Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/208/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066584
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

44 Bn Dcoy ws seld to night 41/2 by English troops. of 744 Dun 44 Bn. Sept 29 0 tat 47 44 Lep Templenx Oct 7.30 in Arty formatu: across county in heavy for. B Capt. Breners /C Capt Fowler (u) (wo) B Captlais cwa AA Capt Hunt 6od)
They were making stray it for green line a good distance N of Cabaret Wd Jm. Durin I advance they came to our own Arty positis & came into a fairl heavy gas. All Coys lad reconnaitie as far as hie held by Americans on Aug 28. (The didnt nention whiter this agreed l given officiely) Civin to Leavy fof1 Coys lost toach on way up ad pass Brown line at 9 am. & it had On decided to make a halt tere to get touch & directi They passed I tape jus of it - there were wo in rear
Americans near Malakoff Fnr. 64 Bn ws to pass betw Mal Bood & A. Farm. As soon as they left the Sugar factor (there had nt be any helt) they noticed M.9. fire coming from O. Im. They pushed straght on - there ws heavy art fire of an area shoot nature (5.9) - & asloys gor up towds broken surface sutposr just wof Hindly tene they began to suffer from this M.f fire from Q. Farm toy who wt on t tep suffered (the Americans pretty heavit Capt. Bowler ws hil there & t also had. As 4Bn came acDeroff (CCoy) killed. As 41Bn.
came up the ferms started to retire pom O. Im (59 must have truck it tater) Ax B got into the Hindby outpost time at once south of Malckoff Wood ODen D-8 C.loy as in arty fonation. the ms wh caused I camatties were firing from 1 direct of Bony. They cdut sle these guns - they were furten than Top Lave because some
Of Sictus got up in Ilave & there ws nothing there. The mise probly included some of those wh were lunnelled into his wire. MacD. we kat I bollow of valley be A25 this ax where they all caught it at once. Fowter we in Centre &/ Coy. They got under cover for abt t mis pparking bullets on I were Sections of Cloy got into top lave - the greater part got into ] Hindly line S. ofit Meantine AGrs came aheado Bn as far as Malakoff Wood & estald there for t2 hr Iheargurs previously decided. on. From
I sugar repiry on they were under arty fire & as tey wenton, and or my fire. Ae Ivalley stort of Belakoff wood they wet Several wd Americius coming back who sd t L. Americans had foreon abt 3nles but tgro the Col. knew this los impossible on acct of fire concentreted on to valley. These men themselves were hit near Malakoff Wordor just E Jast after this Hges ws established, D Coy began to work tho to Hindly line just Nof Malakoffword. As they went tey struck arly fire, &both the Coy
Comnedo. Capt. Bremner, + A Gage were wd. This coyws I last thre. Col Clark then informed de to tempy Hgis hadby Establ there & to they intended movey forward 4 hr leter they ot 91 were pny to move at 9.30 to t Hgis previously arranged. E of Canal tunnel They were joing to duyouts south of centl Tey ou P. edge of Malakof 1000 under shell & mY. fire, till they reached Hindly tine. Key found to Dloy had occupied 7 just Nso1 juncter of the C.T. at 27B3.5
59 Bn we there too. H Estabd a Hers in a dujout there. when they got there ty found to whole r system Northwds up to Bony ws held be ferms, heavily, to mys The whole OICanal tunnel from I same C.T. northwds los also hett by thim with a strong positi on neerwhe been knot Be had agoiy to make its Hgrs. A red &. flag wo flying on this knoll and men were welking abt there – & it ws uncertain whether they were ours or fers. It us not likl BaHD. got to 1 extreme left
& The ballets from I Knowere Striking the W. side of Y half way down ywall. comng round b - Corners. in I Hindly trench to they Ecalied to fire wx comeng heeaily fom there onto the extreme point reached in 4- & tII hew there were fermans. This knoll wdbe abt 2AO.7. Roligl place where we met fen. Barjers. Cewk] oaet id he noent the ADloy sut Reisfoot outside 1 Y in 1 little raps wh lead out rastiods - bullets began to pit all roung. Charty mytrainer on to point. & heeanwnit worked S. of the Cif. reached I canal tunnet in E8C. where them were 1 abt 5O Americens. Oh way there they found from. fieldgens firing over ou syply
from Cabaret Wood Frm. They last men in reaching tannel From there they saw to they were too far to Irgght outa comn from so they began to work up 2nd to they had just passed te NE of the C.F. to anal when casnatles begame heavy. Me 4 Boyant us hit there. They cautgeton & occupied the C.T. The Coy Comidt a apt Hunt as wd here in 14 tell. ear. Capt Kewis of Bloy ws ad in this C.F. also, by a shell. The fire wh got ont there men ws coming along I west side of Canal. CCoy, wh had be last to arrive. got into

44 Bn D Coy ws reld tt
night Sept/2 by English troops.
of 74th Divn.

44 Bn:  Sept 29.

          |43   |41
42|                      →
                   |44
Left Templeux at 7.30
in Arty formatn: across country
in heavy fog.
|D  Capt Bremner  |C  Capt Fowler (wd)
(wd)                                                                 →
|B  Capt Lewis   |A  Capt Hunt (wd)
(wd)
28

 

