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

Diagram - see original
This filled / gap wh ws
later on rectified by / line
battalions.
This ws / end o /
fighting.  The Germs were
reported massing again
But were broken up by
Arty fire.
Lt Morgan}       Morgan k by ^shell on
Lt Smith    } k.  aftn of 1st day.
Smith k. by m.g.
Soon after / start in attacking a
Strong point on / rt o / wood over
by / 2nd Bde.
19

Lt Thompson  Aug 11 just before
/ C/attack, by shelling.
Lt Corke on Aug. 11 during /
C/attack ws shot in /
face by a sniper.
Lt Knowles ws gassed & wd
on / second morning in /
Straf before the C/attack.  It
ws during this straf tt Maj.
Ross ws wd.
2/Lt H. Walker ws also wd.
on / first day early in / attack
by m.g. fire.
In / afternoon of the 2nd
Day ^(Aug 11) 9 Bn HQrs ws shelled
with anti-tank guns from /
left flank - clearly firing direct -
you cd see / flash.  The British
20

Arty Major took a cross section
onto this gun & put his 4.5
how Bty onto it.  It didnt
fire aftr.  Bn H.Q. ws then in
/ sunken Rd by / Quarry W.
of Crepy Wood.
9 Bn worked on compass bearing
for abt 14 miles.
Mullins got quite out of touch w his Bn
in this fight & claimed to be in Auger Wd. on 1st day
[The follg, account is less
accurate, & covers / refusal protest of 2 offrs
xx against attacking near Cappy.]
Froissy Beacon attack
Aug 23.
After Lihons Bn ws
put back in Vaire for 6 days.
They were then ordered up to
be prepared to attack a pt o /
line to be notified later.
Moved up by March route
over fairly familiar ground,
21

& spent one night & / balance
o / next day at Hamilton Wd.
Spent rest o / day & next day
resting.
Moved off at 10 pm.  Night
of Aug 22 in support of 1st Bde -
& made as Rendeyvous St
Germaine's Wood.  Bn
reached this ½ hr before 1st
Bde started from their J.O.T.
The 9 Bn had no casualties
but / Germans put a straf
down on St G's Wood & the
other Bns lost a good deal.
9 Bn ws to pass thro 1st
Bde after 3rd objve taken & go
on to an unlimited objve.  In
consequence liaison ws maintained
betw 9 Bn & / 2 & 3 Bns.
22

All sorts of reports reached
Bn as to progress made
& news ws definitely recd
tt Bn wd go to assist 1st
Bde & pass it for its
unlimited objve.  Zero ws
2 p.m.
Bn left St Gs wd at
12 midday & on reaching
Luc Wd encountered a v.
heavy Germ. barrage of 8 in
& gas shells - a v. heavy
barrage indeed.
Lt C.H. Ryan showed
gt initiative by carefully
observing a break in /
barrage & got his pln
thro without a casualty.
23

Meeting this barrage
Coys were disorganised
to some extent but fortunaty
they got thro in time for
/ attack at Zero.
Capt N.G. Armstrong &
Lt C.H. Ryan were / first
to go to / attack closely
followed by / left line
Suppt Coy in / c of Capt
T.H. Farmer.
They got over Froissy
Beacon in one bound &
dug in on / line allotted
to 9 Bn.  From there our
barrage ws very good &
they were able to keep up
to it. (R.H.A.).
From there on it became
24

an individual operation.
G.H.Q had directed tt no
one ws to worry abt his
flanks.
The Bn consold. the other
side of Froissy ^for / night & rested
pending anor. advance.
Instns were recd from Bde
tt / whole line wd advance
& capture Olympia Wood &
xxxxx Earl's Wood.  This ws
on Aug 24.  This ws to be
at 4 p.m.  In / meantime
/ Germans had strengthened
their positns & got their
Arty settled.  The Coy
Commdrs misunderstood
the difficulties o / attack
& two of them reported to Bde tt
it ws an impossible feat,
25

owing to / rt flank of
3rd Division being well
in rear.  (They were not
men of gt experience).
The attack ws then postponed
till Aug 25. & these two O.Cs
COs. were relieved of
Command.
At 3 pm Aug 25. the
whole line advanced.
Olympia Wd ws Captd.
One Coy on / left under
Lt B.G. King took Cappy &
dug in on / outskirts to /
East.  This operatn resulted
in / capture of 5 - 77s &
many m.gs.
This day the official
Photographer Capt GH Wilkins ws
26

away out in front o /
infantry trying to get
snap shots of Germans
retreating.  (The Quarry wh
Wilkins Patrol ws with is
NE of Cappy - he wd be with
B Coy. under King).
Capt I. Farmer wd. at hop off but waited till after Froissy Beacon ws tn.
Lt Hamilton wd at hop off. Aug 23
Lt Bomford wd at hop off. Aug 23
Lt Avery wd. at hop off. Aug 23.
(All wd in / heavy shelling
at / start at Luc Wood).
27

[The follg acct Aug 23 - Sept 18. from Capt Chapman
is probably not very detailed
or accurate ] in
details]
Velleret:
9 Bn went back
from Cappy to Cerisy &
rested abt 2 [[- 3?]] wks.
They then went by bus to
Mt St Q. & rested there a
week.  They were then
warned for an attack
at v. short notice &
shifted to Tincourt.
Rested at Tincourt &
practised - the attack being
postponed once or twice.
On Sept 14 orders were
issued from Bde tt they wd
pass thro & capture 3rd
objve & proceed to / line of
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