Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/211/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 6

ws done in 2 stunts.  Special
patrols went out / night of
July 7 to reconnoitre & find
how / ground ws held both
N & S of Somme.  On S. they found
one post – but E of this it
seemed to be strongly held; on N
of Somme they struck German trenches
60 yds E of our own, strongly 
wired.  Leane decided as soon
as it ws dark to send out
a covering pty & dig in on /
line. The ^Germ. post ws not occupied
apparently this night ^ the flares went up in front. Three hours
later on / N. side a barrage ws
put down;  46 Bn took all
objves, k. a number of Germs,
& took 35 prisoners including some
officers.  They then had touch w /

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5^th Divn at the X Rds on /
left, N. of the Somme.
By doing / affair in two halves
Gen. Leane ws able to get all his
gunsfire concentrated onto the N side
of the Somme – the guns were not
too plentif  covering the brigade
front were thus made more
useful. As to  The barrage this
night extended from Albert to
in front of V/B (abt). The men
on / rt ^o / Somme were dug in before /
retaliation came; but there were
a number of casualties on /
N of / Somme.
After Aug 8. the 12 Bde. went down
to Lihons & relieved 1st Bde.

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Went in on Came up on night of 13/14? &
went in some nights later: (15/16) There in line
over a week.  They came out on / night of 23/24.
26/27 or 22/23/  There ws
constant bombfighting. The
German Alpine Corps ws on /

rt, in front o / Canadians & 
they affected our front too.
4 Bde ws on left, then 12 Bde,
then rly, then Canadians on
rt.  The Germans had their
blocks close to us. On the
left, Just E of /  centre of Lihons, 
on / left o / Chaulnes- Lihons
Rd, between there & / wood. there
ws a bend in / old French system.
There / Germ shelling ws heavy; so
46 Bn bombed along a trench so

[diagram - see original]
tt instead of holding

AB  they held
A C B.
The 48 Bn snipers before Lihons

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worked out into the thistles &
stayed there all day betwe on
/ patch between / front &
support line trenches.  The
Germans one day put down a 
heavy barrage on front & support
line & / Germans got up to  in
their trenches to have a look
at it.  These two Coys stayed
out there in / open & sniped
through this barrage.  (They
cd not get back any day till 
dark).  Their names were

Ptes Klementilla  ( Dave,   an old scout) &
Fraser. ( M.Ms for this).
[ Meals.  On both 8 Aug. & Sept 18. hot meals
were got forward to / men on . night

after / fight; on Sept 18 they got their
meal at 11 p.m. before / second
advance.]

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The shelling at Lihons ws v.
heavy.  A lot seemed to be drawn by
/ Americans who were to have
relieved the Bde & were abt
/ back country like/ lies. & brought
down a lot of shelling.  The Bde
lost pretty heavily in this positn
from this constant shelling.
12 Bde then went back
to Longpré & stayed there till
it went up for Sept 18.

See next Page.

53
 

12 Bde Sept 18.
The 12 Bde took over / line
from 13 Bde ( 4^th also took ½ from
13 Bde) on night of 16/17.  West
of Cambrièresai (spelling?) Wood.
A steep valley ran from
Le Verguier right across / front;
& on / high ground on / far
side of it ws / flor  Main
Old British line .(  The Germans
main positn).  In / valley
ahead  nearer to us  & 
up over / high ground to 
Le Verquier ws a continuous
series of outpost positns –
with deep short lengths of narrow
new trench.
So in this part there

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were 4 distinct positns
ahead,

[Diagram-see original]

Leane took over from Arrol of 49 Bn
on night of 16/17. in / Rly line
on / grid line between 2 c & 8 A.
The Bde 38 Bn ws in / line;
45 in Rly line; 45 in rear

West & S. of Vendelles..

55
 

The attack ws at 5.20 ? of
Sep 18. During / night
48 Bn which has bn holding
/ trenches, got into positn to
make / attack to / first
objective.  The J. O. line
ws practically the trench
line. They formed up in / trenches
& just in rear of them.  They
took / whole BDe front to /
1^st objve.
45 Bn folld as support
abt 600 yds in rear.
46 Bn remained W of
Vendelles where they were.
G. O. C. Bde instructed 45 Bn tt

it must not be drawn into
/ fight unless 48 ws definitely
held up – as job of 45 was

56
 

to take Red line.
48 Bn ran pretty soon
into / German outpost line.
The Germs did not put up a
big fight in / outpost line,

But at Cooker Quarry &

Cooker trench he fought 
well.  The British 1st Divn
on / right ws not up
& 48 Bn worked C. Coy
worked round the banks on
/ hillside, using ^ sunken roads & 
banks, & got round thro
/ British area & turned
S flank of this oppositn.
They got the positn ( Brit.
old main line) & went on
& just over / spur came
on a battalion of Germans

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 forming up for a c/attack
& captd the lot.  There ws
only a company coming for
/ Germs – but we had our mgs.
on them.  [Leane afterwds asked
the Bn Commandr how w such
excellent positns and so
many men –  how was it tt
so few of ours captd more 
than their numbers of Germans.

on Aug 8  The German Bn Commdr
–  a professional soldier of
20 years service had bn
fighting at / front since /
war started ws captd later
near Collins' Quarry on / 
left.  He sd the Australians
are so brave & so quick tt it

ws impossible to stop them.

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