Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/202/1 - September - October 1918 - Part 4

ws dealt w almost wholy
by Arty. (Maj Glover. DSO
& Capt Davies had moved
fowd w Bn H.Q. & were
in tel. commn.) Their
guns had bn registered  on /
rd. & w a short lift got onto
these people.
There had bn telephone
commn from / Germs to their
bty also – & when our attack
began his 2 whizzbangs got
on at once. (The telephone ws held).
A Coy reached / rd
N.of B Coy. (abt 5 yds W o /
rd on left of B. Abt 7 men
were wd there by bombs from
across / rd & this post had
to be withdrwn but / post
ws held till withdrawn for
our barrage. later in / day

31

when / field guns covered them.
Abt 5 pm. as reinfts
cdnt be sent up & their Coys
were weak & unsupported –
& arty fire had bn refused on
Feuillect wh ws uncertain,
it ws decided to withdraw
both Coys to the J.O.T.  E of.
Zombo trench. A barrage
from the attached field guns
ws arranged – also as signal
for Coys to come out – (they
were informed). This ws carried
out aft 5 p.m.
Shortly after instrns were
recd from Bde for / whole of
Bde trooops to work forwd to /
rd. 
diagram -see original
A Coy ws then
sent forwd & reoccupied / positn
32
 

& B Coy ws held in suppt.
A Coy covered / Knob. They
stayed there till / advance
pty of 43 w Maj Ferguson came
to Bn H.Q. at 10 pm. On
hearing / situatn, Ferguson
sd it ws not intended to
take over on / rd _∧ owing to obscurity but
they wd assemble in / Gully
A Coy ws then withdrawn
abt 2 a.m.
On Aug 30 B Coy wh had bn
support Coy of 38 Bn. recd
orders (at / Bank W of Clery)
to go forwd & look for a lost Coy
of 37Bn in Clery.)
McIntyre sent one pln Under
Rattray to work round N of Clery
& the other Pln w Hqrs & Lt
Walters round / rt. Hqrs tried
 33

to work down / centre of / village
but had to come to / rt & go
w Walters. The oppositn ws
all from / E o / village. The
left Pln first met fire abt
in Elen Alley abt ¾ way along
/ village. They lay up & sent on
Scouts. The rt pln as soon as
it got over / bank ^ at the start came under
heavy m.g. fire. There were
4 m.gs. &70 odd Germs in
/ house N. of Omiect Bridge.
Also 4 or 5 near Bargealley
abt 80 yds N of / Str. Point (in
/ house). Also a m.g. on each
side of river at / bridgeheads.
The Germs probly got back into
Clery durg / night.  Also mgs
from / trenches further E.
Half Pln  & Hqrs were
casualties by / time they got
 34

a little way into / village
They tried drains, mounds –
everywhere he stopped then. He
sent out scouts to pick them up
but cdnt. The Germs sent up
S O S from /  Str.pt. N o / Bridge
& put down a heavy barrage
in / village. The Scouts located
/ Strong Pt; Pte Oates did well
in this scouting – he also
spotted / m.g. on either side
of / river.
McI.  then pu sent
back to / Brigadier (as ordered
– under 37 Bn) for a barrage.
This came down v. quick &
good. Under tt they advanced
to / rd N & S. at the E end o / 
village. Our barrage ^had stopped
then & Fritz's started – but
his ws just over.  They were then
35
 

6 C 8 . 2.  McI. reinforced
Rattray  – who ws now
fairly close on / rt – w some
men (they had all bn crawling
on their stomachs getting
up close). Rattray rushed
the post - (bewt. 11am & 12 am.)
They got / post in I house –
the Camp Commndt of Clery ws
there; & some big dugouts.
Abt where the Coy lay
up before / ^last charge were a
Coy of 38 Bn. Some prisoners
were found abt there next mg.
also.  B Coy consold. there.
Between 1 & 2 pm. / Germs
put up a small c/attack
but it ws wiped out by our
mgs & captd Germ m.gs
The c/attack came in single file
up / Sunken Rd E from the Post.

36
 

At 1.30pm  A Coy came up
& supported them. The whole
aftn they were firing on Germans
in Berlingot and / trenches around
it.   Lt Walters ws wd there
& / same bullet K. the
British arty offr who ws
there.
Towards dusk the 20
Bn came thro Elen Alley
 & got touch
A Coy on reaching B Coys
Hqrs got orders to push out
& estab. posts on / far side
o / gully.  McI McM. went
forwd w a Corporal & Captd
certain posts – the m.g. fire
ws too heavy to allow the
men forward so they went
alone – there were 6 m.gs.
(3 on the rt of the sunken rd 12B 7.7.
37
 

/ on / left o / rd,  & 2
abt 80yds further left.
McM ws going down Barge
Alley (a corpl followed him as
he went – Cpl Dale) He got
across / gully & then saw /
shiney tops o Germ helmets
in / rd.  McM. got D. to
throw a bomb & directed (by shouting)
the L. gunners at / Strong Point
how to fire. And then rushed
the m.g. on / rt o / rd (in 
a shell hole improved). There
were 2 guns pointing / opposite
way.  They threw stick grenades
at M as he came forward. He
fired & hit 2 – & just as he
ws within 10yds an 8 in
shell burst on / far side of
them & K. several Germs &
probly frightened them. They put
38

their hands up. 8 & 2 guns
were left.)  They sent these prisoners
back & then rushed / m.g.
on / left. When they saw
the two coming the Germs
ran & M. fired & hit 
one in  / leg. McM. looked
at him & / Germ. ws s  sent
him off. The Germs shot
this prisoner w a m.g.  The
Germs left /  other guns also as
soon as they saw them coming.
2 of these guns were brought
in by Sergt Billing & put in
a post tt night.
McM.  went back, brought
the Coy up, & estabd / outposts
from St Gond trench tn across
Barge Alley to /  river Bank.
The 28 Bn came thro later.
39
 

These posts wd be 6 D 6 . 2 to due
Southwards
40 Bn Bony
Deployment to be N.
end of Canal; Starting point
to be Prospect Hill.  Route
(must  / one we followed) – ( N. of 
Blue Rd).
They ran into m.g. fire
& casualties abt F 17 centl
(where we did).

Decided (after Confce w
Henderson) to push on over
/ crest int Vale St (Rd.
running down Valley).
A & B Coys had run into
m.g.  fire & were just short of
Guillemont Fm – after a short
40