Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/224/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 10

in to fill the gap. They cdnt
get 23 at all.
On / rt flank on /
edge o / cemetery were a
n^o. of open graves dug by
/ Germans. They consolidated
these. From / time they broke
cover from / wood they were
under arty fire from open
sights from guns on / three wooded
hills N E of Peronne.
On the St Quentin Quinconce 
Rd ws a sort of good or
ordnance yard & a no.
of huts. E. of this ws a coal
dump & abt 9 a.m. this
Coal dump ws exploded by a
mine (abt I 21 B 4.7.
110

Imd after 53 pushed off

55 moved off in arty formatn

as above.  They got abt 200

to 300 yds when they came

under heavy m.g. fire from

Cabaret Fm, Bony system

wh ws on high grd, & up /

valley ahead of them.  The

left ws on / tunnel, /

fire ws so strong tt they all

kept to / rt o / tunnel (3rd

Div got well stopped there in an

attempt later) Tunnel protected

left.  They advd till they got

to / trench thro' 28 Central.

They found 53 Bn still there &

some of 58 Bn still there.

Then 53 Bn wh ws there

moved on. There ws a valley
90

just N of tt trench. 55 covered
them xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As soon as they moved into
this dip, seeing tt they were
getting it heavily from Cab. Fm.
L^t Chadwick C Coy then got in touch
w Capt Goldrick O.C. C Coy
to left in same trench & he ordered
them to move round / trench to /
left & get form up on / rly
cutting in 28 A near / tunnel
so as to be in positn to attack
E at / original objve. Capt
Giblet of A & B Coy ws getting into
positn at / same place for
/ same attack. Just as they
were abt to form up for /
attack L^t Diggs Hill of 53 Bn
told Chadwick tt he had got into
v. hot water - a S.P. of Germs
91
 

back at them.  Also pties

of Germs were still in / wood & they

our men were getting shots

from / rear. These Germs

were mopped up without

much trouble (parties of

men who cdnt get away

quick enough.

They then got touch

w Maj. Murray just N. of

/ cemetery in / sandpit

N. of / rly back.

They cd see tt Mt St Q

ws still in German hands &

decided tt it ws unwise to

go on further for / time being.

D Coy had swung back

on / left to link w / 23Bn

& linked with A Coy of 55 Bn wh ws put
109

 

a man behind him.
From there they changed
direction imd right to push
thro the Quinconce Wood
(Anvil Wood).
There ws no stiff resistance
in this wood (Currie's W.M Currey Gun
ws just on the 5^th class Rd
on the NW side o / wood at
21 A 25.15.
After passing thro /
wood & getting into / open
they saw Germs running
away in front (7.15 a.m.)

& were quite out of touch on
/ flanks. The Germs saw them
pulling up & he too pulled up
& began to rally abt / St Denis
Rd & / Sugar Refinery & to come
108
 

on top o / tunnel mound -

abt 20 yds past where / rly crossed / tunnel

& then it ws reported tt /

Germs were coming in force

up / top o / tunnel bank

to C/attack.

Capt Goldrick imd ordered /

Coy to move back to / trench running

out o / C.T. up / N. side o /

Canal Bank in order to deal w

these posts first before advancing.

Half Coy went along /  trench on top o /

mound (crossing it) - the Americans

held this.  The S/P ws 200 yds out.

The Americans asked for infn

knew nothing o / fight.  L^t Chadwick

then went out w his batman to /

rly cutting - crawling along without

being seen.  He cd see / m.gs. but

no Germs at / moment.  He came

back to / trench xxx W of mound to get

a L.G. & 4 o.r.  Just as he got back
92

On crossing this trench they
found fire coming from
/ left flank from another
trench N of / rd & parallel
to / rd. - a S. Westerly continuation of Save trench
(they had to change direction left ^(further continued than shown on / map). The men
lined / road & then at
once passed over it -
thus changing direction
& facing the obstacle. There
ws no wire in front of of
this trench. Lieut W. Smith
ws wd in front of this trench -
the Coy rushed & took /
trench & one o / Germ prisoners
shot Lt Smith w an
automatic revolver in / back.
Smith got in w his garrison
& had / garrison bailed up w
their hands up & ws shot by
107

L^t Jackson & Sergt Sullivan D Coy

came up & asked where S/P ws.

They were told & crawled along

W side of bank, & C's batman.

They got along / bottom o / bank

till opp the m.g. post.  Just as

they were crawling up to attack they

were shot dead by a m.g. abt

20 yds away on their left in

a bit of trench. This wsn't known

to / patrol.  The  C & 4 or went

out & got past / rly cutting towds

/ gun S/P when the same m.g.

opened on / patrol & pulled them

up.  They got out L.G. & fired

on it.  L.G. kept / fire down

while they managed to crawl

round to where Jackson & Sullivan

were & found both dead.  It ws

impossible to get at this m.g. as
93

L.Gunners' got up & sprayed
their guns over / wire & 
Smith & a number of
men made a rush & 
got thro' / gap in / wire
on / road wh ws abt
/ left centre & / Coy.
When they got into these
strong posts / m.gs. were
still boiling there - Smith then
found tt A Coy had lost
all its offrs ^ except Lt Young & took it
from tt time under him. 
Capt Evers wd.

Lt Tofler wd
Lt Lamerton k.
Lt
Lt Young ws at tt moment
away on / rt flank.
106
 

some a little to left covered it

& fired on them:  Fire also came from

along / mound & from Bony.

They came back & reported

to Goldrick how things were.

During this time Goldrick had

got / dispositns of 53 from Capt

[*Jhonson*] Johnston (53) & it ws arranged 

tt 55 shd connect across

space to Nauroy line wh

they were supposed to be

holding at to abt 22 D 5.2

Capt Goldrick gave orders for

the Coy to form North o / C.T.

abt 28 C & advance to join.  This

ws Woods of A Coy ws in touch

on / Nauroy line abt grid betwn

22 & 28 just W of / line.  Coy

got abt as far as rly without

much fire but as soon as they

got over / ridge facing down /
94

abt 250 yds after.
A Coy got well away &
were held up w two heavy
belts of strong unbroken wire
in front of Johannes Trench.
Capt Smith noticed tt they
were held up & closed up
to give them support. There
ws an intense m.g. fire
on & Capt Smith found tt
/ men cdnt force a passage
thro / wire. They were
held up for abt 30 mins.
This ws m.g. fire from / trench
& enfilade from Mt St Q.
Capt Smith got up to /
front Coy. He told them it
wdnt do to be held up -
they had to get thro. The
105
 

valley came under v. heavy

fire from abt right along Canal

bank, from Bony & from

rly ridge - & close range

L T Ms & Whizzbangs on / far

ridge - & L.T.MS wh they

cd see firing from down in /

valley.  The Coy ws getting towds

22 C & D.  There ws no one

on left & L^t. Chadwick on 

tunnel bank ws trying to get

some men to cover the left -

& / Germs were get  being passed

on / left rear, W. of / tunnel -

When / order ws gn to get back,

& into / trench ∧ close under / ∧ E side of / canal

bank;  Capt Goldrick & Lt. Cohen

had bn wd out there.  The Coy

reported tt it ws impossible to get

out tt way.  So they moved back to
95

find / way into it & there ws a
nasty fire - so both got into
Florina. They got into Florina Trench
15 mins before Zero, when it ws
broad daylight.
On left it ws L^t Eastment
_____________________________________ 

※ In this attack Sergt who got

down / rly line further than

any others.  got a sight of numbers

of Germs down / valley in a 

Sunken rd. - & got into

A& B Coys positn & got a LG

out again onto them.
_____________________________________
who bombed up Florina Trench &
finally got a gap in / xxxxxxxxx
wire & moved / knife rests.
On rt A Coy (Capt Evers) led
off. B Coy (under Capt Smith) folld
104 

 

/ trench - There Lt. Chadwick ws badly

blown up by a shell -

L^t Pye reported to Capt

Giblet.  It wd be abt? 10.30 then.

