Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/218/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066676
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Bebicourt Black Rd all way. 29 wesed Black Cd 52 Bok had reconnortred 29 ws all right on black Rd. Wark had to reconnc itre te the must 29 t.o Bellict in Column, formedbody 32. Se towds Tunnel head - deployed. Met resistance W. of the N.S.RS thwo Bellicourt 120 American ws to fight nate line S. of Bellicourt walk forms at X &hedefyhth them held up
Wekrealiser H Americans werent thro &t he had whole flank to make icl. Magny La Fosse. 20 193 Htook abt of 750 om in majny la Fesse (wark is a guantit suveyor in Sydney) Aug 30 th Endmorning when troops were or direc to attack from Nauroy & reported Key Ednt (after trying it from N.) May Wisdom Bde major went up himself & crawled but to observe but Ws fired at from Suyas tactor by mage. This ws in spite of heavy shelling by allguus Bde had on night 29130 - & again & before 29 Ba attd on 30t
But t time fire from left by Lamp station caught 29Bn P.M got out att 1royds but edut get furtue Hos to on morning of Sept1 when our barray came down jerius cleased On Oct I in this advance Wark himself knocked out a ferm myon Mill Ridge leading his men right outlt on first day de drowt know Whated be heppinny on left - otherwise 30 Bn ld haveba put thro 32 Bn Where forms were weakest. J.O.C. wdnt take this risk as it ws I last reserve
ant om B Harold TO.) 30Bo. 29th Sept. Lep Hervitly at 8 am marching by Black Rd. Rdws well markes &crowded w Pties & trspt. Read ws cear till 8 am & DoBn just came up as to awspt started to move tro onto it. Bo moved in art formation att N yds on eiter side oIrd. No shelfire till villeret lost Ridg; but woyds of Villeret Ridp found parties of Amerian wd. & Stragless Samenian in charg of 4 &e etc Tey sdto all ws gain is well- To far as LoBn knew
Everything had fore well. The redge we absolutely crowded to batteries. The Imoke screen as put up actuall awongst Iguns – by some sort of pog machine apperently- it we tren endows. It made a perfect screm for gaus Jws putup from valley on villeret side of Ridge, & toked over ridge in thick clouds & fored a very dense mest in I val 1 other P.dee Vome after volume o'f stuff seemed to be coming over from behen I guns - the day ws wist it looked too much smake Co
The fans had bn in first barrage & were preparay to move to their second posite Ismoke we so doutt & wa to cover then move fom fermen ancefe (is Bn came down past 1Farm they began to get shettfirs & seatured my. fire pann 1 directi o1 canal. Thy thought a few mys must have be messed in fog. The ferm as finig bled but had his guns well laid- it as not high. He old t on ritn sids of road were Well banked & the parepits fave cover. On reaching our d font crowded ling we is far
t Avericans - none knowen what on eark woo happening but lreopack up clear. Their idea seemed to be H now t Austiahans were thro then it was all finished & they Edgs some. Neither offes nor men knew anythey Bobl thest Amerscans were Rose who shd here fone thro N. of I Tunnel month & o explocted 1 flank, Visibility ws then alt 20 yds. (These Ancricans od hase gone t their objie had they known I vay On I were N. of 1 Black Rd 30Br got theo I pps in I were made by tanks there ws a heavy straf on
this vire. He l were pood & deep & I men got theo quickly through these On reaching Irly line they met pirte bodies of awerecans sho apparentl had taken no part & were simply waiting for furthe orders. The post toys here had bst black Rd fog 30 Ba had to skirt the town on its it just over Tunnel mouth. Hhere ws a halton Prly, just to note directn - they kept on IS. oFrty wh hada by bank - Bellicourt 6 being made I target of a
concentrated thort by 1 ferma apnt art - the ferm ws shelling the bottle neck After shirting Irty 3o Bn founditself on 1 bank wh makes top of tunnel Here fof lefter & they cd see 1 tepo1 red 1000 yds away - it wod be 10 am. by now Hros them seen to Everything hed fone wrong. They edsu ing on Iridge in Tle Calilet line N.of Nauroy - thy ad see men workin them. They ad also see 2 Anti Tank Cuns - one on the Nw edge of Nauroy, & one
Att 11131.8. To men were serving one of them – they cd be clearly seen. They were firing at 1 Tanks 9 as Bn saw them they knocked out Tank after tank. The tarks had previousl bu coming tro Bellicourt & then down 1rd to Nawroy SE from Bellicourt. They had sot krocked out one after another. Then they began to come out from Bellicourt down the N.S Rd & this ws better - Terman of firing at 2 or 3 of them on Ird there, but they dront seem to be hit. 0 Abt this time Americans were seen munning back fom

Betticourt
Diagram - see original document
Both had reconnoitred.
29 ws all right on black
Rd. Wark had to
reconnoitre by thro mist.
29 thro Bellict in
Column, formed body.
32. S. towds Tunnel
head - deployed - Met
resistance W. of the N.S. Rd
thro Bellicourt
120 American ws to fight make line
S. of Bellicourt.
Diagram - see original document
Walk found
them held up at X & had a fight the
9 

 

Walk realised tt Americans werent
thro & tt he had / whole
flank to make incl. Magny
la Fosse.
He took a bty of 77s ^ & crew of 9; - 50 men
in Magny la Fosse.
(Wark is a quantity
surveyor in Sydney)
Aug 30.
On 2nd morning when troops
were ordered to attack from
Nauroy & reported they
cdnt (after trying it from N.)
Bde major Maj Wisdom went up himself
& crawled out to observe but
ws fired at from / Sugar Factory
by m.gs. This ws in spite of
heavy shelling by all guns Bde
had on night 29/30 - & again
before 29 Bn attd on 30th
10 

 

But tt time fire from left by
Lamp station caught 29 Bn.
B.M. got out abt 120 yds but
cdnt get further.
It ws tn on morning of
SepOct 1 - when our barrage
came down Germs cleared.
On Oct 1 in this advance
Wark himself knocked out
a Germ m.g. on Mill Ridge
leading his men right onto it.
On first day Bde didnt
know what cd be happening
on left - otherwise 30 Bn
wd have bn put thro 32 Bn
where Germs were weakest.
G.O.C. wdnt take this risk as
it ws / last reserve.
11 

 

(from. Lt Harold IO., & Adjt.)
30 Bn.  29th Sept.
Left Hervilly at 8 am
marching by Black Rd.
Rd ws well marked
& crowded w Bties & trspt.
Road ws clear till 8 a.m.
& 30 Bn just came up as
transpt started to move
thro onto it. Bn moved
in arty formation abt 50 yds
on either side o / rd.
No shellfire till Villeret
Ridge; but 100 yds this short
side of Villeret Ridge found
parties of American wd. &
stragglers - 3 Americans in charge
of 4 prisoners etc.
They sd tt all ws going
well - So far as 30 Bn knew
12 

 

everything had gone well.
Diagram - see original document
The ridge ws absolutely crowded
w batteries. The smoke screen
ws put up actually amongst
/ guns – by some sort of fog
machine apparently - &
it ws tremendous. It made
a perfect screen for / guns -
It ws put up from / valley on
/ Villeret side o / Ridge,
& rolled over / ridge in
thick clouds & formed
a very dense mist in /
valley / other side. Volume
after volume o / stuff seemed
to be coming over from behind
/ guns - the day ws misty &
it looked too much smoke.
13 

 

The guns had bn in / first
barrage & were preparing to
move to their second positn -
& ^ / smoke ws no doubt was to cover their move from
German aircraft.
As Bn came down
past / Farm they began
to get shettfire & scattered
m.g. fire from / directn o /
canal.
They thought a few mgs
must have bn missed in /
fog. The Germ ws firing blind
but had his guns well laid -
it ws not high.  The old trenches
on either side o / road were
well banked & the parapets
gave cover.
On reaching our old front
line we found it crowded
14 

 

w Americans - none knowing
what on earth ws happening but
all ready to pack up & clear.
Their idea seemed to be tt
now tt / Australians were
thro then it was all finished
& they cd go home. Neither offrs
nor men knew anything.
Probly these Americans were
those who shd have gone thro
N. of / Tunnel mouth &
f exploited / flank.  Visibility
ws then abt 20 yds. (These
Americans cd have gone tt
their objve had they known / way).
On / wire N. of / Black
Rd 30 Bn got thro / gaps in
/ wire made by / tanks -
there ws a heavy straf on
15 

 

this wire. The trenches were good
& deep & / men got thro'
quickly through these.
On reaching / rly line
they met further bodies of
Americans who apparently
had taken no part &
were simply waiting for
further orders. The front Coys
here had lost / black Rd
in / fog.
30 Bn had to skirt
the town on its rt just over
/ Tunnel mouth. There ws
a halt on / rly, just
to note directn - they kept
on / S. o / rly wh had a
big bank - Bellicourt ws
being made / target of a
16 

 

concentrated shoot by / German
arty - the Germ ws ^ apptly shelling
the bottle neck.
After skirting / rly
30 Bn found itself on /
bank wh makes / top o /
tunnel.
Here / fog lifted &
they cd see / top o / ridge
1000 yds away - it wd be
10 a.m. by now.
It ws then seen tt
everything had gone wrong. They
cd see m.gs. on / ridge
- in / le Catelet line N. of
Nauroy - they cd see / men
working them. They cd also see
2 Anti Tank guns - one
on the N W edge of Nauroy, & one
17 

 

abt 11 B 1. 8. Two men were
serving one of them – they cd
be clearly seen. They were
firing at / Tanks & as Bn
saw them they knocked out
tank after tank.
The tanks had previously
bn coming thro Bellicourt
& then down / rd to Nawroy
S E from Bellicourt. They had
got knocked out one after another.
Then they began to come out
from Bellicourt down the N. S
Rd & this ws better - /
German ws firing at 2 or 3
of them on / rd there, but
they didnt seem to be hit.
Abt this time Americans
were seen running back from
18 

 
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