Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/218/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.

 

Diaries and Notebooks

 

Item number: 3DRL606/218/1

 

Title: Notebook, August - October 1918

Includes references to the 29th, 30th, 31st and

32nd Battalions, 8th Infantry Brigade and

Bellicourt.

 

[Bar code]

AWM38-3DRL606/218/1

Sketch of fort at E End of Clery.

8th Bde  218

30}

32}

29} Bns.

Ypers

430-450

See Brown at Bde. Elec. light

listening appat

Get Yeomans posts from

29 Bn Cot Read. reld them.

(Camp commdt at Divn)

 

Original   DIARY NO.218,

AWM38    3DRL  606 ITEM 218 [1]

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

 

The use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every reader and writer who may use them.

 

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

 

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

 

16 Sept., 1946.    C.E.W. BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

8 Bde. (from Maj.Wisdom B.Maj)

Aug 8. Bde went over as ←

30    31

[hand drawn diagram]

This coy deployed in

Morcourt Valley -

Lieut ^D Trimmer 32 Bn

having a smart fight

in this valley w I

[hand drawn diagram]

Germs who put

up a fight -

but he rushed

them.

No other Coy of

32 or 29 deployed.

Aug 9.

At 7 a.m. the orders were warning was obtained

on the phone for an attack

at 9. definite orders.

Confce of C.Os. arty & group commndr

at once - finished at 10.20 a.m.

8th Bde was to have 1st Div on

its rt - the attack by 58Bn

& 60 Bns was extreme poised

in order to protect I flank

of both 8 Bde & Canadians.

 

29th Bn ws at first hung

up by mgs. & A.T. gun as

shown in my map (abt 1.30 pm this

ws reported to Bde - they had

started at 11.42 am.)

G.O.C. then got arty onto

trees at S.W. end of village & later

onto village - G.O.C. thought the S.W.

bldgs too close).

Lt Clayton Davis (DSO for

this.) M.C. began to reconnoitre

to S. of village w 2 men. One

ws knocked out by gas shell.

D carried him back &

2

when he got back organised

one pty to go round S.,

another pty to go round N.

While he & 2 men went

thro I village.

By 2.55 he had a line

of outposts well E of

Vauvillers. He had bn

shot thro' I neck & ws

evacuated after this.

28 Bn relieved these posts.

& 29 withdrew & came out

to Aubigny line.

58th Bn had started

abt same time but pushed

SE & got well away from

flank of 29.

Vauvillers ws I

Hqrs of the 2nd German Corps

& they got the Corps Commndrs

3

sword & one of his cars -

also the papers of the Corps.

There were cavalrymen

dead in Vauvillers.

The reason for 29Bn

being late ws I late notice

o I attack - they had to

come 3500 yds by daylight

to reach J.O. point .

They were not waiting for

support on rt. They were

(as ws Bde) under I firm

impression tt 1st Div ws there.

 

8 Bde Foucancourt.

On morning of Aug 27

Germs were still holding Foucancourt.

32 Bn pushed out a patrol

4

& captd a post. The chief

anxiety ^of Bde ws lest I Germs

might get away. The result

ws constant feeling & outpost

fights. At 1 pm a v.heavy

bombt ws laid down. 30 Bn

advanced - left threatened

village from N.; rt pushed round

S left By 6 p.m. 27 Aug. 2 Coys

linked E of village, 1 offr 34 o.r.

16 m.gs. 20 germs k. mostly bayoneted

Aug 28.

Next day Fay & [Estrees?]

Germs some times on bicycles-

put up harder resistance

opp. Estrees.

 

9 p.m. Assevillers taken by 32Bn

16 [shorthand symbol] of 2 guards Divn being taken.

Heavy m.g. fire from woods E &

WE of Belloy.

Aug 29. Took Belloy 5.25 am. by 29Bn 

5

By 6.30 am V/Carbonnel ws

tn and Barleux at 7.40 am.

-patrols ahead- Bns in arty

formatn behind.

Heavy m.g. fire from

Eterpeiny where 29Bn

ws ahead of 26Bn. Xings

not tried tt day.

15 Bde reld passed thro

& reld. 

 

After Peronne on 1st Sept 8 Bde

came up in suppt of 15Bde who

were trying to X to Flamicourt.

Bde ws near Rly Bridge SW of

Flamicourt. Stayed there 2nd.

3rd Sept sides tipped & reld 14Bde

6

N of Somme Canal.

5th Sept Germs slowly

retiring - 8Bde advanced

2000 yds - 32Bn took Bussu, 30 Bn

conformed on rt. Then followed heaviest

& weariest work Bde had done. C.Os cd scarcely

expect Bns to do such work. Bde then moved S.

thro Peronne to allow

14th Bde of 32Divn to cross

Somme & move to high

grd at Le Mesnil. As 14th

British Bde ws following Germs,

8th Bde ws formed into a

regular advanced guard

to Sqn of L.H., 1 section of

arty attd to each Bn & 2

arming Bdes of (5th Bde R H A &

29 8 RFA 290 R H A) arty attd to main

guard.

At 7 a.m. on 7th they went

7

thro 14 British Bde on red line, &

got fairly easily to Blue line

taking Flamicourt Vraignes &

Bernies, Flechin, &

Pleuilly & Bouvincourt.

Sept 9. After they were

on high grd giving good command

of Verdelles & all valleys

forwd.

On night of Sept 10 Ridly

13A1 Bde & moved back to

Le Mesnil.

The L.H. did v. good work

here - both L H & cyclists.

3 times cyclists engaged

Germs. L.H. located strong points

(their job).

(See Seddes 31Bn for this).

8