Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/225/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066684
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

orginal posite & remained fortniglt. At abt 5 am. Se. follg morning orders were recd for Ba to assumble at ]21 centl. to attack in 1 direct of S.D at 6 am. O.C. Coys were to report to Bn H.Q. at once for fuller instru e cowere mosed upto posit. Amusrove ws k in doing this. by a sell. there as a heavy mest. Youy from Bn H.D. Co Coy. Cpt Mann we wd. by nfbuillet. Cept Dalkeith as wd to day on returning from I rendezvous abt dusk in truchs NW of Quincance. & Williams Lt Hicks & to Bullock were ad at Jumpi of positen the second morning The 2d Dun hadsterto tei attack at 5.30 & 55 Bn came in
for retaliation & had to move to assembly posite thro this we we & heavy. His left only both 2 Coy offes on C Coy-Lieuts Bull & Vancarrow. Te other 3 loys in commd of the C.S.MC. Sert O'Connor ws a/C.S.M. of D Cy. B ppp The coys by I time they reached ton T.C. posite averaged abt 65 men. Tey passed this 53 Bn wt wd holding time. Mry were on the Nside of rby line day in Irly bank. Lond loys crossed! t Pank they met very heavy ig. fire from 1 Ramparts. she
See I heads & shoulders offerms there. The mist as rising - I lyht we proweny. Theae ferms were S. of 1 moat a/ CSMOConnor as w I leading Coy. All 1 in ganners ware hit by rig. & shellfire. The CTM &I men went on (Tigns & runnng This lef flank ws on Sagar Factory abt Pooyds from T.D. Tere were only shell hols to get into. [tates, vi out scouting, Icannot found S5 Bn in 1sagas factory atacking my. posts wh were still here. Aftr OC. got to near Sugar Facty he cd see on 1st in Peroune to 15 Bde
caming up in Smell pties two 1streets. Tey were being held up The jerns were on I extrems t end of ramparts & ABde we comin ap the 1 streets OCS party got a sight on theat ferms (att 15 of ten) & opened up riph pre - L gunner had al be hit. Ot drew fire of the 1sde onto his own pty & 115Bde were able to get along . The ferms ken retired out of the Ramparts & ran up into St Denis wood you co see our bombey ptiis & snallpties dodging round! houses & getting to 1 to 9 town. 3 This cased I soiity a lot The only it ws abt 11 am
rigs firey now were a couple from F Denis Wood. When O'C Saw th everythin as all right he went back. leaving his pty in/c of seygt Davidson & went back & see if he cd get a few guns sme men. He got 5 gins, To men of all tm from betw T.O.T. & his peite. Coysof He and praced tim in outposts - 6 men to ench gun. He put them in a line from 1 Lagas Factory to recrestcorner o 1 most one post right on moat Oreman hit in this seriod. Tey were tere till 11 P.m. When he ws settled dowig he left st under 2 Sergts & then took a runner alon
searth for an fr. He wend right round his live to Orly bank & along it I there found works off to Harvey, O't reported to him his posite. He ashed if it cd be held agst an attack + OC. sd. yes: later, on Trty bank he found too Bull& Nencarrow & got them to give him some men to fil in 1gap 1 between 1 Sugar factory & rlyline (on O'Ce Cep) This joined 55 & 55. Up to then only 2 men of OCo sty had b guarder rly line - in case anyone came along it is
Abt 3 in after after fernan planes had gone over, droppin small bourds on the now completed live, ferms sut down a heavy tanage of all cilbres & ps. Short afr there ws a lot of neavement in FtD wood & fermans began to trichle into 1Gull in front of 56. They were go a few bursts MY. fire & nothing came of it. Ne ferms came down nt I road The rly bank his OC. from 2 Div, on Mr H.O. Capt Wyllie S5 Bn tod OC. to be ws in touch a 2 Dior. He ws at 1 Suges tadon
That night after dark OC took out a patrol t 6 men before then he had only bu in touch W 15 Bde by Semaphore - & went down to most & round Trawparts & reported to an of tere (who askett are you party wh has bn out there all day ?) This Of showed OC round 1 positn. O'C then returnd & handed o patrt reportt to Thompson wo then with the O'Co party, & handed over to him. That night abt Upm the 56 Bn ws rell by 23 a Bn of 15 Ble. C7
The canalties were abt 230 out of 360. 56 Bn Bellicourt. Estrees Oct 1/2 (ec watt & anot fo) At this St Bn ws 2Coys steary: ArB. They wernce I Hindbylin in lep rear of Bellicourt. barned dury early hours to thy were to attack & go tine from Roman Rd 57 Hospilil. He form up ws hurried - as Bn reached 1 T.O. point (wh Ws ahead of line held by our troops) the barrige discender. has a fairly erratic barrye a sclient of shorts in it near 1 junster of 56854 6 The Bn reached 1 Iagar Dactor with Harrage - Bn had 5 tanks
(22 + 1in resine) t tank were barging ahead into our our barrage. (Onr as bit leter but not seriously by a shell of ours). The 56th had to move right to fin 831 and thus came astrive 1 Ronan Rd. In 1. Factory att 12 fins were captand & as mgs. It we only an outpost defena. Behind I banks in centril there were further jerms hambers ad be seen on nill will Ridge maning away before I bansag reached them The rly cathing ws objie - no jerms were found there. It had bee I main line (crest line). bey got a whizz bang gun hezes 31 sideshpped at once + let

original positn & remained
for / night.  At abt 5 a.m.
[*Sept 2.*]  follg morning orders were recd
for Bn to assemble at I 21 Centl.
to attack in / directn of St D
at 6 a.m.
O.C. Coys were to report to
Bn H.Q. at once for fuller instrns.
The Coys were moved up into positn.
Lt Musgrove ws k in doing this. by a shell.
There ws a heavy mist.  Going
from Bn H.Q. to Coy. Capt Mann ws wd.
by m.g. bullet.
Capt Dalkeith ws wd 1st day Aug 31
on returning from / rendezvous
abt dusk in trenches NW of
Quinconce.
Lt Williams, Lt Hicks & Lt Bullock were
wd at Jumping Off positn the
second morning.
[The 2nd Divn had startd their
attack at 5.30 & 56 Bn came in
17

 

for retaliation & had to move
to assembly positn thro this wh
ws v. heavy.
Lt Willow  This left only
2 Coy Offrs, ^both in C Coy - Lieuts Bull
& Nancarrow.  The other 3 Coys
were in commd of the C.S.Ms.
Sergt O'Connor ws a/C.S.M. of
D Coy.
/B  /A  /C  /D  →
The Coys by / time they reached the
J.O. positn averaged abt 45 men.
They passed thro 53 bn wh
ws holding line.  They were
on the N side o / rly line dug in
to / rly bank.
Imd Coys crossed /
bank they met very heavy m.g.
fire from / Ramparts.  They cd
18

 

see / heads & shoulders o / Germs
there.  The mist ws rising - /
light ws growing.  These Germs
were S. of / moat.  a/CSM O'Connor
ws w / leading Coy.  All /
m gunners were hit by
m.g. & shellfire.  The CSM
& 8 men went on (sigrs & runners)
Their left flank ws on /
Sugar Factory abt 800 yds
from J.O.  There were only
shell holes to get into.  [later,
going out scouting, O'Connor
found 55 Bn in / Sugar factory,
attacking m.g. posts wh were
still there.  The
After O'C. got to near /
Sugar Facty he cd see on
/ rt in Peronne the 15 Bde
19

 

coming up in small pties thro
/ streets.  They were being held up
The Germs were on / extreme E
end & / ramparts & 15 Bde
ws coming up thro / streets.
O'C.'s party got a sight on
these Germs (abt 15 of them) &
opened up rifle fire - L. Gunners
had all bn hit.  O'C. drew /
fire off the 15 Bde onto his
own pty & / 15 Bde were
able to get along.  The Germs
then retired out of the Ramparts
& ran up into St Denis Wood.
You cd see our bombing pties
& small pties dodging round /
houses & getting to / E of
/ town.
This eased / positn a lot.
It ws abt 11 a.m.  The only
20

