Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200A/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 9

old British outpost
line was. Lt Elliott ws
badly wd (C. Coy, abt
in / centre) ws wd there
in / thigh. He died later
at Tincourt. The fire
here caused a number
of casualties, grazing
the hill top.
When Caution dugouts
were taken the left ws
able to get on to its objve
just on / cross roads S
of Villeret.
Lt Beasley & Colvin
made their HQrs in
Caution Dugouts. There they
found some stretcher bearers
(it ws a big dugout w 4
Entrances) wh had bn used as
79

an Advanced Dressing
Stn - Beasley cd talk
French & the Germs told
him they had bn in 11 days
- didnt know when they
were to be relieved - &
didnt have / least idea
we were going to do an
attack.
After this they 11 Bn had to
take over the Bde front
in the old British front
line, supporting 9 & 10;
12 Bn took extended to
left to take over / whole
line in the first objective.
The 11 Bn had its line in the
80

original British front
line with outposts in
front.
That night German
planes came over &
bombed & shelled the
left with 5.9 & 8in.
11 Bn remained there
2 days & on 21 Sept
reld 9 Bn in / front
line overlooking Bellicourt
just this side of Quarry
wood. It ws a good line
to hold w abt 6 lines
of old trenches and first
rate observation. 
11 Bn ws here 4 days
& ws relieved by 30^th
American Division. This
ws carried out very well indeed -
81

One American Company
relieved the 11 Bn.
72 in an American Pln
relieved Grahams Company
of 49.
This ws / best fight the
11 Bn ever had.
During / last 4 days
patrols went out 600- 800
yards without getting to /
Germans. By their flares
they were abt 800 yds away.
The Germans had gone back
to the main Hindenbg line
& had only outposts out in
front only at night - they
cd be seen carrying their
guns out at dusk. None
of their patrols at all were
met.
82

The relief ws quiet. Grahams
Coy ws just clear of Hqrs
when the Germs put down
a heavy barrage.
As they were going
thro Roisel a group of
6 officers had several bombs
dropped right ahead &
behind them by a Gotha
flying low – it ws a very
bright moonlight night
& / plane cd see them.
The pty ws riding down /
road. The Bn a bit to /
rt coming out across
country cd see this big
plane in / moonlight
passing. Maj. Darnell (the C.O)
(D.S.O) & Lieut Archibald adjt
were both killed. A piece of
83

bomb went thro Darnell's
heart - Archibald died
within an hour.
They were / two last
men k. in the 11^th Bn -
They were buried with
Lt Elliott & Capt Halahan
at Tincourt - all original
men in the 11 Bn.
Darnell left as Lieut. Landing
(the last original officer - his
father was a C of E ^Army chaplain
in Ireland & Darnell had
bn in / Munster Fusiliers
- & had bn 3 yrs in Australia -
as an area officer).
Hallahan ws a m.g.
Sergt at / landing (11 Bn)
Elliott ws an original 12 Bn
man (from WA).
84

Archibald ws a pln
Sergt at / landing, a 
school teacher in W.A.
Elliott ws an architect.
(Elliott had sketched / Xmas
card of / Bn for / year with
Col Neumann) who went home
just before / Villeret
show).
Hallahan ws an
amalgamator on the
Oroya Brown Hill mine.
(info of the Amalgam in / mill).
On Halahan's grave ws
put up by / men & they
put up a very fine cross, &
on it "Loved by all".
Only these 4 offrs were lost
at Villeret - & all killed.
11 men k & abt 60 wd.
85

86
Pozieres
23/7/16.
Diagram - see original document.
After getting a good deal further
in / first rush (some of them) & then
coming back on being isolated.
At Pozieres part of 11 & 9^th
Bn on right got into a straight trench (AB)
(supposed to be its objective) enfiladed by
O.G.1. The men there under a Sergt of the 
11 Bn, the dug a small trench parallel to OG1
to stop / enfilade ^piling up / parapet as high as they cd. Abt 40 to 60 men were there. The Germs
shot at them from Z & S w m.gs. & bombed them from in front.
Abt 3 am. / Germans cd be seen w fixed bayonets in OG1 preparing

87
to attack. The men in / straight trench A-B cd
see them also, & started throwing Mills bombs also
wh fell into our trench, XY. By morning /
greater part of this party ws dead - the Sergt
says tt there were only 2 left of a party of 40. This
may be an exaggeration. Anyway we had to leave
XY. No officer ws there. He handed over to a 
Pioneer officer about A (?) in / morning.

12 Bn
Lihous.
Aug 10 started at
5 a.m. from Harbonnieres,
having come up from Vaire /
day before, & from Poulainville
/ day before tt. (Aug 8).
(Debussed at Poulainville 
at 3 am having detained at
Hangest on 7^th).
They got a few hours
sleep at Harbonnieres after
12.30 am & moved at 5,
supporting 11 Bn.
11 Bn when they hopped 
off were abt 600 yds behind on
the X roads by the house wh had
bn a dressing stn.
After 11 Bn jumped off 12 Bn
advanced to / positn 11 Bn had.
88