Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/217/1 - August 1918 - Part 8

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066675
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

Copse - these gais were fering over open sights. You co see ganners workin the gan. These shells were hetter I ground so flet to they shidder off the ground - one man had I but of his rifle knocked of by one of these. The germans were found 6 have ran from their posts it 1 hedge S. o Prty att R.E. Dump. Doon will as shooting all time & Arty ws called for on Doon will at II am This drose the jerms pone treis The right ws abt 2C5.0. In front of 6 Maconocties post tine as a bit of a dip in summit in port o
Mcl - The ferms shasn from the 75 ran poward into this in rushes & were immediately driven back by Seryt wards post & m. 9. fire This postws abt 8A9.4. During 1 after the fermans worked a post in by keeping low & dribbling behind seyt wards derletiing. post. Our post turned mig. onts these & they clear ed out. Abt. 4 times during the after the germans tried to work down but they i driven back by L.G. fire An officer on a white hors us beying to get his in there, but whea be got the to I crest thy were driven back
arty by tew spite of fire our arty ws put outs gennious at Doon will abt a nambers ran fom I will. 5o pmm. The right postws blown out & had to go back after shook had finisher. The ferman retaliate. He ferm. Wfoulig ws trynn to get int posite to Enplade 1 sunke voads all day. The shooting on bot cides Ws Leeoy The Pioneers who had had some posts prett well out in Morning (wh were drive to pusher them out again in I afternoon swinging abropt back After dark 1 germs cd be heard digjoy a re post in front of Doon will
ast 1 fo the yantees came in - very strong but under officered- 180 yaukees relieved two post of abt 11 men (in one pletoon). They only had 2 officers in th Coy. They had no L.95 Derin His relief a number of dead ferms were found in 1 gally where 1 serms had tried to estab. their post in 1 after The yaukees had no rations, no weter, no Lpous, no ammn. n telephones. They had to send their limbers back to Bellicont to get him rations One N.C.C. ws left for 24 hrs w cach coy In 1 After 18 Bn wod called on to carry ammn for the
Bel renore Com weat to rt 850 to left. The aman, ws nearly expended when they came up. Salvage amon had kept I funs going & ferm. prisoners were carryying it. Everyone says it it wt1 best day 21 Bu Ever had for shooting Jemaus with their packs On. C Left Coy of 21Br got dear of J.O.T before ferm. barrap fell. The By had come up from Estrees. The germs had fille all I gatties to gas. For his reeion Col. Duggan brought Bu round on I hight ground without having to put on their masks. the gas ws very bea
pat in in 1 valleys. They had just got tho Ramicourt (the first gully they had to cross) when he put his barrage on Ramicourt. Te Bo this escape a very heavy gassing The tanks lost thei way in his gas - they were still betwes Kamicourt before after the Zero. Both tanks went on - the proners tank was up to I tape abt I true when the Bor reached the 21 Bn A loys tank finisher at Dump - left there in shelter I did good work 0 peui ovelleys cannitter braky ap to posts wys tank apptt 1o1- knocked out in I town before reaching 1 Coy. 3
Begore I left loy had gone cattey 100 ydo - on 1rty they had I camalties from ferm. Shells they waited there for our barrag to lif. On going on they strauck heavy mg. fire for the S.W. Corner o 1villey where there were For t houses het & some small truches. They fire at these heavily b L.G. & rifles. The coythen advanced on them more or less under cover of fire, & forman junners strick it right out. Those It were not shot were capld. Capt. Hoad, O.C. Coy. us od there by a shell. to greness ws also wd there - to he ws her ape on his wa out.
Interman a ws also finger there but went on till Lobjie &ws Evacuate leter The advance wt hin continaed up to village Main Street as far as I other street junche at 1, endof town. There were for beding in I cllars. In one or two celters in Ivilley, Civilious were in I cellars who showed I troops where another there were fermans in Fhouse. The Aviliens Came out 5 meet our troops when they saw Germs movnng Roo I village. One civilion came out & pointes to I brokin tiles on 1roof wheref shrep. had broken this - Andhhir old woman abose 1 men for
opening (door & coming in. One civilion as wandering abt 1 streets, no ps mast, no tin hat, saying Angluis Bon Bon. Close to A German mg. They were mostly or people exapt some a dozen gils - Tewante to go to Paris - bord ws sent up for them to Stop there. At I time when we pt there the German berree as on our side of villip and ours beyond it. The civilious had be waond to clear out 4 days before. here ad be abl 100 wiilions there - abt 30 went out to (reas At wilt some were still on tupper stones - & in 1 afte they were drawing water in (wetts.
Eaton Dly When B loy got to be 28 Jor 2 phs went to 1 lef straight up to road (Were were some 24 Bn in the man street also. After abt 20oyds they were fined on. A ferm. off & 7or8 men were there leaving a house+ claring up I street. They were all k by rifh f The Coy split into 2 parts. The left under Lt Roberts & (E Lic Frguan ibson wet ap I road just B6. beyond 1 vellege & Estab. a temporary lime thio small copse. in E513. The german went back cuto dead poun 7005 800 yds away & eford vere

Copse - these guns were firing
over open sights. You cd see
/ gunners open working the
gun. These shells were hitting
/ ground so flat tt they
skidded off the ground - one
man had / butt of his rifle
knocked of by one of these.
The Germans were found to
have run from their posts in /
hedge S. o / rly at /  R.E. Dump.
Doon Mill ws shooting all
/ time & arty ws called
for on Doon Mill at II a.m.
This drove the Germs from their

