Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/226/1 - Folder - Part 2

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[[sketch]]

2nd Gully (smaller)

 

1st Gully

1st stage

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Robertson

B D

[[?]] Malone

A C

Newth Macalpine

 

 

9.
the strong point at 1705.21. He shot two of the men who were
firing the guns and then rushed the post and got 20 prisoners -
and it was this that let C Coy. get up the hill. He came on them
from the rear - they were firing at C Coy. in front of them.

Newth now directed the tank on to the S.P. in 18 A Central and
the whole line advanced. The tank silenced the machineguns. The
left platoon going up with the tank under Sergt. Taylor got these
Germans before they could get away. This made the advance fairly
easy till the down slope was reached into the little gully beyond.

As the line was going down into this little gully like an open
quarry, two aeroplanes signalled a counterattack, and about 40
Germans were seen coming out of Lapin Wood. They drew Newths
attention with their machineguns and dropped white parachutes.
(This was the signal for the day). In the little trench in the
valley centre Newth put four Lewis guns to keep the Germans back,
and then raced them for the sunken road running S.E. through M12B.
They got into this road before the Germans. The Germans got into
some 3 T-head trenches which ran out of the east side of the road,
l00 yds. away.

[[sketch]]
Newth sent Lieut. Perkins out with a small patrol at once and
took out of these trenches two machineguns and 25 prisoners. Three
Germans were killed.

As the 3rd Bn. wasstill held up at the Valley corner, Newth
threw back a defensive flank and got Capt. Isaacs, who was now with
"B" Coy. in the trenches in 17 Dm to throw a defensive flank
along the sunken road through the Star Roads in 18A (5.8 to s.8).

Newth then sent Perkins out with a patrol of / eight men
into Chuignes village and they got about 50 men out of it.

The Battn. got 9 officers and xx 45o O.R. prisoners and 9
field guns - Battn. went in / 400 bayonets. Two of the guns were
on the hilltop near the big C.T. - apparently for anti-tank
purposes; six more were in the little gully on the road leading
to Herleville. The artillery officers were captured by the guns,
which were still hot when the infantry got there. Some of the
crews got away, some were killed. One of the artillery officers
died in Capt. McAlpine's H.Q. (hisown dug-out).

Newth dug in in the T-head trenches east of the road and
during this time was fired on a lot from Lapin Wood. Next day
the German was noticed to be shelling his own position in front
edge of Lapin Wood from which this sniping had come. Newth at
once sent out a patrol under 2/Lieut. MacNamara and they pushed
through Lapin Wood and found it empty as far as 14 B. 7.7 (edge of
wood). MacNamara stayed there and sent back word. On night of
Aug. 24/25 with C Coy. A Coy. occupied the line along the road
through the East end of Lapin Wood.

There was an old French observation tree, with ladder, etc.,
in the wood - and from this on Aug. 25 an observer saw the Germans
in a series of small posts, about l2 in each - at trench junctions
and in the trenches in 15 A and C. Each post had a Red Cross man
and the men were waaring no equipment - only had rifles. This
led to the supposition that they were rear parties left light to
get away.

The day of Macnamara's patrol Newth went up to the N.E.
edge of the wood and from there the Germans could be seen still
strongly holding the trenches near Pylo....Wood in M8C and D.
They could see a 3rd Bn. patrol pushed back by the Germans in
this trench - the Germans lined the trench, got 4 machineguns and
a trench mortar into action. (A few odd Germans were still in
Lapin wood at this time). As the three officers and a runner
 

10.
were only there patrolling they did not tackle the post - it being
desired to occupy thw ood later after dusk. By next day the
Germans had gone from the post N, of the gully and 3rd Bn. was in
line with 4th Bn.
The following day when the small rear posts of the Germans
were spotted (about 10 a,m,) patrols were sent out along the two
long C.T.'s north and south from the wood to the little wood in 15 A
- (?) Barthomel....Wood. No opposition wasmet with.

That evening we occupied these trenches. The Germans were
out of touch here. 4th Bn. handed over that night...

From there the Bn. came out. It was also uncertain where the
Germans were north of the valley.
Wounded:
Lt. Wilkinson ("A” Coy.) - day before attack as Battn.
wasmoving up.
Lt. Court (Sig, officer) - During the morning, about
11 a.m.
Lt. Back ("A" Coy..), At 6.30 a.m., on reaching the
crest of the hill across the first big
valley.
Lt. Piper ("C" Coy.) - Gassed on Aug. 25 (When German
was throwing away his gas shell).

4th. Bn, was out at Morcourt and camein again about Sept. 9
or 10. They were in the last attempt at Peaceful Penetration
towardsthe high ground in 8 Central.

The Coy. which made this advance (A Coy.) was practically
annihilated in this fight, losing about 80 men (gassed, H.E.,
machineguns), and came out only 29 strong. About 6 men were taken
prisoner in this attack. They got onto the forward slope of this
hill. Some of the older men got into a sunken road further down
the hill to avoid the shelling. When the rest of the Coy. came
back they were overlooked and stayed on there by themselves and
were captured when the Germans got round them. Most of them were
wounded.
The line from which 4 Bn. attacked on the morning of Sspt.
18 was the same J.O. line from which these posts were established.
The Bn. started from just N, of Herbecourt, in front
of the main road - from the gully with the old artillery dugouts in
it. The mist and the smoke beaten down by the rain made the
morning like night - like a heavy fog in London. The artillery
seemed to open a minute early in front of the Tommies to the left.
The left flank of the 4th Bn. was almost as far down the north
slope as the Roisel-Templeux Road. Direction was kept with the
compass - and by keeping our guns firing right overhead (going
over the hilltop the shells only had 12 feet of clearance).

Templeux was to the left of the Bn. The first trouble they
met was the Hagcon quarries S.W. of Hargicourt. There the smoke
helped. The German was firing into the dark and did not see his
flanks - and the 4th Bn. was able to get right onto the guns
before they could see them coming. The 4th Bn. kept the line very
well. Lieut, Robinson (B Coy.) (A Coy. had been cut out after
the fight for 8 Central) and the few remaining men were attached
to D Coy, as a platoon) struck the railway from Roisel to
Hargicourt after passing the quarries - crossed it and then kept
it on his right flank. (The Germans in the quarries were eimply
firing bursts into the smoke. The 4th Bn. could hear the guns
and knew where they were and could come at them from any direction
by the sound - and attacked them from all sides).
(The total prisoners were 500, and 52 dead were counted on
the 4th Bn. sector'
The4th Bn. had to go through Hargicourt. It was light-
 

11.
and the Germans were in amongst the ruins all over the place,
sniping. These were the men who had been pushed back out of the
quarries, etc., for there were no prepared defences in the village.
Several men were wounded there. The Bn. worked through the
gardens, hedges and ruins, and a good many Germans were killed
there and a few captured.

Newth was working down the Templeux-Hargicourt Road with two
scouts ahead - one in each gutter - and what men he could collect
behind him, nd when a dog dashed past up the road Newth noticed
that he had a message twisted round his collar. Newth would have
fired but for fear of ricochetting onto the scouts. He called to

them and they looked round. In the meantime the dog darted in
amongst the ruins and away. The road ran into a dead end. Newth
and his men worked through the ruins there to the eastern outskirts
of the village and there was the objective. He organised the
Coy. and established three platoon posts.

There was heavy machingun fire from in front East of
Hargicourt and the Coy, had to keep in behind the hedge until the
3rd Bn. went through and this machinegun fire was stopped.

There were some machineguns in the quarries and by the old
water tanks on the right hand side of the road out of Hargicourt
(to Bellicourt) and these gave Robertson some casualties. He
went out and cleaned this place up before 3rd Bn. passed through.

Lieuts. Lane and Parkes were wounded.

Captain Newth had a crack from one of our nosecaps which
knocked him down about 200 yds. from the start, but he returned
to duty. Parkes was wounded south of Templeux; Lane was wounded
about 300 yds. from the start, probably in our own barrage.

