Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/204/1 - August 1918 - Part 8

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066580
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 9

of lin difficult to mg fire, shell & rifle fire The casnatties were hevy. It rained on the first night. Owing to my fire it wx hard to get makes up wo lot food but this ws eventually managed fairly regular There were many charges of orders- Several attacks were proposed & someting attempted (E.J. tanks hurned up but of knoced out - it ws too lot for them & nicidal The Evacuate of wd ws a quest & leavy cerryi er The wire ws thick & hindered atat night no
On Sept 29 H Stevens MC ws slighly wd in head by shellfire while at Bde as taison offr. On night of 30 - 42 Bn eld 44Bn in line S. of Bony &I time ws t have be taken up as This as alteri at I am a toy W5 to guard teen Mll Entran as in I dotted Capt HR. Warry did son work a his Aloy, wh ho b Wato all 1 time, in board Hind but
fight. 24 ove Ibrant 0F fightin Eventually I live ws for as in 1 line of circles 00000 in the sketch. Bony ws eventuely to by 10Bde from West, 10Bde pushed out to Knob E off tunned. The 42 Bn waied on Caual Ti Hind by line con Bony for 1000 yds Swds A lot of neys, were captd here, many of wh had bn store & some posts in on I tan Ar tis stage 33 Bn went tho & felled (gap beti 10Bde Dion left. D 7 Fred ke a Six
I Se-Catelet line to try & get touch wt Enemy. to Keating in A.17 A came under M.G. fire from Cony & Le Catilit. Verey lights were fired from Le Catelet. Goiy further N, he ws fired on from directi of These patrols Newve were out till after daylyto, being firw on at interoals throughout I night O4 n Septa the Bn L.O. who had an OP. att lamp signalling Stre in 27A wh is on A high pt of dividebetes Escant & Somn got a bly up 30 Bt AFA) to com i stay on
before ctbe seen tie Everywhere consolidityy in 1 Beaurevow Cine. The camatties on in I first day & durry 1 fighting of Warry's loy up 1 Hundly line. There wa stelling I first. days but I casualties to not so hear fitc Oltw Oct 1ary 112 on Sept + very fire became ligt long2ange. ens fun engaged & also the we ae of
2 on to Blle in alling ws cazre by phone- & to torws Bde & 5 pin plank p Commn to Cogs wd by O.W. Camp an lamp smuch better than 1fer of(work to 1 loss (in order to saok Eatiing I was a a captured man lamp & Batter The signallers did good it Asteepin day or night 8 sizoff, ws wd Merson GplDevis had to carry 50 D Tarbent, T.C 09 2.T Keating On 1 afte of 50 manned 1 de Calelet line in 17A 1 day of with a Pln. Durn man had a chance 2 shall tig in 0 a dujonts O1 tunnel, & Hindly line. Good water ete we brought down
2 Handby line te Im Quennemont dead a shembles of Awer There were not i but 1 dead in 1 Hindby line. quantity of accurate shellbarsh on 12 proved to barrage lad bu good Throughut 1 period (drizzle oct ws noticeable - tho this sept the sun shore brightly ovisibility Durny 1rain 1 bsv sood. me bettlefied difficult On I night of 1i end set rignalliy Camps cd be as Se distant ridges sigually tchigible in code Te 1 cahy
Ne put in on 1 Hindly line but trenches were in passable order at not duckboarded - in some places they were revelld. H Jolly8 1 J.W W00 Oh Sept 29 M.C. did pretty goodwork in the W line of Hund front systen They with tI Ng TopLan. plas daring to night suce there - but own ger Engaged &1 fact to to 1 con OF 42wsI atd T.YWL dis to attack X attack
the order to withdraw did not reach Warry but did reach F.xW. ReBn ws away back & subordinate offis had t take a lot of responsibility - the runnay. as & heavy ind runners Col. Woolcock ws at Bde H.Q. (as h just retur This information is all son wee fount tarbent as 1h et 1 batthnare &acce

part o / line ws very difficult

w m.g. fire, shell & rifle fire.

The casualties were heavy.

It rained on the first night.

Owing to m.g. fire it ws hard

to get mules up w hot food,

but this ws eventually managed

fairly regularly.

There were many changes 

of orders - 9 Bde Several

attacks were proposed & sometimes

attempted (e.g. tanks turned up but

got knocked out - it ws too

hot for them & suicidal.)

The Evacuation of wd ws a

serious questn & heavy carrying.

The wire ws thick & hindered

movement at night.

71

 

On Sept 29 Lt Stevenson M.C.

ws slightly wd in head by shellfire

while at Bde as liaison offr.

