Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/102/1 - March 1918 - Part 4

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34
range guns - Bailleul
wh he is destroying (he killed
6 of our Corps Salvage there
a few days ago) Poperinghe,
Hazebrouck, Aire - He
has actually (the Paris papers
say) been shelling Paris
today w a long range gun
which their planes have
located at St Gobain -
over 70 miles - 120 kilometres
- scarcely believable.  Someone
even suggested tt / French Govt
had had it done to cover
a retirement. He put
up an appearance of attacking
at Armentières - & then
threw in Everything not at
Rheims but at Cambrai. 

78
35
The French 3^rd Army is
hurrying up - but when
can they get here. They
have taken over / line
as far as Ham - but
/ Germans are over / Somme
there.  Our 3^rd Army
is holding Bapaume still.
But / German is concentrating
there & further South; & he
has taken / line wh
we intended to hold -
Sailly Saillisel - & must
be round behind Bapaume
by now!
"Havent we any reserve
- surely we must have!" I
asked.
"No - I dont think 

? 5^th
 

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36 

there's a division between
/ Germans & here," Cadge
sd.
We sd our divns wd
surely be coming, & / N.Zs.
"How can they get here
in time?" he asked.
Cutlack & I decided to
countermand / rooms we
had taken for / night, in
case we had to leave Amiens
tonight. We decided to wait
till Lytton & Cadge had bn
to see the 3rd army - they
went after dinner. Presently
the German planes began
to bomb & a series of
explosions happened.
Rumour sd it ws / 

Longeau
Longeau
 5^th
 

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37
factory a train or dump at Longuere just
outside Amiens wh /
Germs had bombed. Hour
after hour passed - /
explosions continued - &
Lytton & Cadge did not return
At a little after midnight
they came in. The factory
at Longuere had bn hit
& had blown up just
after they had passed
it. The telephone wires
were cut by a bomb 50 yards
away & got entangled in their
wheels. They xxxx had to
try a different road back
& found a great bomb
crater in / middle of it.
They sd tt the 3^rd 

38
The driver of
the Press Cars were given orders
to stand by ^ to start at half an hours
notice, till Lytton got back.
 

78
39
Army did not consider
itself in peril - tho
anxious. It did not
intend to move. The
35^th Divn ws believed
to be somewhere between
it & / Germans. The only
dangerous feature ws tt
there ws mention o /
German cavalry getting
through.
However they did not
think Albert wd go tonight as
ws thought at one time - ※
but they did think tt /
battle wd some day be
fought this side of Albert.
We decided to stay / 

78
40
night. Bockhard - an
Australian o / 13^th Bn
who is in Amiens - let
Cutlack & myself sleep in
his old room in his mess.
The German planes are
over constantly & traffic
is pouring thro' the town -
I can hear it but dont
know which way. People
are moving about /
streets - but I dont think
they know / facts tho they
suspect something.
Wilkins went to find
the 3rd Tunnellers today.
He may be in Bapaume.
I hope he gets back -
& I hope tt / Germans dont 

41
Heard fighting at the junction of the 2 armies between
Bapaume and Sapignies.  We didn't know if the
Germans have Sapignies.  We had
to leave Mory.  Fighting
intense all night long at
Bap.
[*Highwood and north
of Longeau*]
The German is at Ervillers
E edge of Highwood & Mericourt
The French were attacking northward towards Ham this morning
& we were attacking E. from Nesle
w / French to push the [shorthand] back across
the river.
The [shorthand] agents been spreading  fills the armies from
the civil population and causing all to be stopped
& shot at sight (anyone spreading
rumours at all)
 

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42
arrive here & wake us
in / morning
The day has been an exquisite
spring day.
Mond. March 25.
Last night lorries were
passing up the Boulevard
rumbling along almost
all through the night. Several
times I went to / window
& looked out into / moonlight
across through / Boulevarde trees
to see wh way these lorries
were going. Once the line
of traffic stopped in front
of our house - & I cd
hear / men talking -
"70 miles" .... "Thats what they
say" ....... So I knew tt they were
talking o / gun wh is firing
on Paris. That gun is rather 

43
Huns in Bap.
Ervillers Vraucourt
Mericourt Wd Bus
Le Boef High Wd W
of Longueval W of
Peronne E of Licourt
E of Nesle. Golancourt
Cugny E. of Chaulnes.
Russell has just come in and says the Germans are
East of Ch in Bapaume.
We are either have left Bap.
3rd army
Line ws thro Montauban
Longueval, thro lower half
of Delville Wood, before Flers,
thro Ligny Thilloy, thro Bapaume
Avesnes thro Favreuil W of
 

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44
Bap. Avesnes, thro Favreuil,
W of Mory into Green Line.
a fortunate thing than otherwise
at / present moment. It gives
people something to talk about.
Everyone is speculating as to
whether it is true or not. I
think it is.
With daylight this morning
there were troops moving
thro Amiens northwards up
our Boulevarde. They were
N. Zealanders. I cant say how
glad I was to see them.
There were only a few, mounted
men & waggons - but they are
the solidest calmest looking troops
in France.
To two pages ahead ※ 

45
Mory into Green Line -
31 Divn hold line W of Curlu
to Maricourt
9 division & 1^st Cav. brigade betw Hardicourt
& Montauban.
1^st Cav. Divn is in touch w.
5^th Corps who hold line
Montauban Longueval
& have a Bde a Bazentin.
21 Divn withdrawn to Suzanne
39 Divn hold Somme from
Biaches to Frieze.
(3rd army say tt Germans
did not get thro our barrage
in an attack this mg. N of
Bapaume).
Germ. cavalry has been
harrassing our retreat. by
weight in small bodies
 

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46
NZ have been seen going
in.
3rd Army sd they werent coming here
(17 Corps)
Maclagan & Laverack.
S W of Arras. Basseux
1. Buisnes. ^ intermediate 2. abt 11pm to
Hermaville. 3.
White. 6 Divn which came up here not very badly done up -
only 3 hours:  then infy w guns
marching after the 5^th wave. Not a creeping barrage.
Guns almost at once firing at us from our old S line.
Hun. 1200 rounds behind each gun.  Not a long
bombardment.  300 of these gas shells - all c/bty gas.
March 20/21
Cox told our divns this. from
prisoners & doct.
White: Germs sent over a dud
deserter told a certain amt
of what ws to happen. Sd
our line wd be attacked on 13 March.
They waited & on 13 March at
zero our guns put down
exactly the bombt he wanted
to see.
We have no reserves. 

78
47
German worked in big plan -
here, all H.V.; Paris; H.V. broke
rly bridge at Choques - wh
must take days to repair -
held up our 4 Divn.
Today news French attacking
at Ham - got bridgehead.
Later Birdie flew over windy
some rain
Tonight - Germans attacking
heavily at Peronne.  Noyon,
Nesle. Also Ervillers -
Seem to be bearing on S flank.
Big gun firing here.
※
From 2 pages back
While Cutlack shaved at /
billet I went round to the Hotel
du Rhin & washed & shaved at
the lavatory outside the dining room.
It was rather ^ in public - but only a