Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/206/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks
 

Item number: 3DRL606/206/1

Title: Notebook, August - October 1918
Includes references to the 27th Battalion, 2nd
Pioneer Battalion and Montbrehain.

AWM38-3DRL606/206/1
 

L.
27 Bn. 
206
Aug 8 - Oct 5t 1918
2 Aust. Pioneers
Montbrehain.
Typed
[[?]] 199- 208 
 

Original
DIARY NO.206.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 206 [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 these 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
 

27 Bn Aug 8.
____________________________
Came up Pineapple Switch to
Albert. ^C.T. They got there just before
/ barrage wh ws more on / rt &
over.
After Zero Before Bn had gone 300 yds
they were lost - at * a.m. when they had a guide
when / sun began to get thro'. The sound of
barrage ws / only guide. They got to
objve on time. xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxx A few posts had to be
dealt w - isolated posts (one
near 4 trees abt 33 central).
There ws a S P. in the German
main line in 33 A - wh a tank
dealt with (fairly good sized trench).
As the advance got on they
found it so difficult to know
where they were. One party took
1
 

out its maps & struck towds
Warfuss - knowing they shd strike
it - got down found / valley, went
down it N E into / back of
Warfusee. The Germs were
still holding Warfusee so they
rounded them up - the tanks
were just coming into / town as
this ws done.
The S.P. at 34 B 7.1 to 7.4
ws still holding out when the
5^th Divn came thro, having bn
missed in / fog. It gave ws firing
3 m.gs. from there as the prisoners
came back along / main rd. When
5^th Divn came along they gave in.
They halted on / objve -
In the valley they took 9. 77 guns
wh had bn firing & were hot when
they got there. A lot of prisoners
were taken in the valley.
2
 

As they got down the gully a number
of Germans in / dugouts near / batteries
put up a red X flag & surrendered. They
were in an advanced dressing stn. This
looked like an arty group centre.
The trenches were very well
camouflaged - with matting & grass
& / guns were well camouflaged.
L^t Bennett ws lightly wd &
hung on.
50 casualties o.r. One coy had
only one casualty going across. Chance
shells were largely responsible. The
German barrage at / start accounted
for some. Three tanks were w them, each
flying / Bn colours. One tank lost its
directn at once, turning stexx at rt.
angles to / right.
At 3 p.m. tt day they had a
hot stew & some o / offrs had steak &
mushrooms (locally gathered) for dinner
3
 

5th Divn. went thro at time.
Aug 9^th At 11 am. Bn moved S of
Bayonvillers to / light rly -
& rested on / rly. C.O. who had
been to Bde came back there
& explained to all offrs what ws
to be done.
They got into / field behind
/ Crucifix & had lunch. The show
ws to be at 4.30 p.m.
The tanks came on fast & abt
4 p.m. the Bn moved behind
them and got into the old
Amiens line. At tt moment
a number of German planes
came over very low - 5 or 6 in
one bunch. ^There were as many more above. 25 Bn ws on /
rt in / rd thro 12 a at this
time.
At 4.30 27 Bn moved
4
 

out as front line, with 25 on
rt & 17 Bn on left.
As soon as they started
/ German began to shell from
Lihons way. He cd see / troops
advancing & they cd see / guns
on / heights firing. There ws
no infantry oppositn.
Bn got too far to / right
& going past Champagne Alley
found / Germans - prac a Bn
of them - going back w packs
ahead of them. Bn skirted the N.
side o / village & took a 77 gun 4.2 how
there; & Framerville ws to be
Bn left flank - Vauvillers its
rt flank. The rt coy worked to
left rt w 25 Bn. The left coy & a half
swung left & . past the 5 Bde
objective right out with where Lancs
Coy of 18 Bn ws. The 3 tanks of the
5
 

17 Bn were making tt way - towds
/ main road. As / tanks got
close to the road an Anti-tank
gun (or 2 or 3) possibly at 28 D 3.3.
suddenly blazed out at them
& hit all 3. The crews got out
& tried to mount their Hotchkiss
guns, but / Germs were creeping
up behind / main road & were
right on top of them & they had
to give themselves up - they
were practically in / trench
attacking it when they were hit.
One man black w oil & soot
made a bolt & did get back.
It ws terribly hot there -
L^t Horwood ws there, L^t Harris (wd there)
L^t Newman (wd there) L^t Devonshire,
L^t Hillis, Lt Ferguson. They
dug in best they cd & hung on
till dark - then [[?]] to the
6
 

road - reorganised - & came back
thro Fremerville to / Bn. (They had
thought tt Rainecourt ws Framerville).
The left of Bns objve ws
taken by Col. Chalmers & Hqrs.
who were left in / gap & went to
abt 10 A 6.8 (Hqrs wa in 3
sections - & came on in file.
The German arty as soon as it
saw / tanks switched onto them
wh cleared his barrage to some
extent from where Hqrs advanced).
As none o / Bn ws seen, Col.
Chalmers went on past objve. into
the top of the long gully. There
ws a steep bank opposite.
The C.O. went straight into a dugout
wh ws there & hopped in & out
came 3 Germs.
7
 

^Capt Bice & Lt Hughes & pty ws w 25.
As the 25 Bn came up Champagne
Alley it took a small no. of prisoners
ther. When the party w Hughes
got to 15 B 9.5. droves of
Germans were going over / hill
ahead - w packs up.
When the line reached / hill
N. of 16 Central they cd see
these Germans clearing out
(w others from / trenches ahead)
in / direction of / high ground
E.S.E. But when / attack stopped
they began to come back in
open order & got into trenches probly
in 17 A & C
There ws an aeroplane down
over the pool trench where Bice's pty reached
& / Germans started to shell it at
once & set / plane on fire.
This pty dug in abt 16 B 2.4 - xx 0.8
8