They were making straight
for Green line a good distance
N of Cabaret Wd Fm.  During
/ advance they came to our
own Arty positns & came
into a fairly heavy gas.
All Coys had reconnoitred
as far as / line held by
Americans on Aug 28.  (They
didnt mention whether this
agreed w / line given officially).
Owing to / heavy fog / Coys
lost touch on / way up.
They had to pass / Brown
line at 9 a.m. & it had
bn decided to make a halt
there to get touch & directn.
They passed / tape just
in rear of it - there were wd
29

 

Americans near Malakoff Fm.
44 Bn ws to pass betw
Mal. Wood & Q. Farm.
As soon as they left
the Sugar Factory (there had nt
bn any halt) they noticed
m.g. fire coming from
Q. Fm.  They pushed straight
on - there ws heavy arty
fire of an area shoot nature
(5.9) - & as Bn Coys got
up towds broken surface
just W of Hindbg ^Outpost line they
began to suffer from this
m.g. fire from Q. Farm.
C. Coy wh ws on / left suffered
pretty heavily (the Americans
also had).  As 41 Bn came Capt. Fowler ws hit there & Lt
MacDermott (C Coy) killed.  As 41 Bn
30

 

came up the Germs started
to retire from Q. Fm. (59
must have struck it later).
A & B got into the Hindbg
outpost line at once South
of Malekoff Wood
Diagram - see original document
C. Coy ws in arty formation.
The m.gs wh caused / casualties
were firing from / directn of
Bony.  They cdnt see these
guns - they were further
than Top Lane because some
31

 

o / Sectns got up in / lane
& there ws nothing there.  The
m.gs probly included some of
those wh were tunnelled
into his wire.  MacD. ws
k at / bottom o / valley
in A 25 - this ws where
they all caught it at
once.  Fowler ws in /
Centre o / Coy.  They got under
cover for abt 15 mins
sparking bullets on / wire.
Sections of C coy got into
Top Lane - the greater part
got into / Hindbg line S. of it.
Meantime Hqrs came
ahead o / Bn as far as
Malakoff Wood & estabd
there for ½ hr / headqrs
previously decided. on . From
32

 

/ Sugar refinery on they were
under Arty fire &, as
they went on, under mg.
fire.  [[At?]] / valley short of
Malakoff Wood they met
several wd Americans coming
back who sd tt / Americans
had gone on abt 3 miles -
but Hqrs the Col. knew this ws
impossible on acct o / fire
concentrated on tt valley.  These
men themselves were hit
near Malakoff Wood or just E.
Just after this Hqrs
ws established, D Coy began
to work thro to / Hindbg line
just N of Malakoff wood.
As they went they struck
arty fire, & both the Coy
33

 

Commdr, Capt. Bremner, &
Lt Gaze were wd.  This coy ws
/ last thro.  Col Clark then
informed Bde tt tempy Hqrs
had bn estabd there & tt they
intended moving forward ½ hr
late ; they got there at 9 &
were going to move at 9.30 to
the Hqrs previously arranged,
E o / Canal Tunnel.
[They were going to dugouts South of
16 Centl].  They moved round
/ S. edge of Malakoff wood
under shell & m.g. fire,
till they reached / Hindbg line.
They found tt D Coy had
occupied / trench, just N & S of /
junctn of the C.T. at 27 B 3.5
34

 

59 Bn ws there too.  44 estabd
a Hqrs in a dugout
there.
When they got there they
found tt / whole trench system
Northwds up to Bony ws
held by Germs, heavily, w m.gs.
The whole o / Canal tunnel
from / same C.T. northwds
ws also held by them with
a strong positn on /
Knoll wh ^near where Bn had be^been going
to make its Hqrs.
A red X flag ws flying on this
Knoll & men were walking
abt there - & it ws
uncertain whether they were
ours or Germs.  It ws not
till Bn H.Q. got to / extreme left
35

 

X  The bullets from / Knoll were
striking the W side o / trench
half way down / trench wall.
"Coming round b— Corners".

in / Hindbg trench tt
they realised tt fire ws
coming heavily from there
onto the extreme point
reached in / trench - & tt /
men there were Germans.
This knoll wd be abt
22 A 0.7.  [ The high place where
we met Gen. Burgess. (on Oct 4.) CewB]
The moment the adjt & Lt Mackenzie
of D Coy put their foot outside / trench in / little
steps wh lead out Eastwds - bullets began
to spit all round.  Clearly mg. trained on
the point.  A & B Coy had meanwhile
worked S. of the C.T. &
reached / Canal tunnel
in 28 C. where there were
abt 50 Americans.  On /
way there they found Germ.
field guns firing over open sights
36

 

from Cabaret Wood Fm.  They
lost men in reaching / tunnel.
From there they saw tt they
were too far to / right,
trouble ws coming from / N.
so they began to work N.
They had just passed ^up the rd to the NE
of the C.T. to / Tunnel when
casualties became heavy.  They
Lt Bryant ws hit there.  They
cdnt get on & occupied
the C.T.  The Coy Commdr xx
Capt Hunt ws wd here xin / trench
& Lt Scarr by a shell.  Capt Lewis of
B Coy ws wd in this C.T.
Also, by a shell.  The fire
wh got onto these men ws
coming along / west side
o / Canal.
C Coy, wh. had bn /
last to arrive, got into
37

 

 

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