Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/226/1 - Folder - Part 13

117.

ACCOUNT FROM LIEUT. BEAN OF TOWL'S FIGHT.
37th BATTALION - CLERY COPSE.
201

Position in Clery Copse at time of Towl's adventure and
40th Bn. attack.

Hand drawn diagram -  see original document

37th Bn approached about midnight 29/30 August. A and
C Coys were to attack Clery Copse. They pushed the Germans
out of Berlingott trench north of Clery Copse, working over
the top. The attack was between 2 and 4 a.m. of Aug. 30.

Hand drawn diagram, see original document

The Coys. attacked as above - each pushed the Germans
out of Berlingott trench at the point where they got into it;
and C, under Lieut. Cox (later captured) and Willis got
t hrough the Germans of the south side of A. Coy. in 

Berlingott.

Later C Coy. had to get back out of the wood seeing
they were cut off, and had no connection with 21st Bn which
was to have been on their right. They came back into
Berlingott and stayed there all day.
 

118.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Later C Coy. moved forward again into a white mound
on the right. A Coy. tried to get back but could not.
They were cut off by M.G. fire from all sides as soon as
they moved.

Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Then a Bn. of 2nd Division approached from right of
Coy. and cleared the Germans out of the trench on the right
of C Coy. (Probably this would beAvion Trench). The
position reached by 2nd Division enabled them to keep down
the fire from Clery Copse which was worrying both Coys.
A Coy. then came out - only 8 men left. Capt. Towl was
with A Coy. - later got D.S.O. for this fight.
34th Bn was on the left.
Towl had a number of prisoners - and stuck to them
all day. At times they lxxxked looked nasty - Towl was
using these Germans against other Germans in the trenches
around - they offered to protect a messenger of his across
country but were killed (as well as the messenger) by the
Germans.
Mahoney of 40th Bn came up that day with one Coy. to
try and relieve A Coy. but could not get to them, though a
few of the 40th Bn got right to the German trench on the
edge of the copse. They were trying to rush the trench on
the edge of the copse when Mahoney was killed.
 Hand drawn diagram, see original document

B Coy. that night came up and occupied the trench A
had been in and went further into a drain.
39th Bn attacked in front in the morning and 38th on
their right went through on right flank.
The barrage was very good - B Coy. (37th) was in the
trench under it, not having got the notice to withdraw.
But 39th had a long way to go.

119.
39th BATTALION - CLERY.
33rd Bn attacked right left through Road Wood; 39th
attacked from Berlingott trench north of Clery Copse - that
was the line for commencement of attack but actual start was
about 500 yds. short of it in order to allow our heavy
barrage to come down on the trenches ahead including Van
Trench.
Col. Henderson had rejoined the Bn. just the evening
before. He was against attacks on this scale without
artillery support. He at once went down to Bde. (He had
been through Suzanne and Bray and Major Payne  Payne, 40th
Bn, was temporarily in charge). Payne and Prentice were
wounded by a shell on Aug. 30 in early afternoon. Col.
Henderson, who probably had heard something was on, came up
just in time to go to a conference at Bde. at 7 p.m.
(While he was away Lieut. Le Febre (Murray Wood) was
killed and his Coy. H.Q. all buried by a shell).
At that conference Col. Hendersen asked for artillery
support - a bombardment of the forward areas near our
trenches. It was then arranged to withdraw the troops
(though B Coy. 37th, under Lieut. Anderson did not get the
message). The bombardment had kept the Germans quiet for
a few minutes. But as 39th went over a very heavy M.G.
fire opened on them from Van Trench between Road Wood and
Acaries Alley. There were a few Germans still in Clery
Copse. There were also M.G.'s from Van Trench between
Acaries and the Copse. Lieut. Garrard was killed as 39th
went over towards this post of the trench and Capt. P. L.
Smith, M.C., was mortally wounded. Lieut. Crotty and Lieut
Overton were wounded.
Sergt. Walters (of Garrard's Coy.) with a corporal of
38th Bn. worked up Acaries Alley and up northwards along
Van trench. With bombs and shooting they cleared that trench
went to Road Wood - a large number of Germans were killed in
this trench. They got 12 M.G. They got touch with 33rd 

