Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/203/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 5

41
left the Le Catelet line. The
53 Bn came up there Bellicourt,
along the tunnel bank, onto
the Le Cat line in 28 B, then
N. Abt 22 B central
they began to fight. Three times

they attacked - the line
waving backwds & forwds
3 times; & then they knocked
the Germs out & got along.
When they reported meeting
w no oppositn an order
came along which practically
meant tt left of 58 ws
to stand fast & the rt swing
forward to a line NW-SE
& then attack NE. This
was without barrage. 5 58
got up to 24 B. central -

42
close to the canal. The

Germs put down a very
heavy shell fire from Beaurevoir Line & 58 lost
all its offrs exc. 3 or 4
Also mg fire from N & NE.
It ws then found tt
57 & 59 had not got right
up to their objve. L. got
orders to turn the whole line
about; make the left right
hand man & the line stand
fast; & swing the right hand
round to a line running
across 24 centl.
Diagram - see original document.
When they got
to this line -
tt night they
put outposts
down on the rd
thro 24 B, D & 19 C, 
& were reld by 54 Bn.

43
53 Bn had stayed in Le Catelet
Line. A few Vickers Guns
put in in 29 A & B had
covered the gap - & a fighting
patrol working between 58
& 53.
Lt Robertson, I.O. ws lost
in the advance just N. of Hargicourt
by a shell - bad wound in took 3 fingers off.
At 3 p.m. Sept 29. in attack twds Cab. Wd Fm.
Lt Keane - k.
Lt F. Weir - k
L. Johnston - k.
Capt Dawson DSO M/C. wd.
Temp Capt Tait wd.
Lt Egginton wd.
Lt C.K.D. Campbell wd since d. of w.?

44
On aftn of Oct 1st when flank ws
swinging N.
Lt Nicholson wd.
Lt Dalgleish (since D.S.O.) d. of wds.
[That left: Capt Loughman. }
                 Capt Lieut Flintoff } only firing line
                          2/Lt Danaher } offrs unwd.
                             2/Lt Greene }
Also Col. Watson & Adjt (O'Malley).]
Dalgleish ws twice out with an
N.C.O. & 2 men ∧ to Cabaret Fm to find out what
the oppositn there ws. ∧ He had bn wd in head. (A garrison of
abt 40 men w m.gs.) Dalgleish ws on
rt flank of Bn. (It ws decided same night to raid Fm on his information)
57 Bn eventually dealt with
Cabaret Wood Fm on Oct 1. We
had never had any one in it before
then.
Dalgleish, when he went out
on Sept. Oct. 1st w the line got half his
face blown away (2nd wound). he
went back to Bn H.Q. & reported where
the line ws; as he cdnt speak he wrot got
pencil & paper & wrote it. Died 8 days later at Rouen
[*D. ws gn D.S.O.*]

45
3rd Divn 29 Sept. All day messages
kept reaching Gellibrand from the rear tt
the Americans were on their objve - flares
on the red line. Gelly went up himself near
Guillemont Fm & ws under m.g. & whizzband
3rd Div McNicholl being lame, rode up
(previously) & had to get off horse & crawl. He & Carman
[*thought it ws a murder stunt the first day - and were very
down in spirits. Carman recovered next day.*]
30 Sept. On 30 Sept
Gen Monash rang up Gellibrand
& asked him where his divn
was - & was gn the line; he sd
surely it ws on a very narrow
front - 2000 yds for 3 Bdes -
Surely it cd do something. Gelly
sd tt he had intended to use
one Bde to clean up & put the other
two thro' it (as Beaurevoir attack
ws considered the duty of this Divn). He
was anxious to do all he cd at the least
cost - (going on agst bare m.gs was
expensive). they cd do a set stunt w
arty - they had 9 Bdes of arty but the Americans 
were ahead of them. Monash sd
they were to plan a set piece - w the 9 Bdes;
all the Americans ahead were either
dead, or prisoners, or strafed
46
3rd Divn
29 Sept 1918 Norman who
ws attached to 27 Am. Divn
under Maclagan & Brand
wrote to Gellibrand imd
after the preliminary fight
giving an exact forecast o the
vagueness wh wd occur. The
only safe way wd be for us to
attach a Bde to each Divn -
he sd - & tt the greatest
caution wd be required
in dealing w American reports
before 3rd Divn. went thro'.
In Sept 29 Battle the American
ws in/c of the whole artillery
incl. 3rd D.A. up to a certain time!
Offr of 3rd Div. T.M. Bty went over w the
Americans to fight the German guns.