The advance went 600 yds. before reaching opposition. After
it had gone 200 or 300 yds. the German barrage was falling right
amongst our men - falling well within what was believed to be his
own territory. The troops holding the line believed that the
German was not far away from our front line, but he may have gone
back on the night of 17/18. It was anticipated that the Germans
might do this, and for that reason Newth instructed his right
flank to avoid the knoll in L. 8 C. and work north of it and join
2nd Bn. on the forward slope when it was passed. (2nd Bn. met
German posts in Hargicourt switch so Germans had not retired).

There was one of our batteries, or section, firing one lift
behind the rest of our artillery all the way and causing casualties.

3rd Bn. went through. 4th Bn. had no more fighting but was
heavily shelled. B Coy. had 40 casualties out of 70 men.
MacAlpine, C Coy., had only 10 casualties (on Newth's left). D
Coy. wasin support.
 

12.
LONE PINE - (Capt. Milson:s death).
(Lieut. Moore, now Lieut.-Col. Moore, 3 Bn., was hit by shrapnel
while standing shooting into a C.T, leading towards the rear; he
then got into it).
xxx

[[sketch]]
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Our Trench

Pte. Back, now Lieut. Back of 4th Bn., went over with left at
Lone Pine and eventually his party occupied the extreme left. He
crossed just to the left of the xrater - about 70 yds. to go. The
first trench was boarded over with railway sleepers, but the Turks
could be seen shooting out of it at certain parts where it was open.
Also the muzzles of their rifles could be seen sticking out,
firing. Back ran straight over this and got in at the second
trench. This was very deep and was in parts covered over with
sandbags and brushwood, but not like the front trench solidly
covered. One of our shells had broken in the bank of it making
an easier slide down into it (at Y), and here Back got in. He went
to the left and there found a few men of ours held up in a bend
in the trench (Z) - see sketch above.

Here (the sketch below is not quite right as the tunnel mouth
was round the corner) there was a Turk tunnel. There were Turks
in the tunnel and they kept firing their rifles round the corner -
reaching round and shooting into the wall.
 

xxx [[sketch]]

They had killed two or three men of ours who were lying there
dead in the bend of the trench.

Milson came along the trench - he had got in about at X (see
first sketch above). He took charge of the party and worked as
described below. About 1/4-hour after they got into the trench
Milson was killed. He was getting bolder and bolder in spite of
advice from his men - possibly he tried to rush past and was shot
as he went by. There were originally two or three Australians
lying in the trench, but by this time there must have been 12 or
15 dead Turks. Captain Milson was missing by then (before the
Turks surrendered) and Selden came along and took charge of the
party which was still throwing in bombs.

COPYOF SKETCH BY LIEUT. BACK.

(This tunnel mouth (indicated by arrow) should face the other way
opening round the bend of the trench to the left. The rifle had
to be stuck round the corner by the Turks; see par. 2 above).

[[sketch]]
 

13.
Milson was throwing jam tins, trying to reach round and throw
them in - by throwing them round the corner quickly with a long
right arm. He was using his revolver round the corner in the same
way. Some of his jamtins certainly got in and frightened the
Turks. Two Turks came out with their hands up - but in the
excitement these were shot. Then a Turk shouted out from the inside
and a 3rd Turk came out with his hands up. He made signs that they
would surrender. Lieut. Selden, who had come up after Milson was
killed was in charge, and they let this Turk (whose purpose they
understood) go in again and bring out 7 rifles and 2 revolvers.
After him out came 9 Turks with their hands up. There was a
German officer with them dressed in a grey uniform. They were
put in charge of a man and taken off by the trench ZTB.

Selden then took the party on to the point where the C.T.
joined at A - and as they went down into Owens Gully, where the
Turks from Johnstons Jolly could see into the trench, he was sniped
and shot dead immediately in front of Pte. Back (now Lieut.
Back, 4 Bn.). This was about 5 yards short of the trench
junction. The trench leading into the valley was very deep and
very narrow. The party could see the Turks in the Jolly trench,
which ran in a loop back along the S, edge of Johnstons Jolly.
The Turks were visible retiring along the trench - a few of them
getting back. Two of them stopped and began sniping over the
trench. The first shot got the man behind Back. The second shot
got Lieut. Selden in front of him. The party came back to a slight
bend further up the trench and sniped from there at these Turks.
After about half a dozen shots being exchanged the Turks got down.

This party was the first down the trench towards A.

After the paert had been there 5 or 10 minutes there came
round the corner with a rush L/Cpl. Alward, with a revolver. He
must have come down the trench MA, and was at the first moment
almost shot for a Turk. He reported that the trench was clear as
as far as the junction at A, and the party with which Back was
(about 7) went down and barricaded the junction with sandbags
pulled down from the top of the trench.

 

[[sketch]]

They then got a supply of bombs and carried on there till they
were relieved by 7th Bn, on the morning of Aug. 8th. Just after
they had finished the barricade, before dark, a single Turk came up
the trench E A and was shot dead by Alward with his revolver over
the top of the barricade. The Turk was looking breast high over
the barricade at this time.

There was a little trench which seemed to run somewhat as L T
ending in some dugouts towards the bottom of Owens Gully - (on
steps or verandahs). The Turks from here on the morning of
August 7th, about 10 a.m., started throwing bombs. They got three
bombs at intervals into the trench. Pte English (?) picked one
up and attempted to throw it out and it blew his hand off. L/Cpl.
Alward was wounded in the legs and wrist by the first bomb and
went out. This trench was not shelled - the shells went over.
The same party firestepped the trench A M with entrenching tools,
cutting steps on either side of it so that a man could get up
and snipe or shoot. In the night you could observe - our old
front line probably commanded this.

There was a bomb stop somewhere about N and a short trench had
to be dug through to it (about 20 yds. or so). Probably that was
the bomb-stop where Mackay and Scott were.

Back's party was the extreme left of the Bn. Therefore this
trench was probably what was known as the Circus.
 

14.
Pte. HAYWARD went over just to the left of the crater as marked
below;
8

[[sketch]]

NOTES:
(1) Men were lying in front of the trench (as *) and Hayward
jumped over a couple at one point. Hayward and Alward went
in and entered a second trench at B.
(2) 29 or 30 Turks were lying here (**) dead -
apparently killed by our artillery in dugouts. Turks were
probably frightened to go left on account of artillery which
had killed so many Turks, and they would have to show
themselves in getting out of the tunnel anyhow.

Just opposite the crater at X was a machinegun on a heavy stand
mounted and firing towards our trenches. It seemed to be mounted
in a trapdoor in the head cover. They could see the Turk crew.
They crossed the head cover to the left of the gun and then from
behind Hayward, who was bomber, slipped three bombs into the
opening in the head cover where thegun was - which stopped the gun.
A good few of our men were lying in front of the gun. One man was
in the crater and two lying on the edge of it: whether alive or
dead was difficult to say.

One of our guns had made a jagged hole in the head cover.
They pulled the pine logs (and squared oregon) aside and scrambled
in at that shell hole.* There was a Turk lying dead underneath
only a few minutes dead. The headcover covered the trench running
in from the front trench (VT) so that it was like a tunnel,
hollowed out on each side for sleeping in. When Cpl. Alward
and Pte. Hayward got in there there were Turks in the covered
trench T V. Other men got in - Hayward was helping one man - 
Pte. Dodd, 4 Bn. - in, when Dodd was shot in thehead.

As soon as Hayward jumped into the trench he saw a man in a
uniform something like the Turks = singing out for our men to come
round there - "Come on, Australia - Come on, Australia - we've got
them!" he said. This "Turk" German Officer was trying to get them
in front of the tunnel where they would be shot. He had been
shouting round the corner. Hayward asked him hisbattalion. The
man spoke splendid English and it was scarcely possible to tell
that he was a foreigner, but they knew they were on the left and
none of our people further round. He did not attempt to answer
as to his Bn. and presently made a dash round the corner from the
tunnel towardsour men and was shot through the stomach. He lay on
the ground and laughed at them and was finished off there.

There followed him an old Turk with whiskers shouting "Allah".
He was shot at once. The Turks kept on trying at intervals to
make a rush past our men - they had to go the way to get out. They
were wounded every time - finally 11 were killed and wounded (all
died) in the trench. Then the second German officer shouted
something that could not be understood and began to throw
out rifles and revolvers. They then came out with their hands up.
 

15.
Before this Captain Milson came up, shortly after the party
got there. He asked what they were doing and said - "I think
you've got them". They said they hadn't. Milson said - "Will
you come with me?" and both Hayward and L/Cpl. Alward said Yes and
started with him. Milson was going to take them straight on to
the Jolly. Milson had not got three yards when he was shot from
the tunnel. Hayward had finished all the bombs trying to put them
round thecorner into the tunnel - the bombs were finished before
Capt. Milson came up (three had been used on the first trench and
only three were left - Hayward was the only bomber there). Milson
just asked what they weredoing.j Milson just asked what they were
doing; said "I think you've got them all, boys" - they said they
didn't think so - and he asked them to come on with him - he threw
no bombs nor fired his revolver. He was killed within a minute
of his arriving. Milson was the first to be killed in front of the
tunnel - three or four were killed near there getting
in (including Dodd) but not at the tunnel.

Eight Turks surrendered with the second wounded German
officer - Cpl. Stone and some others took charge of them. Lieut.
Shelden came along about there from the right (where Mislon had
come from). Sheldon's right eye was hanging down - Hayward wanted
to bandage it but he said there was not time.
 

[[sketch]]

As soon as the Turks were sent off, Shelden divided the party
and sent Hayward and Alward one way while he and the rest went
another way. Sergt. Spratt, Pte. Stan. Taylor, L/Cpl. O'Brien,
were with Lieut. Shelden; Pte. Black and Pte. Tom. Hannington
were with Shelden also.

As Alward and Hayward went round to the left they found many
Turks lying dead as they went down hill towards the Jolly. They
met one Turk without arms coming up to surrender and he showed them
where the Turkish bombs were. They went straight on to where the
trenches met. After the trenches joined the trench to the left
dipped straight down into the valley and there was another trench
about six yards down the hill where the Turks were.

Hayward just got round the corner into the trench down which
Shelden was coming when Shelden was bayonetted by a Turk. This
Turk was just in front of Hayward and Alward, and Hayward shot him.
There was overhead cover with sandbags there. They used this for
barricade and built up a barricade about breast high. It was just
getting dark then. They had to take an occasional shot at the
Jolly to keep Sniping down - Alward and Hayward were alternately
working and sniping. Lieut. Shelden's body was lying just behind.
The Turks once or twice tried to come up the trench but were shot as
they came round - it was very steep and they could do nothing.
Sergt. Spratt's party built a barricade a little further up the
hill behind where Lieut. Shelden was killed - filling sandbags and so
so on. The trench was covered where Hayward and Alward's
barricade was, but only here and there at corners (flat cover over
the trench with breastwork towards our old trenches and some loop-
holes.

Before the barricade was finished Lieut. Massey came along -
about 10 p.m. He went back and split Sergt. Spratt's party up,
and sent some of them down to Alward (including Pte. W. H. Kelly,
who got a D.C.M. for picking up a bomb) and Sergt. Sparks (?) of
1st Bn.; Pte. Swankey of 4th Bn. also. They manned this lower
bomb block (and between it and Sergt. Spratt's party). The Turks
had one or two feeble attacks during the night - not apparently
in force - and were easily beaten back by shooting and bombs
 

16.
We had many Turkish bombs by then. At daylight in the morning
the Turks bombed veru heavily into the lower part of the sap behind
the bomb block. Alward was wounded - Kelly had his hand blown
off. Several were killed and all the others wounded except Hayward
in that part of the trench. Hayward expected the Turks to
attack on top of this, but they did not. Hayward said to Kelly
(whose hand was blown off) "I'd sell my life for two bob now:"
Kelly was very cheerful and so was Alward. Hayward got them to
out after a few minutes. Kelly died, he thinks, before leaving the
Pine, and Alward was for a long time in hospital in England.

