Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/199/1 - August - November 1918 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066572
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/79917 Title: Notebook, August - November 1978 includes references to the 17th Battalion and Meteren and contains a letter from Lt Col0 Howell-Price's mother. AWMISS-SDRLCOGH9S
53 3 0= 52 27 55 50 23 2223 5 3332323 11ir. Anges 16 (Diary at other end
1113ir Aug23 16 Diary at other and 83.28
518 7116 Bn. . Foissy. + xx66 Br D Coygstarted from Boyast which 3 had be F.0.y of 15t Bde. 11 Bl o fhad adtacked in mg. to gast in posst 1 roissy. 3d Bds started from 110yart T.O.T at .12.30 hin sugle fill, as if going into 6 trenches. In powt of Foessy Secoming down I slope on 1left of Chicignotles across country the Came ander m.g. fire from credt of Foissy Blacon etc. The barsage started (a light Bbanag) at 1. 45 & 111Bn moved ths p Ble as 2pm They were just in port of Foisse Beacon - near (bottom o 1 Westen stope. As I banage lifter mys opened from abt poins on side of Hoissy Brack on 1 top of here were fermans now bill.
beginiing to ruin from 1 gully to socape up 1 side &1hif over Deorory Beacon. The L. Gs of 11 Bn got down at onc & shot- from 10 to 15 of thesr fermans. On our infy continuing to move forw'd - (the barrage we too fast for 1 nature of country & we had lost it) the Germans became denior alided - dout get away up Islope & saw our wf advancing - large batche surrinderd. t Norrie took an NCO. to a house in 1 gully. The coy had bn shooting fermans who had be bothing from house, & they had stopped running. Norrie & an N.C.O. a revolver & rifle cdsee 1 germand thoo a loa window. They shot wnto wendow & hit one -8 in farm & one in Trump then ferius san outl Door t then bands boor their heads. An NCO, 35 men & 2mgs. - sarrendered here.
a corporal & one man also bombed a post from wh 1 ferms. were shooting. The corpl & NCo. (Gt. workington kiled on Sept 18) creptound behind some timber stacks & threw a bout in from I rear - & 7 ferms Surrendaed our people, after clearin ferms from 1jully went on up 1 steep hill opposite. The ferms io at shoot at them here, & when thay reached 1 top 1 Terms in the posts there surrendered (the posts were deep duy outs w suigle m. 9s.). Here I line we day in for th night I ws looking out over an openplatian abt rooyds across 1 platean (wh ws Pooyds wids) facing a bil ofwood. Tere were no trenches there beside mis. posts (wh were old duponts w new M.9. posts). Next day -2x Ar. - 11Bo moved across to support 12 Brow
The bomb stops were put in while fesh bombs or men were brought up - just an obstaclly a a guard on it. et & continued Padvance at 28 pm. meeting strory oppositer & bomber up very long on commn. Tenches!. There were a coy of firms in the C.T. & they put up a beavy resistance with potato masher bombs (cont use mgs.) we went forwd by making boub stops every few hundred yards pulling a bit of timber down & Cout troson making a stop & over it I going on.) There were abo 12 prisovers take & abt 12 ferms K. They ad how on till presoure we toogt., & then clear of down the C.T. Thay were under an offices. (All our men can bomb now - not liks omme). It praham of 11Bn ws w/c of C. Coy wh did 1 fine work in this bombin He oranised & led bombiry sections. Aot Edozen men with paham, w bombs (each carrying rift o bayonet) wd go along till they heard ferms - or till a stick bomb came. Then they wd theow abt 3 bombs & work round I trech till another bouib
came & so on. The officer (if he is there) always goes first t his revolver & a few bombs. Having advanced a purtin 15ooyds the germ. mgs being pretty muncrous abt woyds ahead, + flanks being in Iair they were told not to worry abt flanks in these days) they put in a final stop Nat mg. (Aug 25) K up trench went on again - 500 yds - till it Td into a fire trunch. This we occupied by us till we got connection w 10Bu on left & 12 Bn on it - hhis we just in poitof Dompierre. That 26 night E4 Bn reld them - they went on next night. 11 Bn were very short of offes - only 2 per company went in Do Judgeon & Ross were wod on 1 lape at Progart by shellfire. Men were lost all tho. Norries Coy took in 60 & brought out 17. All shellor m.g. He heaviest Shelling at at Boyart while they were waitiong to to foustard. Lyhad uat
171th Bre abrots at Yetreen. Ycapt o keightey AS with SextWearmofith B Set6-1000 91/71 Li pyrizp- 114/64 00 27 2chatting 2124 L8 6s 11y10 This ws piseknibble in B 4 pr. soms same day. When 11 Bn ar in 1 live opposite Meteren Baths they had not had a prisone for some days - & soe ws needed. One warne day abt 2 in1 aftr while vorrie was nerl finishing his dinner in his post Capt As Keighley, intell-officer 11 Bn came up with one sergt. They say our intelligence is no & we can't get prisoners to he saw. I'm coig out to see if we cant. vorsie thought it was a wild peak & so his serpt & so it was. However keighley wentont with serzt wearmouth (his intelligence sext Nonie sat down in his post again agreenhpsergt a it ad probably be ken nasty job togo out that wight & fetch in tae two bodies, if possible. A long wait - Tten serft ame to vornie again: Heres togt keighly comeng back, "he sd, a witer a big Frety? Tey woled up. And there was k. coming along a his ten hab in one hand & swingn his resolver in other. Behind him ws a by ferman is his shirt open abt nec & no helmet, looking very scarwd.Behind him ws I sergt w his bayonet almost 908 + 25 p 386 284 38y 0 s 1 stuck into German behind. keighly had fore outinto the field ahead - going straight out- 5 Re old Meteri Baks wh were in comner of nex field. He The next night Norsie had to do was poking abt the above patrol there (4th Bn on it nearly shot him, seeing movement) - & as almost coming away when he saw a bit of a pozzy & Coking intoit found a bigferman w his helust of shirt open hienting for tico in his chest. H had no revolver - but he heased to sergt to give him his - & put it almost in eruans stomach & brought him in. Thisw Ke Ffirst knibble by 3 Bde. 4 BAstation got some I same day.
DIARY Nov 10th Nor/2 1918 cuttack 11 Bn at my Photo other end soap Hughes. Maas. Canaates Stadeo my book ring THE DOMINIONS IN THE WAR. (TRoM OUR OWN CORRESTONDENT.) Tetines Nool] TORONTO, Nov. 12. The Canadian casualties during the war are 211,358. They were :— SAATERDUN ARMT. Killed in action 15,457 Died of wounds or discase 52.779 (CORRESPONDENT.) Wounded 8.246 Presumed dead, missing and prisoners IN ARMY, Nov. 12. MELBOURNE, Nov. 12.—Australia’s total en listments were 417,000, and those who went ftated that 21 American overseas 330,000.—Exchange Telegraph Com.pops, participated in the prdun on September 26. pany. Taune invisions were used in the front lines on the first day, and some of these nine divisions were retained in the line for more than throe consecutive weeks. Seven of the 21 divisions had never been in an active sector before

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