Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/130/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 6

10    65                                                   
& sd tt their picket had
bn surrounded & post gone.
10 mins later 2 men of
17 Bn came in & sd tt
No 2 sentry group of Rt
Picket had gone.
Col Pye got into touch
with 17 Bn & heard tt their
left ws O.K. but rt
uncertain.
Col. made ordered D coy
to make a defensive
flank on right to
rt facing Lagnicourt.
The dispositns ordered

 66
uncertain in light
if ours or Germs.

 

10    67                                                                                        
by Bde were not in time
to be carried out when
Germs were seen coming
down Hirondelle Valley
abt 6 am (probly scouts)
towards Noreuil, &
towds C Coy where marked on Map.
C.O ordered movements as marked on sketch.
There seemed to be only
abt a dozen, x so
The Coys ½ D & C Coy ws ordered
to hold fire till they
were 150 yds away.
Then every L.G. &
rifle ws opened abt 6.30
Germs turned out to
be far more numerous 
- probly abt 500 - in
waves.

10     68                                                                         
Germs went back by
2s & 3's.
At 6.40 Col. Pye asked for
barrage abt 200 yds
further back, & 5 mins
later another 200
yds - so as to get it
in rear of Germans
& hem them in.
7 patrols were sent
out & many Germs
captured - 2 men
captd 70 in one bunch.
The enemy approached
abt this time to with
200 yds of A Coy on
ridge to right (coming

 69
Men standing up  to shoot.   

 

10     70                                                                             
from Lagnicourt direction.
At 7.30 one pln of
A Coy ws sent forwd
to chase enemy
who were retiring.
The 20 Bn. ws coming
along from Vaux at
this time & 19 Bn A Coy
ws in touch w them
at 7.45 a.m.
Our Casualties
13  o.r.  k }   m.g. & x
56  or.  w. }  sniping.
Enemy lost abt 100 in front
of Noreuil Lagnicourt Rd
from SAA fire; & another 100
further forward from arty

10     71                                                                              
& S.A.A. fire.
We took 4 offrs. & abt
200 o.r.; 2 m.gs., 2
converted Lewis Guns, &
many rifles.
"A" Coy 17 Bn ws put
on ridge between A & D Coy
at first but withdrawn
as soon as A Coy
got out in order tt
they might be available
if wanted by 17 Bn.       
During the fight one
Bty of 18 Pdrs (? 13^th)
ws firing direct from
left of Noreuil - They

10     72                                                                      
were at one time a
bit low & getting into
Sunken Rd.
Capt Taylor, 19 Bn,
got up & lifted them
by signs w his hands,
wh they saw. The
guns lifted a bit.      

R12/34
[*R12 End of Book *]
6
THE TRIUMPH
OF ITALY.
GERMAN MOVES IN
THE BALTIC             
GILLEMONT FARM FIGHT.      
MORE HEADWAY IN
EAST AFRICA.
The War : 4th Year : 29th Day.
Our Home Correspondent, who is at the Italian

5                                                         
Through German
Eyes.
"CENTRAL AFRICA
AND SOUTH AMERICA.                                 
REVISED WAR AIMS.
The telegraphed reports of Herr von Kűhl-
mann's speech in the Reichstag Committee on
August 22 prove to have been too flattering.
A fuller report, subsequently circulated to the
German Press, makes it quite plain that the new
Foreign Secretary's pronouncement about the
necessity of combining right with might was not
a statement of general doctrine, but a prescription
for the treatment of such Powers as remain
neutral. Herr von Kűhlmann dealt first with
Germany's allies, and last with Germany's
enemies, and in the middle he put the passage
about neutrals. In it he said:-
The prevention of any further crumbling away
of important neutrals is a very grave task. We
can perform it successfully only on the principle that
"in policy speaks might, but in policy speaks also
right." Only if we base our policy upon these two
pillars of might and right shall we achieve lasting
results.