Thegarrison from further up extended so as to hold the trench.
Hannington and others werein the left part of the trench down which
Hayward and Alward had come. In the morning a machinegun was put
into the block made by Hayward and Alward. TheTurks never came
at this block later so far as Hayward knows.

On Monday night this party was relieved by the 7th Bn. Till
then Hayward was never 10 yards away from the place except once
when he went looking for his brother (whom he didn't know to have
been wounded).

On Sunday evening a burial party came round. They told them
where Capt. Milson's body was and showed them Lieut. Shelden's
body; and as far as Hayward knows they were buried. Where Capt.
Milson was there would be 19 or 20 lying. The tunnel (or really
covered sap) opposite which Milson lay did not run right through
to the front line; and it was later said that Capt. Milson was
buried in it.

There is no doubt about Shelden being bayonetted. He only
had one bullet in his revolver (he had told Hayward so). He said
he could kill with that all the Turks he could meet down there.
Hayward saw the Turk lunge forward and pull his bayonet back
out of Lieut. Shelden's chest. Hayward and Alward as they came
round the corner saw the quick movement. Hayward said - "It is
the last ever you will bayonet"m as they shot him. That Turk was
standing just round a corner (on the Jolly side) by himself.
Section of the covered sap.
[[sketch]]

Sleeping place

Section of covered sap
 

17.
Sth Battn. Herleville Wood.
NOTE.- The following account is not much good for detail,
being probably inaccurate. But it gives a Bn. H.Q.
view of the fight.
The 6th Bn. looks on Herleville undoubtedly as the
best fight it ever engaged in, though nothing like so
hard as Lihons.
Its trouble at Herleville was due (so other Battns.
think) to defective mopping up - many Germans being left
in the Woods behind it.

---
6th BATTALION - HERLEVILLE WOOD (Additional to report by
Battallon].
Aug. 21. Battn, moved into poor trenches - newly dug - which ran at one
part under main road. 6 Bn. was south of road - about 200-300 yds
west of the big sugar factory, Bn. H.Q. actually in trench under the
main road in a tunnel with just room for a bunk. Bn. was shelled
that night, a big gun shelling right up the road into Cerisy Gully
where the cookers were. The cookers had to be taken away.

Aug. 22. Men were told to be quiet as they wereunder observation from
left. Men had three meals, but nothing could come up by day.
There were no C.T.'s.
...
[[sketch]]

After dark ground flares, etc., were issued. At 2.45 a.m. the
platoons began to move up to assembly on tape lines. The tape line
was about70 or 80 yds. behind the forward posts (which were about
30 yds. from Germans). The Bn. H.Q. of 6th and 8th Bns. and T.M.'s
were together in one of the outposts, in an old German dugout.

The Coys. got up without a casualty. They went up overland
South of the road.

The Germans put down a barrage at 4 a.m. The Bn. went in less
than 400. In this barrage there were wounded
Lieut. Rachinger (hit in thigh - he was carrying a flare - the
shell hit one on hisback and burnt him) and Lieut. R. A. Hall, hit
in the jaw by a fragment. One officer was left in support Coy.
Tanks were late (4 tanks). It was a good barrage. The wood began
on the edge of the slope. The 6 Bn. moved through that very
quickly. A large number of prisoners were taken there - nearly
300 probably. H.Q. got through to the Chalk Pit at 5.10 a.m. and
then noticed that they were being sniped from the rear.

When Bn. H.Q. was sniped a runner, Pte. Nape, and L/Cpl.
Spreadborough, went out with bayonets fixed down the chalk pit,
up the W. side, then North across the road. The Germans were on
the opposite bank south of the road. These two killed five of
them and brought back seven (including an officer with the iron
cross).