Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/217/1 - August 1918 - Part 5

Cope They moved up to the
end of the Pleona. Just
beyond the T head on /
rt there ws a few yds of
wire in / trench; then a
block. You had to get into
/ open to get past it & in doing
Cope ws shot thro / heart by
snipers from Haut Allaines
as he got to / wire - /
trench ws very narrow. This block
& wire was covered by 3 m.gs
When Cope was k. Lt Whitear
ws ordered by Capt Lieut Stuart to do this
job. But it ws seen tt it ws
unnecessary slaughter & /
men wd be thrown away.
Practically / same happened on /
left where a light rly formed
one block & there ws another abt
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3 yds further. Lt Book ws in/c
of 24 Bn party here. They got
a L.G. up & tried to keep/
Germs heads down till / gunner
got a bullet thro his helmet.
Stuart & Baldock conferred
& decided tt if they got into
Tortille they wd still be in /
air on / right; so they
decided to man Pleona
trench. Book There were v. few
men & they were very done up.
21 Bn ws withdrawn from
Tortille; so Book put a post
at the first bend on one side &
at / block on the left making
a post on either side of the T head.
The Germs were sniping from the
Creek bank just E where there
were trees & cd be heard digging
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31.
1.
2.

in there & in / village all
night. During / night /
German ws much quieter, &
the mgs in Haut Allaine &
on / mount were only firing
their ordinary bursts.
The word came of the barrage
for 7^th Bde attack. Men were
withdrawn just before / barrage
into dugouts etc. because / barrage ws
to drop on Tortille trench. Then 7th
Bde went on.
24 Bn remained in this
positn all tt day, & all 3rd &
were relieved pulled out on 4^th.
Capt. Bowden ws wounded
abt 2.30 - he ws in/c of Sedgwicks Coy,
Lt Salmon Gow ws wd (in/c
of A Coy) ws wd abt midday
near / village (A Coy went over
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with Sedgwicks Coy.)
Lt
Lt Graham _^∧ C. Coy wd. near / river
by a shell when moving up.
Lt Martin B. K. on 31st in Gottlieb trench
Lt Salmon B. K. by a m.g. bullet 100
yds from the start of 1st attack.
Lt Gilchrist B. K beside Salmon.
Lt Newton A Coy ws k by / same shell
as Martin.
Lt McCarthy _^∧ C Coy d. of w. in R.A.P. - hit
by a m.g. bullet in the aftn
while trying to get commn w 23 Bn
on rt.
Capt Bowden as above.
Lt Gow wd as above.
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21 Bn. Aug. 25 26/.27. That night
relieved 10 Bn in line E of
Orchard Wood at Cappy.
3 fighting patrols left the
front line Coys & working independently
2 working over the top & one
along C.T. cleared up to
Bulls Wood wh Germs still held.
In Salmon Wood C Coy struck
oppositn & got one wd prisoner.
The movement had to be
carried on on Aug 28. on /
North side o / rd & just S of it,
w 3 fighting patrols as before. This
day the German field guns were
still firing out of Dompierre at
24 Bn when 21 Bn had got
past it on / N. These guns
were slewed round & fired at 21 Bn
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at one time.
This brought them up to
a trench system W. of Mereaucourt
Wood. This ws clear cleared
during / aftn by Lt Gawlers Coy
capturing 50 prisoners & abt 12
or 15 m.gs.
This movement ws undertaken
because Frise ws still held
& Sullivans Coy ws held South
of it. The majority o /
prisoners were those who
were coming out of Frise.
Capt Moss 23 Bn went into
Frise with one coy wh ws attd
to 21 Bn - they had no oppositn
in Frise.
Abt 9 p.m. 18 Bn went
thro in Arty formatn & cleared
/ wood. The 5^th Bde got thro
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44

Clery & within attacking
distance of Mt St Q. by Aug 30.
On Aug 31 5 Bde attacked
Mt St Q. That aftn 6 Bde crossed
the river moving into support.
Diagram - see original document
21 Bn moved into Lost Ravine
on night of Aug 31.
They remained there in
suppt to 23 & 24 who were to
launch the 2nd attack at dawn
next morning (eventually _^∧ w 5 Div on
right).
23 & 24 launched their
attack but were not successful
in reaching their objves in / mg.
It ws necy for 21 Bn to be sent
up for a third attack. At 9 am
the 21st Bn ws instrd to move into
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close support. They moved from
lost ravine in arty formation
over to open rolling ground
Diagram - see original document
towds

Mt St Q.
They were
told tt D Coy wd go to 24 Bn.
They wd find them dug in slightly
N & W of Mt St Q. astride /
main road, & in Elsa trench &

stretching down to Fevill a court
where they were holding /
positn reached in / morning.
C & B went to support 23 Bn - 
who were slightly to the S. & W.
of Mt St Q. The village of Mt St Q
ws still entirely in / German hands.
These positns were pretty well known
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when 21 Bn moved up.
21 Bn moved into Elsa trench
& astride the main Peronne Rd
on / W. side o / village. The
Coy Commdrs of the  A Coy
remained in Gottlieb as
reserve to 21.
Coy Commdrs of 21 Bn
got touch with those of 24 &
23. These told them the outline

of the 3rd attack, wh ws to be after
Diagram - see original document
a hurricane bombt from 1 to 1.30.
The actual intentn ws for 21 to
move in close suport to 24 & 23
in case they met w strong oppositn
when they wd help them to their
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objve.
Asst The bombt on Mt St Q
ws heavy - / guns had bn shifted
up in / meantime. As soon as
it stopped 24 & 23 went forwd
& 21 Bn went w them & got
involved at once in the fight.
When Gawler got in touch w
Bowden they decided to go up the
C.T. running N. of / village of
Mt St Q. The 21st wd establish
themselves in Pleona while
24 wd branch to / rt &
come round back thro Lucas &
Tortille trenches. Lt Ball & Lt Cope were
w 21st (D Coy). Lt Ball ws wd
by m.g. fire while taking his ptn
along Elsa trench to left. This left
Cope in charge. He led his
Coy down Pleona trench till he
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