Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/195/1 - August 1918 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066568
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

for all it ws? firi Then, when work. of pl of D Coy reached front line all got up together & rashed the wood - by which time the ferman fire had died away. In the open the enpilate fire ws seppin ap I dist everywhere The men realised. to fire had dies ahead of them & t1 wood wo be safer. which they had bn lying up ahead, Anbrey of Coy ws slighlt wd. The S Bn at (same
hthons 6 Pcla 15 clearing Ctenls X Ca attack. wood oits As the attack got than at A this ws higher clearing. Jers were trynng to get across the Charing Crawlin & al ways & many were shop there. In trech at B there were SD Jerms. 15 werc killed & 35 captd. time began to Enter wood on the lep. B Coy ws held in open space between &Frly. Itws wood Row 8.20 50ydo Inside (wood ws a trench (2 on plan) in wth SO ferms were. slight A change of directr now happened. 5Bn on lef sd to 3ed Bde were in Strength & cramped. So S Bn ws making more to H FC Coydis so also each of & eventually voth C.815 were holding abt 200 yds Dozens of Germs were seen retirnng from thick wood
thro cleaven at S & slight rise at G to wood at 1 Lgs and eiflemen were turnnt on theat o go caused many camalties C Coy ws then just outling of road marked. Stobie worked down the road with party into trench at N. In NE dujonts were bomber but noove came out. Then worked ap various CTs into NY & at M was definitely held up o a rest of no go beay y gue fom abt impossible to locate. X
& gants plu of CCoys coming cuto corner of open at is wood by heavily fired was also from this & lost men post it had now B loy on to C. from worked ap to rly line in o. M trenches working ap this warren of old treches ome but not mai old passed shellbobe) only to arnot ws lef b B loy D. Thompson had buk. Ss Rowatt, & Barker had by wd. at 10 am S. Ba sd
on their left 96e to they He mes. were bet up. fire coad be ribnced to decided 50 Stobie fom consolitate the samed. Abt noon tanks came up on righter Canadians a CMudsplasher were tanks exc. one on Sside ofl Madsplasher Silencer nigs. near Several but did not C. Coy advance more than 300 do beyond our line. I ws working s of the wood. This apptly silenced
the mess at S but it also shot arn ot8 in the aukle with a meg. The canadions follothe toutes & began to pass ling of our advance. At this stage Stobie had Somen of C loy & 2phs of Dloy. At 1.30 pm 5.9 Shellin At 2.45 pm te began sector ahead had quetend & as tanadians had gone some way ahead Scobie with Copt Johnstone adit who had come up of taken over t Coy W Smen as went up the Watterd faa
the O between Lihons & redbrick Hatle on orty ffor CC 3.4 By back Sent he whom 2t 45 it i po bs arr gu or flank at 4 8 C at Centre left at 6:6 56 5 By 355 pm Nor as on atret to the Halte 4 7 6. C done witout 6S This casualties to a few lps were Supers The advance active coat be continued as tho lett flank yan back the livne right aughs. t at
Casualtis of Aus O k 10 Od advance. 6 Bus Canad jan sa at 4.55 spelled (by but ceaned after a short time Clor where posity The French old an hes 65 deep w Bde roomy to deyon ti germs had or late it this consolitatio By held it for tnight live disberbance without fenn no Catack not much. shedes a bit acates Coc 2 Prc. wd 3. Or. 54 50t 1000 O08½ Start. CStreuk at
on with boy to 6 50 V.F offers Coy. who w 18 offro of 915 on came went fin out. killed Aug 9. by his direct MCShane shell on Avy 9. 10 as Fisher a 2 by Collins DCH Auy 10. h bod Cay 9 Cpt Switz Aug 10 Arche 15 Aug 10, H Soutey Halte at the In the well wood then 101 sood oan The thirst as very Dater. arealtrouble great
4 am Aug 1. 8Bn at On the posts over atache with troops on lep. L. Cog tive on There were mgs. but opposite dront lep Opposit seem to be heavy reported Deaveer Cate ws As they passed over & left a me which continued firy Stobie sent a to Filence it Dabot did not get Patrot 4 onen sot Sun but from post Sun wt got away setenced but at down there is is Leavy gas shellin lay aftin slight for no casnatlies.

59
firing for all it ws 

worth. Then, when 

rt pln of D Coy reached

front line all got up

together & rushed the

wood - by which time

the German fire had died

away. In the open the

enfilade fire ws ripping

up / dust everywhere.

The men realised tt /

fire had died ahead of

them & tt / wood wd

be safer.

While they had bn lying

up ahead, Lt Aubrey of

C. Coy ws slightly wd.

The 5 Bn at / same

 

60

Lihons
Diagram - see original document
As the attack got into wood

at A this ws higher than
/ clearing.  Germs were trying

to get across the clearing crawling

& all ways & many were shot

there. In trench at B there were

50 Germs. 15 were killed &

35 captd.

