Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200A/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 5

There was supposed to be
a barrage at 2 p.m. but it
did not really start till 4 pm.
11 Bn moved up into Luc
Wood.
Capt xx Tullock & Lt Gandy who
were near Chuiquolles sent a
report tha which reached 12 Bn HQrs
tt they were held up by mg.
fire from Froissy & Chuiquolles
& required / support of tanks.
The tanks were not available
- they had got knocked out
& were burning near Luc
Wood. A barrage was
specially arranged to be
put down on Froissy Beacon
& / ridge S of it & / yard.
Our 18 pdrs & 6 in Lows put
39
 

down this barrage abt 4 pm.
[In / morning, while 3 Bde
ws in / Sunken Rd & 1st Bde
ws finishing its fight, the
a brigade of 18 pdrs, R.H.A.
galloped up into action
on the reverse side of a
pimple about 50 yds in front
of / rly on / top o / hill above
Luc Wood. They ran their guns
up there & waited to support
the 2 p.m. attack. They were under
direct observation & m.g.
fire there. They came in very
finely & were ready to support
/ troops as they moved over
Froissy Beacon. These guns
waited until 4 pm to open up.
When they opened then / Germ got
40

onto them immediately with
arty - until he was cleared
of Froissy Beacon by 11 Bn.]
The arty came down
at 4 p.m. The 11 Bn had
to support / 12 Bn thro
Chuignolles until they reached
the xxxx far slope below
?Garenne Germaine Wood & then turn
N W & work along / slope o /
hill towds / river so as
to clear / way for 9Bn
wh ws following advancing on the left sector.
In the Gully ws a rly yard
full of small bldgs & stacks
of timber ^& materiel, w many m.g. nests.
One offr took 30 Germs & 2 m.gs.
out of one o / huts in / valley.
dexis There were a number of
41
 

m.g. nests on / hillside
opposite where there were
a quarry, several folds, huts,
stacks of timber etc giving lots
of cover. The same two Coys
Tullock on left, & Norrie on / rt
lept: xxxxxxxx Lt Norrie covering
Capt Tullock by keeping
on his right along / crest.
9Bn came up under in
close formation & did
not open into arty formatn
till they got to Square Wood.
The 2 Coys of 11 Bn then stopped
on Froissy Beacon - 9 Bn
passing thro towds Cappy &
Square Wood. The 9 Bn
got past Square wood but
came under direct arty fire
& tt night they came back to
42
 

the line where 11 Bn ws
holding at Froissy Beacon.
In the morning Maj. Phillips
going up, as 11 Bn ws for
in same positn as 9^th, withdrew
the 11^th to take up the further
task wh it ws then set.
These two Coys very much
depleted were now withdrawn
to xxx a support positn
close under the brow o /
hill a little S.W. of Froissy
Beacon. (Aug 24).
Orders now came out for the
10 Bn Stunt. 10 were to pass
through the 9
This day a mine laid by /
Germs went up. He had a
dump of 77s shell in / valley
43
 

9^th Bn had its aid
post abt 150 10 yds from the
dump of shells in a German
log hut. During / day /
German shell dump blew up
with a mine & 6 men in
the 9 Bn aid post & 2 horses
were killed. (The Coal x
dump ^150 yds away had bn set on fire
by our barrage. The valley was
a warm place all day).
[From here on Maj. Phillips acct.
- acting C.O at time].
On Aug 24 Maj Phillips
ws ordered to get in touch
w Col. Neligan & cooperate
w him in advancing -
10 Bn & 11 Bn advancing thro
9 Bn & 12 Bn. Zero ws fixed
at 9 8 p.m. It ws then found
44
 

that 11 Ba cd nt be in
positn by 8 pm. & Zero
ws altered to mid night.
At 10.30 p.m. an
order came from Bde cancelling
the attack w instrns to
relieve 12 Bn in / front line.
This ws done without incident
except tt 10 prisoners were
brought in - / night ws so
dark & rainy tt they had
lost their way. A hot meal
ws taken up & served to /
troops in / front line at 12.30
p.m. There as no rum, &
2 cases of whiskey were sent
up by C.O. From 2 a.m. ^on 24^th till
12.30 next night they had bn
moving & scrapping & were
very tired.
45
 

The line of 12 Bn ran
on our side of Olympia wood
but not far away from it.
Abt 2.30 a.m. C. Coy
11 Bn. (Lt Graham) while reconnoitring
in front of / line came on a m.g.
post in a trench. He had 3 men
w him. He finished them ^the Germs w
bombs & bombed up 700 yds
of trench running due E. & W.
All our bombs had run out
& they used German Stick bombs
for doing this. A bomb stop ws
put in & a post made & /
trench held. (Graham got a bar
to his M.C. for this individual
effort). At 10.30 a.m. an advance
o / whole line ws made, over
/ top & went orwd 3000 yds
finishing at 12.30 noon. This
46

advance ws in conjunctn
with 10 Bn wh had bn
postponed. The dispositns
were B Coy on / rt
                   ↑                B Norrie
    ____         _______    ______
         A              C             (23 men)
L^t Charles L^t Graham
D Coy ws in support.
They were cut abt be m.g. fire
& 77s. The advance ^(wh ws made by covering fire gn by platoons) ws held
up by heavy m.g. fire from /
sugar factory near Dompierre
(S.W. o / village) & a m.g. post
west of Dompierre. Artillery suppt
ws called for & after 2 rounds
were fired on /Sugar Factory
abt 30 Germs w m.gs - were
seen to run out o / Factory towd
Dompierre. (They evidently cut
across / rd into a trench there)
47
 

After a meal the advance
ws continued till finally held
up by m.g. fire from A B & C
Hand drawn diagram – see original
We they put down
arty fire on
A. B & C. We
worked out to XYZ.
Listening posts
were put out to ^J, S & T. Orders came
for / relief this night & the
trench ws consolidated so tt
it cd be handed over.
48