Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/206/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066582
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

t Neid's ply got to an orchard J.E of Framerville - then pt a direction from a tank (they ed see a pty digpng in in forto 1orcherd in Freneipl very fired on by a TM from thref jist S. of Ramecourt), Whn ol tenk d them of posite on at thy went up to a cutting Abt. 4C.4.4 commanding1 valley - where tse termans for a ricl N.E in 1 velly wwere snpay them. (Mey too w Agis were ahead of their objec). In 1 Eog. 2/t Degenharde as goig out in port recomacting to right. The C.O. as out there to him, & advised him to crawl back. D. came back walking straight up & as saiped. 4 Horrocks ws k. w Dloy when
beside if Tee ferman berrage switched ot thev near Vanvellers. He d. of W. F. McCawn ws wd in the post beside the 25t. 27Bn Bn adjited its post. Battl went to the simber& Road behind 1 pont in 98. Meoschard plastered v. heavily by our own Leavies On Aug10. (The German Red & flag on Famerville tower ws mark for miles around). 26128Bus noved to on mg of Cog11. very fogy t m. Tnat night 11/12 27Bn moved back to hospitel. They were bombed to night (wen 6Bde took over); o wer every night Kis ased t happen. Tw0 men were ad to night - te planes did not dio flaves. Strengk Ron 16fos 2500
on the rt tere as opposite to B toy - Capt Bice ws rushing a mig. & gt within 1oyds when he ws shot t the Eye & nose by this mig. He lost 1 cye in hospital. t Rollins took over the Coy & pashed posts outs I Caual bast. Bice as hit near Blaches down I slope. MC Capt Willshire we k. near Conal wood by the Explosion a shell- They went back to rear Crucifix. On 9Aug. Camatties vere 100- ind. 6 4rs. Bn ws beten Ectirs& Exy near Foissy Dump - On au 28 he positi at nooed abt 4 pm Itook on b pvocated by 5 Bdeo Teey temsund in readness to nov at 4his notice; Lef L34B 67 at 5am. + passed thio 6Bll at 7.30. Att Herbecourt (27 central ?) ferms were Shelling & a bit of my. fire but all cit ws E of On psones as taken. Tomne. Bn pushed theo to Braches fot posts out I caual bank As they cme upa train sulled out of Peronne. Etr lates 1 Enqine came back & sulled out andten
Durg. I agto the footbridge to Radepnde ws blown up. duck foard & Ickernondzis across canal further N. They were blown up in marches. Att From after onwards & allnest day Beaches ws heavily stafed. A petrol os sent to have a look at I Cansl du Nord wh as supposed to be dry. As I satrof went alon and got toing ontcnal but cant get as faras 1 bridge at 1 other end. On I right the patrol fond a ferman on one 01 potbrides. He palled pl &mine as they came up. The pt Sewiz ghen onto him but he went up t his mine.
No tan efacts had to be made to cross. A Church ws wd on Ay2g. by mg. 27Bn. stayed where it 205000 not on epely 30 goded. On Ayg 31 Ohen SBde attscbed try cd see erns getting out of near Bague & Flrina & running back to wds Anvil wood J cdat seeour men. On Sept. 1. Bor movedto left around to the Omniccourt Brige. The frms hedseen engineers building 1 biife & were shelling it – I shells splashing in I water & sending apspay. Along 1 bank on 1other side were hid hundreds Parlg Austalians - the 14 Bde bad crossed pistater I same after - it as afternoon D
coohers- ctc. ander Ibank there. Prisoners came down in hewords arrying stretchep wour wd. H0soold as k there by a shell. & aiht. is soon as logs crossed they noved into Pekly Y &I trinches behind it. Maj. Rep ws in/C. That night abt medniget C.O. ws sent for to Bde (at this tiue Bn thought it wd be there 24 hrs before attacking He came back alt 3 - Coy Counandes waiting teeen from lam. & gave verbel orders for An attack at 5.30 am. I ws a Bde attack. D. line Th object 281 As the mam 27 rd from the canal at 25 28 Fevillacon 26 Southwards to abt 1 bend o 1rd.
The objic as out aloy the Aziecourt Rd. (H Denis extreme rt for Bde) 27/n had 5 attrck & Bessum paratet to Krd & at et augls its pout to I cancl as far as Hont Allaines- & then on Clearing E side of it turn due E towds objve - to make a flank for 74 Dion. He anagunts were very hurried et 761 atteck 1Co0m being unexpected L Hostinr Soon. There mas s ws no reconnen The first opposite came from Fortille Y (the river as a trickle). That bs easily crossed. In Allaines the opposite ws beaonr. The troops of ahead of barrys wh ws sagged Brunn truch brought a very very heavy enfileds fire t beer on
the troops getting this Allaines. (it ws a suashed up village of old somen days). Capt Hoshin formert in 1Tunken Rd S. of the village Jariy Bran Y w Bloy & some details; they tackled Brunn Ye. Tey got an officer, to prisoners & a number of regs. the form rdf te merched them back to our line. oing across 1 open E of Mont Allames the other Cogs had very heary casnattes lorgely from a couple of batteries one nea azucourt & one to of Sqare 30. Cept Hoskings had 28 men when he p to I cetrel & Lt Rollins. From there they went on & hed to pall up at att L6B 9.7 under mys fire
& direct whizbay fire. Keews in old consiplaged post there. At this time the fDin ti te ferms cd be seen retirn is port of 76 Din (who did not get foud of Scateri E). They were retirnng in an orderly way, when they got up to the Batteries at 30 central they reformed & took up prepared positions. They had also char up the valley from Allaines in 1 directer of sen Moistains. There as a barrye on the Slose of the salley aheas Of Britih. His lifon left flank open for 2000 7 do. BaH.G. Coming along to Suken Rd Nof 11 Cutial found a namber of our men
in it butedut get touch t Capt Hoskings or any of the Coys. Appatiol ws sent out but all 1 oprs o1 Coys, Except2, hath korwd. (Pyke a reneh came back from this catre petrol a a byke) eventeally a man as seen toming across from the posit le to Brann Y 1 this turned of the H Rollins 43 bys of a Br J Royel Sussex wh were to have gone Nc Hant Allainss got over S. dfit Maj. Kaper had his Hgis in One 2 loys of them was sent to Brann Y Ken. 1 Sanken Rd NfH Centrel; One was kept in BrannY 77Ba A few details were also in Hera 2 Coys of the & Attene Y7 Tomaies were at to psotory I linl pom

Lt Reid's ply got to an orchard

S.E. of Framerville - then got a

direction from a tank. (They cd see

a pty digging in in front o / orchard

^ in Framerville & being fired on by a TM from NE of

xx just S. of Ramicourt). When

tank directed told them of positn on 

rt they went up to a cutting

abt. 4C.4.4 commanding /

valley - where they cd see /

Germans for a mile N.E. in /

valley & were sniping them.

(They too w Hqrs were ahead of 

their objve).

In / Evg. 2/Lt Degenhardt

ws going out in front reconnoitring tt

night. The C.O. ws out there w

him, & advised him to crawl back.

D. came back walking straight up,

& ws sniped.

Lt Horrocks ws k. w B Coy when

9

 

the German barrage switched onto

them near Vauvillers. He d. of w.

Lt. McCann ws wd in the post beside

the 25th.

27 Bn Bn adjusted its front.

BnHQ went to the sunken Y Road

behind / front in 9B. The orchard

beside it ^ ws plastered v. heavily by our own heavies.

on Aug 10 (The German Red +

flag on Framerville tower ws a

mark for miles around).

26 & 28 Bns moved thro on mg of

Aug 11. Very foggy tt mg.

That night 11/12 27 Bn moved

back to / hospital. They were

bombed tt night (when 6 Bde taking

took over); & were every night

this used to happen. Two men

were wd tt night - the planes

did not drop flares.

Strength then 16 offrs 250 o.r.

10

 

X On the rt there ws oppositn to

B Coy - Capt Bice ws rushing a m.g.

& got within 10 yds when he ws

shot thro ^ grazing the eye & nose by this m.g.

He lost / eye in hospital.

Lt Rollins took over the Coy

& pushed posts onto / Canal bank.

Bice ws hit near Biaches down

/ slope.

Capt Willshire M.C. ws k. near

Canal wood by the explosion

of a shell -

 

They went back to near /

Crucifix.

On 9 Aug. Casualties were 

100 - incl. 6 offrs.

Bn ws between Eclusier & Cappy

near Froissy Dump - On Aug 28

moved abt 4 pm & took over to this positn wh

(positn had bn vacated by 5 Bde.) They

remained in readiness to move

at ½ hrs notice; Left L34 B 67

at 5a.m. & passed thro 6 Bde

at 7.30. Abt Herbecourt

(27 Central?) Germs were

shelling & a bit of m.g. fire but

all / oppo arty ws E of /

Somme. One prisoner ws taken. X

Bn pushed thro to Biaches

& got posts onto / Canal bank

As they came up a train pulled

out of Peronne. ¼ hr later / Engine

came back & pulled out another.

12

 

Durg. / night the footbridge

to Radegonde ws blown up -

& / other ^ duckboard bridge across /

canal further N. They were

blown up in / marshes.

All do From after onwards

& all next day Biaches ws heavily

strafed.

