Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/217/1 - August 1918 - Part 10

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

Page 1 / 10

b t y s o t my oyo 7 m v o to CCS.J Mo m 97 oylong Gerns were & 1other ont just on sumbin ad Key tus pot complete touch betw Dr B& secured N Clink o1 village. Att His time L Hardwick OCby, came up from Coylozes to see 1 dispositis o Seppt phs forward. On arring back att rly Catting he meet the advance guard of awericau ofis & O.r. Who came ap befooe 1 American Bus to See 1 dispositis (to Isle catting) H Hardwick Ws showing 1 disposites on 1 map to tim when (ferms put down a leavi Coubt aft Ramecourt 6 pi on
y try 12 on1 12 1. 20 13 op no sent t 6189 180 2 nor 82 f t of ats t ng yoag o t Estree 2 Frear. a stell landed & K. Hardwick & K2 American offis 2 cpls & a sergt & ad some others That Evg the forman aircrafs us out incessantly wheeling over posite & had complete mastery over villye. The snijaiy o1 phe of D Coy ws very actise in preventy Enemy from getting back into village - from over 1 vellep wh be constantly trie to do by rustes. The 18 pdrs were askw to shoot on I dead ground in font of posts but were rater slort. Abt 11 men of Iloy were red
em 3✓ 05 10 oy an por may t so 16 3 2 Mgs & wr0 i t s my you mo ny 1s0 of ass S mos tarons ntm by 180 americans Sows a very quiet night. Seryt Mont gonery ws brought in under 1 white flag but later b of w. It ws (best shooting 21 Bn ever had as 1ferms divnt seem to know where we were. A lot of our original been were K. Capt Sullivan K. Mc Mardise Lient Bennie. K. L8 Hardwick MCoBar k. L mason (in liaison wpioner MCrbax cd. &Leness wd L Stwart Wd Capt Hoad wd Lt McTiernan ad. 6 Ti (C.M. offr bd) Es ADrs as near Swiss Coltays
s top 5 in am en o or S) t 1p coys 1ed Loys D7 Hho in ^ 2 i of I t comoy 6 g soor t t oulsm rnoyt RA P near tere alsoe Early in ng abt I am. as I cery as so far back the MO'decided to move to [oly cutter & worked there all day lunder &. Leavy fire tell after duck working an our mew & fermans. Our man he wo dressing wik Apt Meadelssohn (sec. 1otheday). On suigh strant wire ws law 5 mins before Ramicoyst T.OS Cmerer. It staye there toll 6.10. Thenae to tby catting till 8 am. Irena E Edp of cutting & then on 65 Your (uarry As noon it wo taken to A loy forward post et poutd whole operati Maje. Daring
71 an SoS ro g orgn onese fr nd1smo try m xs 8erX 26.82 pm to ay hor b as reay an p y neoe 5r 4 an y 3 For 2 yaso a ayy my0 we we not down more Co tan The first pusoners were recd by I first report centre bere kept as S/Bs. At 6.15 a sqn of Gerndn slanes fired to mess. on these priones. Amonget prisoners ws a F.O.O. who o tay were rushed up 1 soloious night as tey expected tis attack. Leost of them were shand to be captured. Abt 4 were k by stells in (cutty As dask we took an as drana man in poutor Jerman port line. He had bic sent up fom Boham to day for duty in lice, ration carrying to an offe & tin to stay kine
omo S 175 o geod pp sca tryor 8 St t t no 57 10 co 8 9 w gomsion be i ophe 4 M of withens on Wet St A went to pout lie just before the 1.30 show- pat ap his camera just before hop over & took his picture from there - & plecl wh evenyon bied to avoid - & be went on aftes to the rd. He wanted to get a photo of a ferman nep in action.
t no o 499 . 70 273 n 1 o 776 ho 6 1d 120 hs 7C DI S ✓ 1 1904 £1 nods on y amy Beawr Mnon toreham. 45ng Dcc3. Bn came up fom vroy alt 3.18 pm. & got to red Glstrees abt 4.t5. Five acroplones vizt signal & (serns put a burrage on 1N side of Estrees while Bn ws felig down to T Beaurevow About 4 dozen camalties in this. They rested in a sunken td Casl hoar for 1 attack. 16.30 had abready passed). Waited till 6.Tpo. moved to J.O.T in Torrens Canal - the berrage bet finished when they started. The Tofermand had replied to our witarty &NG berrage, before 24 got to I0T, s0 try I extended 400yds before the torrens. Havin reached toorus they moved to 12t to counell w 22Bn near a Lamoth Fe. They had gone. They were t 50
10 anr 12p op t r thops- ord t Youy long C 5 A 22 bad sterb. 24 Kin starte at once. Tne Beaureoou Mill ws to be I left plank. 1 5 5 A Coynel sone resistance Mogo fire coon after start - from a small copse royds pom Canal. They advanced ferey 6gs por hip – the germs, cleared one denft ws wd. There as no more resistance. Up by I will were 2 mgs. in a treck besile it & abt 8firms. The lef had passed themo they fired onr shot at us. The left came back on then- They had bu firig all day. One san I rest were capt. Ty did not see te 77 The day in tI left across the Sumken Rd, beyond 1 mcll. The 8 ryt rested on a suich creek as Lod from Lamote Iu3 Holl By find iand o - by cam
t gs as r prei tcy pr wom p o go om oy oy mn i a t tyos co hs son Cst t t t ec lonbet yet, in pornors on I boyol. The had ran to the sunben 2d from Cantle to Beausevoir & 15 were tn there. A limber ws heard coming down I road fom Beaurevow. A geman halled him. The drivw pt of & walked on down Ird to his duyout (where he prok expected to find his Coy H.Q) they let him walle straight in. At botton of 1 dupout stideng down he found himself covered by to this w a resolver A ferman SpMajor AS capld from a patrol - He find on patrol - he tay down & going out to see if they had t anyouc thyy four him. Aerman in quiner ahead ao a candle as fixing ap his gun -tey fiied on himx Also forman road & talking blashig torches on1
7or geod my S 1 S n 3 p N.5 nos mot 2t 0 o ro Ht att mt nigt they vere acl 7E o anchoses & came beck to a quarry on 1 direction of Montbichsin Just I of the Estrees Roman Rd. They staged there libl 3.30 am. on 5t At. (1x. one day& part of night). They then moved for the Octs T.O.T. for monthreham. Teir st rested an mai road from Ranscourt to Monlboel They had 3 loys totaling att E40men They had a T.O.T of 1000yds, & apout on 1 objic of att 1500. ^ they were on the tepe at Sam.C I were shelled constantly to goo. B Cy had a man k& several wod on 1tere.

centre ws being held.
Fire ws coming from all
directns. There ws a 
gap betw / centre & / rt pln
of this coy -   but not eno'
to matter. They moved

up till they got to / sunken
rd abt 6. 13.7.7 abt 100
yds S. of / cemetery.  Calvert
had there a L.G. & 5 or 6 men.

Lying along this rd he came
in touch with Lt. West & a few
men. A mwfr ws
firing from the edge o / village
towds our troops on his left
w a m.g. They engaged it
(there were 2 mwfrs behind
 a hedge in / open) and their with our m.g.
fire, & rushed towds it. As
they got near they saw one of A Coy

116

 

 

 

Germs were & / other out /
rd  just on / sunken Rd
They thus got complete touch
betw D &  B & secured /
N flank o / village.
Abt this time Lt Hardwick
O.C.Coy, came up from Coy Hqrs
to see / dispositns o /
suppt plns forward. On
arriving back at / rly
cutting he met the advance
guard o / American offrs
& o.r. who came up before /
American Bns to see /
dispositns ( to / rly cutting)
Lt Hardwick ws showing

/ dispositns on / map to 
them when / Germs put
down a heavy bombt abt
6 pm on Ramicourt
91
 

 

The tank circled round /
Quarry & went back towds
/ cemetery & made back
agn for the X rds & these
same houses, towds Ramicourt.
Capt Ingram, sent Sergt. Johnson
& a couple of men followed it
down & got in touch w D Coy
 who were lying just off
/ road B 6 A 7.8. They
Estabd a post. behind a 
hedge abt 6 B 1.9 with
a L.G. ( Cpt. & 2 men). The remainder
of the Coy took up its positn
in the On another quarry
just on the N side o / same
rd. opposite this last post.
Lt. Calvert came up 
on the rt w A Coy. As /
morning broke they cd see t /
115
 

 

 

Estrees & / rear.
A shell landed &
k. Hardwick & k 2 American
offrs 2 cpls & a sergt & 
wd some others.
That evg the German
aircraft hear ws out
incessantly wheeling over
/ positn & had complete
mastery over / village.
The sniping o / pln of D Coy
ws very active in preventing
/ enemy from getting back
into / village - from over
/ hill N E o / village . wh he
constantly tried to do by rushes.
The 18 pdrs were asked to
shoot on / dead ground in
front o / posts but were
rather short.
Abt 11 men of D Coy were reld
92
 

 


revolver again.  Out of this
Quarry came 2 offrs &

40 o.r. & there were probly

more still in / dugouts.
Ingram then went out again
on his own & started to

explore / houses on / far
side of / quarry, just  beyond
/ edge of it.

The next they saw of him

(after mopping up they went out 
to find him) he had 30 Germs
bailed up in a cellar of
one of these houses.  The
m.g. had been firing from 
a ventilator in / cellar
& Ingram had bn firing in
at / ventilator. Abt 80
Germs came out of there.

114

 

 

by 180 Americans – It ws
a very quiet night.
Sergt Montgomery ws
brought in under / white
flag but later d.of w.
It ws / best shooting /
21 Bn ever had as / Germs
didnt seem to know where
we were.  A lot of our original
men were k.
Capt Sullivan k.  MC Bar MM

Lieut Bennie . k.
Lt Hardwick MC & Bar  k.
Lt Mason ( in liaison w pioneers wd)

MC & bar

Lt Lievess wd.

Lt Stuart wd

Capt Hoad wd
Lt McTiernan wd.,

Lt Timb ( T.M. offr wd)
H Qrs ws near Swiss Cottage
93
 

 

hit / house.
The plnCoy then signalled
to a tank wh ws making
up thro / village by th
waving steel hats on bayonets.
It saw & came thro / village
& began to move towds /
houses. The Coy then folld it.
Ingram jumped up & shouted to them: come on follow
me." Here Lt Ingram ^He hopped out
ahead, & kept by / tank
directing operatns.
What they thought ws
a strong post ahead of Lt
Ingram turned out to be
a big Quarry, w niches

all round / side.

Here Ingram jumped
in amongst / Germans in /
quarry ( wh ws 30 ft deep - & 
wide) & shot several w his

113

 

 


R A P near there also. Early in

mg abt 8 am. as / carry ws
so far back the M O decided
to move to / rly cutting
& worked there all day
under v. heavy fire till after
dusk working on our men
& Germans.  One man he ws
dressing ws k.
Capt Mendelssohn ( beg.
/ other day).  One single strand wire
ws laid 5 minutes before /
J.O. to / Ramicourt Cemetery.  It stayed
there till 6.10.  Thence to
Rly Cutting till 8 a.m.  Thence
to E edge of cutting & then on to
/ forwd Quarry.
At noon it ws taken to
A Coy forward post rt front o /
village.  During / whole operatn
94
 

 

 

advanced post there.
There was a m.g. there.  When

Ingram got there he ws
sitting on the 5 dead Germans

& trying to work the m.g.
The Coy ws meanwhile

lined under/ bank under
Capt Pollington. P. then led over
/ top again.  As soon as they
poked their nose over they got
a heavy burst of m.g.

Apptly from the houses at the
Xrd B 6 B 3.9½

They cd see an advance
ws impossible till they cd

find out  what ws / positn

They got the Stokes Mortars
to work, wh were w them.
They only had 5 rds & the
Germs didnt move, though they

112

 

 

/ line ws not down more
than 10 mins.
The first prisoners were
recd by / first report centre & 
were kept as S/Bs.
At 6.15 am a sqn of German

planes fired w m.gs. on these

prisoners. Amongst /
 prisoners ws a F.O.O. who
sd they were rushed up /

previous night as they expected
this attack.  Most of them were
pleased to be captured.  Abt
4 were k by shells in / cutting.
At dusk we took an
ordinance man in front o /
German front line.  He had bn
sent up from Bohain tt day
for duty in / line, ration carrying
to an offr & then to stay there.
95

 

 

revolver & got a German
with each chamber.  Abt 25
were taken, 15 killed &
6 ^light m.gs. taken.
Abt 50yds on ws a
bank. The Coy reorganised
behind this ( it ws on / side
of a road). While the Coy ws
being reorganised Lt Ingram
went out alone & mopped
up abt 3 S/Ps wh were
preventing them from getting
their heads over / bank.
(He had got a German revolver
& he had refilled his own.
He simply got up over / bank
& rushed  75 yards to /
most advanced of these posts.
A Lewis Gun ws firing - he
shot 5 Germans in the most

111
 

 

 

Mt St Q. —
Wilkins in MT St Q went to /
front line just before the 1.30 show –
put up his camera just before
/ hop over & took his picture
from there – a place wh everyone
tried to avoid – & he went on after
to the rd. He wanted to get
a photo of a German mig. in
action.

____
96
 

 

 

Lt Robinson ws not in
/ Cemetery late in / aftn.
B Coy: met no oppositn
exc. in its centre at first.
There ws a Quarry S/P abt
6 Central.  Lt Calvert ws
on / rt.  The Centre ws
held up at / Quarry the S/P. The
rt moved in touch w
A Coy to / village. & then
The S/P wh ws holding up
/ Centre & inflicting casualties
on / left ws rushed after
abt 10 mins by Capt Pollington
& Lt Ingram leading & the in
pty. He got up Ingram got up
close to the S. P.  & then
rushed it - he on its left
& P. on its rt. He had his

110
 

 

 

24 Bn 

Beaurevoir & 
Montbrehain.
Oct 3. Bn came up from
Nawroy abt 3.15 p.m. & got to

Estrees abt 4.15.  Five red aeroplanes
gave / signal & / Germs put a barrage
on / N side of Estrees while Bn
ws filing down to / Beaurevoir
line.  About ½ dozen casualties in
this.  They rested in a sunken
rd ( as / hour for / attack –

4.30 had already passed).  Waited till
6.20 pm. Moved to J. O. T in
Torrens Canal – the barrage had
finished when they started.  The
Germans had replied to our
barrage ^ with arty & MGs before 24 got to J O T, so they 

Extended 400yds before the Torrens.
Having reached Torrens they moved
to / rt to connect w 22 Bn near
Lamotte Fm. They had gone. They were rld

 

[*  By st the 4-15 Barrage Col James did not know anything of the
zero hour.  For the second zero he recd orders at 6.7 tt they were to
attack at 6.25.  He rejoined / unit at 6.22 & gave orders to the
O.Cs who rejoin acted at once.  There were 100 yds to go.  The
Coy commander sd: See the windmill on /
Hill – "That is your objve."
That ws all they knew.  *]

97
 

 


fired until they were quite
still.  Reed wdnt put his

Coy there but he didnt
mind going himself.
Lt Roberts & The U were by now
again up at / positn on
/ sunken rd at / top o /
village. They worked down
from there around the left
on the W o / village back
to / people in  / cemetery.
[diagram - see original]
D Coy 21 Bn did 
this - Clough ws

w them. They got
2 m.gs. & 20 Germans there.
Sergt Edwards of 21 Bn
got across from / cemetery
up to the sunken Rd & back
- the Gap ws by these

means filled.
109
 

 


by 20 tt 22 had started. 24 then
started at once. The Beaurevoir Mill
ws to be / left flank.

[diagram - see original]
Capt Pollington  _____B
Capt Mahoney    _____A

Capt Fletcher      _____D
A Coy met some resistance
m.g. fire soon after start – from a small
copse 200yds from Canal.  They advanced
firing L.Gs from hip – the Germs. cleared –
one Sergt ws wd.    There ws no more
resistance.  Up by / mill were 2 m.gs.
in a trench beside it & abt 8 Germs.
The left had passed them.  They fired one shot
at us. The left came back on them –
They had bn firing all day.  One ran / rest
were captd.  They did not see the 77s.
They dug in w / left across the
Sunken Rd, beyond / mill.  The
right rested on a small creek on
/ rd from Lamotte Fm to Beaurevoir.
Here they joined 22nd Bn – they caught up
98
 

 

to main Rd.
27 Bn came up & one
of their officers ws instrd to
Estab. the line from top o / 
village back to Gawler on
rt of Cemetery. This officer
differed.
The Enemy ws trying to 
get back into / village
over / open to join /
Germans who had got back
to / village.  Cpl Toorney of
21 shot them up as they came
& Lt Reed 27 Bn & Lt Clough
& 2 batmen had some very
good shooting for 2 hrs at
Germans who as he came up to /
ridge in small sections - as
long to as 1 German raised his leg
or moved, he ws shot at, so they
108
 

 

 

w 22 long before reaching / objve. 
The right ws in potholes on / objve.  The
Germans had dug run to the Sunken
rd from Lamotte to Beaurevoir & 15

were tn there.
A limber ws heard coming
down / road from Beaurevoir.  A
German halted him.  The driver got off
& walked on down / rd to this dugout
(where he probly expected to find his
Coy H.Q.) They let him walk straight
in.  At / bottom of / dugout sliding
down he found himself covered by
Lt Ellis w  a revolver.
A German Sgt Major ws
captd from a patrol –  we fired on
/ patrol – he lay down & going out to 
see if they had k anyone they found
him.  A German m. gunner ahead
w a candle ws fixing up his gun
– they fired on him. Also Germans
flashing torches on / road & talking.
99
 

 

 

Where / line ws to left & rt.

He learnt tt B COy were in
the Quarry B 30D 70.00
75 yards to left N of / Cemetery.
By this time 2 Coys 27 Bn
were coming up in support.
Lt Robinson & 11 men were
sent forwd to get  touch w B
Coy ( round from the S.W.
end o / village, where they were,

& round the N edge of it
up a sunken Rd.) He
reached B Coy & put 3
posts in / Cemetery  - 
Sgt Laidlaw & 2 others. ( The German
ws still in / tr in front o / 
Cemetery & in the orchard)
Lt Gawler 21 Bn had Estabd
2 posts along / rd from Cemetery

107

 

 

 

 

At abt midnight they were reld
by 7th ? Manchesters  & came back
to a quarry in / direction of
Montbrehain & just S of the
Estrees Roman Rd.  They stayed
there till 3.3 a.m. on 5th Oct.
(ie. one day & part of night).
Oct 5  They then moved for the

J. O. T. for Montbrehain.

Their rt rested on /
main  road from Ramicourt to Montbrehain.
They had 3 Coys  totalling abt 240 men
They had a J. O. T of 1000 yds, & a front
on / objve of abt 1500.
[diagram - see original]

____                ________      _______

D                           B               A
Fletcher     Pollington    Mahoney
They were on the tape at 5a.m.
& were shelled constantly w gas.

B Coy had a man k & several wd in
/ tape.
100
 

 




 

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