Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/202/1 - September - October 1918 - Part 5

reconnaissance their O.Cs.

took them into the trench system

400yds W. of it.

Ruddock  D |     Theforming

MacIntyre B |    The Coys had bn

Findlay      C |     instrd to go independently

Foster        A |     to a

positn in Grub Lane just E

of Guillemt Fm where they

were to assemble.

C picked up D just S

of Duncan post & both realised

at / same time tt something

ws wrong & both Coys were

deployed there on / left o /

Rd in shell holes.  Americans

were seen coming back there

& / troops were getting

casualties.  The Americans

were coming back in small pties

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without offrs.  They sd they had
lost their offrs ; & / N.C.Os
didnt know what to do w
them.  It ws on / left they
were coming back - not /
right.  There were nos. of
disabled tanks - 6 or 7 all
together - big tanks - in rear
of Duncan Post.  Some o / tanks
on our reverse slope were
hit by arty fire & not
blow up by mines.  The C.6.
there asked Findlay & Ruddock
where the other 2 Coys were;
They had gone forwd towds Gillmt.
Fm by then.
Bn ws out of touch with
Bde - to show / difty of keeping
touch, at 2 p.m. Bn got by
runner a notificatn to Bde Hqrs
wd open at Bony at 9.15 a.m.
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All the following units such
as Bde, etc. piled up agst
/ American Divn like trucks
in a train smash.  The arty
were getting casualties from
indirect m.g. fire (possibly
direct) coming over / slope
o / hill as the infy passed
thro them.
D & C Coys, in acc. w
decision of C.O.s 40 & 39., to push
on, crossed the Sunken Rd in 18 A & C.
(where there were a good number of Americans)
Got into trenches E of this abt vale street -
D filed out - still under cover
of the hill.  Lt Bodens Coy Pln
first xx moved in extended
order half left down to Willow
trench (wh became left of Bn.)  Then
Lt Lawrence's Pln ws sent to /
same place & got into Willow trench also.
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(There were only 2 plns in the
Coy).  They occupied from S of
Grub Lane to Lowland Post.
C Coy folld 10 mins
after D as they had bn doing
all / time - they took up a
positn in broken ground under
cover of the Guillemont Hill,
& 11 pln.  (Lt Parry) went forwd
& got into trenches forming part o /
front line between B & D.
[*D
C
B
A*]
No 12 pln - Lt F Lakin - ws
ordered to go to the trench abt F 12
D 8.4 to 8.8.  This ws
because so many Americans
He ws sent there to Cover
the Macquincourt Valley
& protect / flank - He managed
to reor got down a trench
leading left to / knoll.  Lots of
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Americans were in tt trench &
they were also coming back
up / valley.  L. cd see tt
if he got his men in this
trench it wd only make more
congestion.  So he put his
out in shell holes in front -
& then went back to /
Americans in / trench & told
them to stay there & organised
them.  There were some English
troops.  There.  The Americans
were with plenty of Ammn
but sitting down doing nothing;
L. got them up.  The Germs were
not in tt trench - more down by
towd Lowland Post.
These Americans were in
/ S. part of Fag trench, S. of
Island.
Lowland Traverse.
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Meantime Lt Parry had got
in x dugouts near Gillemont Fm
abt 20 Germans & sent them
back.
A & B were already
(where marked on my map)
just W of / Fm in / Fm
system.  The German ws
occupying G. Fm at this time
& ws using m.gs. from there.
C & D had a lot of mg. fire,
v. heavy, in getting into
this positn, from German
guns close by.  They had
some casualties.
At this time the Germs
were reported to be bombing
up from / left (Lowland Post way)
& also from / Support Line
of the Hindg Outpost System.
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Lt Lakins pln had bn handed
over to D Coy.  Capt.
Ruddock sent him forwd
to reinfce so tt these Germs
cd be stopped.  Lt Bowden Boden
on first reaching Willow
trench having gone on to
reconnoitre found /
Germs bombing up from
Grub lane into Willow trench
agst / Americans there.
B. started the bombed the
Germs himself & drove them
out & then went back
for his pln.  He brought
the pln along overland
to / head of Grub lane -
& got them in & ws out
of / trench again when he ws
shot & died of wounds tt night
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or next day.  Ruddock
& the Official Photographer
had bn in Will just behind
Willow trench when at this
time.  This ws betw 9 & 10 am.
(Lawrence followed Bowden
then).  There ws a lot
of bombing in this trench
& altho a number of
mules had bn lost they 40 Bn
managed to get up a lot
of ammn & bombs - &
supplied our own men &
/ Americans.
The Germs trenches were held
without a block as it ws
thought we were going on -
The Germs made several
bombing attacks up Grub Lane.
& also down  When Lawrence
arrived / Germans had bn
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driven down Grub Lane.
L. went down Willow trench
to left & as he got further
/ more packed / Americans
became, many being wd until
you cd scarcely move in / trench.
The Germs were bombing these
Americans up from / other
side.  A pty of Americans
a few minutes before had broken
from / trench & were shot w m.gs.
This constantly happened.  On /
knoll Americans cd be seen
retiring up / knoll, stopping
now & then to fire & being chased
out w m.gs.  Bomb fights
were going on here & there
up / knoll & / germs. gradually
got established up there & began so as almost
to enfilade our positn - but not
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quite.  L. went down to /
extreme left o / Americans.
Later he found 2 offrs but they
werent doing anything & no one
seemed in charge.  They had very
few bombs, & m.gs. were in
bottom of trench - (2 V. guns).  These
2 guns he got out & got into
positn.  The left o / Americans
ws just at 7. D 6.7 near
the trench junction.  L. got all /
walking wd out & organised
/ remaining 100 americans along
/ front.
At this stage Lt. Lakin
brought down his pln to
the left & formed a bombing
pty & drove / Germs back
& blocked / trench - Sergt Braid ws
w him.  This settled / left flank
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