Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/203/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 1

AWM 38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/203/1

Title: Notebook, August - October 1918

Includes references to the 58th Battalion and

3rd Division, Flamicourt, the Americans,

Bellicourt, Bray and the disbandment of units.

AWM38-3DRL606/203/1

Original  DIARY NO. 203.

AWM38   3 DRL 606  ITEM 203 [1]

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C .E. W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms 

of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  But, apart from those terms, I wish the

following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every

reader and writer who may use them.

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be

true.  The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what

was then in the writer's mind.  Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;

also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not

follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when

discovered.  Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what

their author, at the time of writing, believed.  Further, he cannot, of course, vouch

for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he

did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had

seen or otherwise taken part in the events.  The constant falsity of second-hand

evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed

upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that

those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true.  All

second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

16 Sept., 1946.    C. E. W.BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

ACCESS STATUS 

OPEN

58 Bn. 8 Aug.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

I O led them to positn on /

tapes.  Had to wait an

hour.  The Germ. put down

a very weak barrage after

the hop over - the counter preparation
did nt affect this Bn.

On way up to J.O. at

Warfusee 58 Bn struck a

few isolated posts missed

by 2 Divn.  wh gave no trouble.

Just before getting to

position for Jump off S. of

Warfusee they struck a heavy
1

barrage wh seemed to be

the firing off by Germs of

their ammn before getting

away.  The mist ws gone

by then.  58 Bn. ws just

coming up.  This barrage

lasted ½ hr ^(they cd see the guns & / men working them) tanks were

then coming up.  The tanks

formed so many w each

pln Coy.  The Coys were

reorganised. The Road

whe from V/B Rd to B/villers

ws a good guide & the

Coys kept their directn

well.  Warfusee cd also

be seen, & B/Villers directly

ahead.  [These were taken

afterwds.]

2

Bn started w a screen

of scouts -

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

The 18 Pdrs were right up w / Bn and / moment

Bn started they put in a heavy barrage - this

helped / tanks enormously agst / German guns imd.

ahead.  Arty galloping up in heavy barrage just before this move off ws a v. fine sight.

As 58 came to Bayonvillers

they went straight for it with

2 tanks.  Lt Stevenson, I.O. of

Bn - ws bringing 2 prisoners

round the corner when he

met a tank wh shot him

by mistake (wd). The Germans

put up a scrap in a few places

& a good many were killed.

Abt 90 prisoners were taken

mostly out of cellars.

Two The Coys worked right thro'

the village, one down / main

3

street & / other up the street

from W.  They were not held

up in / village.

After passing B/v. it

ws easy going after 59 to.

outskirts of Harbonnieres.

58 Bn dug in there w left

flank on Crucifix while 59

went thro.  Stayed there

for night in support to 59.

After digging in / Germans

opened up w arty.

The Cavalry came up

after 58 had bn thro B/v

& passed along the Harbonnieres.

side. Rd S. of the town.

The Cavalry took a

train of reinfts with 300 prisoners

near Harbonnieres - Not /

same as tt w / big gun.

4

The Cavalry came back again

& camped abt dusk just

betw 58 Bn & Harbonnieres,
(others in rear).

[The 15 Bde had taken the

outskirts of Guillancourt N

o / rly, & ^advd. Report Centre of Hqrs ws near

the chimney, when the

Canadian Cavalry charged

/ town.  They gathered in a

dip just S.E. of Wiencourt.

Then they charged / town

Straight - in two rather rough

lines w a reserve massed

further back.  The fire ws too

heavy & as they reached /

town they wheeled off to /

rt & back into / dip to

reform [Canadian Infy ws

lying down just S W of Wiencourt

5

waiting for this attack.  The

Can. Cavalry went at

it 3 times at least - &

the third time / tanks

were coming up round /

S. Side o / village - then

/ Germs began to clear out

of it & / Cavalry &

tanks came thro trying

to catch them up.  Within an hour

the Canadian arty ws in action just N of Rly E of Guillancourt

The 15 Bde HQrs

in the Factory. N of rly there

found an elaborate German

signal stn & took a number

of the personnel prisoner].

Supply tanks came to 58 Bn

on objve abt once with supplies,

food, bully wire picks, shovels etc.

Av. fair wire entanglement

ws put down at once along / front.

of 58 Bn. 

6

Aug 9.

Next day 58 Bn moved up

thro 59 Bn. abt 8 a.m.  As

they came thro 59 on outskirts

of village they came under

a v. heavy barrage of 5.9,

4.2 & all sorts & heavy

m.g. barrage.  They took cover in

the old Amiens line for a little

while.  Reconnoitring pties

were sent out from there.

These pties went out under

gt difficulties - there ws

a regular m.g. barrage -

& the parties also lost heavily.

There ws a heavy m.g.

barrage coming from the Copse of

Saplings & from the German DHQ

at 24 B 7.7 (?)  The patrols had

a lot of difficulty getting to /

Sunken rd by / Rly stn at

7

Harbonnieres.  From there

the Germans were seen

moving thro / Copse, & up

from certain low bldgs beyond

it - towds / rly stn.

It ws then tt 58 Bn

decided tt / only thing to do

ws to advance w short

sectional rushes w covering

fire.  Then we started these

rushes & had advanced abt

150 yds when / German

morale gave & they began

to run. our L.gs then got onto

them & they lost v. heavily -

dead Germs every where.

As soon as 58 saw them

retiring 58 advanced at /

double firing at / retiring

Germs till they our men got to

8