Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/148/1 - 1917 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066648
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

3 303 o & N 3 76 505 & 43 5
cs 0 3 & or3 13 Sis L Est or £ 54 13 46 6 & 51
5 86 38
39 Ber we in octo Oveginal idea agst Doignies wits kick off from straight & road in 20 d + 27 a breakin thro' an open spece in the wire behind Wendlwell in 16d germans had aoo 3 stong points between Hernces & Doignies not country the villares wh were defended to stron posts as usual There ws 16ft of were in the pont of Doiganes in but Beaumetz directir
ws there a Ce sax wcl Patrols fou d had been out tt I were put in) where this s4 previously exested Ma woods. acting 0 ane Brigaden the of this from patrots consultaly in Div genl. on Hovil it ws decide this tl shd behivd forth 56 Bn & follow it closely an interval with abt 10m o 55 Bn shifted just. before dusk to afternoon thro Lebacquiere across Bap. Rd. & restr for roat hours Nof the
Na Si0 13 tar Blannitz. The loys were rested in split ap & avoit barr road from farm as show I posite 2. (Now in 3 at H.43 (56th abt 10ms heavity batces as the The right Coy Beetroot factory Dcoy. O. went twoo t & left a a formation well Ecbeloned & along le They moved ap cnto waves) They kicked earlier) The road was troops starte found the fermans the ti Capt, Stutchbury M.C. Th alation there & reformed up on o
Smain Cambose Rd. 42 The other 2 coys on left were wexed with 56Bn & had not got thouh this coy we held until other 2 cdbe seen the co The 55Bn had bee given instructions notto fe involved on 56th fighting as objective for Bn was Donus TheS. Str it he Ed fightin in verval 10 but Bn man t bb hour l 1/2 to through the Strugh D Coy wsth ordered to attack the Mage on the tne Hanle w comer). This ct the attr h tio atte
43 coys were sent rom 2 envelope village b to Phase W8 it 2 Coys worked in with conjunctin o another & gave cover fire in the old mena style) The Termans in) were having breakfe vellag attack Surpriss when There as no art them preparation). The Sermans, sceny the 2 enlosing blew 5ys Centre 2 in ton (under ths O ADrs probabl as telphonie swere noticed o acks the genmans then retrent towards Hernces someto
38 44 Denicourt. Our men found their breekfasts standing as coffee, wheateng (whole mead bread, & butly (ond men had had no creekfast & engoyed it) The cofee as hot on the The last to takle 2 stay fighty was a m.9 near the windwill - all te crew was knocked out one or two who sot away ie gun. The troops suffered casualties from a ferman M.9. near Boursies. They were nearly all slight mg. wounds through calves of legs. Sone fought on all (afternoon to these wounds-
80 5 Posts were placed at Winday w L.9) & 22a - Jouin with 31Bo who had one post in 21Co our posts were all rount vellage + were pushed out in pont of it but macking gun fire prevente them from diging in during I da They had to lie out on I top of ridge until nightfull. There ws no one in Ivellage, And 1 Germans shelled I velloge Duriy day there was a pap of $1000 yds between left of 55B rright of 56Bn, wh eventually extended into Ti0t

Germs. were 118, 119, & 120 - all

their kit was brand new.
A German sd in a captured letter:

They retreated voluntarily for about a

fortnight & were opposing a number of black Australians

whose faces turned quite white whenever they felt

the German mailed fist. They were giving themselves up in large

numbers.

"We have recently captured 2 or 3

villages & the Black Australians give

themselves up as soon as they feel our

mailed fist."

28
36                                                   

In Waine's platoon (D. Coy) an Australian

facing a German bayoneted him with "In - out -

on guard."
Hogarth ws hit in / stomach near / cemetery.

As he fell some o / men were inclined to 

stop & help him. He shouted "Go on - Go on".

He was probably killed as he lay there — like

the others.

Amitage ws hit thro the top o / head. He

spoke to Wilson after this.

Churchill Smith shouted to some o / men on /

right as they were captd – but cdnt make them Leave
 

 

No of prisoners – 76 ∧ incl. 20 offrs - some of the S.bs

walked into our line without any escort

at all.

2 m.gs. 2 TMs & 4  pineapple throwers

(1 of these was allowed to Stokes mortars).

A large no of new rifles, revolvers

etc.) The Germans also had a no of 

Daggers - 4 Bugles. The daggers seemed to 

be for storming purposes but / Germans dont wait.

 

28
37                                                           

Diagram

like Bayonet

but not fitting on

to rifle. (kept well oiled). 
Churchill Smith tells me that the Germans bolted thro' /

village in front of them – afterwards ∧ (in positn) they cd hear two mgs behind

them. Ch. Smith saw, at abt 7, a few of Todds men driven from

N-T to rly between Y & P by German m.g. fire from bank at S.

Afterwds. he saw these men (who were suffering on rly embankt)

captured. Half an hour later he saw some of our moppers up at

G lying out being killed by m.g. fire from S. The Germans shouted to them

to surrender, & they did. He shouted to them & 2 ran towards him, 
one ws k - the other reached him. Smiths lot cd not fire on these

 

Germans for fear of attracting Germans on their 

right – Germs. at this time were opposing Smith

chiefly from T.  Afterwards late in proceedings

they turned up at Q also. The gun at M only 

troubled him for ¼ hour  in morning. After tt it 

ws short of ammun or busy elsewhere.

There were 2 German barricades up /

Sunken Rd in front of 52 Bn. The Germans there

cd be clearly seen — & 52 Bn high up digging in

on top of hill above them. The Germans after a

while retired to / tower barricade & Ch. Smith

thought tt / 52 Bn must be attacking them.

The Germans sat up xxxxx on /

 

28
38                                                                       

Y road. & signalled to Ch. Smith to surrender.

This made him really angry – His men sniped 

at them. "But I don't think our men are very

good at sniping," he sd, "for they continued to

sit up & beckon us, as bold as brass."

Todd & Gore had some difficulty in

getting their men thro' / barbed wire, but

did it exceedingly well — urged them through it

under fire.

If they came under fire after being captured

it seems to have been at H (the 48 Bn say there are

a lot of 50 Bn lying out somewhere).

Of the bombers 3 went down to left of A; rest to

right of it. They were k. at O.  Bidstrup ws k. at U.

There was only slight retaliatory shell fire.

 

 

28 
39                                         

55 BN
ws in  velu.
Original idea agst
Doignies ws to kick
off from straight X road in
20 d & 27 a breaking
thro' an open space
in the wire behind /
Windmill in 16 d.
Germans had abou
3 strong points between
Hermies & Doignies
not counting the villages
wh were defended by
strong posts as usual.
There ws 16ft of wire in
front of Doignies in
Beaumetz directn but
 

 

28

40                                          
there ws a  gap behind /
mill. Patrols found
out tt  / wire had been
put in where this gap
previously existed.
Maj Woods, acting C.O. &

the Brigadier knew

of this from patrols & 

in consultatn w /

Divl Genl. on April 1
it ws decided tt the 

55 shd form behind

56 Bn & follow it closely

with an interval of

abt 10 mins.

55 Bn shifted just

before dusk tt afternoon

thro Lebucquiere across

Bap. Rd & rested for 

3 hours N of the road
 

 

28 

41
Diagram - see original document                                            
Beaumetz.
The Coys were rested in arty formation, well
split up to avoid barrage, & echeloned along
road from farm as show 1. They moved up into
position 2. (Now in 3 waves) They kicked off

at 4.45 (56th abt 10mins earlier). The road was
heavily barraged as the troops started.
The right Coy found the Germans in the
Beetroot factory (D Coy.   O.C. Capt. Stutchbury M.C.)
went thro' tt & left a platoon there & reformed up on
   

 

28
42                                               

main Cambrai Rd.
The other 2 coys on left
were mixed with 56Bn
& had not got through.
This coy ws held until
other 2 cd be seen coming.
The 55Bn had bn
given instructions not to
get involved in 56th
fighting as objective for
55 Bn was Doignies.

The 56 struck hard
fighting in Louverval
but 55 Bn managed

in abt ½ hour to
struggle through them.
D Coy ws then
ordered to attack the
village on the inner flank
(N W corner). This
attracted the Germans
attention.  The other
 

 

28 
43                                                  
2 coys were sent round
/ village to envelope
it to N E. These
2 Coys worked in

conjunction with one

another & gave covering

fire (in the old Mena

style).
The Germans in /
village were having breakfast
when / attack surprised
them (There ws no arty
preparation). The
Germans, seeing the
2 enveloping Coys, blew
up 2 mines in / centre
o / town (under their

H.Qrs probably as telephone

wires were noticed & tracks).
The Germans then retreated
towards Hermies — some to
 

 

28
44                                          
Demicourt. Our men
found their breakfasts
standing — coffee, wheatmeal
(whole meal) bread, & butter
(Our men had had no
breakfast & enjoyed it).
The coffee ws hot on the
table. The last to
stay fighting was a m.g
near the windmill – all
the crew was knocked
out unless exc. one or two
who got away w /
gun. The troops suffered
casualties from a
German m.g. near
Boursies. They were
nearly all slight m.g.
wounds through calves
of legs. Some fought on
till / afternoon w these
wounds.
 

 

28 
45                                                         
Posts were placed at Windmill
(w L.G) & 22a – joining
with 31Bn who had one
post in 21 c. Our
posts were all round /
village & were pushed
out∧ welll in front of it –
but machine gun fire
prevented them from
digging in during / day.
They had to lie out
on / top o / ridge
until nightfall.
There ws no one in
/ village, but / Germans
shelled / village.
During day there
was a gap of 1000
yds between left of 55Bn
right of 56Bn, wh
eventually extended into J10B
 

 
Last edited by:
Maralyn KMaralyn K
Last edited on:

Last updated: