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.
AWM38-3DRL606/218/1
Sketch of fort at E End of Clery.
8th Bde 218
30}
32}
29} Bns.
Typed
430-450
See Brown at Bde. Elec. light
listening appar
Get Yeomans posts from
29 Bn Capt 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
Diagram - see original document
This coy deployed in
Morcourt Valley -
Lieut ^ D Trimmer 32 Bn
having a smart fight
in this valley w /
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 commdr
at once - finished at 10.20 a.m.
8th Bde was to have 1st Div on
its rt - the attack by 58 Bn
& 60 Bns was extemporised
in order to protect / 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 / village.
By 2.55 he had a line
of outposts well E of
Vauvillers. He had bn
shot thro' / 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 /
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 29 Bn
being late ws / late notice
o / 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 / firm
impression tt 1st Div ws there.
8 Bde Foucuncourt.
On morning of Aug 27
Germs were still holding Foucauncourt.
32 Bn pushed out a patrol
4
& captd a post. The chief
anxiety ^ of Bde ws lest / Germs
might get away. The result
ws constant feeling & outpost
fights. At 1 p.m. 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 32 Bn
16 prisoners of 2 guards Divn being taken.
Heavy m.g. fire from woods E &
NE of Belloy.
Aug 29. Took Belloy 5.25 am. by 29 Bn
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
Eterpigny where 29 Bn
ws ahead of 26 Bn. Xings
not tried tt day.
15 Bde reld passed thro
& reld.
After Peronne on 1st Sept 8 Bde
came up in suppt of 15 Bde 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 - 8 Bde advanced
2000 yds - 32 Bn 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 32 Divn 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
w Sqn of L.H., / 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 Hancourt 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 reld by
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 Geddes 31 Bn for this).
8
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