Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/218/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 9

The fog had lifted.  The tanks

had come out E of Bellicourt

to see what 29 ws going to do

(all 4 tanks were there). 29

told them it ws going to

occupy / Catelet Nauroy 

line & / tanks began to

move E. At / same time

29 moved.

The fog ws gone - tanks

were at once seen by

77s & A.T. guns.  3 in

succession were at once put

out of action.

Bn moved forwd to

take Le Catelet line, working

by driblets, some up /

"black" Sunken Rd, some

up / main Sunken Rd to

Nauroy - one Coy got along
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/ black Rd into / trench &

met turned N & began to bomb

up it (3 Coys were to

go into / line).  There ws

heavy oppositn in /

trench.  The positn at /

bottom end of the V of wire

near / Catelet line ws

an Antitank fort w

a dugout of 2 depths w

anti tank rifles - connected

no doubt w the 2 A.T. guns;

Also 2 light mwfrs on

top o / dugout, fixtures,

13 men were in it - all well

cowed ∧by now (our troops had worked

up the C.T. by / black

rd - stiffish fighting all /

way) The mwfrs cd be

fixed so as to fire at tanks.

That fort had finished our 3 tanks.
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The other escaped / fire at /

start.  The other 3 were just 

as they came out o / village to

the meeting place  – the fourth

escaped by luck  – he stopped

when the 3 went.  The tank

Capt came across ∧to Hqrs.  He sd:

3 of my tanks have gone  – Ive

had bad luck.  I will reorganise

/ crews & put a picked crew

in the 4th & have a go w

you.  He held himself in

readiness to do anything

asked (w / tank in / village).

The 29 Bn continued to

bomb up / Le Catelet line

 – a n^o of dead Germs there  –

 they got up this line as far

as 5 A 8.6 (Sunken Rd)

They held this line w 3 Coys
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down to Nauroy, &

found their left flank

still in / air w v. heavy

fire ∧from m.gs. in Cabaret

Wood Farm.  This wd be

roughly 1pm. No one up

on left.

The reserve Coy ws

then sent up to form

a defensive flank (as there

ws nothing there).  They dug 

in on positns on / left

of / Le Catelet trench, ahead

o / Sunken Rd.

This ws held as a

defensive positn till 6pm.

when the 57th Bn came up

on / right & joined up in

/ Le Catelet line.
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 As soon as / left flank

ws right it ws decided to

push / line out E of Nauroy.

This ws done after dark &

they linked w / other 31 Bn.

[Reids Coy ws on / rly line in /

cutting].

The Sugar Factory ws now

ahead  – they knew it ws

occupied & fire coming from

it  – this had bn noticed during

day of Sept 29.

 

Sept 30.  29 Bn ws ordered to

try & get / high grd further

E & if possible take the

Lamp Signal Stn in 96 D.

This ws to be at 3.30pm.
85

 

 

Arty fire ws to be put onto

/ Factory.  Zero ws 3.30

Left Coy, D, (under

Lt Graham) got pretty well

to / positn ordered.

Their left flank had hardly

to move at all, they had

to swing / right.

Next Coy to them (A Coy,

Capt. Read) struck tremendous

fire from / Signal Stn just

as they were abt to advance.

(At this stage Capt Read had

20 men hit by m.g. fire).

Read, who ws in/c of 

front line reported tt it

ws absolutely impossible

to move forwd as they were

under direct observation &
86

 

 

under frontal & enfilade fire

from / left  – i.e. everytime

they stood up they were blazed

at & were hit.  Read reported

tt it ws suicidal to attempt

it  – Read's Coy cd be seen

from / lamp stn. Arty

failed to silence / lamp

station (it ws a fortified

place).  The Sugar Factory also

ws a difficulty & nothing cd

be done between these two 

without a barrage.  Read ws

O.C. of line.  His opinion ws

reported to Bde & 29 Bn

ws ordered to withdraw to 

/ hurriedly dug in positn

E of Nauroy from wh

/ attack ws launched.
87

 

 

This ws done alright

During / night Oct6

Sept 30 / Oct 1  patrols were

sent out & it ws found tt

/ rly cutting N. of the Sugar

Factory & bending to S. ws

well held by Germs.  This

seemed to be his main line.

Orders were recd tt 14th S . 1 Bd

Oct 1 wd come thro & attack w

tanks & barrage at dawn

on Oct 1  – from a line E of

Nauroy, & 29 wd then

withdraw to Catelet line.

Oct 1.  This happened  – it ws

a bad night  – the bns had

a hurried trip up - 54 &

56 Bns were taken up by

Lt. Anderson I.O. & put on

their marks.  There ws a 
88

 

 

barrage & / tanks were in

Nauroy at dawn  – & /

German line ws crushed at

once  – / attack went

splendidly.

Night of Oct 1.   2nd Divn

relieved, & 29 Bn went to

trenches near Malakoff Fm near

Hargicourt.

29 Bn lost in this fighting

Lt. A. Friday, wd  – in the

attack on / Sugar Factory  – he

ws in B Coy, nearest /

Sugar Factory ( all 4 Coys

were engaged in this attack

 – some were able to get forwd

a little others were shot as

soon as they stood up).

Bn casualties were abt

? 50 or 60.  The bombing up /
89

 

 

Nauroy trench ws the best bit

of fighting & Capt Read's

Coy did some especially

good work.  They had hand to

hand fighting w / Germs &

/ trench ws afterwds full of

dead Germans.  Few prisoners

were taken.

4 .77s were got at Nauroy

(3 in connection w / Tank Fort)

& 3 or 4 A.T. Rifles & ammn.

Also abt 50 prisoners (see diary).

Most of these from dugouts.
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