On night of 30 - 42 Bn

reld 44 Bn in / line S. of Bony

& / line ws to

have bn taken up 

as _ _ ↓
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

This ws altered

at 3 am & 

a Coy ws

to guard /

tunnell entrance

as in t dotted line ...↑

Capt J R. Warry did some fine

work w his A Coy, wh had bn in

all / time, in bombing N along

Hinbg line - but didnt get far

72

 

as / Germs. put up a good

fight - The Coy ws v. tired &

bore / brunt o / fighting.

Eventually / line ws formed

as in / line of circles o o o o in the

sketch. Bony ws eventually

tn by 10 Bde from West; 10 Bde

they pushed out to / Knob,

E of / tunnel. The 42 Bn

remained on / Canal Tunnel

& Hindbg line from S. edge

of Bony for 1000 yds S-wds.

A lot of mgs. were captd here,

many of wh had bn stored

in / tunnel & some in posts

on / tunnel.

At this stage 33 Bn went

thro & filled / gap betw 10 Bde

rt & 5 Divn left. During 

1/2 Sept Oct Lt Fred. Keating & Lt Snelling 

73

 

carried out platoon patrols to

/  Le-Catelet line to try & get

touch w / Enemy. Lt Keating

in A. 17A came under M.g.

fire from Gouy & Le Catelet -

Verey lights were fired from

Le Catelet. Going further N, he

ws fired on from directn of

Rue Neuve. These patrols

were out till after daylight,

being fired on at intervals

throughout / night.

On Sept Oct 2 a bat the

Bn I.0 who had an O.P at /

lamp Signalling Stn in 27A wh is

on a high pt o / "divide" betw

Escart & Somme got a bty

(30 Bty AFA) to come up &

play on / Germs who / day

74

 

before cd be seen active

everywhere, returning to &

consolidating in / Beaurevoir

line.

The casualties occurred

in / first day & during /

fighting of Warry's Coy up

/ Hindbg line. There ws

heavy shelling / first two

days but / casualties were

not so heavy as in many

other fights.

On Sept Oct 1 & 2 / Arty 

fire became light & very

long range. German guns

N. of le Catelet were engaged by

our own heavies & also btris

S.E. of Prospect Hill.

Capt. O'Brien practically

commanded ^3 Coys to 42 on / spot as /

75

 

Bn H.Q. ws a long way back &

commn hard to keep up. The

signalling ws carried on to Bde

by phone - & to forwd Bde & 5 Divn flank Bn.

means of O.L. lamp - wh is

Commn to Coys ws by O.L. lamp

(much better than / German lamp)

wh ws worked

Some o / work to / Coys (in order to save

realigning) was worked w a captured

German BG lamp & Battery.

The signallers did good work

not sleeping day or night -

Patterson, Sig-offr, ws wd; &

Cpl. Davis had to carry on under

Lt Tarbent, I. O.

On / aftn of Sept Oct 2, Lt Keating

manned / Le Catelet line in 17A

with a Pln. During / day of

Sept 2 / men had a chance of

resting in some o / shallower

dugouts o / tunnel & Hindbg line.

Food water etc. ws brought down

by pack mules 3 times a day

76

 

over  /Hindbg line, in full view

o / Germans, to / valley by /

tunnel.

[Quennemont Fm ws

a shambles of American dead].

There were not many Germ.

dead in / Hindbg line; but /

quantity of accurate shellbursts

on / trench proved tt / barrage had

bn good.

Throughout / period / drizzle

ws noticeable - tho thro Sept Oct 1

the sun shone brightly & visibility

ws v. good. During / rain /

trenches became very muddy - 

& / battlefield difficult.

On / nights of 1st & 2nd Sept Oct

German signalling lamps cd be

seen on / distant ridges signalling

in code (wh ws unintelligible).

Cipher is easy to read - but code is impossible.

77

 

Hand drawn diagram - see original document
No recent work at all had bn

put in on / Hindbg line but /

trenches were in passable order

but not duckboarded - in some

places they were revetted.

On Sept 29 Lt Jolly & Lt J.W. Wood

M.C. did pretty good work in the W.

line of Hindbg. front system - opp

N of Top Lane. They with their

plns during tt night successfully

engaged / Germs there - but owing

to / congestn of troops & / fact tt

42 ws support Bn, Capt O'Brien

withdrew them to a support

positn. In this bout of fighting

Jolly lost several men. J. & W had

bn there bec. o / order to attack up

N up / trench - & Warry ws there

also for tt attack. When /

78

 

attack ws countermanded

the order to withdraw did not

reach Warry but did reach

J. & W. The Bn ws away back

& subordinate offrs had to take

a lot of responsibility - the

running ws v. heavy indeed on

runners.

Col. Woolcock ws at

Bde H.Q. (as well as Cannan

wh ^had just returned ?)

[NB This information is all

from memory from Lt Tarbent

who ws at / front as I.O.

but / battle narrative is detailed

& accurate.]

79

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by:
Deb ParkinsonDeb Parkinson
Last edited on:

Last updated: