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

14 Bn Aug 8. (from Capt Mitchell).
14 Bn ws formed
1½ miles behind J.O. line
3 hrs before Zero.   Betw.
then & Zero a dense fog
came down.   By time Bn
had to move off to
its (14 Bn)  J.O. line this
fog ws very dense - this
ws abt an hour after
3rd Divn moved.   The whole
4 Bns were in this one
area.   They waited for orders
from Col. Brookman 16 Bn
before any Bn moved.   All
Bns moved at once -
but you cdnt see / whole
of your own section. 

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They knew the bearing of
their J.O  positn - Each
Coy commdr.   All Bns
came up the Cerisy
Hamel Rd - There were
tanks going up, prisoners
coming back, pioneers
mending / road, arty
going up.   14 Bn formed
up just E o / old
front line, i.e.  E of
Record Wood.
14 Bn got in positn
on rt of Rd. - they cd see
Record Wood when they
passed it.   Then 15 Bn
went into positn on their
left (the Coys of diff. Bns
were sandwiched in, Coys
one behind / other - but  

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each Coy Commdr took
hold of his Coy & got it
into positn. The   13
Bn finally moved past
to rt of 14 Bn
Diagram - see original
 The offr leading / tanks
had a terribly difficult
job because they cdnt
stick to / road all /
way.   They some of
them cdnt find / road.
In other cases they found
it but there ws so much
arty. on it etc tt they had 

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to get off it.
Before 14 Bn Zero
hour, Bn moved up
towds the positns captd
by 3rd Divn (w 20 minutes
to spare);  only 2 tanks
were then in positn
instead of one tank in
front of each Coy &
one spare tank (5).
14 Bn ws on J.O.
positn 20 mins ahead
of time. just  Their left
flank to Cerisy ws to
be the Cerisy Rd.
They passed thro
3rd Divn in good time, w
no trouble.   The barrage 
simply lifted from valley to

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valley, not Creeping.
Bns went forwd in
arty formation.
As they got past
the Gaily X roads there ws 

a mild artillery fire
from / Germans.   The chief
trouble ws a big gun of

ours firing 1000 - 2000
yds short.    At least 12
men including the M.O.
were hit by this.
On getting into the hill
downslope in Square 8.
they came under m.g.

fire from what too appeared
to be a line of trenches on
the opposite crest immedly 
S. of Cerisy.   They cd see 

23 

3 or 4 German officers
walking quietly along /
crest of tt hill - &
it looked as if serious
trouble were ahead from
solidly held trenches.    A
tank went forward
abt 200 yds ahead of
the infantry - & / Germans

cleared
Diagram - see original

The B Coy had to
occupy the
steep bank at

A-B.
C Coy had to go to the North of
Morcourt B-F. and A Coy
had to go round the S of it B-D
(Each of these last wd send one   

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Pln thro Morcourt.
D Coy in support had
to mop up Morcourt
after / others went thro.

 The 15 Bn had a bit
of trouble with Cerisy having
a bit of fight there.
The 14th Bn ws by then
getting some prisoners in
Q 9 central in m.g.
nests - in a small valley
abt 50 yds long especially.
They fought when / Bn
ws abt 300 yds away - 
but as soon as Bn ws
within striking distance 

they put up their hands

or ran.    By this time
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the fog had cleared
entirely.   One tank ws
still w / Bn.
As they got to the crest 

of the hill South of Cerisy
they came under direct
view (at abt 2000 yds,
of the German guns in
Chipilly.   The Bn cd
see 4 German 77 guns
firing (2 from the wood
N of Chipilly and the other
2 firing from / backyards
of houses in Chipilly
Village).
B to  The tanks of
15 Bn were knocked there.
and only one of 14 Bn tanks
survived - there had bn 2 others

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but they had engine
trouble or were knocked.
B Coy ws held up on
tt ridge for an hour &
had from 50 to 60 casualties
from these guns.
Lt Thompson M.C. ws . ^[*M.C. at a

raid at Vaire
wood before July 14*]
killed in rushing a m.g.
nest there.    He ws left
on a stretcher for some
hrs & died on / way back.
He ws hit by a m.g.
bullet at 50 yds range
He ws an "original man"
of 14 Bn.
When B ws held up
A Coy went forward
folld by C. & D.    They
came more to / right & 

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the shoulder of the hill
in 15 D hid them from the
guns.   That ws how they
got on w so few
casualties.
A Coy moved thro
Morcourt - most of
them moved to / right
but one pln went thro
/ town.   The German in
Morcourt did not fight
- simply surrendered - 
lots cd be seen running
away.    A batman shot
abs  an officer who ws
getting away along /
Mericourt Rd.   He had
900 marks in notes on
him - the Canteen money.
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