Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/216/1 - August 1918 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066674
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

6s due 6 V/B gasshelling & sabsequent casuelties without replacements - (Ville Dur Auere as also Expensise)- Tbe attack had to be done on a port of over £ aicl with 70 new (80 being kept out in post line as support. are Coy of 21Ba as kept as reserve There as timited vity available - the gans were busy W 3rd Din. Fer tis reason the arty barrage ws arrayed in lanes only on certain selected points Three Coys went over B.36 stron on left with 24th. A Coy in centre - 24 rifles D loy et 30Ston The intervel betw Imen tod
heae been abl yds; this ide it impossible to atteck in weves. So threy decided to attempt I most ufortent ltle poents by going ne arty colunas. Bn commenders themselves were doubtful of wesdon of this attack. But (highes command tought there wd be no resislance or no fer at 1 start loy (vizt) out of 30 men 18 reached. Lobyse They had fighting on 1 way E H.S. Madden MC as original man of Bn Ws killed. they got to teir objoc & the pontage worked to 400yds. Trese 18men held to 7 aleday. The Coy Coundes name McCarten. He found ao tos
Crucifix ind on his left ws still in ferman hands (1l. Coy on his lefs had not reached objve McC. hodbu wod going oow He went back acros I open - & ws hit thee Ifall this time & rang IC.O. up from I supports & sd what 1 positi was to he had made a dash in 1 open past 1 Crucifix. What we h to do. The Coy of 21 Bn we still in reserve. While McCartin ws speaking to the Co. Braik waite of 21Bn Who must have beMol by Itelephone seized it sd - Look here Sir this fellows dying - he cant possibly go back again The C.O. sd to McC. to
et LA. Mc Cartin MC. an orginal nas & a good gectory foolballer come int & receive med attention C.O. told him: Alright, MncC. Im going to send up another Coy wh I have here." McC. Sd. " very well, sws left, & as never heard of again. Presumably he tried t get over top to his men again & ws never heard of till 22 m. gunners later found his dead bodys bevined him. Bu thought he had on Evacuates wounded. This left t Speak i/c of this Coy. He got comma w C.A trs te 23 Ba. Col Wellshire then Sent Sullivans Coy down thro' 23rd & past Speak & ten down the
L. & woods of 74G. loy here ws with the atrack. He folld just behind Fultons party in order to 1 San might be in to cover consolidatio. He had voluntiered to go into this fight in 1 place of an offcer who as killed on a recounaessanc. When he saw to 1 party ws held up on I road he rushed up to his gon & placed it right on (road. Before he ran up, bombs were bursting all over 1 place on 1 rd. He ran right up to Where these Couts were with a crews of 80r9. He put I gan on a mound - his crew were close to him & he working I gan himself. A Lew is paser rusted up along side him. Then ae bomb ame over. Woods grabbed it to know it back & it burst inhis faces. He by tore apparently dead but ts alive when piched up afe dask a deein hosl P.T. from the Cracifix to our tine. The Cuntre Coy (Eoans & Fulton were w tis). fu d in tee XII They found t they had ahead of them a road to only one bank to it & a trech just beyond it. A m.g. ws onts them pom near road comyg. Tis loy ws splet into 5 sections (as under). they reached I road & started a bourb fight to / germans in I truch. Fulton & Evans were both bit & Seyt Ellis & sesegal others k 81 Coyas finell driven back. Ellis ws fyttin krowing bombs - 24 went in & 14 Cfoit
ad 68 us to The balance came back to whole runaant ws I bruch put ap the C.T. towards 1 Crucifir One men who pt onto froed (a runner, an elderly man named Holloway,)ws autbe chased who ws put ap out ofC.T. wh a party ws working up. Hollowa ws on 1 parspet a (lepof onstrution tws worke 2th5 ferms had on k. & His ferm started up & boted over toods 1 crucefix. 2 sects (under Falton & Evens) were to go for 1 Crucefin & when Evens saw F. hell up or vice versa he ws to come across & help They were as under (70 to 809ds between (led even ith Fallon (E) Ohroage Nr. a
Fotheway check down rowd haepsoned him. The let Coy ws ander A H.W. Westaway. They were abt 35 strong. (the stragest) Brian Ds Armstrany (son of Bp of Wangarette & HW Mallinson Histhelte were a tes. On teir left Ryby of 24 wh as altacking w (same sneal parties) simply disappeard tute 1blue. We know now to most of them were k on I way. Then sent up the I.O.S.+ one runner got back to a serbal messege to say to 1 germans were wortin in on them. Col. James got 20 word from aration Righe, but post ws
dug in on 1 objec a few yards away from Rigby on a road - Arristroy ws cepto Te other 2 pties. converged (having losses) They were togo 100 yds etd Cirmstrory. They found themselves ryst up apt a German post wh ws behiw a Ledge w a M.Q. They got into a big shel hole here. The ferms were firng a mG. into this Westaway ws k. here by a bomb. They coat nool. As soon as ty four themselves there anable to move aTert Maj. E.R. Bregenzer DCM umped outy called on 1Sen
to sarrender but they k. him. Noting ws known of this party except ao a ranner came back to a Simcley message to other & a report att Bregenzer (bote runners had be wd The shell hole ws examined later & a cross us in it to 6 unknown Austialians (in ferman). A report ws got pou Brakwaiti to lecosee a small party of Australians being marched to Irear Rigdy ws capturnd also) Armstrong & Wallinson (who as w West away) had a conference, & decided to thy wod have to surrender. The ettack from the Cracifix down ws a
facture. The 24 Ceft of these pties) had to wite t own lines. So I attack from the Crucefix to left ws a feibere. Yorkshire Gph Irfy The Aggtt & sberion Hytted with Gfomen relieved the 70to 80 mea of 22 Bn. The ferman took these i next morning & dug in at the rate of one mean per yard. The Koyls gettd drove him out These fermans dug in well in the Ex, so it looks as if german had attacked & her bn dricer out by gateach 22 Bn vent to Vecquement for 4 days & came back to Cappy (sot all the Bde recfts at