47
He returned abt 6 pm, having lost
18 out of 30 men. This ws
Gellibrand's first relaible infn.
Bray. Plan of attack at Bray ws Gellibrand
37 Bn. Breakup
Sept 12. Got information tt Bn
wd be broken up. Gelly
walked over with Lt Murdoch
& told them, & told them he wd
keep Bn tradition alive in
every way. 42 Bn also warned.
That night Storey came
over & saw not Gelly but Jess,
& asked if disbandment were
personal. There ws no protest
at all.
Night of Sept 13 in came Storys letter
to Bde Div. Corps. A.I.F. & Hayles
MacNicholl ws on leave. The
letter charged 38 & 39 w repeated

48
misconduct in action -
& the letter ws known in the
Bn - they spoke to Gelly abt it
Sept 17. from now on delegates of all units
of 2nd 3rd & 5 Divns were meeting.
Sept 18. GOC. Spoke to 42 Bn - no signs
of any trouble
Sept 20. MacNicholl had 37 Bn
out on parade & addressed
them. Now then 37 - slope
arms - form 4s right -
move off as detailed on
quick march.
Only offrs & NCOs
moved.
MacN. informed GOC
by wire personally. Reply tt GOC wd
interview selected men of 37
find out positn.

49
21 Bn ∧ refusal ws irrespective (so
5 Bde say) of 37 Bn.
Gelly decided to speak to men
alone - without offrs - & to try &
see the mens view w their eyes.
The men sd we will not
go in as 38. We will go
in as 37 until not a man
is left as 37 but we will
only go in as 37.
The decision ws tt there shd
be no attempt to force the men
to open rebellion - no pay, no
rations.

50
Sept 21 GOC saw MacN &
sent Murdoch to Bn to
pick out ½ dozen intelligent
looking lads. Gelly sat
down w them - & had
a yarn. They sd they
wd put the lines he
laid down before the men (he
told them they must do so
to help him- otherwise Bolshevism)
22. Sund. GOC saw each Coy.
in turn. One Coy ws
quite willing to agree;
the last 2 Coys had made
up their minds & did not
intend to do anything.
23 42 Bn refused.
24 Monash saw delegates of
37 in presence of Gellibrand & MacN.

51
He sd - if you men comply
to your orders we will do
this & that.... if you
do not - you will be transferred
∧ individually whichever you leave your unit &
unit will slowly die - you will not be
made martyrs of.
25. Corps Confce w Birdie
& Monash -∧ hindbg Line Battle in air. Rawlinson
came in. Gelly sd there
wd be no difty if they
took a double line of
making double Bns to 
preserve identity.
26 Sept All other Divns tried
exc. Elliot & all failed.
17 Oct. Cannan had issued
an order tt something ws
to be done. It ws disobeyed.

 

52
Cannan refused to have
anything to do w them.
G.O.C interviewed 42
& found them much less
responsible than 37.
Oct 24 Whole trouble over. 

 

203. C
58 Bn.
Aug 8.9
Flamicourt
Bellicourt
No. 3.
3rd Divn
Disbandment 
of Bns.
Bray
3rd Div 29 sept
[*Typed
149-160
GC?*]
(371m.) Wt. 2205 - SK550. 100m. 12/17.