Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/123/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 7

4        72
what sounded like a 
bombing attack. Col.
Clark rang up Maj.
Macarthur 29 Bn.
3 Coys of each Bn held
front line. (1 of ^three of 30 in support
on march ws Sugar Factory
Rd).
Reserves
29 Bn had I Coy in Welsany
Fm & 30 Bn one behind
Beaugay.
Macarthur sd he
thought this ws the strong
patrol (towds rly) wh
ws to capture a German
post.
The bombs got heavier,
& shortly after an offr of 29 Bn
came running in to say tt

73
X This Coy had to listening
posts in front. These are
missing. The Coy found
itself suddenly att^d. without
warning. It held out for
½ hr but the Germans began
to get round it & it retired.
The ^Vickers m.g near cemetery in
front of village suddenly found
itself attd from rear. It
had no rear field of fire.
One offr, 2 men, & the gun
got away & managed to get
back (leaving tripod & ammn).
4         74
Germs. had broken thro'
them & cut bn to pieces,
& were advancing on
Lebucquiere. The Germs
attacked along valley south
of Cambrai Rd. Coy of
29 Bn there retired 
quickly (OC. later killed)
Another G. attack came
up the rly. Each
attack seemed to be
abt 2 Coys strong. The
whole of the Coy holding front
before Beaumely having
retired into village & also
left platoon of coy on
right of village - x
Germans entered village.

4    75
& there ws fighting in /
village. MacArthur
reported that the Germs
had broken thro' in 2
places.
Col. Clark having instrns
tt on no acct. were Bn H.Q.
to be taken, got together
batmen, scouts etc & sent,
under / intell. offr. Lt
Zander, up to / forwd
edge of Lebucquiere - &
put a small guard on /
rt edge of Lebucquiere watching
/ right exit of Velu Wood.
MacArthurs HQrs were in /
forwd part of Lebucquiere,
Col. C. then got on to Maj
Cheeseman 30 Bn (in dugout near
Morchies) & told him to keep

4       76
a careful look out on his
right flank. CO Then asked be
put onto OC C.Coy. (rt Coy 30
Bn on Cambrai Rd) -
Lt Adams. He had heard /
firing & had not seen
anything. While C.O. ws
speaking to him he shouted
"Oh they're coming at me -
I must go" There were
6 men & a L.G. in a crater
on / road - The Germans
bombed them, k. 4 men,
captd gun. The 2 other
men feigned dead in
a shell hole while /
Germans trod all over
them. The Germs (abt 150)

4       77
had come up from village
thro / sunken Rd - 8 then
had m.gs. in the crater.
[Diagram - see original document]
& along Cambrai
rd towdsLebucquiere.
Cheeseman ws
ordered to make a
c/attack. This wd be
abt 5.30 a.m. Cheeseman
sent out Lt White O/C
B Coy. who took his
whole coy across in
arty formatn under
arty fire abt through
7 central. They lost 7 or

4       78
8 in the barrage. Cap Lt Adams
on rt flank ^(C Coy) organised
a c.attack there & wanted
to lead it himself till ordered
to stay on / telephone.
Directly B & C Coy
came at them (C. Coy
bombed them first out o /
crater) the Germs. turned
& ran & our men
chased them cheering,
firing with L.G., bayoneting
when they cd - & accounted
for 50 of them, back along
the Cambrai Rd & valley
to South of it.
Lt Harrison of 29 Bn

4       79
(who had bn with Capt
Booth's Coy w h retired)
organised a c/attack
in / village - (Booth ws
k. when / village ws cleared)
The Germans were seen
running with the L.Gun.
Some of 29th saw this
gun & shot down /
Germs. carrying it &
retook the gun.
White pushed patrols
into / village. Our
original line ws restored
by abt 6.30am. & the
Except in the crater
post on rly S.E. of Beaumetz

4      80
wh the Germans held
with M.gs.
We had no Stokes
guns there then, & no
arty support, most o /
guns going back to Fremicourt
every night.
We took a certain
number of wd prisoners
They were of the 95th Thuringian
Regt.
2 Bns of them had
come from away back
where they had bn specially
trained for storming
& attacking & marched 
15 kilometres. They were
told tt Australian troops
were in front of them,

?23rd
4      81
holding Beaumetz & were 
ordered to take the village
at all costs.
They called for volunteers
(so the prisoner sd) & none
responded - so they were
ordered to take it.
(3rd Divl troop of 38th Divn)
Armed with dagger-bayonet,
cavalry rifle, auto-pistol, &
each man carried 8 bombs.
30 Bn was reld. on
night of 24^th by 58 Bn.
The Germs. attd just after the 
relief.