Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/215/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066673
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

into I trulk logitin Clit ws wd in the arm first truck to kn w but lare firer te Each fine straight T 1 l truch firs a Clo The his dept without an 76 by Leiks b (attack not espected 1dista time, 1 all deceive tay thought to w Mack
Co t b these troop a 1 stack in They had 15 belom Som back. They had be le 1After brogh api dark Ei te ot into ? Coy Bive alright. Hephy I by mopped up & from n th settl to fer fight s good troops planty of wine 16 Tey
Our n. very few & s be us ett 150 all talon $1500 yds. D. CCoy Each abt100 Na a The RI 6 objis right of the jully Square Copse. Their loft shd be at Square Copse. I 1r of well over Dear Squar is nothng on lot They were a in pont of Square Copse.
t. Cat 4m of A Coy was Mell) in/ town in w a few & collected Bell Copse dejonts prson ear tere. The Ple Agc. Coy wh widg to storey opi into behint A. at as full Onots tred yetby san toucht. They 7t fight there, bonting, take 9e splt if, vorh nnch. They pot 1 whole 01 truck. Probf man sot away down I treache lowds Bellinglise & the
E of the sunber C nother block b a juncte of oncto & blochin Pen trech. After abt t he don 33 c3.10 of at Dloy Sawhen Rd. Only The bank Story by these. C sent a patrol up the NEY bank to get His behiind thest ferms. torey patrol m
a by betit ers his us before blocks hadh sut 1 ocition sabilises) To petrol told storey to it as to get in belint tesl ferns & let the e in behind Coy H Aes. Hhe patrot had one gun. loy I ais hed a some ind san A Cot of firm prisoners o at Coy Agrs & it ws thought to when 1 patrol gt sest boy Age bok juis cd be patonb drive ta up t 45 B torcy at once, wI patiol, cut in bods paratle the N. Aclene Rd in reare ferms The forms saw im
& cleare it Sowds 1 Both guns it 10 a + I raw to dark) lorg se it 15 4 a lance be se Storeys One to to C tif-C.old 5 get to this Mo back on straught away The offr snew what was sd & reseted it but by keeping them move they were pt a without mishap. one te sd? All I can to
Sottiers Ia of 68 Bn hi ove by came a the Tas th 65 Bs Rt. till back us so knew te 48Bn - met them movey up pom tere. Andtw Coy and hap to seshap orders - ave on line 2 72i Sunker Ed by Coy Hgr At. 11.45 pm. after storey had foue back w amoners My Cose
10 Coy Ha in a Tonny Colonel, + a mber of men. They ty were going to hop aer 1 nibaglt (abt 3A.20.10 ti ves). olo it Nc 59 to A Helene & Poutruls were v strongly hett. The were ta getten is o into positi Map Co vent back to rs foud a there to saig effect. it oce Sin 7 trinchs to let our peop tere know ofbarrage This ar it abt 11.5 & in lti
to left. Te sttach by British look plane at R. MY.C wen se e tait. He You lined in the Conbs rear 1 gridling believ - The clear. But t long. The major lit a mid af back. Thre ven ie in Se they sd to others had Come back & Tone to Prea a little later Ry too t The flank then depr on the Coy of 48 Bn (To ws quile R. Thos wer centen to 40

& got into / trench together.

Leith ws wd in the arm in

/ first trench w a German

who ws up there as a 

flare firer but he carried

on & went to / second

objve.  Each fired their revolvers.

They went straight on

leaving a number of Germs

in / first trench incl.

a Colonel & many offrs.

The Colonel who ws on

his dignity & wd not go back

without an offr ws shot

by Leiths batman.  They had

not expected / attack - /

time, / rain, / distance

all deceived them - they had

thought tt we wd attack
39

 

in a couple of days &

they had brought up

all these troops in order

to C.Attack in / mg.

They had come up in

cars from 15 kilometers

back.  They had bn clearly

brought up in / aftn &

put in after dark.

B Coy got into its

2nd objve alright. The pln

from D Coy mopped up &

this part o / trench ws

soon settled.  There were

numer ous fights - the Germs

were good troops & had had

plenty of wine & were pretty

aggressive when captured.

There were many small scrapes.
40

 

One man ws a prisoner

for ½ hr.  Our many men were

very few & / Germans far

more numerous.  We had

abt 150 all told on 1500

yds.

