Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/252/1 - 1918 - 1935 - Part 8

Austlns cd get an
opporty to show other
units what they cd do
they wd stagger the
onlookers -up to then
they had always bn
put in after other units
eg. Poz, Passch.
Now we were
working alone as an
independt  unit under
our own offrs - & the
other Austln units in /
South [[?]] before this
had demonstrated what
they cd do, & the 1 Division
ws quite sure tt it cd
do equally well. This
feeling, combined w a
feeling of absolute superiority
indivy as a fighting man
to the Hun. Their self assurance
tt, man for man, they were

worth 3 or 4 Huns. And,
up to that stage, the Austln
units had always bn on the
offensive. But now / time
had arrd when we were
" to pick our own line of
defence & wait for the
Fritzes" (as they had bn told
by J.) & they sd By Cripes,
this will do us !".
That theywere right
ws proved by / fact tt
we held / enemy on our
own positn, without
losing ground meant to be
held & later / superiority tt
our patrols obtained over
/ enemy became so marked
tt by July 1 Every digger in
the 1st Divn looked upon
the Hun as an animal to be
hunted a treated him w contempt.
(this is J's view, stated to me)
 

They also had wonderful
confidence in their leaders.
-they knew tt / best pozzy
wd be tn up. The knowledge
tt  / sitn ws critical - we had /
notion By cripes we are going
to be licked. We had / feeling
tt there ws nothing between
as & / Chauvel Ports & we
felt "Its on us." -  Where J.
later walked at
The Col & Adjt every now & then,
by carefully shaded torches examined
/ map at X rds & turnings- 
they were working entirely by it.
The men of J's Coy wd gradually
break into whistling. After much
discussion arrived a Xrd, where
J's coy ws to dig in. Joynt took
bearing by his compass & then
directed his 4 plus in several
directns & told them to go forwd
1000, 600, 400, 200 yds respectivly

& dig in. His Hq ws in a
farm by side of rd leading
from / forest.
Citt &
T. left the two rt plas
Bowikl
to dig in by thamselig
Mesun 1
Feuton
& weal along w1
re t
left plns & placed them.
When he came back he found the two
rt plns had gone forwd 200 yds per bn
tn the genl live to take adv. of a copse +
some Oldgs. I had thee formed a salient.
Dawn ws breaking, shells begs to fall
near- J. thought / bldgs std be held, so
agreed. Mg. co be heard in / distance
Coy H.Q. in a big " slap up" fare - plenty
of good roons, poulty potatols, cows-
Boys had bn milking cows, peeling
spuds, cooking eggs for a feast
(hadnt had a meal for 24 hrs).
Co. ws out inspecting J's posts,
a litt thy
epost thic be
thrupt too exposed.
In front was V. Bergain
 

t large bldgs & a church lower
dominating whole froot. T walked
down its main street where his
b. flank joined it. Has & hard
to defend, & CO. had here withdraw
the lef post 200 y0S. Kess were
abready setting it ait os pitiful to bee
slowy
(French inhabitants comey aron
street obmen & women Who had
toddcull On leftin 1 first read ruch.
thy were helpey theensehee along both stick,
& P. stells fell wikin 50yls. Some
night have by Jspies dressed as old
woner but I had no time to Examine
them. Already straglen from PEagl.
devn out in Fout were fally back
in ccreasen neembers, & Mfbeellets
were falling Joynt. beerried along
to get plu cowad to stop strafflers
& put thea in hew posts.
It as then nearly 11amr. &
Ihas breakf.
Plu comendss now were sende
 

