Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/198/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

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man, & then dribble up /

pln. The 10 Bn, 200 strong

had a front of 3000 yds, from

33 to / river.

Abt midday a heavy

scrap occurred in 30^th October

Wood, & in Justice Wood

w 2 m.g. nests wh held

out well. No prisoners

were taken (as far as CO remembers).

A halt ws then called. C.O.
sent for Coy Commdrs to meet

him at Chateau Wood (Coin du

Verger). The C.O. told them they were

get to the rd from 22 centl to

N. 4 centl by tt evg. To do it in

their own time but get it done

by 6. Told them where guns were

in case they wanted support & put

20

in 8 additional Vickers guns.

GOC ws asked for L. Horse to go

along the river rd to Eclusier.

At 3 p.m. a patrol of one N.C.O. &

3 men (gallopers) moved along the 

road thro 20 A & B from Cappy & came

back along / river road - at an

easy pace as if nothing were there.

They did this - the Germans  had 

during / day got across / lock

gates at Cappy (very early) &

later at Eclusier. The Germs

had a good many guns near

Dompierre firing direct. Our

arty ws put onto them, & put

down shrapnel - (tho' 176 rounds

per gun is / full amt for a moving

Bty & they had not got all of this there).

Later heavies were put on / Germs.

Bn at 6pm ended with

a standing patrol in Salmon Wood;

cleared Virgin Wood & Nameless

Wood & had patrols there; Bent

21
back thence to abt M 3 central.
(where 11 Bn rt flank wd be - either
there or further rt. Dompierre
ws recognised as being too tough
a place for a tired Bde to take.).
The 9^th Bn ws moved into
the quarry at Cappy. 12th Bn
ws still in hand in Bde reserve.
near Froissy Beacon. The exploitation
was over 4000 yds on a front
of 5000 to 6000 w 2 Bns. The
10 Bn came out 250 strong,
having lost men in Luc Wood
but very few in / later part
o / operations.
The front N of / river ws
abt 5000 yds behind.
The Bn had no casualties
coming out to Germaine Wood.
The Germs put some 5.9s into
Mericourt Siding as they passed it
but no casualties.

22
Le Verguier. - Jen Villeret.
Started at Jeancourt on
hop off line.
Attack started 5.20 but
10 Bn starte had bn put to bed
only / night before in an old
German hospital of Nissen
huts in a cutting overlooking
Jeancourt, right in the line.
It ws too close for / German to
shell it. At 5 a.m. they had a
good meal & a rum issue.
The attack ws by 
     ↑          ↑
     11          12
to 1st objve
(taking in / whole of Grand Priel
Wood. to dig in front of it.
       ↑          ↑
       9          10
2nd phase as above with an

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exploitation line right
on / lip o / steep slope
looking down to / canal
4^th Bde on rt 1st Bde
on left.
They got no shelling at all
in / huts except one wh landed
in a hut & killed the M.O.
& wd a few others. L^t White had
a leg blown off. Capt Young M.O. killed.
(He ws going to go forward).
The Bn went up along the
high ground on the rt slope of the
Fervacque Fm Ridge - in
heavy fog & smoke - from /
jump they took / formatn
shown on the plan on P.1 of this
diary, lines of sectns in
file.
 

Hand drawn diagram – see original
Harvey
Paxton
Blake.
24
They got thro 12 Bn before 12 Bn
knew & under / barrage in /
Grand Priel valley. There ws a
false crest knuckle in / valley
on / left. Rt of Bn was
at the Chateau in Grand Priel
Wood, behind / barrage. There
had bn a few casualties at
/ start but none otherwise.
12 Bn at this time rang
up Bde to say that 10 Bn had
not arrived - they hadn't
seen them.
While waiting under /
barrage a few m.g. casualties
occurred from m.gs in
Harrods Stores (This ws / small
quarry we stopped at on our
way up. It ws originally one
of our own dumps in 1917 -
the liaison offr had bn there then)

25
As 10 Bn ws lying under / barrage
they cd see these Germs w 3
m gs at Harrods Stores - & had
L.Gs & V. Gs onto them.
When / barrage lifted things
went alright till they reached
/ rd past Harrods Stores, Prieles Rd.
The trenches by / rd on / left
held up / left coy (there were
a N^o. of 77s there - they had
bn fired tt day but had stopped).
The Rt Coy got thro Cottage
Copse & to / line of trench on /
top o / hill by Holly Post, &
Goat Post. They had to
stop & get / other men out.
L^t Bennett worked round
thro a gap in / wire near
Holly Post & got behind /
Germs. He shot off 3 or 4 N^o 1
German gunners. Our men
began to follow him up. The
Germs surrendered & they
got 100 prisoners, 12 mgs & 4 or
5 77s.

26
(These were big deep trenches.).
The barrage had gone ahead
a bit but they caught it up
on / red line just before it
petered out. On the red line
they got in touch w Capt
Mackay of 14^th Bn. abt Lamb
Post or Ewe Post. (There ws an
artillery loop set behind there).
The trench where / Germs were
on / E. end of Buisson Ridge
tuned ws higher & tuned / whole
of our positn up w m g fire.
(The big 5.9 gun was near a
Quarry at abt 14 A 3.2.
There was a bty of 4.2s in / Quarry
also).
When 10 Bn got into / old
British front line this fire stopped
it from moving. They got every
available L.G. & V.G. & swept /
ridge ahead & the 14^th guns too. & 9^th also
While they were doing it the left Coy

27
got down / road in the 9^th Bn area
- 9 Bn working w them - & got

into / German system by / Quarry
& / big gun, 10 Bn going rt &
9 Bn left. There ws not much
bombing - chiefly picking up
prisoners on m.gs. at various
points. 9. Bn occupied
a trench above / Quarry, a
post cut in on / highest
point, (Lt Myers had a post
in / spoil bank o / Quarry
w a wonderful view).
9 Bn had to bend their left
back to 1st Bde who were
on their red line.
10 Bn got the front line o /
German outpost line. As the
prisoners from / front Hindenbg
line were sent back the other
Coys of 10 Bn had come to
stopped shooting & gone right over
/ top to / Hindenbg line.
The wire ws tremendously thick -

28
The barrage ceased on / red line &
/ wire ws tremendously thick. They
had to get thro gaps or struggle
thro or use wire cutters.
Then they reorganised & came
up / saps & into the 2nd line
behind Buisson Gaulaine. There
were some o / 14 Bn on / rt.
Lt Perry put a post out by /
end of the C.T. NE of Buisson
Gaulaine at / end o / double
Bank. Another on / ^W edge of
Pearl Wood - another abt 2/3 o /
way down Drew Lane S of Haute
Bruyere & we occupied / trench
just E of & overlooking Haut
Bruyère. This ws well beyond
/ exploitatn objective. There
The 9 Bn bent back on / left & the
14 Bn on / rt including Big & Little
Bill Woods. 15 Central ws full
of guns, & there were guns just
about the E of Gaulaine.
Perry had a patrol sent out to