77. The right ws abt 2 C 5.0.
In front of Lt Maconachie's
post line ws a bit of
a dip in / summit in front o /
71

 

mill - The Germs chased
from the 77s ran forward
into this in rushes & were
immediately driven back by
Sergt Wards post w m. g. fire
This post ws abt 8 A 9. 4.
During / aftn the Germans
worked a post in by keeping
low & dribbling behind Sergt Wards
post & xxxx started firing.  Our post turned a
m.g. onto these & they cleared
out. Abt. 4 times during the
aftn the Germans tried to
work down but they were
driven back by L.G. fire
An officer on a white horse
ws trying to get his men over
there, but when he got them up
to / crest thy were driven back
72

 

by a few spits of fire.
Our arty ws put onto
/ Germans at Doon Mill abt
5 p.m. &  numbers ran from / mill. The right post ws blown
out & had to go back after /
shoot had finished The German
arty retaliated. The Germ. infantry
ws trying to get into positn to
enfilade / sunken roads all
day. The shooting on both sides
ws heavy.
The Pioneers who had
had some posts pretty well out
in / morning (wh were driven
in) pushed them out again in
/ afternoon swinging abruptly
back.
After dark / Germs cd
be heard digging an a m.g.
post in front of Doon mill
 73

 

Abt 11 pm the Yankees came
in - very strong but under
officered- 180 Yankees relieved
two post of abt 11 men (in one
platoon). They only had 2 officers
in tt Coy. They had no L.Gs.
Durg this relief a number
of dead Germs were found
in / gully where / Germs
had tried to estab. their
post in / aftn.
The Yankees had no
rations, no water, no
L.guns, no ammn. no
telephones. They had to send
their limbers back to Bellicourt
to get their rations.
One N.C.O. ws left for
24 hrs w each coy.
In / aftn 18 Bn ws
called on to carry ammn for the
74 

 

6 Bde & reinforce. (50 men
went to rt 50 to left. The
ammn ws nearly expended
when they came up.  Salvage
ammn had kept / guns
going & Germ. prisoners
were carrying it. Everyone
says tt it ws / best day
21 Bn ever had for shooting -
Germans with their packs
on.
Central Coy of / fight ws
Left Coy of 21Bn got clear
of J. O. T before / Germ. barrage
fell. The Bn had come up
from Estrees. The Germs had filled
all / gullies w gas. For
this reason Col. Duggan brought
Bn round on / high ground
without having to put on their
masks - The gas ws very heavy
75 

 

in / valleys. They had just
got thro Ramicourt (the
first gully they had to cross)
when he put his barrage on
Ramicourt. The Bn thus
escaped a very heavy gassing.
The tanks lost their way in
this gas - they were still
behind Ramicourt before
8 mins after the Zero. Both
tanks went on - the pioneers
tank was up to / tape abt
/ time when the Bn reached
the 21 Bn.
A Coys tank finished at
/ Dump - left there in shelter.
It did good work at / beginning o / village -
put in cannister & brake up to posts
B Coys tank apptly got
knocked out in / town
before reaching / Coy.
76
 

 

Before / left Coy had gone
100 yds - on / rly^ cutting - they had
3 casualties from Germ shells.
They waited there for our
barrage to lift. On going on
they struck heavy m.g. fire
from the S.W. Corner o / village
where there were 3 or 4 houses
held & some small trenches.
They fired at these heavily
w L.G. & rifles. The coy then
advanced on them more or
less under cover of fire, &
/ German gunners stuck it
right out. Those tt were not
shot were captd.
Capt. O.V Hoad, O.C. Coy,
ws wd there by a shell.
Lt Greness ws also wd
there - to he ws hit agn on his way out.
 77

 

Lt.  McKeran McKeirnan ws also wd in
finger there but went on till
/ objve & ws evacuated later.
The advance ws then
continued up the village
Main Street as far as /
street junction at / ^other end of /
town. There were Germans
hiding in / cellars.  In
one or two cellars in / village
civilians were hid in / cellars
who showed / troops where
there were Germans in G another house.
The civilians came out to meet 
our troops when they saw /
Germs moving thro / village.
One civilian came out & pointed
to / broken tiles on/ roof where
/ shrap. had broken thro - another
old woman abused / men for
78 

 

opening / door & coming in.
One civilian ws wandering abt
/ streets, no gas mask, no
tin hat, saying "Anglais Bon
Bon" close to a German m.g.
They were mostly old people except
a dozen girls - They wre Some wanted
to go to Paris - word ws sent
up for them to stop there. At
/ time when we got there the
German barrage ws on our side
o / village and ours beyond it.
The civilians had bn warned to
clear out 4 days before.
There wd be abt 100 civilians 
there - abt 30 went out to / rear
At night some were still in
/ upper stories - & in / aftn
they were drawing water in / wells.
 79

 

When B Coy got to the
Rd Jn 2 plns went to /
left straight up /
X road. (There were some
24 Bn in the main street
also.) After abt 200 yds
they were fired on. A
Germ. offr & 7 or 8 men were
there leaving a house &
clearing up  /street. They
were all k by rifle fire.
The Coy split into 2 parts.
The left under Lt Roberts & Lt
Eaton D Coy Gibson ^& McTursman went up / road just
beyond / village & estab.
a temporary line thro / 
small copse. in 25 B.
The German went back
into dead ground 700 to
800 yds away & efforts were
80 

 
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