Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/148/1 - 1917 - Part 3

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Captain Stuttsbury M.C. led 55^th Bde in. He was O.C. attack. 

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15^th Bde Beaumetz.
On same night of day
when Lagnicourt ws taken,
the Germans counterattacked
suddenly on The Farm on
the Cambrai Rd near
Beaumetz.   They shelled
it so heavily tt of / garrison
of 40, 12 were killed or
wd - the others left (of 57 Bn
wh took it)

Diagrams and words from original to be inserted hereCapt Macdonald o / 58 Bn
happened to be xxxxxx in
Beugny.   He had bn ordered
to stand by in case the
Germans c-attacked on
the Doignies Rd agst
Lagnicourt (where the 28 Bn 

Hand drawn diagram – see original
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also was rushed up -
2 last coys of it, just before
Gilchrist, I went there)
They (58 Bn's coys) were not needed
& were withdrawn &
had just reached Beugny
when they heard tt /
Farm had bn taken from
us. Capt McDonald at
once c-attacked, on his
own, & retook / Farm
within ½ hour.
In Fremicourt on 1st day
our infantry twice charged
a m.g. wh ran to further
house when it cd have
k. the whole lot.
Hand drawn diagram – see original

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April 2. 50 Bn.
Hand drawn diagram – see original

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Germans had posts at A D & C with barricades at A & D
& listening post at E. B  C & D
[*3 platoons B Coy*]
were dealt with by Stokes. Bomb team
moved to left of A, dealt with
it, went on to B & were all k or w. near there - whole
of No 13 platoon. There were dugouts at A & D
& Bidstrups bombers dealt with A by throwing Mills
bombs into dugouts.
A Coy had to cross rd, reach XY on rly, & pivot there
on their right so as to make YZ. After a lot of fighting
(taking some prisoners on rly,) they (A) got thro the
wire - A message from Todd to his left ws found
on a dead runner saying tt there ws a gap 

[7 a.m. Armitage & Smith  Touch joined between C D & Keen (67 Bn). &
consolidating in new joined line 400 yds NE of Norreuil. No touch with right.
Enemy enfilading us from cutting on road from Lagincourt & thro C.17 B. Enemy m.g.
still active from rly cutting from C.16.B. Armitage Smith waive all right consolidatn
7.a.m.]
between him & Armitage. Right Coy got 30-40
pioneers. Todd after reaching his 1st xxxx pivoting point swerving
to right & went straight forward past the crater,
his right on bottom of valley & his left abt up to
Y road. Some 20 or 30 of his men got to the Sunken Rd
abt the X road in bottom of valley. S They were in
one line prob. at this time. Germans came at
men in S from P, M. & further up valley, & also
from T. Others of A Coy were at V. They were seen
being captured, by Churchill Smith at abt L where he was
connected at once with 51st (they connected as soon as
they hit the village). Abt 200 Germans came from village, driven
out by moppers up & fright -. & they helped in this.
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[When mgs ^had opened as they got down hill they
still went walking on. Firing from the hip ws
very effective. M.gs held up line here & there but
enveloping went on & the mgs were silenced
by rifle grenades & bombs.]
Lt Rule ws sent w 1 2 platoon of B Coy (xxxx xx xxxx)
had bn sent to village to help Todd. He got to
the rly & couldnt find Todd - & ws under
pretty heavy fire - Loutit was later sent down
(abt. 9 a.m.) to clear up / situation. He found
Rule in rly cutting. He cd see the Germans in
NT. Rule ws wd in the foot at this time. The
 

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Germans were too intent shooting at flank of
Armitage tt they didnt notice Rules platoon w 1 L Cr.
(Seagers other 2 plns from village ∧(sent thro' message from 51 Bn tt village ws not settled) were on their
way, but Loutit decided to go on straight
to Rules platoon as case ws urgent).
The left centre Coy under Sergt Wilson (C.Coy) had already
stopped 3 minor & 1 serious c. attack up this
trench - After 3 minor attacks they had built
a barricade & fallen back 30 yards from their
barricade. They waited till Germans got up to
this barricade & then let go with Mills bombs
as the Germans reached it. That settled the Germans
for time being. Loutit must have seen the 5^th attempt
 

