Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/216/1 - August 1918 - Part 2

Peronne. They got 300 to 500 yds.

There were no Germs in this

length of trench. As they got on

however they came into

I field of a m.g. which

was in the first house on I

rt hand side o I village.

This gun ws firing from a

window down into the trench.

One man ws k. Field ws

wd. The party came back

to Florina trench. A post ws

left at a small trench junction

a little way up the trench.

 

It was to this post that

two men of the        captd in the

21st March came in during I

night - one of whom ws

bayoneted in error - they had

escaped from carrying ammntn

& had no idea our troops were

within many miles.

 

(See Intelligence Repts for

these men's Bn)

 

This put 23rd Bn in

Florina on I rt & I road

w I Germans still holding

the little copse ahead. At this

time Bn still thought it wd

have to attack Anvil Wood.

 

They were in Florina trench

up to the xxx rd at A. It

ended there. They worked round

(on getting there) up to the C.T. (AB

into Johannes trench & down

this as far as where there

ws a shanty in the trench forming

a block 200-300 yds down

it. The Huns were in the

Copse. Johannes trench ws (shorthand) shelling

& enfiladed from the Copse.

There ws probly nothing S of

the block but you cdnt get

round & see on acct. of the

m.g. fire from the Copse.

 

From Johannes trench you

cd see the old bldgs S. of

Anvil wood, where there

were dozens of m.gs. firing -

you cdnt rase a head to 

look.

 

The Germs in the Copse

spotted these ^23 Bn in Johannes trench &

this pty had to withdraw

soon after getting there.

 

Lt Elliott (I.O.) ws up

there & took back the disposition

report.

 

The intention ws to attack

S. of the road so A Coy ws

brought from Khlu Kholm trench

into Prague trench. This ws abt

dusk & ws done after dark.

The Coy Commdrs were at

Bn H,Q. ^in Lost Ravine then & instrns

were issued over I hone to

the 2 m/cs. The

 

The decision to attack

in this way had bn come to

at a confce with Gen. Robertson

at Bn HQrs. The Bn Commdrs

were there - & they the ^a great

advantage was th the C.Os

were all there together-

the 23 Bn ws to attack towds

Peronne, including Anvil Wood.

21^st & 24 Bns were to attack

N, taking in Mt St Q. 22 Bn

ws to be support Bn.

The stipulatn ws made at

this confce th if it were possible

to get the Bn of 5 Divn, Gen Robertson

wd do so - for attacking where

23 Bn ws, so as to strengthen

the attack agst Mt St Q. The 

job was v big -  tremendous

front & Germs so strong. Bn

C.Os had their O.Cs Coys down 

there, waiting to find the dispostns

o I attack when settled by Bde.

 

G.O.C rang up abt midnight

& sd th 2 Bns of 5 Divn wd be

available but wd not be able

to get into positn until abt 6am,

an hour after dawn - (an hour too

late).

 

The alternative plan wh had

already bn vaguely decided

ws then able to be crystallised in

orders. That is to say G.O.C. 

gave the 3 Bn Commdrs over the

phone their boundaries.

 

23^rd Bn were in I trench from

wh 5 Divn wd have to start

in abt 5 hrs time. 5^th Bde were,

as far as Bn Commdrs of 6 Bde

knew, in Mt St Q. A few

had bn met in Save trench & 6^th Bde

thought this ws I most forward

positn o I 5 Bde troops. (Later

the remnants of 5 Bde were found

in Elsa Trench).

 

On acct of the vagueness of

positn of 5 Bde it ws impossible to

give the creeping barrage for the J.O.T

& barrage ws accordingly arranged

to deal with enemy S/B.

 

23 Bn had to get onto J.O.T.

(Save trench) & to leave a position in

Florine trench for 5^th Divn - &

this had to be done before dawn.

 

On trying to move into

Save trench, the 23^rd found th I

Germs had come in along the

rly line.

 

[On getting into Florine

patrols were sent out from Prague

trench into Save trench (HD) were 5

Bde ws expected to be. These were

Fighting patrols L.G. & 10 men under

N.C.O. They found no 5 Bde there 

just then. The Germans were

in this trench having come down

from the wood by the 2 C.Ts

shown on sketch DX, & DY &

were almost down to H.

The patrols (4 all told) had to

come back from abt 20 or 30 yds

across I road - there they met

barbed wire & earthen blocks wh

were all held. This ws after

A Coy came from Kholm trench but before

the order of attack had bn changed.

The patrols were trying to find out

what ws on their flank.

 

On getting orders that GD ws

to be the J.O.T Lt Jenkins sent

out anor patrol, & they got in

touch with Capt Allan, 17 Bn. who

had the post with 8 or 10 men

(DH ws still held so they worked

round from Kholm trench). Allans

post ws (as far as LT. J. knew)

at Z. The Germs were in I

same trench between him & I road.

He also had a L.G. occup pointed

onto Kholm trench bec. he though this

ws occupied by I Germans.

The patrol (under Sergt Warren D.G.M)

reported th 17 Bn post was at Z.

 

It ws just getting dawn.

There were abt 20 mins to get

to the J.O.T. There were

several little C.Ts from Florine

trench to Prague. The only wat

to get thro ws to push the

Germs out of D.H.

 

B. Coy wh ws leading

(Lt Jenkins) sent a strong fighting

patrol ahead of the Coy. (The

other 3 Coys were close behind)

As soon as I fighting patrol

got across I rd it met w

oppositn. There ws also a 

mg. firing from I Copse

direct down I road.

 

(Lte Godfreys later shot a

m. gunner up a tree in the Copse)

(he had a platform) The fighting

patrol got abt 50 yds up I trench

meeting w strong oppositn. There

were several blocks in I trench

beyond this ^w wire There were bombs

& m.gs both opposing.

 

At this point, (DX) there

ws a block. Pts Mactier-

who ws a runner - was w I

patrol; Lt Jenkins ws at I

head o I Coy, abt 10 from the

head o I patrol. The patrol- Capt

Findlay leading w L. gun was

shot dead at very close range.

Patrol started to shrink. Jenkins

sent Mactier to go forwd & see

what ws holding them up. He

rushed forward right thro' I

fighting patrol - he had several

bombs & a revolver.

Shortly after 23 Bn got into Florina

trench a barrage of ^our 18 pdr ws put down

for a few minutes on I trench (Probly on

orders to clear up th square - they did not

think 6 Bde ws there so soon).

 

Sketch map

 

 

The wire in front of Johannes trench

ws very thick & right on I crest o I

ridge. It ws very thick also between

H J & V.