D & C Coys tt morng had

gone over each abt 100 strong

(200 men).

The Rt. Coy had its

objve right of the gully near

Square Copse.  Their left shd be

at Square Copse.  They

got well over to / left

near Square Copse.  They

had nothing on their right.

They were all in / lot of

trenches in front of Square Copse.

41

 

 

Lt. Muriel M.C. ( a Prich

Methodist minister from

Melb) in/c of A Coy went

w a few men down towds

Bell Copse & collected

prisoners from / dugouts

near there.  The Pln of C

Coy under Lt Storey M.C. wh ws

to mop up for them went down in

behind A Coy & sailed into

Onoto trench wh ws full of

Germans & had not yet bn

touched.  They had a tough fight

there, bombing, taking Germans

split up, working round /

trench.  They got / whole o /

trench.  Probly many Germans

got away down / trenches

towds Bellenglise & the S.

42

 

They formed a block in Onoto

trench just E of the sunken Rd.

Another block had bn formed

at / junctn of Onoto & Pen

trench, blocking Pen trench.

After abt ½ hr / Germs became

very active there.

During this time a 

strong patrol of Germs came

down due west to abt

33 c35.10 Maj. Couchman

ws at D C Coy Hqrs in the

Sunken Rd.  Only a few

odds & ends were there.

Storey. The bank ws lined

by these. C sent a patrol up

the NEly bank to get

behind these Germs.  This

patrol met Lt. Storey just

43

 

coming back w a big batch 

of prisoners. (This ws before /

blocks had bn put in & /

position stabilised.) The patrol

told Storey tt it ws to get in

behind these Germs & let them

come in behind Coy HQrs.

The patrol had one gun.  Coy

HQrs had a souvenired gun.

A lot of Germ prisoners were

at Coy Hqrs & it ws 

thought tt when / German

patrol got past Coy Hqrs

both guns cd be put on to

drive them up to 45 Bn.

Storey at once, w /

patrol, cut in towds parallel 

to the St. Helene Rd in rear

o / Germs.  The Germs saw him

44

 

& cleared out S. wds &

got away.  Both guns opened

but probly abt 100 Germans (tt

ws / number estimated in

the dark) got away.

Storey ws sure he had got

1500 prisoners.  At Hqrs.

a Lance Corpl ws found to

be sending / prisoners back.

Storeys pty of prisoners ws there.

One Coy of / German officers

ws very stiff - C. told the Corpl

to get xx this ofr back as

soon straight away.  The offr

knew what was sd & resented

it but by keeping them on /

move they were got away

without mishap.  One German

offr sd. " All I can say is you
45

 

are some bloody soldiers."

In / meantime a Coy

of 48 Bn had bn sent up

to cover / rt flank.

They came up and were placed

from the Tumulus up to the

45 Bns Rt.  The Tommies

were still back at /

Tumulus so far as we

knew - the 48 Bn had

met them moving up from

there.  Another Coy ws

sent up under Maj. Couchmans

orders - 2 plns were put into

/ line in & 2 in Onoto trench & 2 in /

Sunken Rd by Coy Hqrs.

At 11.45 pm. just

after Storey had gone back w

/ prisoners Maj Couchman in /
46

 

Gully immediately S. of

Bn Coy HQrs in / sun met

a Tommy Colonel, & a

number of men.  They sd

they were going to hop over

at 12 midnight (abt 3A.20.10

this Colonel was).  He sd

tt St Helene & Pontruet

were v. strongly held.  The

Tommies were then getting

into positn.

Maj. C. went back to

Coy HQrs & found a message

there to / same effect.  Men

were at once sent up to /

trenches to let our people

there know o / barrage.

This arrived at abt 11.57

& enabled them to ease
47

 

to / left.  The attack by /

British took place at 12.

Maj. C. went over to see /

start.  The Tommies were

lined in the Sunken Rd.

near / gridline between ∧Squares 2 &

3 - They went over w a 

cheer.  But they were very

done.  The Major lit a cigarette 

& a few mins later came

back.  There were a few

Tommies in / Sunken Rd

& they sd tt / others had

come back & gone to / rear.

A little later they too were

gone.

The flank then depended

on the Coy of 48 Bn (It ws quite

safe. Those Coy ^48 were intended to be

48

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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