A patrol ws sent to have

a look at / Canal du Nord

wh ws supposed to be dry.

As / patrol went along and got

couple of Germs were reported

to be laying a mine onto / canal

but cdnt get as far as /

bridge at / other end.

On / right the patrol found

a German on one o / footbridges.

He pulled / plug o / mine

as they came up. The got / Lewis

Gun onto him but and he went

up w his mine.

13

 

No other efforts had to be made

to cross. Lt Church ws wd by m.g. on Aug 29.

27 Bn. stayed where it

was. Lt Oswald ws k. on night of Aug 30
by a shell.

[On Aug 31 when 5 Bde attacked

they cd see / Germs getting out of

trenches near Prague & Florina &

running back towds Anvil wood -

along / road - cd nt see our men.]

On Sept. 1 Bn moved to

left around to the Ommiecourt

Bridge. The Germs had seen /

Engineers building / bridge &

were shelling it - / shells

splashing in / water & sending

up spray.

Along / bank on / other

side were xxied hundreds of

Australians - Part of th 14 Bde had crossed

just after / same aftn - it ws afternoon -

14

 

- cookers - etc. under / bank there.

Prisoners came down in hundreds

carrying stretchers w our wd.

Lt Oswald ws k. there by a shell. tt night.

As soon as Coys crossed

they moved into Pekly trench

& / trenches behind it. Maj. Roper

ws in / C. That night abt midnight

C.O. ws sent for 6 Bde (at

this time Bn thought it wd be

there 24 hrs before attacking).

He came back abt 3 - Coy

Commdrs waiting him from

2am. & gave verbal orders

for an attack at 5.30 a.m.

It ws a Bde attack.

Hand drawn diagram - see original
The objv J.O. line

ws the main

rd from the

Canal at

Feuillacourt

Southwards to

abt / bend o / rd.

15

 

Hand drawn diagram - see original

 

The objve ws out along the

Aziecourt Rd. (St Denis? extreme

rt for Bde). 27 Bn had to attack w

its front parallel to / ^ Bapaume rd & at rt angles

to / Canal as far as Haut

Allaines - & then on Clearing

E side of it turn due E

towds objve - to make a flank

for 74 Divn. 
Hand drawn diagram - see original
The arrangements

were very hurried

owing to / attack
being unexpectedly

soon. There

ws no reconnaisance

The first opposition came from Tortille

trench (the river ws a trickle). That

ws easily crossed. In Allaines

the opposition ws heavier. The troops

got ahead of barrage wh ws ragged.

Brunn trench brought a very very

heavy enfilade fire to bear on

16

 

the troops getting thro Allaines.

(it ws a smashed up village o /

old Somme days). Capt Hosking

formed in / Sunken Rd S. of the

village facing Brunn trench w

B Coy & some details; they tackled

Brunn trench. They got an officer,

60 prisoners & a number of m.gs.

(They ^ prisoners got to / road & he ^ the Germ. offr formed them up

& marched them back to our line.)

Going across / open E of Haut

Allaines the other coys had very

heavy casualties largely from

a couple of batteries one near

Aziecourt & one E of Square 30.

Capt Hoskings had 28 men when

he got to 5 central & Capt 

Lt Rollins. From there they

went on & had to pull up at

abt I 6 B 9.7 under m.g. fire

17

 

& direct whizzbang fire. There ws an

old camouflaged post there.

At this time the 74 Divn

further N ws retiring the Germs

cd be seen retiring in front o /

74 Divn (who did not get forwd

of Scutari trench). They were

retiring in an orderly way, &

when they got up to the Batteries

at 30 central they reformed &

took up prepared positions.

They had also cleared up the valley

from Allaines in / direction of

Moislains. There ws a ^ Germ. barrage

on the EW slope of the valley ahead

o / British.

This left our left flank open 

for 2000 yds.

Bn H.Q. coming along

to / Sunken Rd N of 11 central

found a number of our men

18

 

in it but cdnt get touch

w Capt Hoskings or any of

the Coys. A x patrol ws sent

out but all / offrs o / Coys,

except 2, had bn k or wd.

(Pyke a runner came back from this

patrol on a ^ captured byke).

Eventually a man ws seen

coming across from the front

into Brunn trench & this turned out

to be Lt Rollins.

4 x Coys of a Bn of Royal Sussex

wh were to have gone N of

Haut Allaines got over S. of it

Maj. Raper had his Hqrs in

Brunn trench then. They remained One M.G Coys of them was sent to

in / Sunken Rd N of 11 Central; One 

was kept in Brunn trench &

a few details ^ of 27 Bn were also in Hera

& Athene trench. The ^ 2 Coys of the Tommies were

sent to prolong / line from

19

 

 

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