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Loutit led his men into NS, lined them up
along the bank at NS - Every man coolly got
ready with L.G., picked their men. At the word
they fired a volley & the Germans disappeared.
- slid down bank. The survivors cleared round into
Sunken Rd. But They had no more trouble from 
there. Loutit's party however ws seen by
Germs. further up valley (on right) [shorthand]
they got a m.g. onto him. He left L.G. at
corner - & withdrew to crater. Rules L.G. however
came under such fire tt it had to come back to
crater.
Abt this time Seagers 2 plns turned up
& he tried to reach road from S to M. They lost a
 

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lot of men from M.G. fire & were driven back.
They consolidated E lip of crater & w 2 L.Gs
there & his men he ws able to command the
two Y roads: & corner at T, & to stop German
ammn parties getting to gun at rt (tho they
often tried to do so). this put the gun at rt out
of action.
That evening ∧4.20 p.m. Seager ∧had already got a post again to
corner at 5. German ws sniping all night.
Before daybreak he evacuated (tho we did not
know it until later).
During first afternoon evening ∧(8 p.m.) the arty put over a barrage
in front of Sunken Rd as 51^st Bn reported they saw
 

8.5. Smith sd Armitage & Edwards were all right then.
Enemy holds strong barricade at C17 D on road. X (He asked for road
from S to M to be taken. C.O. had already ordered this from information from lightly wounded &
forward report centre. Smith sd they cd attack Sunken objve again if
they were close.
X They cd see 52nd digging in
on top of ridge.
[At 8.43. Armitage sent a second message ∧(shortly before he was k.)  - by runner -
I have taken up a position in a newly
made shallow German trench, just in front of the
rd somewhere abt C.11 C 56. This trench is enfiladed
on the right from Sunken rd running down from
C 17 B. The enemy mgs in same road
prevented us from reaching objve. Am in
touch with Keen on left. Positn on rt is precarious
as he is in fair strength in gully & enfilades from
the right. Casualties increasing, casualties
amongst L. Gunners w. severe. T wounded
proceeding favourably. Armitage 8.43 am]
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Germans advancing in waves. (Churchill Smith also sd
the enemy appeared to be preparing for a
c-attack)
At 4.20 p.m. Seager reported tt he had reconnoitred
front from rt of 51 Bn to xxx 50 Bn rt - Germans
were at T. Seager had a post at S. Germans
had a post on Sunken road high up hill at M.
He wanted said 52 Bn cd pass secure this gun T
asked for suggested tt if a coy were put on his
flank T arty bombarded strong pt (T). We wd
have a shot at it. He sd tt his men had prevented
enemy parties getting up ammun to this gun M
 

28 As he had a post at S. C.O did not
go on w this suggestion.
After dark Seager pushed out sentry posts
connecting his crater with 52nd & trench
occupied by Churchill Smith & salvaged a LG
Vickers gun on rly line, crew of wh had bn knocked
out by rifle & mg. fire (only one man left).
357 were k. w. & m. All of these except
90 have bn found.
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Abt Rt flank of C. Coy 7 left of A coy. Pte Jensen
(a Dane) with a mate, also a private - came on 29 Germans
with some of our A Coy (incl. Sergt. Johanson - a Norwegian -
wounded badly) prisoners. They came at them up the cutting.
Jensen Jensens mate kept fireing at them, while
Jensen ran at them with bomb in right hand &
disengaged pin of bomb in left hand w his teeth.
J. shot ran up to the Germans & sd: Surrender you
Bastards - you're surrounded by Australians -
Johannson spoke quietly - Dont throw them, Jensen. The
Germans surrendered & the ∧Aust. prisoners brought them in.
Jensen later captured a German officer in /
village who showed them / house from wh / trench
ws coming.