There were a lot of casualties

out there.  The Coy stayed there

for / best part o / day.  Then

abt 3pm. half o / Coy

went down across to A & B

Coys & then owing to heavy m.g.

fire into / Le Catelet trench
where A & B were.

Abt 4.30 pm / Germs

cd be seen massing in A 22 A &

B in numbers massed in a 

sunken rd, & in advance of 

them apptly patrols. A barrage 

line ws laid down by obtained

by Bn from A 22 C.1.6 to A 22

B 7.2 to A 22 D 8.6 so as to
96

they took / track along /
rly. Guides ^of 23 Bn were to be
for each Coy - one came
for Bn, to time. He wsnt
too sure of / way so
Maj Murray had to send
out a patrol. This patrol
found tt Germs were occupying
Florina.
Bns route lay (as marked,
up / rd to Prague Trench & then
Coys had to turn into it.
C Coy (Maj Murray) had to fight
from / start. This made them
abt 25 mins behind right in
getting away.
The right got into Florina
Trench - the support Coy ws supposed
to get into Prague, but it cdnt

103

protect extreme pt of 53 at /

bend o / trench - Stuttsbury

spoke to Giblett on / phone & he

sd he wd be able to deal

with w anything by L.Gs.  No c/attack

ws made.  Germs cleared out

very early next morning.

The only c/attack ws tt Germs

tried to bomb them out down

the Le Cat. line - Here Pte

Ryan 55 Bn won his V.C.

The Germs were in / trench &

also behind Ryan in the W. of

/ trench. (see description in V.C. award)

This attack had bn made

abt noon when A & B Coys

were in / trench before C Coy got in.

That night instrns were

recd to form an outpost line

from Canal at A 22 C 2.7
97

going over / ridge in I 7.
Waited there till
midnight. Confce of C.O.s
at Bde Hqrs at 1 17 c
at midnight. C.O. got back
to Bn abt 2.30 a.m. & had
to arrange to relieve 23 Bn
in Florina Trench; get Coy Commdrs
together, promulgate / scheme,
waken / men & get them to
J O T by 6 a.m. The Bn had a
hot meal abt 3.30 a.m.
They led off, C & D leading
as they had furthest to go,
A & B & Hqrs following
Hand drawn diagram – see original
102

to A 22 D 5.8 & keep touch

w 3rd Div.  This cdnt be done

owing to dark till 4.30am

when it ws done fairly easily.

The night ws pretty quiet.

In / aftn we ∧ had bombed / Germs

down back into their country.

It ws a bad place for him

to attack into w us in both

trenches. There ws a barrage tt

morning early for 15 Bde &

this frightened / Germs.  This

day Bn ws instrd to move

to a line from A16 Centl

to A 23 centl.  Keeping touch

w 3rd Division & 54 Bn on

rt.  This ws a case for patrols

& Coys after.  They captd a few

prisoners. From there they sent patrols
98

101

L^t. Jackson K.

Sergt. Sullivan K.

Lt. Dillow k. on  Sep Oct 1 by shell

just before / advance.

Capt Goldrick wd as above - Captd several

m.g. posts.

CSM Cantwell ws K leading a

pty onto a m.g. post abt

10 or 11 on Sept 30. during /

advance along / mound ∧ near where

Lt Chadwicks / L^t. Jackson ws K.
_______________________________
on reaching Clery, as shelling
ws heavy put Bn in /
reentrant in I 1. where
it was v. steep. There they
^ reconnoitred & found tt I 7 & 8 were
full of 6 Bde & secondly they
wd have got v heavy casualties

 

by day light right into St

Martins village. In one o /

houses they caught a German

patrol & the Sergt - an Alsatian
- gave us good infn as to Germ

intentions.

55 Bn ws held there - on its

line & relieving units (6. Inniskillers

were able to get patrols in country

S of Sony & St Martin where we

were.

On 30 Sept a Bty of 4.2s cd

be seen on Prospect Hill firing

just after Bn had gone over / hill

at midday in / attack where they

had to come back.  These guns

later cleared out.

On Sept 30 they knew v little

as to positn of 3rd Division on flank.

& heavy fire ws coming from Bony &

/ heights there. 29 m.gs. taken.
99