Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/222/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 2

ws then decided further to
put down a barrage at
11 pm. On (1) the trench to /
rt of our bomb block, &
(2) the trench ahead
(Germ. support line).
The 4 Coys wd line
up in the 400 yds, 2 coys in 
2 deep in / trench
Diagram – see original document 
After the 5 mins barrage on the
Germs. front line A Coy ws
imd. to bomb down to / rt.
D Coy eased out to rt & kept
touch with A Coys left.
B & C. Coys went out straight to
/ front & got as close as possible
to / German support line. (This
9 

ws / only thing to do as /
wire exactly in front ws very
light whereas further to /
rt it ws v. heavy.
A Coy moved off down /
trench 5 mins ahead o /
others. The Germans ran
out o tt trench into the trench
in rear. A Coy caught w bombs
good few (12 ^dead in one day, 2 wd, 
& 2 unwd).(6 bombs)
As soon as C Coy got
to the front line, they began to
bomb 15, / rt, keeping touch
& time with A Coy wh
ws working parallel.
B Coy bombed to / left
& obtained touch w 10 Bn on
the left.
10

It ws between 2 & 3 a.m.
that 14 Bn got touch w 46
Bn (who attacked / trench
on their front at 11 pm also).
The 14th had to bomb down
900 yds of trench - It ws
good deep trench, w very
deep dugouts & plenty of
them. The wire on / front
where C & B attacked it had
bn broken in some earlier 
fight. Where it had been
passed before getting into
the front line, that afternoon,
the wire had bn very heavy.
The Bn got abt 50 prisoners
but there were a great no. of
dead mostly in / dugouts, 
& there were 12 dead Germans
in / little straight bit of trench near the
11 

bomb block. The priso Germs were
probly driven over into 46 Bn
area or out to / Hind.line
in rear.
Next morning, when the
light broke a beautiful view
opened out. No artillery man
ws up there for 24 hrs. The 
German ws moving his guns
even on our side o / canal
- he ws trying to shift big
guns w lorries & w horses. 
The infantry managed to
stop this by using / Germans
own m.g. - 13 guns (of abt 50)
were mounted for defence
w 20000 rds of ammn.
During / day 7. 77s & 2 4.2
H.V. guns & some T.Ms were captd -
2 antitank rifles - (the guns on /
12 

on / parapet were 77s of /
old type - & it ws they wh had
bn firing at Grand Priel Fm. 
Lt Garton wd ^in leg on going up / slope
towds / sunken Rd
Lt Ebbott wd in chest abt /
same time.
Abt 100 o.r. were k. & w.
in the same fight. 
An attempt ws made to get
C Coy into the line occupied
by B Coy by daylight - They
had to go back round /
West end of Ascension wood &
up / valley where B Coy had
gone. Abt 12 men were
dribbled thro. But / Germ
ws sniping at abt 200 yds &
there ws too great a loss - several
of the 12 were hit - so it ws decided
13 

to stop till dusk, & go round
the same way together w A. Coy. 
The Germans Maj. Wadsworths
life ws saved tt day by an issue
watch. 14 Bn HQrs ws in the 
big dugout just E of Grand Priel
Farm. 14 Bn exploitation
was over / whole front -
they passed thro 15 Bn & 13 Bn.
 The march up ws carried
out as folls: Their route
lay betw. Primal Wood &
Le Verguier & then past Long
Copse. As they came up twds
LEV. They cd see tt / German
ws shelling this space very heavily.
They decided to wheel left &
go round the left of Primal 
Wood. This absolutely avoided /
14 

shelling. & no casualties

were suffered. The decision
to avoid an area like this wd
lie w whoever was leading the 
Bn thro'. The Int. Offr. & Maj.
Wadsworth were leading & they
wd simply led off to / left
(this is / way things were ^are done).
nowadays as compared to / 
old way.) Col Crowther noticed 15 Bn
ws off its line & sent up to ask why (he ws in /
column when he heard he immediately agreed.
13th Bn in / mist tt day 13th Bn Hqrs
found themselves in a fight
& had to bomb a German
post. 14 Bn going forwd
later had no difficulty w /
mist at all.
Before 4 Bde went into / line the
13 Bde had got this J.O. line by
peaceful penetration.
15
 

Aug 6 & 7
13 Bde. 
(from Col Arrol)
Aug 7.
- covered canadians^x.
 - Cerisy
- Then to Harbonnieres
for attack wh didnt come off.
- Then to Risery.
- Then to Soyecourt.
^x Where French were carrying on
a "Christian science warfare" w
posts abt every 500 yds & mgs
behind. 
Even Bn H.Q. didn't realise
tt / Canadians were to make
a big attack till hours before. 
On night of Aug 7 there ws at
one time ½ hr to go & 2 Bns to get
in. The COs of 13 Bde had not bn told
how xx many Bns were to relieve
them. 
A Canadian engineer offr went 
up & got thro' the front line w a
runner. He missed / front
- It ws at 8pm. and betw
Bois de Hangard & village of Hangard
16 

a Canadian Sergt came
running back w a bullet thro'
his arm & he sd tt his offr ws
out there wounded.
Col. Arrol got 4 good s/bs -
& told them tt the Germs might
get this officer - & tt he probly
had plans on him - & tt they
must go out & get him in. They
took all identification off themselves -
if captd they were on their
honour mot to speak a word -
They got / offr & brought him in;
& he had the plans o / attack on
him. 
Next morning the canadians
The Canadians came in on /
night of aug 7/8 Aug. ^Only offrs had come in before. Our front
line troops were still left in
17 

front w Canadians behind. 
At least 2 Coy Commdrs stayed on till
daylight to see tt / start ws a
good one. 
Our front line troops were
withdrawn & relief completed
abt 4 am on Aug 8.
The B low ground behind
ws simply crammed w guns,
mobile guns, tanks, arty, 
ammn trains. 
18