Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/252/1 - 1918 - 1935 - Part 7

Capt Joynt, Strazeele 1918.
At Querrind got map of new
area. 11th Ap. 11 pm Coy Commdrs called
to Bn HQ & Mitchell threw them map.
Gs had broken thro' N & 1.Div
ws to be sent up.
Had recd orders to rel 3 Aust
Div at Ribecourt, 1 & 3 Bdes in line
2 in Suppt. were at Querrien 6 m. from
line.  Entrained at Reached Amiens 4 a.m. 12 Ap.
City deserted & quiet.  Bivd in Boulevard &
had breakfast. A Coy came by later train.
Reached siding near Hazebr.
& began detraining when a Div Staff
Offr rode came up & ordered them into
train again.  This was

up N.  As reaching That reaching battle zone was
clear – crowds of refugees were
seen carting away goods -
wounded making way
back. (Then Reached siding as
above & ordered back.)
Bn officers gathered round –
& the Divl Offr sd Germs were

attg Haz. & we had
to defend it, & wd
try to take up this
post -  & w blue pencil
he drew a line across
the map in front of
Nieppe forest.
Boarded train,
moved into Haz.
Div adt Divl SO had said 1 Bde on l.  2 in Centre  3 on rt.
Divl front to be 6 - 10m.
The 5 Brit divns who
held / front were out in
/ blue - lost.  Nobody
appeared to know where
they were, or even where
/ Germs were, but we
were infd tt the 31 Div.
with the 4 gds Bde, 29, 40,
Check ( & 50 Divns were out in
front.
No one knew if they

were still fighting or
whether they were all
captured.
(After detraining): Our 7 Bn had moved
out earlier & thrown out
a screen to cover our
digging in. Uhlan patrols
(the 50 sd) had been seen
to S. well round S.
flank - (that ws /
atmosphere whether true
or no).
On reaching Haz. which
ws completely deserted
- no R.T.O - signal keys
missing - Traill had much
diff in getting tpt on rail - all
packs & blankets had been
brought up & as each
man marched off Stn
he ws made to take a
pack, & every 10th man

carrd a roll of blankets.
We got ^these away from Stn
as quick as we cd as
we feared instant shelling.
We carrd them out to intended
site of Bde waggon lines,
abt 1000 yds from stn
(8 p.m. getting dark) where
they were dumped.  Not
to see them again for 7 days.
Some good person had
arranged for hot cocoa to
be ready & every man
got a pannikin full.  This
was our meal for next 24
hours.
Rested in field for
2 hrs waiting for our horses
as Coy Commdrs had bn
ordered to go into actn
mounted ; & as hot
meals had bn cooked in

cookers as train
steamed N., we waited
until / waggons arrd for
men to have hot meal.
Evently the Genl Maj.
Traill, arrd blaspheming.
He cdnt get the key to
get the wagons to the
siding - he did it in /
end but too late (Eng. [[?]]
(French) wdnt do it).
CO. had colled Coy
Commdrs together &
explained situatn as
best he cd.  Till then
Coy Cmdrs had bn resting
w plns in bivouac,
men lying alongside
stacked rifles, shivering,
anxiously waiting to know
what ws doing.  Coy
Commds in place by Coys.

In dist. light from
burning village &
noise of one apply
British 60 pdr firing
reply, at intervals.  No other sound
of arty or infy.
[Sergt Robertson who had
been ^ on list to be left out w nucleus,
cdnt be found ^in dark. & didnt
want to be found & ws
not left behind]  Night fine
starlight & cold.  We were in
open S.E. of Hazeb. abt 1000
yds from Stn.
OCs found Colonel in
a small farm w. windows
blinded by blankets -
light of candles (200 yds
away).  Runners from HQ
came & got them.  Col. had
probly bn waiting for men
to get a feed.  Col. explained

sitn as much as he
cd & showed one
map where to go &
dig in.  The ^8 Bn was
to take up line covering
abt 3000 yds - 1000 to
each Coy.  The reserve ws
to be A Coy, who were
on later train.  Col Mitchell,
pointing to farm on map,
named that as his Bn HQ.
           D |
Coys   C |
to be  B | 
He sd to Joynt:
"I hold you responsible
for the protn of my
headquarters."  The
flank ws in the air but at
daybreak divn had promised
tt flank wd be up & wd
go into actn on Joynts left.
Mitch sd: "Bn will move at
once-  D Coy leading.  As you are
marching out into the blue,
take adequate precautions.  We

dont know what
moment you will stumble
on / enemy, & we must
also guard aqainst confusing
7 Bn, who are out in
front somewhere, w /
enemy."
With 1000 yds to defend
w abt 120 bayonets Joynt
called his pln Commdrs
together & told them off to
jobs ( Pitt, B^ourke, McGinn
& Fenton) in tt order l. to r.
Fenton, the senior, ws
to cover a big difficult
tin mill on rt.  Not to
hold it.  Joynt ws anxious
abt this - he saw from
map there wd be trouble
there.
Had waited 2 hrs for
tpt, but they hadnt come

up when Bn moved - but
got bns reserve of tools 15
shovels & several picks
to each Coy.
Moved at 1 a.m.
Scouts out in front, (Coys
had to go so quickly
tt didnt attempt to
leave rd.  J. Divd one
pln into sectns ; stood
at starting pt w
Commdr & sent 2
men off, then 2 just
in sight of them in /
dark, & so on.
Sent 2 sectns thus.  Then
2 Sectns in file ; then
50 yds & then a pln in
file w connecting files
betw. & remaing plns at
50 yds dist. w connecting
files - Each pln to keep /

others in sight.  This
gave protection to abt
200 yds depth.  No time
to do more.  Road ws
fairly straight.  First two men
wd hear a noise & stop.  The others
in view wd stop.  Joynt (who ws going up & down) wd send
them ahead or they wd go on
(This ws leading Coy)  Mitchell had sd: we are
going into this forlorn hope,
D C B Coys - Joynt you
lead.  Joynt ws in his element.
Behind his Coy came the
Col. & Adjt.  They went were through
empty villages past empty houses.  They were
to go along in strict silence but
their spirits were up.  Joynt
told / men before they moved off
what / job was - (he told
them later they were going to ^dig their
graves.  The men were as
proud as punch.  "I think a lot
of it had to do w Austln
national pride.  They were
intensely proud of Austlian achievemts
in / war - they knew tt if