61

time began to enter /

wood on the left.

B Coy ws held in /

open space between /

wood & / rly.   It ws
now 8.20.

50 yds Inside / wood ws a

trench (B on plan) in wh

50 Germs were.

A ∧ slight change of directn 

now happened.  5 Bn

on left sd tt 3rd Bde

were in strength & cramped.

So 5 Bn ws making move

to it & C Coy did so also

& eventually both each of C. & B

were holding abt 200 yds

Dozen of Germs were seen

retiring from thick wood

 

62

at S thro clearing

& slight rise at G to wood

at P.  L.Gs and riflemen
were turned on these &

got caused many

casualties.

C Coy ws then just

on / line o / road marked.

Stobie worked down the

road with party into

trench at N. In N Z

these dugouts were

bombed but no one

came out. Then worked

up various CTs into

N M & at M was

definitely held up by

heavy m.g. a nest of m.gs fire from abt

X impossible to locate.

 

Lt SA Thomson
 

63

Lt Gaut’s pln of C Coy

coming into corner of

wood by open at column
was also heavily fired

& lost men from this

post.

B Coy on rt had now

worked up to C. from

M to rly line in old

trenches working up

this warren of old trenches

(Some but not many

old grassed shell holes).

Only Lt Arnold ws left

in B Coy.

Lt Thompson had bn k.

Lts Rowatt, & Barker had bn

wd.

At 10 am 5 Bn sd

 

64
tt they & 9 Bn on their left

were held up. The m.g.

fire cdnt be silenced

So Stobie decided to

consolidate the ground

gained.

Abt noon tanks

came up on / right w /

Canadians.    All 

tanks exc. one ∧ (“Mudsplasher”) were

on S side of rly.

Mudsplasher silenced

several m.gs. near

C. Coy but did not

advance more than 300

yds beyond our line.

It ws working S of the wood.

This apptly silenced 

 

65

the m.g.s at S but it

also shot Arnold in

the ankle with a m.g.

The Canadians folld the

tanks & began to pass

/ line of our advance.

At this stage Stobie had

30 men of C Coy & 2 plns

of D Coy.

At 1.30 pm 5.9 shelling

began. At 2.45 pm the

sector ahead had quietened

& as Canadians had

gone some way ahead

Stobie with Capt Johnstone

MC Adjt who had come

up & taken over B Coy

went up w 3 men as

far as the “Halte” rd

 

66

between Lihons & the

red brick Halte on / rly.

By 3.45  C Coy (for

whom he sent back)

ws in positn w rt
flank on / quarry
at F 6 C 7.4 
Centre at F 6 C. 8.6
left at F 6 c. 6.6.

By 3.55 pm B Coy
ws in a trench from
F 6. C 7.4 to the Halte.

This ws done without

casualties tho a few 

snipers & m.gs were

active. The advance

cd nt be continued as

the left flank ran back

at right angles to the line

 

67

Casualties of Aug 9. 3 o.r. k 5 wd.
 

68

of 6 Bns advance.

At 6pm. Canadian

4.5s shelled C Coy but ceased

after a short time.

The positn where C Coy

ws ws an old French

Bde HQ w deep

roomy dugouts.

Germs had bn lately in 
it.

They consolidated this

line & held it for / night

without disturbance -

no c/attack.   Germans

shelled a bit - not much.

Casualties C. Coy.

8 Offrs 1 k.       2wd.

o.r.        5 k.    35 wd. 
w company strength at start 6th 8th. 5 offrs 100 o.r.

 

69

C Coy came out with

2 offrs and 50 o.r.

Of 18 offrs w / Coys. who

went in on 9th 5 came

out. 

Aug 9.     Killed
Lt McShane  hit direct by

shell on Aug 9.
Aug 10. Lt Fisher             }   k by m.g.

Aug 10. Lt Collins DCM  }   
Wd.

Capt Smith  (Aug 9?)

Lt Archer      Aug 10?

Lt Southey MC  Aug 10?
In the well at the Halte

& in / wood they got good

water. The thirst ws very

great - a real trouble. 

 

70

On Aug 11 at 4 am 8 Bn

attacked over the posts of

C. Coy with troops on left.

There were mgs. heavy active on

left but oppositn didnt

seem to be heavy.   Oppositn 

ws reported heavier later.

As they passed over

& left a mg. which continued 

firing Stobie sent a 

patrol to silence it -

Patrol did not get /

gun but got one man

from / post. Gun ws

silenced but got away.

At dawn there ws

heavy gas shelling - it

lay abt in / slight fog -

no casualties.

 

 

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Kimberley Hayes Kimberley Hayes
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