Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/216/1 - August 1918 - Part 5

The other two plns ^of A were kept
back on the right in B 29D.
(That ws where they found themselves
- it made a flank, as it
turned out).  The Tommies were
on / rt & it ws nearly 2 a.m
on Oct 4 before we got touch.
The informatn wh they then gave
ws tt they were retiring.  They
were supposed to be on / W. outskirts
of Montbrehain & we expected
to find their left flank on /
Sunken rd where rt of 23 Bn ws
to rest.  Instead of tt they were
found on / rly cutting at 29 D 8.3.
The 2 plns of A Coy thus made
a connecting flank.  There were
no Germs as far as cd be seen
in / trenches in 24 C.  D Coy
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got some prisoners (15 or 18 mostly
wd) in / Copse in 23 C, 500
yds in front of their objve.  They cd
hear them ^calling out & went out after them.
These were / only Germs met with
tt night in this advance by 23 Bn.
Bn H.Qrs were then (at 6.30 pm
estabd in 3 B 5.6. in a Pillbox.
22 Bn ws on left of 23, & 24 on
left of 22 Bn.
Hand drawn diagram, see original
During this move 23 B these
Bns were under G.O.C. 5^th Bde
Abt 10.30 p.m. Oct 3. 6^th
Bde took over.
Abt 11 p.m. came coord of
another advance in / mg. They
were told tt / objve wd be
from the Roman Rd E of Geneve
44
 

to the E edge of / trenches in 24 C.
The E W grid betw 18 & 24 ws the
boundary between 23 & 22.
The rt flank had to be withdrawn
abt ½ hr before zero in order to let /
barrage come down.  The trenches
in 24 C. were reconnoitred in /
night.  (They were like / start
o / Beaurevoir line - dug 6 or
8 inches down only).
Hand drawn diagram, see original
The 23 Bn ws the pivot for Bde with
22 Bn on left.
The 2 Plns of A Coy wh were with
B & D stood fast when B & D
moved.  The attack took place
at 6^th a.m. & the rt Coy gained
its objve.  Left Coy found itself
hung up in / sunken rd thro
23 B & 24 A & C.
45
 

They were held by heavy m.g. fire
from some o / high ground in front.
22 Bn ws also held up in /
continuatn of this Sunken Rd.
It ws quite impossible to go
forwd from there - they were
under direct observatn of every
move from about the two copses in /
hill ahead.  During / day / Germs
were firing over open sights from
their field guns at Bronx Farm -
they cd see / flashes & from the N & S
Rd thro C 13 B & D.
Transport & guns cd be seen

going back up / Roman road all
day.
During / day observers reported
a German aeroplane flying over 

our line & then dropping messages
46
 

over Palette Copse. A german

cd be seen running out of Palette Copse 

& picking them up.

There ws a lot of transpt

from Ponchaux up Usigny 

Ravine. We had excellent observation

but it ws difficult to move. The 

O.Ps. had to be estab^d in / trenches 

at / S. end o / line - the 

(B24c) - the N. end ws pasted 

all day. All / roads moving 

E & NE contained troops & transport

getting out. The difficulty ws to 

get the arty on as everything had 

to be reported thro Bde wh lost 

time & chances.

On night of 5/6 23 Bn ws 

reld by 117th American Regt. 

One Bn of theirs took over from 

47

 

22 & 23 front line Coys.

Another Bn took over from same

Bns in front Beaurevoir line (suppt

Coys). Their 3rd Bn ws in

Nauroy.

Total casualties for / 

whole stunt were only abt 28.

2 offrs Lts Holland & Maddrell 

were wd but R.o.D.

23 Bn ws withdrawn to 

H 13A ^on 5/6?; stayed there one night. 

Then back to Villeret - & 

entrained at Roisel on 5th 7th^? 

fo St Vaast.

______________

The difficulty ws to keep 

touch w / British on / rt.

On the night of 4/5 23 Bn

had to make sure of the cuttings of 

48

 

the Sunken Rd in B 30A & 

Rly cutting B 30C & B 29D.

To do this they sent out patrols, 

one from A Coy in suppt to 

reconnoitre B 29, & one 

from B to reconnoitre / 

Sunken Rd in 30 A & cutting 

in 30 C.

It ws found tt / German 

had establd. 2 or 3 posts in 

the corner in 30 C & had 

also got into / cutting in 29 

D. The patrols were sent out 

before dusk & found these Germans.

The barrage for next day ws 

then extended to include 

these cuttings, & the 24 Bn wh 

attacked there had a pretty 

difficult time next day.

49

 

They cd see Beaurevoir village 

taken & retaken on 4th & on 5th 

(as a matter of fact on 4th these 

relieving ^Tommies troops were rushed 

into this fight almost before 

they arrived. They cd be seen 

going into / town & the 

Germs coming in at / other 

end & Tommies going out & 

then coming back again. 

We never knew if Beaurevoir 

were taken or not or who 

ws there.)

The American ^Bn offrs who relieved had 

thro some staff arrangement no 

knowledge o / fact tt they were 

coming to take over / line. 

The officer sent up first sd tt he 

50

 

had come up w / instrns to 

arrange billets - (the trenches 

were abt 6 ins deep); they 

had their L.Gs back at 

their dump at Nauroy - 

Coe left ^18 of our L.Gs (& drew theirs 

at Nauroy) & accessories, 5 

telephones, 3 signalling lamps 

/ whole signalling gear - & 

stretchers. We drew from their 

dump at Nauroy later. 

The Germs Americans were 

putting 1 Regt of 3 strong Bns 

into where we had 2 weak 

Battalions.

___________________

Just as they were coming in 

the Germs put down a barrage & one 

Coy of the 117th Regt had abt 25 to

30 casualties who were 

51

 

attended to by R.M.O. of 23rd 

Bn. under their system of relief 

the 2 ^American Bn had to find new 

Headquarters - & they had 

their RMO ws looking for 

this.

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