Bn. there.
This helped the rest of the line forward (it was the
highest part of the line).
They worked back and down Acaries Valley Alley to its
junction with Gassard trench. There they met an officer of
33rd Bn. and a few men and he asked if they had any bombs.
They said they had one. He told them to work north up
Gassard Trench and they did so, reaching as far as the
sunken road in 20c and 26A. While doing this they put out
by rifle fire the crew of a battery of 77's which they worked
up on from the flank.
Across the road they got touch again with 33rd Bn. West
of the Bapaume Road in 20C/D.
In the meanwhile the right had gone forward to Gassard
trench to Zombo, Hersfeld and Gothmosis trench.
As they went over the Germans in Clery Copse had got up
behind them and were sniping their stretcherbearers with
M.G.'s and rifles. B Coy. of 37th Bn., some of whom had seen
this, went over into the copse - they could not stay still
under this - and Lieut. Anderson and others shot all the
Germans that had been firing there.
The Germans were massing for counterattack in front of
the 9th Bde. - but the counterattack did not come off.
B Coy. 37th Bn. was then ordered up as support and got
into the old French front line system.
(38th Bn. was on the right. Major Maudsley had got 
killed at BN. H.Q. W. of Clery Copse; 40th Bn. was between
the two).
 

120.
August 31/September 1 11th Bde. was to come through this
night and attack. Before this orders came from Bde. for
39th to push forward to the Bapaume Road. The 39th Bn.
swung up its right flank - patrols first (Coy. officers
themselves went out in this case and reconnoitred) and then
Coys. went up - and got onto the road without difficulty.
The difficulty for 39th Bn. was from Berlingott into
Van trench.
This part of the advance was made over the top, the
German machinegunners fighting well - and into the trench
with the bayonet. (This was a Prussian Guard Regt.- who
said they had volunteered - had got in at 2 a.m. and we
attacked at 6 a.m.)
The Germans had evidently relieved those who had been
fighting there the day before and this new lot came in.
They themselves said that they had been attacked before they
had time to settle down.
(The clearing of Berlingott trench would have been
done - N. of 37th Bn. - by 34th Bn.)

BONY - 39th BATTALION.
Just as Bn. got to Duncan post, moving in artillery
formation as they expected long range shellfire. They
wondered why there were M.G. bullets whizzing overhead.
Several men were hit. Just then they struck 40th Bn. in
shellholes.
I.O. who was guiding the Bn. found from 40th Bn. that
their experience was the same. I.O. pushed on with the
Scout Sergt. leaving Bn. pushed on into the valley about
in line with Dog trench. The valley was full of smoke at
this time - our people had been firing smoke on the flanks
to mask the German M.G.'s there.
The smoke put down on the hills behind the Canal had
drifted into Macquincourt Valley and the Americans put their
gas masks on. One of them told the I.O.: "It would have
been all right if they had told us of the smoke": they
thought it was German gas.
I.O. got onto the road SSWx S.W. of Gillemont Farm - and
there found that a few M.G. bullets were coming from Macquixx
Macquincourt Valley. He signalled by waving to Bn. to come
on. They crossed the road and got into the neighbourhood
of Dog trench. As they got in the smoke was clearing and
the M.G. fire baceame intense. I.O. told them to get into
Dog trench - they manned it and the Sergt. and 10 pushed
on into the very strong wire before Dog trench (our wire).
The Germans began to put M.G. bullets round their legs as
they tried to hop the wire, and it was clear it would not be
possible to get on. They went back. 39th Bn was then in
Dog trench as far north as the road. On the right they
junctioned with 38th; 40th was on left; with many
Americans between them.
The Coy. commanders got the Americans and their L.G 's
organised (BN. was only about 140 rifles) - so this aid was
welcome. There were 200-300 Americans.
About 10 a.m. they got word that a defensive line was to
be made of Dog trench where they were.
H.Q. had made their way across and got to the other side
of the valley near the road (a continuation of Dog trench
which curls round to the rear north of the road (F18A95.22
was H.Q.). They were searching forward along this trench
towards Gillemont Farm looking into Dugouts when they found
 

121.
to their surprise a dugout full of Germans wounded and
unwounded. There were about 30. They collected these and
sent them out. This wastaken as H.Q. Col. Henderson did
this.
As the situation was obscure and pressure for informatinn
came from Bde. the C.O. said he would go forward (about 10.30
10.50 a.m.) and see what he could find out. He pushed up
through this trench past Dog trench; then went over the top
and got into a shellhole. In this shellhole he found an
American sniper who was sniping at the Germans. Just as the
Colonel got there the American was shot. The Colonel was
indignant (he had a runner with him). He got the American
rifle and did not merely snipe. He got up on top of the 
shellhole and knelt. He killed about 4 Germans. While he 
was sniping another he was shot through the head from the
flank and killed instantly. (About this time a rednosed
plane was shot down after 5 minutes low flight by L.G. fire).
Captain Files took over. He had been withthe right Coy.
About midday orders were received to push out patrols.
(The force of tanks which was to have gone with our men
had already tried to help the Americans, and they were
scattered, dead or burning, around the front of Gillemont
Farm, all about the front side of the crest, and on the
mines at Duncan Post in the wire).
The Americans had been reported near Le Catelet: the
patrols were to be pushed out to get touch with them. Three
patrols were sent out from Dog trench. They went along the
C.T. immediately south of Gillemont Farm road. They got near
S. Gillemont trench. They found M.G.'s all along the S.E.
road ahead of them and in all the support line (Gillemont
Crescent) as shown in the map. A whizzbang in the ruins was
firing pointblank at them.
One patrol got a short way down S. Gillemont trench - a
lot of American wounded about but not in the trench. The
other patrols could not get on at all.
Two of the patrols reported back. Before the third came
back orders were received for a general advance (to take S.
Gillemont trench). The left Coy, worked along the C.T.
trench all right. The others tried to go over the top and
were cut about (like 38th Bn.), two Coys. coming back at once
into Dog Trench. and the third Coy., B, getting through the
wire and into shellholes near S. Gillemont Trench. They
lost 10 men 12 men (only 10 left) in doing so. This was
Capt. R. Anderson's Coy.
Capt. Wolstenholme's Coy. (D) got to the junction of S.
Gillemont trench and the C.T. by the road, and spread down
into S. Gillemont for a short way.
The T. M. officer (Lieut. Brydie) came along then with
gun and crew.  I.O. sent him along from Dog Trench. He
took up position in the C.T. and fired 10 rounds (all he
had) onto the ruins, Gillemont Crescent and the Sunken
Road, i.e., the guns and M.G.'s which were giving trouble.
This made things quieter. Later on when the Bn. went on
they found that the whizzbang had gone; M.G.'s were in
Gillemont crescent south of the road - deserted; and a
lot of dead Germans.
This made a great difference.
After dusk Capt. Anderson made his way back with Coy.
(10) into Dog Trench - some hit on way back.
On evening of 29 Sept. after dark Coys. got in through
C.T. on left and occupied S. Gillemont trench - joined 38th
on right and 40th on left. They stayed there for the
night.
From dusk till 8 p.m. German artillery and M.G.'s
increased.
SEPTEMBER 30th. 10th Bde. waited for 11th Bde. attack about
6.15 a.m1 next morning but though the barrage xxxxxxxxxxx
 

122.
came down it did not eventuate.
That morning two field guns could be seen firing
one from near Quarry at 14B9.8 and the other by the wire
E. of it. 7 L.G.'s were put on to these together at
1500 yds. in a burst and they stopped and did not fire
again at 39th Bn. During morning Bn. moved into Gillemont
Crescent slightly after 38th. Stayed there all Sept. 30.
About 10 p.m. report from Bde. said 11th Bde. patrols had
entered Bony - and the 39th were asked to send out patrols
to verify this. Patrols along the sunken road found that
Bony was occupied by Germans. They were fired on by
machineguns.
OCTOBER 1st. At daylight there was no M.G. fire and Germans
were shelling near Bony and its area. Patrols got into
Bony at 9.30 a.m. and also to the quarry at 14B9.8. The
Coys. then moved out - they got into shellfire near Bony.
By 11 a.m. Canal line was reached. A patrol of D Coy
under Sergt. Folkes got within a few hundred yards of Le
Catelet - and got M.G. fire from guns at 10B 4.3. and nests
in 4B. Sergt. Folkes was killed there. It was found
that we could not go further than the tunnel and Bde.
ordered Battns, to consolidate the tunnel line.
37th Bn. covered the exits from the tunnel and a few
hundred yards south of the mouth.
Capt. Giles and others went down to the Tunnel mouth.
The position was that no one was at the tunnel mouth but
the 3rd Pioneers were holding a position about 200 yds.
inside the tunnel - a sandbag barricade and L.G. covering
the entrance. (A lot of half-wrecked barges there - no
cement screen across the canal. In the bottom of the canal
was a number of shells of all calibres apparently dropped
from barges unloading.
The position on the knob was one which made a defence
northwards. The Germans were not paying special attention
to the tunnel mouth (which was similar to the southern
entrance).
The British had Vendhuille.
39th Bn stayed at the tunnel. Himdenburg line and
Bony were shelled intermittently with 106 fuse by the
Germans day and night. The 1st Bn. xxx K.O.Y.L.I. relieved
there. (From Salonica)
Next morning the British attacked and got Prospect Hill.
 

123.

PROYART - 1Oth/11th AUGUST.
Three tanks ahead - tank commander was met in Harbonnieres
Gully. Tanks thought the job mad. They were met about
the Hospital. Tanks went on about 25 yds. ahead of leading
platoon of infantry; then 37th - platoons with 100 yds.
distance.

Diagram - see original document

B Coy. supplied a small flank guard under Lieut. Smith to
go out to the left in 27 C or D and cover the turn onto the
N.S. Road.
The pace was about a marching pace.
As soon as they passed La Fl. village M.C.'s opened
up suddenly from all sides - probably heaviest from ahead.
The tanks kept the road and the Bn. got up against the tanks
taking shelter wherever possible in the ditch. The fire
at last began to come from the rear. The anti-tank guns
had also opened.
A plane came first along the road firing M.G. and
dropping bombs close beside the whole length of the column.
Then M.G.'s opened up gradually - first ahead - then
(as they went on) N.S.E. and W. Some right behind.
As the M.G. got warmer the flares were dropping round
the tanks - all sorts and colours.
There was a perfect firework of flares - about the same
time as the M.G.'s. Casualties were getting heavy.
MacNicholl, the scout officer, was ahead of the tanks with
the tank officer. (They had measured the number of paces
necessary to go to the turning, etc.). Two of the three
tanks officers were hit. The sides of the tanks were
luminous with M.G. bullets. The tanks at this time were
quite close to Avenue Cross.
When the opposition became so heavy McNicholl told the
tanks to deploy - and they got one on each side of the road
and one on the road.
The C.O. was killed by an anti-tank shell - on the
German side of the village.
39th BATTALION was last in the column. They were to 
hold from Avenue X to La F. First of all as they reached 

he hospital they were bombed - the aeroplane skimming the
trees - and bombs were dropped. Lieut. Fleeter was wounded
and several men. C.O. sorted battn, out and they were
pushed on in Coys. past the Amiens defence line (when they
got gassed). They thought things were going all right
till xxx they got jammed up by the railway onto the others.
They found then that things were clearly wrong. Here they
got intense shell and M.G. fire. They then lined the
ditches. Finally 39th took position round the cross roads
at La F. with posts out on the left and others just west
of the factory. The rest along the ditch forward. 39th
H.Q. were in La F. buildings. A despatch rider was
attached to send back messages for Bde. and had a hot time
from M.G. fire all the way up - and when he ran the gauntlet
back again he was nearly hit by a bomb.
At 3 a.m. 37th and 39th were withdrawn to Amiens defence
line.
Capt. Allen and Lieut. Urquhart were up and down on the
south side of the road consolidating and saw no 20th Bn.
forward of La F.
 

124.

37th Bn. came back to the Amiens line on Aug. 11. On
11/12th they relieved a Coy. of 35th Bn. in front of the
hospital from road in 19D to road in 13D.
(37th dug in with 38th on morning of Aug. 11).
Early morning of Aug. 12 they got word xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
that the Germans were leaving Proyart - and to push patrols
forward. The patrols got through - finding steaming
breakfast - without difficulty.
The other side of the village Capt. McCrohan captured
M.G. and crew singlehanded. After that the patrol met
opposition from M.G.'s beyond the railway, which was the
objective. McCrohan got close to the railway. D Coy.
then tried to take the xxxx railway and failed (Lt. Aitken).
The M.G. fire was too heavy and they could not get artillery
support at all.
B Coy. was sent forward to south of village (Capt.
Allen) and Capt. Allen and Lieut. Narrick went out and
reconnoitred as far as the edge of the village. The Germans
were then plastering the village. B Coy. got touch with
Lieut. Urquhart on left who had touch with 11th Bde.
Casualties had been very heavy and the Coy, was practically
a platoon. Lieut. Narrik led B forward and took the
railway line with the help of 40th Bn. on right.
(The Germans had not withdrawn to the extent believed,
and the Coys. had bumped into it).
 

125.
38th BATTALION.
VAUX, CURLU, CLERY
38th Bn came in at Suzanne on Aug. 26 - 2 coys.
(A and B) extending 37th Bn line to Somme E. of Suzanne.
A Coy. Lieut. D. M. Addison.

Hand drawn diagram, see original document

At 2 p.m. on Aug. 26th B Coy. came in as above. At
night C and A went through B to mop up the Peninsula.
Capt. Clarebourgh (37th Bn) and his Coy, were to mop up
Vaux Wood. C and A put guards at X and X and at the two
crossings.

Hand drawn diagram, see original document
AUGUST 27.
At 9.20 a.m. Aug. 27, the 38th came under its own
A/C.O. (Major A. J. Maudsley) till then under Col. Storey.
Light rain. Artillery was in the valley north of

Suzanne.
A Coy. got in touch with 1st Division, seeing a few of
them at daylight moving in a quarry at the bottom of the
cliff at Eclusier.
C Coy. got down to Vaux Bridge.
3rd Pioneers got to work on Vaux and Eclusier bridges
and made a good job.
(The Boche had got away at Frise Crossing and Vaux
Crossing and could be seen thick at Frise.
At 7.30 a.m. (?Aug. 27) B. Coy. had to cross at Vaux
Bridge. The men on the cliff top that morning had been
shooting at Germans coming down in a boat from the north to
demolish Vaux Bridge which hadn't been properly demolished.
One of these was dead in the boat near the crossing - a
long wooden structure. Lieut. Crispe had to go down there
and report if the bridge was good enought for artillery -
but the Germans had half demolished it.
(The German was at the east of Curlu with full sight
of all that happened on Vaux slope).
B Coy. with three platoons got quickly across the
Pensinsula north of Frise.
Lieut. Bogle had to work to Frise to find if it were
occupied. He got just past the first five houses - the
Germans were then occupying Frise and the trenches on the
Peninsula.
Lieut. J. C. Davis went with his platoon to La
Grenouillere; Lieut. N.W.W. Sandiford to the head of the
crossing at 6c central - which later became important.
They were there by 3 p.m. dribbling round the edge - two or
 

126.

three men at a time. About 5 p.m. Captain Beatties was
wounded at Vaux crossing and Sandiford took B Coy.
C and D Coys. had come to Vaux Wood at about 11 a.m.
They moved about 2.30 to attack via Curlu through the line
established by 9th Bde, who were said to have posts (1) at
E. end of Curlu; (2) in the quarry E. of Curlu; and (3)
at the N. end of the quarry. These had been there but
(1) and (2) became untenable and had to withdraw and 38th
Bn. was not informed of this.
D. Coy followed the bottom road to Fargny Mill and then
deployed south of the road and a little north of the road.
Thence D Coy. moved to go through xxxxx Curlu. C Coy.
went north of Curlu towards the quarry.
As soon as C Coy. got into Curlu it came under heavy
fire from two xxxxxx strong German posts almost exactly
where posts (1) and (2) had been. Sandiford could see
Sandiford's platoon could see the Germans moving in
the Riverside post (which completely commanded the broken
stump of a village) and firing on our men; Sandiford's
platoon opened a solid enfilade fire right into the post.
As D Coy, came through the village Lieut. Riddell
(only son of Mme. Maggie Stirling - the Australian singer)
was hit through the chest (died of wounds). This Coy. had
had its first men killed as they got into the orchard
south of the town.  Riddell was wounded at the further end
of the orchard - there was no cover in it, only little
broken bushes and debris. At the east end of the town
was a bit of cliff about 12ft. high - Sandy Bank. On top
of it some scrub; and there the Germans had four M.G.
There was another at the bridgehead.
Cpl. Gilhooley - a Coy. scout - worked out through
the demolished buildings onto the road and tried to rush
the guns - but they killed him as he crossed the road. The
Lewis Gunners got their guns up but were knocked out one
after another.
Under Sandiford's enfilade fire and with C Coy. working
round to the left and D Coy. working up through the orchard
the German post near the quarry had to go and the post on the
cliff had to clear.
There were a number of Germans dead in Curlu. By about
7 p.m. D Coy. got its posts past the German strongpoint.
The position at night was as follows:-
Hand drawn diagram, see original document

Lieut. Poole's platoon had got through Curlu and along
each side of the road, and finally got the Machinegun at the
bridgehead opposite Sandiford, and dug in at D.
The Coys. all got hot meals brought up to the post
despite the continuous shelling and the length of the advance:
though B Coy. could not be found till 2 a.m. on Aug. 29 on
the Peninsula. The road along under the very steep cliff
was tremendously shelled - and this riverside road was
shelled from first to last - right up to Clery. As Dutton,
the scouting officer, said, when asked why they did not stay
on the road below Vaux Cliff - "We stopped because they were
shelling; and then we moved on because they were shelling"
AUGUST 29. Just before dawn patrols from the three
line Coys. pushed on and by midday were through Hem and well
on to Monacu. Not a trace of Monacu was left.
Just as Bn. H.Q. was settling at Curlu - for a sleep,
having been going ever since the morning of A