Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/196/1 - August 1918 - Part 3

19
the Germans had a battery 
in the quarry in 28B. 
But at These were firing 
direct - but abt / time 
when the Hospital ws taken 
they pulled out with their 
teams & got away - they 
were 4.2s. Those on / hill
were 77s.
Abt 27 central there 
was a tank burning - 
this ws a whippet - this 
ws the furthest up tank 
wh C.O. 8Bn saw.
About 5 p.m. one 
coy of 6 Bn (wh ∧ Bn ws in 
close support near the tank 
in 27 central) moved out 
on its own initiative &

 
20
began to continue / 
advance towards the red line. This ws 
made by section rushes 
almost from the start. 
At / same time the Coys of 
8 Bn in / front line worked 
up / ∧ old commn trenches in wh they 
were. Campbell on / 
left worked uphill to the 
S.E. of the quarry right 
up and on / guns wh were 
at ab 29 B 0.4 just 
beyond / rd & / red line.
They shot down the gunners 
from there & the teams. 
The Germans managed to 
get one gun away but 
8 Bn got 5 of them shooting

21
/ gunners & / teams. 
The guns were still firing 
when the our men got onto them 
w m.gs. & rifles. The 
line went forward right to / 
red line & into the Arbre 
Coin du Bois, being 
refused on / right to meet 
/ Canadians abt 4 centl.
Abt dusk while our 
men were consolidating / 
Germans c/attacked just at 
the Arbre Coin du Bois. This 
attack came over the open 
in lines -abt 300 or 400 of them. 
Our guns got onto them & they 
melted away & ran back 
into trenches.
This ws / only c/attack.

22
Abt 10pm / Germs tried 
to sneak men down / trench 
to his guns to get them away 
by hand. These men were 
seen close to I guns & were 
driven off. We then had to 
put a detached post out by 
/ guns.
The next mg. the 5^th & 6^th 
Bn went thro the 8 Bn 
post, & 3rd Bde thro the 
7 Bn front, by plain daylight (8.30 
8am.).
8 Bn expected to see the 
15^th Bde on / green line.
Offrs K.. 2/Lt Larkin ws wd 
early in the fight & ws hit by 
a shell abt 15 Bde line going back. 
& killed.

23
Lt Dyer MM ws hit near /
tank in 27 centl. & k there - 
lying on / road.
Lt Vial ws k. on the Red line 
just as they got to it, near 
the guns. He ws sniped thro / 
head. (D Coy) Campbell ws 
/ only offr left. 
Whenever an offr moved on tt day he ws shot.
Wd. Lt L.A. Blackman. (Coy Comndr.) 
A Coy. of rt Coy ws hit in 4 places 
by shell - during / finish o / 
fight. Blackman carried on till 
next day but is still away wd. 
Lt Power (same Coy) ws hit 
at / same stage.
Lt Macfadyen (same Coy)
ws hit at / same stage. 
D Coy. Lt Veal k.
Lt Bourke wd during 5-6 pm
stage of fight.
Lt Wicks wd abt passing /
hospital

24
Lt Sorrell ws wd aftere passing
15 Bde.
This was all / offrs of
D Coy exc Campbell.
C Coy. Supporting D.
(O.C.) Capt Fox ws severely wd
at the hospital.
Lt Dyer k.
B. Coy. Lt Whitherden wd on the
red line
Lt Edmonds wd abt
half way.
Lt Larkin killed
2 Coy Commdrs were lost
tt day.

25
8^th Bn Herleville.
8 Bn ws in sppt to 6 Bn
mostly on rt of Rd.
It ws not alld to form
ahead of the rd S. of the
factory. They were afraid
of German barrage - (the
line of it had been frequently
noticed - ) which ws betw tt rd
& front line. It ws anticipated
barrage might fall quickly
& catch the support massed
there.
Germs At Zero 8 Bn advd
as directed in very shallow
columns. The German barrage
did come down & ws
intense. In passing thro it

26
Capt Johnston ws one o /
original men o / Bn ws
K. & so ws Lt L.C. White, MM,
who ws another original
commisioned / day before. Abt
30 casualties were suffered
in this barrage. It ws a line
of shells - abt 300 yds deep
only.
The Doctor of 8 Bn - Capt
O'Shea (now D.S.O for this) with
Sig Offr. & L.G. Offr went up
before fight to our old front
line where troops had to be
withdrawn ¼ hr before zero
to let our barrage fall behind
it. They went there so as to
be ready for the advance.
The moment our line passed
they were in positn.

27
By 9 am. D Coy of
8 Bn ws fighting on left of
6 Bn. They had bn doing so
pretty well all / way.
D Coy began to get into /
fight when the bend o / main
road into / gully ws reached.
There ws a lot of oppositn
& the 6 Bn flank had a 
gap in it & ws threatened
from St Martins Wood. (A tank
gun ws in the Sunken Rd just
N of the Main Rd before entering
/ gully. Every wood had a 
tank gun in it, pretty well.
Diagram, see original
Going across the tongue
shaped plateau betw the two

28
forks of / gully D Coy had a
very stiff time. The E bank
of the far gully is higher &
commands it & / barrage
ws much faster than / troops
tho' / tanks were still
working with them. The Coy
Commndr. Lt Findlay ws k.
as they came over / top o /
tongue & attempted to cross /
road. This left Lts Joynt &
McGinn with this Coy.
Plateau Wood on tt far slope
was holding up 5 Bn. & left of
5 Bn. McGinn worked his
pln up / old trench system on
/ far side of / g 2nd gully,
& surrounded this wood.
& got 70 prisoners there.