Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200A/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 10

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066576
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Page 1 / 11

wou att 8.20 ld this weet fire fomaai him as he os pattin I men int Abt 10.30 am. CCoy under Gorgenson ordered to move up in close support o4Br. Te posite they took up ws just on our side there w gs there wyds & many deed ferms whshewed where the ferms defended 1 place to when 11Bn hopper over. te for 1 day - dyge into the f old trenches
task the in illi we hit No fighting Aug 11 C. Coy ws le it was. Abt g am BDX & Toys (back where 1Bn he of Igot orders to attack on pleft of 10 Bn. + 10 in this order ACoy to reft They had to getout straight the T.O.line D & I were
Thel d left idg of crepy word D Coy-going to I woo They went straight thro wood, without mopping up thro' Anger wood & beyond it to Iedge of Leher wood. There as mest, & our smoke Terman jas. It ws hard to see. D Coy kept touch with B Coy on their right, but to 11Bn on le 11 Ba t be found. Petrots were sent out to find thic To L.M. Keeling- 100 i over t stray N &cfind to Then be back came - se a
a li yds in left rear. The were between Anger & Crepy wood . This left a far S00 yds in line & Cn e ill in amediately in rear of 15 C TheseI there all Itime. Be ir t evidently got a thro to their people or tait a party tries to c t yon in B Coy had tried to sen runners back; but hese men getting back had met ng fire & dut had to get back by going ly round to ey
trenches, probl old pout line from S.W.Cox ner of Lihu wood away to of Auger wood & joinng 10Bn just E of Litons Village There were no ferms in Libe wood. Lyous there wandered this lold stumps it (like Delville wd) & -4 in Abt medday 1 were seen ettiny Cattack t t to the N. They a fi there it -n vill on a they to be Hers 6
By I way in wh 1 ferms this they knew where we were S. up to pties from outsede kept on to try & join them but very few in the gap. A lot were kor t 0w Exeatually most of the ferms in Angertod, got away through a bit of dead ground behind hospital. BCor rush 2dge ned t roty caupe Noy set then up after h 1Lyom Mr Lead we hit very Insheod wsh badly in Anger wood thso nedifi shoulder & tung by a carpes or ne Sandey ws ver cent up thyons ws Lond after takeo Coy them Escortin in 4 men of 10Bn came tt the line from Irear. He had be sent back w thei prisoners - So ferms coidwth dibat know where we were. He but to ran when he saw us but 3 men were to cut ts filled it Parties of 9 Bn under D Hamilton came tio T mopped up Anger to hepi Coy took w ws in old ferm in hospitel yds Nof An 4 of the they in This 3 of buts & mas the much a ed burn te
to to 1 Germa on 1 flats to IN (while as actuall comin tho, & of pties of 9Bn in itI same time came up A heavy artillery fire ws turned onte the jerms. & this up them Kelling at this time took a coaple of Lgs out & opened long ange fire on these ferm worked ne gan till he ws od by one of our own stell had seen mare from Verman in four way abt ae s A fern Coopl who
(ast 150) were ll to be knew of as He ws 21 Bar. Regt. (4Bar. Their Coys were not strong. A pasade state ws foum on a dead ffr. He had out brought 52 in in on leave) Ever ing w et afte to & thy were w night. t The Germ helling ws heavy on Ang rood - but not elsen Has. A loy on stracly 10Bn. starte te
the ere till they got thre positer ws village - wh ws across whole of their front they went thro Icentre o Lville Cros read 10Bn stopped in abt booyds beyond I village Atry alt Doyds behy tem dug in. Abt 100 an get touch, touch 8Bn abt the 1 a bu to thich the tanks in Ivillage It
late. The tanks the wer ditnt reach floziers on Abt 3 in 1 afternoon a number of germs were seen comin up in fill to 600 yds (Counry from 1 direc abt 50 were all 60pd the were stape told triches Ave oper onto Hill line. It ws very not for aged to get in w plaves fap sife
Cate CCoywere etter their objie filling Her tlo an efore 4 Macleod on Ayll an the first attack (Dloy) in twood. Capt. Batler we gassed, bad tho the wood on Augh. W Mackay we wd abt same time as Capt Forginsen but not with

jumped off from. Col. Elliott

ws ^wounded abt 8.20 a.m. just as Bn

reached this positn.  Indirect

fire from a mg. got him as he

ws putting / men into trenches.

Abt 10.30 am. C Coy under

Capt Jorgenson were ordered

to move up in close support

of 11 Bn.  The positn they took

up ws just on our side of

Crepy Wood.  There ws a line

of trenches m.gs. there every

few yds & many dead Germs

wh shewed where the Germs had

defended / place tt morning

when 11 Bn hopped over. The Coy

stayed there for / day - digging

into the xxxxx old trenches there.

89

 

Part o / Coy ws strafed by

only 5 casualties. Maj. Macpherson

took the Bn after Elliott ws hit.

No fighting tt day.

Aug 11th C. Coy ws left were

it was.  Abt 4 a.m. B D & A

Coys (back where 11 Bn had

hopped off) got orders to

attack on left of 10 Bn -

[diagram, see original document]

in this order. A Coy ws

supporting rt of 10 Bn w

8 Bn on their right.

They had to get out straight

away & reach the J.O. line

by 5 a.m.  D & B were

just about on / tape line

by 5 am, A Coy ws behind &

got in / barrage.

90

 

The left of D Coy went up the

left edge of Crepy Wood,

D Coy going thro' / wood.

They went straight thro /

wood, without mopping up -

thro' Auger Wood & beyond

it to / edge of Lihu Wood.

There ws mist, & our smoke,

& German gas.  It ws hard to

see.  D Coy kept touch with

B Coy on their right, but 

not with 11 Bn on left.

11 Bn cd not be found. Patrols

were sent out to find them.

Coy S.M. Keeling ws w ^one of these

patrols.  He went over 1000

yds straight to left (N.W.)

& cd find no one.  Then he

came back & made a second

91

 

patrol to left rear.

He found 11 Bn abt 800

yds in left rear.  The ^posts of 11 Bn

were between Auger & Crepy

Wood - This left a gap of

800 yds in / line & /

Germs still in Auger Wd

immediately in rear of B

& D Coys. These Germans

were there all / time. But

they evidently got a message

thro to their people outside

for a party tried to come

up & join them.

B Coy had tried to send

runners back; but these

men getting back had met

m.g. fire & cdnt had to get

back by going right round to the

S of Auger Wood.

92

 

 

The posts of 12 Bn were

just in some long French

trenches, (probly old front line)

from S.W. Corner of Lihu

wood away E of Auger

wood & joining 10 Bn

just E of Lihons Village.

There were no Germs in Lihu

wood.  Lyons & some others

wandered thro' / old stumps

of it (like Delville Wd) &

found no one in it.

Abt midday / Germs

were seen massing &

getting ready for c/attack

on / flat to the N. They

had a fine view there for

abt 3 miles to a village

on a rise wh they took

to be Vermandovillers but werent
93

 

94

By / way in wh / Germs acted after

this they knew where we were. Small

pties from outside kept on coming up to

try & join them but very few got

through the gap.  A lot were k or w.

Eventually most of the Germs in

Auger Wd. got away through a bit of

dead ground behind / hospital. B Coy

rushed a small post on / edge o / wood &

caught / corpl above mentioned & this probly

set them going out o / wood.

※ Lt. Lyons ^2 in/C of C. Coy, ws sent up after Lt

McLeod ws hit.  McLeod ws hit very

nastily in badly in Auger wood thro
shoulder & lung by a sniper or m.g.

Lyon ws Lt Sandeyie? ws very

done up.  Lt Lyons ws sent up to

take over D Coy then.  Imd after

he got up a German escorting

4 men of 10 Bn came into towds the line

from / rear.  He had bn sent back w

these prisoners so / Germs evidently

didnt know where we were.  He tried

to run when he saw us but 3 men were

sent to cut him off & he ws k. 

 

certain. Messages had bn

sent back to Bn asking

for someone to fill / gap -

& C Coy now came in 

& filled it. ※

Parties of 9 Bn under

Lt Hamilton came thro &

mopped up Auger Wood.

The positn C Coy took up

ws in / old German

hospital abt 300 yds N of

Auger & Crepy Wood - the

hospital ws just S of the 

rd & they were in it. This

ws a hospital of huts & marquees 

when C. Coy drove / Germs

out of it (Germs were seen

getting out of it) the Germs set

fire to as much as they

cd of it & burnt some o / 

95

 

marquees & stores.

Word ws sent back to say

tt / Germans were massing

on / flats to / N (while C Coy

ws actually coming thro, &

mopping up pties of 9 Bn

at / same time came up)

A heavy artillery fire ws

turned onto the Germs. & this

smashed them up.  Kelling

at this time took a couple of

L.Gs out & opened long range

fire on these Germs & worked

one gun till he ws wd by

one of our own shells.  These

Germans had bn seen marching

up in fours from Vermandovillers

way abt an hr before (11 am).

A german corpl who ws captd

^in / wood sd tt 8 Coys of his regt had bn

96

 

told off to defend Lihons hill

& tt / few left in / wood

(abt 150) were all tt he knew

of as remaining. He ws

21 Bav. Regt. (4 Bav. Divn).

Their Coys were not very

strong. A parade state ws found

on a dead offr. He had only

brought 52 men of his Coy

in. (Many of these men were

on leave).

Everything ws quiet after

tt & they were relieved by 1st

Bde tt night.  The German

shelling ws heavy on Auger

& Crepy Wood - but not elsewhere

- with HE & Gas.

A Coy on rt went straight

thro behind 10 Bn. The advance

was very fast.  They started thro'
97

 

the wood with rt flank on 

/ left o / road.  The 8 Bn

were not seen till they got

thro onto their positn. It

ws very misty. The A Coy

struck no Germans in /

village - wh ws across / whole

of their front - they went thro

/ centre o / village crossing

/ road. 10 Bn stopped in / open

abt 600 yds beyond / village

& A Coy abt 20 yds behind

them dug in.  Abt 10 am.

going round to get touch, touch

ws obtained w 8 Bn abt

200 yds to / right - the fog in 

/ early morning had bn too thick

to see any one but they had

bn there. Lt. Glozier didnt see

the tanks in / village - he wd

98

 

have bn bound to see them if

they had worked thro / village

but they were late.  The tanks

didnt reach Glozier's position on

/ rt.

Abt 3 in / afternoon a

number of Germs were seen coming

up in file to within abt 600 yds

(coming from / direct front - abt 50 were

seen in full marching order. 60pdrs

were turned onto them & they were stopped

in / old trenches.

[Diagram- see original document]

Abt 3 p.m.  3 of our arty planes

came over & saw the men there & put

down our 60 pdrs onto Hill 101 & most o /

line. It ws very hot for 3 mins but they

managed to get into Commn w / planes w

flag signals & got it turned off.
99

 

 

(Aug 11)  Capt Jorgenson wd abt

midday when C coy were
[*late (*]
(getting to their objve filling /

gap.  He carried on & got C Coy

organised in positn before going out.

Lt. Macleod, wd on Aug 11 in

(the first attack (D Coy) in / wood.

[*early {*]

Capt Butler ws gassed, badly, going

thro' the wood on Aug 11.

Lt Mackay ws wd abt /

same time as Capt Jorgenson

but not with him.
100

 

 

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