came back to Minnow
trench w / rest of Y Coy.
The 3 plns were then fixed
in Minnow trench - reorganised.
The Germans shelled the
trench next morning for
an hour at dawn & it looked
as if he were going to c/attack.
In the first 2 minutes [shorthand]
men were hit in the trench.

82

Leggett met Lord & Baird in
Hargict- & Clark,
Leggett lay up on left of
Rd just to N. of Lord &
Baird.
Leggetts pln went fowd
under / barrage, having to
wait for it al times, towds
Valley post - in the Sunken 
Rd leading up / valley towds
Carbine Trench; came out

of the Sunken Rd & came

under m.g.  fire from a 
m.g in the copse of a 
few smashed scrubs below
w of Sugar trench; & were
sniping at the germs wh
McMillan rushed ^from across
/ valley. As soon as those
guns ceased fire the
77

There were from 2 whizzbang
shells wh hit the parados
& blew back.
No falling back occurred
S of the Rd - where our flank
was, but the British
N of the Rd fell back towds
dusk on the evg of Sept 18.
The British fell back to
Rifle trench wh is just
W of the Sunken Rd to Ronsoy.
Every hour a patrol ws
sent across to the Tommies
during / night & a Vickers
gun of 1^st M.G Coy ws put
there to cover the gap (and w
an offr - I think Lt. Heane)
The line ws as fixed on
3rd Bn Sector on morng
of 21 Sept when the minor
operation took place.
1st Bn reld Y Coy. Y Coy

84
Tommies ]
3rd Z         ]
lst              ]
2 Bde.       ]
men were exceedingly
pleased by seeing the kilts o /
Scottish troops coming down
over the ridge between our
men & Ronsoy. They apptly
came in to fill up / gaps &
hold. The line remained
in Rifle trench. 3rd Bn
ws reld tt night by a
Bn of 2nd Bde.
78

went to Sugar Post (by 3 entrnce
dugout). Also X Coy to Sugar
Post. Z Coy did the attack
on mg. of Sept 21 for 3rd
Bn. One Bn of 2nd Bde
relieved 1st Bn & they also
went forwd.
Z Coy went forwd &
estabd 2 posts as outposts
& a support post abt 600
yds ahead- in the flat
in the valley on the rt of
the Rd in 25 B & D. They
remained there 9 am. McDonald
ws in change of them. He phoned
to say the Tommies were
falling back on / left
Baird sent this to Bn. Baird
came up to the top of the dugout
in Sugar Post & 2 Tommies
came down / trench. They sd
they were going back as
Fritz ws attacking.

80
Trench & a Vickers gun
went over there. This left
things as they were in /
mg.
Baird told Bn the positn
& abt ¼ hr later the 18 pdrs
put down a good barrage -
The Tommies had made posts
in Zoo trench & Top trench.
The Germans charged them in
overcoats with packs &
Tommies cd be seen surrendering.
Some Tommies were
left out in shellholes &
had a hot time under our
barrage. The Germs were
moving down at / valley
head a good deal. Abt
2 hrs later (11 pm.) the
79
as soon as this happened Baird
made the coy stand to .Our
posts then came in. It looked
as tho the Germs must have
attached on / left. Leggett
took his pln up to minnow
trench with two L.Gs. The Germans
were sweeping / place w
m.gs.. The pln got across
without casualties. Baird
went over to look at /
situation & found tt the 3
post of 3Bn had come back
to minnow trench - The trench
ws littered w rifles, ammun
etc L.Gs - & abt 30 Tommies.
The Tommies had fallen back
to Rifle Trench. This left our
left post flank 1000yds
in the air. Z Coy took up its
original positn in Triangle