Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/218/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 6

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

Page 1 / 10

men estimate to at least 1o migs: were firin on CCoy (left – under Capt Savage). The Bn tie were Wartemberg Guard Tusiliers, Stoon troops - an Especial Bn. All 1 after 1 advance wentor by Lort rushes 203 men at a time - trying to outlenk t grimwalle) Biddle) were wdin this advance. Coy had alt 20 men bit out of 700r 80 allby meg. fire - a larp proportion K he method or to work 203 men up ruts in groun deat io aec m seperctl. Mcantime D Coy or 12t lender to wells were trying to get in too 1oillage-Terms had 773
in a Lagas Faetoy there, ferry poind blank I loy lost att I same no. of mew as C. & lost t Flynnwd. D coy as helped by the Highland lght life on it, 2 phes of wh were attached, & thy helped to deery opposite on it of villag. ferms put down a Concentrily shaot on our dd posites, Espe. on the vatley behind. By night we had advanced to 7 outsherts 01 far side of village The outpats connected definitity W 32 Bn on left & 32 Dwn Bro or it. It took from Ipm to 6.30 pm to make this jooyds. 35 6 were trought in cr All storn troops, moath megunners
There were as many ferm. dead int area Cl. Food rashed one pat bayalttery 1 gunners & fetung one C. This post had done a tot of damag in hotsing up advance. Ford & 2 veen fit out to it & fuishd it wo1 bagoset. Ford pt D.CM That night till 3.30 am ferms were v. active, their outposts been appt alt 200 yo ahead in olE bot sides were getting who then Over 20 ios were taken he this scrap - Ba had t pess tro & cdut take tem out &2.77 guns, wh were captured. -al his in (town That before daylight Yerms
rltered at full speed, apparent as day boke advance ws could. Bn pashed on patiin to beyond Estrees without excountering oppositin on to rd - te Rds were mined. Att 50e yds beyond Soucancourt one O ferm. fos, Led bon blown up to losses & drivers by A ferman Flash - mine on I dip down lowds gully (where e saw th
32 Bn. Sept 291oc1. (maj. Wark &c) tand Bathmest Boydy 32 Bn. Bellicourt. Marches from near Hestecourt & St into assembly t m coloe d Ridge - got there by 8.65& Apat 9. ofhadnt yet come down. You cd see rooyds on haze ghin From I start they began to get my. fire at 200 - 3009 do- 1 Germs were still in him old pont tine - missed by Ameriians - they dd hear ftanks - Tanks of 9 Corps HBastank Corps) were vin down abt I same time Fom 1 jump of Wask realised to things must be co
wrong - he &adyt were guiding teadig Coy- gain by Compass. Bo kept gaing work heard a tank comin down & went back got hold o tank oficer & brought him across to a nege foot abt 9.9a with Old Jeri. front tive got a few Do 72 juns kero. They kept going till tank ws right on them. Tefy as by now so thick to you dat see 3yds At 1 Sunken Red at 79C9.1 wask found abt 200 american here. He asked their regl- 8 117th it ws1 one wh should have sway down to flank
after King Itanel N ofrs were w them. They were lost in Ifop Wated tem 5 1Bo & they came alon. Up to Irly line there were constant (craps to mgo. sometimes the loys suppered them – sometimes they ttanks . The I tauks were by then in 1foat 0f Bn which as making a regular attack. The leading abftepaces phis were extended, the rest were supposed to be tr. arty formater (diamond) of is had compasses Att 40 mew were his in this part of syptine
The Bn left its tauks wh had b lett to them) S. of Bellicourt- eywnt dowe to pish ap their own troops. 32 On we on its own here I of Bellicourt Exc. to ty saw a Coy of 30 Bn there in Lrd in 10C By this time 32 Bn saw its own tanks Dactin in I hollow S.E of Bellecoust don't know how they came o had be knacked out at to time - fairly Early wento from te 2oys attackin in support, in reserve, w 2 tanks in front (only & for Bn)
At this time we intended to fo to his final obsec be port of Nawroy & make freen tine. Here were A.T. guns at Nauroy foring point blank. One tank as moving to mopap Nawroy- it as knocked out The Br moved as merked on my barray map. One CoyD under Capt. Royers) ws put to 1 MCS lank thro Nawroy. The Tankws hit & Rojers Ws K. (He ws just movin to p ap to N - havin just left W. when het by cr Eg.) The Tank ws hit
before reaching Iwillag to arent his suppt & reserve loys in there ten were mps in Nauroy. DCoy got thro 1 S. of Nauray & took abt 40 thene were no Americans in there – now past the Lunbin Rd W of Belliet ap to this time. (DO Americans to each coy of 32 to start to but only one remained right thro' & he wsk) from these they moved to Dlox Eebeloned back as a flank puard. The second tank ws knoched out moving past Nauray also. 0

men estimate tt at least
10 m.gs. were firing on C Coy
(left – under Capt Savage).
The Bn there were Wartemberg Guard
Fusiliers, Storm troops - an
Especial Bn.  All / aftn /
advance went on by short rushes
2 or 3 men at a time - trying
to outflank.
Lt Grimwade )
Lt Biddle         ) were wd in
this advance.   Coy had abt 20
men hit out of 70 or 80 all by mg.
fire - a large proportion K.
The method ws to work
2 or 3 men up / ruts in / ground
& deal w each mg separately. 
Meantime D Coy on / rt 
under Lt Wells were trying to get
in thro / village-Germs had 77s
49

 

in a Sugar Factory there, firing
point blank.
D Coy lost abt / same no. of
men as C. & lost Lt Flynn wd.
D coy ws helped by the Highland
Light Inf. on rt, 2 plns of wh were
attached, & they helped by clearing
oppositn on rt of village.
Germs put down a concentrated
shoot on our old positns, esp. on
the valley behind. By night we
had advanced to / outskirts
o / far side o / village -
The outposts connected definitely
w 32 Bn on left & 32 Divn (Brit)
on rt. It took from 2pm to

6.30 pm to make this 700 yds.
35 prisoners were brought in,
all storm troops, mostly m.gunners

50
 

 

There were as many Germ. dead
in / area.
Cpl. Ford rushed one post
bayonetting / gunners & getting
one prisoner. This post had done
a lot of damage in holding up
/ advance.  Ford & 2 men got
out to it & finished it w /
bayonet.  Ford got D.C.M.
That night till 3.30 am.
/ Germs were v. active, their
outposts being apptly abt 200
yds ahead in / old trenches - both
sides were getting into them.
Over 20 mgs. were taken in
this scrap - Bn had to pass
thro & cdnt take them out -
& 2.77 guns, wh were captured.
- all this in / town.
Just before daylight / Germs
51 

 

retired at full speed, apparently,
& as day broke / advance
ws contd.  Bn pushed on
40 strides  to beyond Estrees
without encountering oppositn.
On tt rd - the
Rds were mined. Abt 500
yds beyond Foucaucourt one
o / Germ. guns, had bn blown
up w horses & drivers by
a German Flash - mine
on / dip down towds /
gully (where we saw them)
52 

 

32 Bn. - Sept 29/Oct 1.  (maj. Wark V.C.)
an old Bathurst Boy All Saints College
32 Bn.   Bellicourt.  Marched
from near Hesbecourt & got
into assembly trench near  ∧ on Cologne
Quarryxxx   Ridge - got
there by 8.45 & left at 9.
Fog hadnt yet come down -
You cd see 200 yds in / haze.
At 9.15 men
From / start they
began to get mg. fire -
at 200 - 300 yds - /
Germs were still in their
old front line - missed by /
Americans - they cd hear
/ tanks - Tanks of 9 Corps
(/ Bn Tank Corps) were going down
abt / same time.
From / jump of Wark
realised tt things must be 
53 

 

wrong - he & adjt  were
guiding / leading Coy - going
by Compass.    Bn kept going -
Wark heard a tank
coming down & went back
& got hold o / tank
officer & brought him across
to a mg. post abt G.9a
within old Germ. front line -
got a few prisoners & 2 guns there.
They kept going till / tank ws
right on them.
The fog ws  by now so
thick tt you cdnt see 3 yds
At / Sunken Rd at G 9C 9.1
Wark found abt 200 Americans
there. He asked their regt - 8
117th it ws / one wh should
have swung down to / flank
 54

 

after Xing / tunnel - No
offrs were w them.   They were
lost in / fog.  W attd
them to / Bn & they came
along.
Up to / rly line there
were constant scraps w mgs.
- sometimes the Coys scuppered
them – sometimes they got
/ tanks - The were by  7 tanks
were by then in / front
o / Bn which ws making
a regular attack. The leading
plns were extended ∧ abt 1½ paces, - the
rest were supposed to be
in arty formatn (diamond)
Offrs had compasses.
Abt 40 men were hit
in this part o / fighting
55 

 

The Bn left its tanks
(wh had bn lent to
them) S. of Bellicourt -
they went down to pick
up their own troops.
32 Bn ws on its own
here S. of Bellicourt exc.
tt they saw a Coy of 30 Bn
there in / rd in 10 C.
By this time 32 Bn
saw its own tanks waiting
in / hollow S.E of Bellicourt
- don't know how they came.
2 had bn knocked out at
tt time - fairly early.
Bn went on from
the 2 Coys attacking, 1
in support,  1 in reserve,
w 2 tanks in front (only 4 for Bn)
56 

 

At this time W. intended
to go to his final objve
in front of Nauroy &
make green line.  There
were A.T. guns at
Nauroy firing point blank.
One tank ws moving to
mop up Nauroy - it
ws knocked out.
The Bn moved as
marked on my barrage
map.  One Coy (D under
Capt. Rogers MC.) ws put w /
tank thro Nauroy. The
Tank ws hit & Rogers
ws K. (He ws just moving
to go up to N - having
just left W. when hit by 
m.g. The Tank ws hit
57
 

 

before reaching / village.
W. threw his suppt
& reserve Coys in there -
there were m.gs. in
Nauroy.  D Coy got thro /
S. of Nauroy & took abt
40 prisoners - There were no
Americans in there – none
past the Sunken Rd  W of Bellict
up to this time. (50 Americans
w each coy of 32 to start w
but only one remained right
thro' & he ws k).
From there they moved
w D Coy echeloned back
as a flank guard. The
second tank ws knocked out
moving past Nauroy also.
58 

 
Last edited by:
Deb ParkinsonDeb Parkinson
Last edited on:

Last updated: