Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200A/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 2

The Germs came up partly
thro these & partly in
Skirmishing order, & got
into hand to hand fighting
with some of our posts.
In this c/attack McCann
lost a lot of men & ws
fighting himself with
revolver & bombs.
The 3rd c/attack ws
smashed up by our
Lewis Guns & T.Ms.
They were coming from /
directn of Lihons.  As they began
to deploy the L.Gs. & T.Ms
(3rd L.T.M. Bty) got out their
& this attack ws stopped.
After this / German
gave up.  The field of fire of our
front line wd be abt 500
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yds at this point.  On
the rt towds / second
Bde it ws possible to
get a peep down onto /
low ground to / rt, but
otherwise we had no
Observatn over / crest.
Neither had / German.
The impression ws tt /
German ws putting in his
men as fast as he could.
The 9th Bn had a rumour
tt / Germans were coming
down / road from / Bois
de Crepy in thousands.
Chapman went up / road
but saw no one.  The
rumour tt / Germs were
in behind them ws
unverified as far as the
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9th ws concerned.
Chapman wd not think
it possible tt there were
Germans across / road on /
S.W. SW side of it.
The Germs were still
in / strong point (mentiond
above) on / evg. of this
first day.
Diagram - see original
[The country on
left of 11 Bn ws very open
& pinned left of 11 Bn down].
The Sniping noticed
from the rear wd come
from guns at Cr.  Two
or three m.gs. were firing
there / whole time.
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All tt night 10/11 Aug.
there ws intermittent Artillery
fire.
The follg mg. 11 Aug. the
10 & 12 Bns went over.
When these had got to their
objectives the 9 Bn advanced
& dug in abt 300 to 40 x yds
behind them.  The tanks
wh operated w / 10 Bn went
round this strong post &
settled it.
Maj. Ross ws wd early
on mg. of 11th. by shell fire.
Capt Penrose wd by mg
fire on Aug 10 during / early
stage o / attack.
Capt Monteath (same)
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Lt Butler M.C. DCM
(from S.A.)  Int. Offr. just
completing reconnaissance
on first day bef just after /
end o / attack wd. thro' / arm.
Lt Chester wd at the
hop over.
Lt Gower wd after going
thro / wood in / first
attack.  He ws recommended
for the V.C.  He went ahead w
his pln (att / Centre pln).
He went into / wood direct
from / front, working form
shell hole to shell hole.  They
found / Germans Strongly
entrenched inside / wood.  He
worked round them & captured
& k. the crews, leading himself.
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Another German m.g. then
opened from further in /
wood.  Gower (now returned
to Aust.) went on by himself
charged the post w a
Lewis Gun rod in his hand.
He chargd / crew & they
surrendered & he got / crew
& / gun.  He then went
forwd to make a find
out / best positn to take
up & ws wounded.  His
pln took up a post in /
wood.  He went back to
see / doctor & wanted to
return again but he had
a bad smash in / arm &
/ Dr wdn't allow it.
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On Aug xx10
The gap on / left of 9 Bn
ws due to 11 Bn or part of
it losing direction & coming
in behind 9 Bn.  This was
resulted in a gap occurring
on the left of 9th Bn wh
ws filled by a pln of 9 Bn
& afterwards by a Coy of
11 Bn wh ws taken over
here from behind 9 Bn on
rt.  The 11 Bn had a
very rough handling four
m.gs. on their unprotected
left flank wh ws very
open.  They suffered heavily.
On Aug 11 there ws a gap
between 10 Bn & 12 Bn.  A
party of abt 300 Bavarians
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came in thro' Auger
Wood this day & worked
thro till they met 9 Bn
wh ws digging in in
Support.  The Bavarians
tried to close - at first
9 Bn thought tt / front line
ws complete & didn't know
who these cd be.  This ws
abt 10 a.m. afr a heavy
bombt of 8 in & gas shells -
At first they were imagined
to be a small pty not
mopped up; then it ws
found tt abt 100 had crossed
/ road & got into some old
trenches quite close to 9 Bn.
The Germs startd sniping
& firing w m.gs.  A small
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Diagram - see original

pty of abt 30 Germs
w 3 m.gs. & an officer
rushed out from / Brushwood
where / old trenches were &
tried to get into some trenches
occupied by a small pty
of 9 Bn.  This ^German pty ws all
killed - the Officer alone
ws left wounded.  It
then became a hand to hand
melle'e.  The 9th who were
under xxx Capt. Armstrong, O.C. Line,
crossed / road  Rushed their
the trenches in wh / German's
& got into them.  Sergt Walker
& 2 other men closed with a
party of abt 23 Germs.
They bayoneted 5.  The other
18 surrendered (they were in
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these trenches).  There were
a good many Germs back
in Auger Wood (thro' wh
they had come up).
Lt Penman M.C. was
there & Lt Cork & did they &
their plns were with this
pty wh made the rush &
did very good work.
Two Plns were then
detailed; & these abt 11 a.m.
cleared the wood ahead &
filled / gap & / wood ws
reported cleared.  xxxx These
plns were under Lt Myers.
2 other plns wer (Lt Chataway)
were sent over to / left to
protect / left flank.
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