 

m.gs firing now were a
couple from St Denis Wood.
When O'C saw tt everything
ws all right he went back,
leaving his pty in/c of Sergt
Davidson & went back to see
if he cd get a few guns &
some men.  He got 6 guns,
ammn & 30 men of all
Coys. ^from betw J.O.T & his positn.  He imd placed them
in outposts - 6 men to
each gun.  He put them
in a line from / Sugar Factory
to / nearest corner o / moat
- one post right on / moat.
One man hit in this period.
They were there till 11 p.m.
When he ws settled down
he left pty under 2 Sergts
& then took a runner along to
21

 

22
Diagram - see original

search for an offr.  He
went right round his line to
/ rly bank & along it &
there found works offr
Lt Harvey.  O'C reported to him
his positn.  He asked if it
cd be held agst an attack &
O'C. sd "Yes".
Later, on / rly bank,
he found Lts Bull & Nancarrow
& got them to give him some
men to fill in / gap
between / Sugar factory & /
rly line (on O'Cs left).
This joined 56 & 55.  up
to then only 2 men of
O'C's pty had bn guarding
/ rly line - in case
anyone came along it
23

 

Abt 3 in aftn after German
planes had gone over, dropping
small bombs on the now
completed line, Germs put
down a heavy barrage of
all calibres & gas.  Shortly aftr
there ws a lot of movement
in St D wood & Germans
began to trickle into / gully
in front of 56.  They
were gn a few bursts of
m.g. fire & nothing came
of it.  The Germs came down
onto / road.
The rly bank hid O'C.
from 2 Div on Mt St Q.
Capt Wyllie 55 Bn
told O'C. tt he ws in touch
w 2 Divn.  He ws at /
Sugar Factory.
24

 

That night after dark O'C
took out a patrol w 6 men
- before then he had only
bn in touch w 15 Bde
by Semaphore - & went
down to / moat & round
/ ramparts & reported to an
offr there (who asked  Are
you / party wh has bn out
there all day?)  This
Offr showed O'C round
/ positn.  O'C then returned
& handed / patrol report to
Lt Thompson ws then with
the O'Cs party, & handed
over to him.
That night abt 11 pm
the 56 Bn ws reld by 57?
a Bn of 15 Bde.
25

 

The casualties were abt 230
out of 360.
56 Bn Bellicourt. Estrees Oct1/2.
(Lt Watt & another offr)
At this time 56 Bn ws
2 Coys strong: A & B.
TGhey were in / Hindbg line
in left rear of Bellicourt.  Warned
during early hours tt they were
to attack & gn line from /
Roman Rd to / Hospital.
The form up ws hurried - as
Bn reached / J.O. point (wh
ws ahead o / line held by our
troops) the barrage descended.
It ws a fairly erratic barrage
w a Salient of shorts in it
near / junctn of 56 & 54.
The Bn reached / Sugar Factory
with / barrage - Bn had 5 tanks
26

 

(2, 2, & 1 in reserve) - the tanks
were barging ahead into our own
barrage.  (One ws hit later but
not seriously by a shell of ours).
The 56th had to move right
to join 5 31 and thus came
astride / Roman Rd.
In / Factory abt 12 Germns
were captured & no m.gs.  It
ws only an outpost defence.
Behind / banks in 7
central there were further Germs
numbers cd be seen on Mill
Ridge running away ^over / hill before /
barrage reached them.
The rly cutting ws /
objve - no Germs were found there.
It had bn / main line (crest line).
They got a whizz bang gun here.
31 side slipped at once & let
27

 

 

Last edited by:
Rosemary HudsonRosemary Hudson
Last edited on:

Last updated: