Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/201/1 - August - December 1918 - Part 2

Book No. 201

Pages 2-7
37 Bn at Clery Copse

(From Lt. H. E. Bean)
 

Berlingott trench ^at / point where
they got into it; & C.
under Lt Cox ^x & Willis

[*(later captured)*]
got thro / Germs on /
S. side o / wood & into
the Copse.  There were
Germs on either side of
A Coy in Berlingott.
Later C Coy had to
get back out of / wood,
seeing they were cut off,
& had no commn w 21 Bn
wh ws to have been on 
their right.  They came back
into Berlingott & stayed
there all day.

Later C Coy

moved forward again
into a white mound

on / right – A Coy

Diagram- See original  document
9

tried to get back but couldnt.
They were cut off by m.g. fire
from all sides as soon as
they moved.
Diagram- See original  document.

Then a Bn of 2 Div
approached from 
rt of C Coy &
cleared the
Germs. out of
the trench on rt
of C Coy.
(Probly this wd be
Avion trench).  The positn reached
by 2 Divn enabled them
to keep down / fire from
Clery Copse wh ws worrying
both Coys.  A Coy then
came out – only 8 men
left.  Capt Towl ws with
A Coy – later got D S.O. for
10 

this fight.
34 Bn ws on the left.
Towl had a number
of prisoners – & stuck to 
them all day.  At times
they looked nasty – Towl
ws using these Germans
against / other Germs in 
/ trenches around – they
offered to protect a messenger
of his across country but
were k. ( as well as / messenger)

by / Germs.
Maloney of 40 Bn
came up tt day w one Coy
to try & relieve A Coy
but cdnt get to them
tho' a few of the 40 Bn
got right to the German trench
on / edge of / copse. They
 11

were trying to rush / trench
on / edge o / copse when
Mahoney ws k.
Diagram- see original document.
B Coy tt night came up &
occupied the trench .  A had bn
in & went further into a drain.
39 Bn attacked in front
in / morng & 38 on their
right went thro on rt
flank.
The barrage ws v. good –
B Coy ^(37) ws in / trench under it –
not having got / notice to withdraw.

But 39 had a long way to go.
 12

39 Bn Clery
33 Bn attacked on left
thro Road wood; 39
attacked from Berlingott
trench N. of Clery Copse –
tt ws / line for commencement
of attack but actual start
was far abt 500 yds short
of it in order to allow our

heavy barrage to come down
on the trenches ahead incl.
Van trench.
Col. Henderson had
rejoined the Bn. just / evg before.
He ws agst attacks on this
scale without arty support. He
at once went down to Bde ( he
had bn thro' Suzanne & Bray &
Ravenback  Maj. Payne 40 Bn
ws temporarily in charge.  Payne
13

&  Prentice were wd by a shell
on Aug 30 in early aftn. Ger
Col. Henderson, who probly had
heard tt something ws on, came
up in / evg just in  time to go
to a confce at Bde at 7 pm.
[While he ws away Lt LeFebre
Le Febre ( Murray Wood) ws
k. & his Coy Hqrs all buried by
a shell].  At tt confce Col.
Henderson asked for a barrage.
artillery support  – a bombardment
of the forward areas near our
trenches. It ws then arranged to 
withdraw / troops ( the B Coy
37 under Lt Anderson didnt get
/ message).  The bombt had
kept / Germs quiet for a few
mins.  But as 39 went over
a very heavy m.g. fire opened

on them from Van trench between
 14

Road Wood & Acaries Alley.
There were a few Germs still
in Clery Copse.  There were
also m.gs. from Van Trench
betw Acaries & / Copse.
Lt Garrard ws killed
as 39 went over towds
this part of / trench & Capt
P. L. Smith M. C. ws
mortally wd.
Lt Crolty
& Lt Overton were wd.
Sergt Walters ( of Garrard's Coy)
with a Cpl of 38 Bn worked
up Acaries Alley & 
got up Northwards along
Van trench. With bombs & 
shooting they cleared tt trench
to Road Wood – a large no
of Germs were K in this
 15

trench.  They got 12 m.gs.
They got touch with 33 Bn
there.
This helped the rest of 
/ line forward ( it ws /
highest part of / line.)
They worked back &

down Acaries Alley to its

jn. w Gassard trench.
There they met an offr of 
33 Bn & a few men & he
asked if they had any
bombs.  They sd they had
one.  He told them to 
work up N. up Gassand
trench;  & they did so, reaching
as far as / Sunken Rd
in 20 C & 26 A.  While
doing this they put out by
 16

rifle fire  / crew of a bty
of 77s which they worked
up from / flank.
Across / rd they got
touch again with 33 Bn
West of the Bapaume Rd.
in 20 C/D.
In / meanwhile the
right had gone forward
to  Gassand trench to Zombo,
Hersfeld, & Gothmosis
trench.
As they went over
the Germs in Clery Copse
had got up behind them &
were sniping their S/Bs w
m.gs. & rifles.  B Coy o /
37 Bn ^some of whom had got into
seen this went over into
17