NOR
 

m
mmmn
in messps to be 31,29,90
50 Deas were falling back: Icordy
I sent out pate of from Fenton's post
to see how thegs were viy & keep touch
w Dr it & lerns - & the news seet back
constantly by this patrol be sent on to
HC Copl. Whitton ir/ of this patrob we
S
os k. Redid good work
At 60'c. Pitt repd from L. t 29 Dio
as fally back over his sector thoroughly
demosctised & to be found he adat rally ken.
Togot out out w(as renner) a K.OYLI.
boy, who sd to be felt a buight not as
he bed neses had decent offes or NCQ.
in /a of him before? T fouredte plain
to be alive w Counces all over (place
degng in for their lines on cstrns of
a beagor of 31 Dis-a very gollant chap
who aod usist in depy in pout
of Joynts line as he sd I Auethis
were therefor uupport. Another ’s major
We ridny up & down on horseback, th he
horse ws shot, stopping Istan pede.
 

am
 

m
m
Megun repd A te Col, Ad & Lat off
of the Phancs Tunlers (29) is) were in his
post So I went out to see Ken. When he got
there be found to the Col & Adf had gove on
i his adjt &a few sunners to see if hecd
retake Ivillag. He ws dispucted to his of
nincer, who had reternd for 1 Btiine on
Rests bist. All to night fitting a
heard o willap, &iI mJ. it ws learnt
tCol. ( ans) had for (well
unoxed, I had sut his D. back to
get a fewmes & cattack. Te OC got
a lot of his men beenself & fierce M.g.
fire cobe heard all reft on I left of
villag. Te10 hadns buable to get
near it for heasy wepfire. It ws
assumed to Col. Cos K. or capts.
Is far we full of Coloels & offe
& tes Anght. Det for + 40D wos recalt
then 31 & 50 & be as left by ing, t only
29si vn. fosd before down word
came for 1 men of 29WD0
T, sent to all he posts to have thran
 

his
sent CHG, & puttter into
Kitchen, wh aeby & hell many F
the Austhis gavethen lot tea & a
feed. Tey were quite knocked out
by fatigu & hunger "many hednt
had a weak for 3 days. They were ten sent
to barn & were soon asteep in Straw.
Here I found he had messed a
day; the 29 Dis men were left for
(day in our truckes (Ap. 14] & were
not witdrown tell Ap 15.
Aplwg The ferns deviny mJ. of 14th
opened w foeld gun firing incending
shells cit all farmbouses along I
line & burac tem. But Te
for had a tiled roof, & after a few
shots fereus left it. To his people had
A scare, & I. ordered all outd it
to dig a 200403 in rear behiw a
bedp. He foun f the faren had a
cellar
ater & put sigs & loy Hgstef in it.
Quile sofe exc. for direct bil from heavygin
The daywo interesting as Ioshowed
 

theselves so boldly Ago reflemen
got a bewest, Coy offerors at 600 yo
nerchey in fours along (main Vienx Ba
read - foune in basses, deberecy alf
chusch, sooyd avay some came to
withen koyds of pists. The post of C
cogon it of Toynt caught a Coy of
ferns maraby 15 yls from their
L4-post & opined fore & K neerh
ken
all & sent out a patid Mot 6rg
& nay octable papers poor (off
who was dead at their head
Heery t fovers were vay
dimoured cars I put E0 Tononers
uades his C.SM. to block P2d by
overturnin a farm wayon & a dray
50 y do up rd frov his post comant
the 2d n sed ows as a
patiol tohaintan commn. laterall
betw the two nt posta, as Icalon
ws exposed. Itmight sosil have bh
outftawked in Pdark.
 

m
Apps ng po shelld Ss Hl. so be
ordered the 80men of 29 Dwn whom he had
there to getcndes cover of the hedps in
rear. The only 29Dis offr - theO.- as thes
w tae, but a very good Lergt Maj.01
Lang tus seperitenda maveant.
rere sevt 3 at time at 50 yos intervale
eghadb
Land after, wd cave to sowere
maseny in poit, so J. rang up fer 1
arty & discrebs tem I place. They soen
opened, & word am back to ese
s splendidly effective, shells trensting
right over the firis, who scattened.
I than gent off the 29Dis Mm
their
who were glad 5p, of ws&
apoligits fortheen & spoke of gpti
Theyaie saily changed, + dropped in
Eyes of ouer men. But allowances had to
be nake as they had had a rough time.
these men had hardly gone when a