ws due to / V/B gns  shelling &
subsequent casualties without
replacements – (Ville Sur Ancre
ws also expensive) –
The attack had to be done
on a front of over 1/2 mile with
90 men  ( 30 being kept out
in post line as support. One 
Coy of 21 Bn ws kept as reserve).
There ws limited arty 
available – the guns  were busy
w 3rd Div.  For this reason
the arty barrage ws arranged
in lanes only on certain
selected points –
Three Coys went over
B . 36 strong on left with 24th
A Coy in centre – 24 rifles
D Coy rt 30. strong.
The interval betw / men wd
 

 

have been abt xxx 12yds; this
made it it impossible to attack
in waves.   So they decided to
attempt / most important
points by going in with arty colours.
Bn commanders themselves
were doubtful of / wisdom of
this attack. But / higher
command thought there wd
be no resilience or no Germans.
At / start D Coy. (right) out of 30
men 18 reached / objve.
They had fighting on / way.
Lt  N. J..Madden M C an
original man of / Bn ws killed –
they got to their objve  & the
frontage worked to 400yds. These
18 men held t trenches all day.
The Coy Commandrs name
ws McCartin. He found tt / 

 

 

Crucifix imd on his left
ws still in German hands
(i.e. Coy on his left had not reached
objve)
McC. had bn going over.
He went back across / open – &
ws hit thro / face this time –
& rang / C.O. up from / supports
& sd what / positn was –
tt he had made a dash in /
open past / Crucifix. What ws
he to do. The Coy of 21 Bn ws
still in reserve.
While McCartin ws speaking
to the C.O.  Braithwaite of 21 Bn
who must have bn thro with xx McC
by / telephone seized it &
sd - “Look here Sir this fellows
dying – he cant possibly go back
again”. The C.O. sd to McC. to
 

 


(L.A. McCartin M.C.)
an [[original ?]] man & a
good Geelong footballer
came out t receive med attention.
C.O. told him: Alright, McC. I’m
going to send up another Coy
wh I have here."
McC. Sd. " very well, Sir” &
left, & ws never heard of again.
Presumably he tried t get over /
top to his men again & ws
never heard of till 22 m. gunners
later found his dead body & 
buried him. Bn thought he had
bn evacuated wounded.
This left Lt L.R. Speak in/c of
this Coy – He got comm w G.O.
thro the 23 Bn.
Col Wiltshire then sent
Sullivans Coy down thro 23rd
& past speak & then down the
 

 

X
Lt Woods of 7M.G  Coy here
ws with the attack.  He folld just
behind Fultons party in order tt /
gun might be in to cover consolidation.
He had volunteered to go into this
fight in / place of an officer who
ws killed on a reconnaissance.
When he saw tt / party ws
held up on / road he rushed
up to his gun & placed it
right on / road. Before he ran
up, bombs were bursting all
over / place on / rd. He ran
right up to where these bombs
were with a crew of 8 or 9. He
put / gun on a mound – his
crew were close to him & he working
/ gun himself. A Lewis gunner
rushed up along side him. Then a
bomb came over. Woods grabbed
it to throw it back & it burst in his
face. He lay there apparently dead but
ws alive when picked up after dark & died in hospl.

C.T. from the Crucifix to
our line.
The centre Coy ( Evans &
Fulton were w this).
[Diagram - see original]
They found tt they had ahead
of them a road to only one
bank to it & a trench just
beyond it.  A m.g. ws onto
them from near / road corner.
This Coy ws split into 5 sections (as under).
They reached / road & started
a bomb fight w / Germans in
/ trench. Fulton & Evans were
both hit  & Sergt Ellis & several
others K. & / Coy ws finally
driven back. Ellis ws fighting
throwing bombs –  24 went in & 14 [[ ? st out]]
 

 


The balance came back to
/ trench & ^ whole were remnant ws put ^in up
the C.T. towards / Crucifix.
One man who got onto / road
(a runner, an elderly man
named Holloway,) & tho he ws
almost / last  left there he chased
^a German  ws put up out o / C. T.
wh a party ws working up!  Holloway  ^[[?]]
ws on / parapet on / left o /
Comm trenches ^up which the section ws working. 3 Germans had bn K. & this
Germ. started up & bolted over
twds /  Crucifix. 2 sectns
(under Fulton & Evans ) were
to go for / Crucifix & when Evans
saw F. held up or vice versa
he ws to come across & help – 
They were as under (70 to 80 yds between each)
[Diagram - see original]

 

 

Holloway chased  this German down / road
& harpooned him.
The left Coy ws under
Lt H.W. Westaway. They were
abt 33 strong. (the strongest)
Lts Brian Armstrong (son of Bp of
Wangaratta & HW Mallinson
were w this. 
On their left Rigby of 24
(wh ws attacking w (same small
parties) simply disappeared
into / blue.
We know now tt most
of them were k on / way. They
sent up the S. O. S. + one runner
got back w a verbal message
to say tt / Germans were working
in on them.
Col. James got no word from
Rigby but Westaways Armstrongs  post ws
 

 

dug in on / objve a few
yards away from Rigby – 
on a road –  Armstrong
ws captd.
The other 2 pties
converged (having losses) They
were to go 100 yds rt of
Armstrong. They found themselves
right up agst a German post
wh ws behind a ledge w a
m.g.  They got into a big
shell hole here. The Germs were
firing a m.g. into this.
Westaway ws K. here by a
bomb. They cdnt move.
As soon as they found themselves
there unable to  move (the COy Sergt
Maj. E.R . Bregenzer D C M
jumped out & called on / Germs
 

 

to surrender but they k. him.
Nothing ws known of this
party except tt a runner
came back to a similar
message to / other & a
report abt Bregenzer
(both runners had bn wd
The shell hole ws examined
later & a cross us in it to
"6 unknown Australians" (in
German).  A report ws got
from Braithwaite tt he cd see
a small party of Australians
being marched to / rear
(Rigby ws captured also).
Armstrong & Mallinson
(who ws w West away) had a
conference, & decided tt they wd
have to surrender. The attack
from the Crucifix down ws a
 

 

failure. The 24 (left of these
pties) had to withdraw to its
own lines. So / attack
from the Crucifix to / left
ws a failure.
The Argyll & Sutherland Yorkshire Light Infy
Highlanders with  670 men
relieved the 70 to 80 men of
22 Bn. The German took
these trenches next morning & dug
in at the rate of one man
per yard. The Koy L/s  c/ottd &
drove him out
[These Germans dug in well
in the trenches, so it looks as if /
German had attacked & her
bn driven out by c/attack].
22 Bn went to Vecquemont
for 4 days & came back to
Cappy (got all the Bde reinfts at
 

 
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