Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/226/1 - Folder - Part 20

186

6.
could see no troops whatever on the right - it was all
open and lots of Germans - Lt. Cameron, Senior officer
present, withdraw into the line of the Canal. He sent
back to Col. Forbes giving an outline of the situation and
asking for instructions.    The 7th Bde on left, he said,
had got on very well; meanwhile on information from 19th
Bn. Col. Forbes had instructed him not to go beyond line of
Canal and this order crossed Cameron's message.  Colonel
Forbes informed Bde of tis order 1 Bde ordered that 19th
Bn. should link up through Lamotte Farm and hold line of
the Canal.
Once again the artillery was splendid. Sinclair's
Bty was there with 29th Bn. The English 150th Army Bde did
some splendid shoots thoughout the morning on hedges, sunken
roads, banks, etc.
The whole brigade was put on in the area above  t
the mill (N. of it) In the 1st rush 20th Bn. passed ths
mill - this shoot was to get a gun which was firing from
tbere, Six guns from another Mobile Australiab Bty reported
and they did an excellent shoot on a certain hedge. The
Heavies were up and anxious to do anything.
The 20th Bn had its gas helmets on in the
Sunken Road south of Folemprise Farm for two hours. The
gas was heavy that night.
Shortly after the start Gol. Forbes, getting
no definitely detailed information of 19th Bn sent his I.O.
Lt. Beattie, up on a bike to ride up as far as he could go
and get it.
On clearing the village Beattie found himself
fired on from the trenches and on front and saw Germans
there. He tumbled off his bike into a shellhole by the
roadside. He sent back his runer with very clear informa-
tion and then later came back himself saying that the
Germans could be seen thick in the white house and the trenches
in front.
He said that there were two tanks up there at
that time knoecked out (these would be the Mark V tanks)
2/7 Bde tanks were sent down eventually.
That afternoob the 6th Ede went through. As
they came up ths this arrangement was so/ hurried that Forbes had
to grab t he Bn. Commanders as they passed and get them to
speak to Gen. Martin on the telephone.
It would be about 9 am. when the barrage was fing
ally put on White Cottage.
The whippets went through before the coattage was
taken. When the news came to the 19th Bn, was held up by the
Cottage, Col, Forbes recommended that a message should be
sent to the whippets at once to stop them if possible, but
this was not done.
The left Commander  under Major McDonald got up the
top of the hill into the trench just W of 7 Central. A good
many Germans were met there. M.Gs. held the Coy up Small
patrols of N.C.Os. and two men had to be sent forard to deal
with them. Each had a L.G. The Lewis Gunners went forward
as well as they could and engaged the M.G. Then the other two
worked round close enough to throw a bomb. As soon as they
got near enough to throw a bomb, the Germans would not fight -
The party got to knowthis.
The party pushed on out of there and found it
was getting trouble from two M.G.s somewhere about Nich Trench
on the right. Sergt. Frost and four men were sent over there.
They came back with 12 prisoners and 2 M.Gs. In or about
Morava Trench was found a big dugout with some Germans above it
in the trench. Sergt. Horton and Major McDonald came on it.
All the bombs were finished - Sergt. Horton fired a rifle shot
down the dugout and the Grmans came out. The chief man in
bad English said he was in charge of a Brigade and he demanded
fair treatment - the men were ratting him. He demanded an
 

187
7.
officer to escort him - he was given a private.
The front was getting so big and thin - no
one could be seen on the left (though at this time they
thought 3rd Division were attacking with them) that Major
McDonald sent up B Coy, who were 50 yards behind C to
reinforce C Company.
At this time the left was about in the old German
 front system in 7 B- which was badly knocked about
by our shelling - and a barrage pf our s was down around
Berlin Wood and through I D, and this was driving the
Germans towards the left of the 20th Bn. The right was
by now getting away from them.  So Major MoDonald told
Lt. Gard to take charge of the front wave, B and C while
McDonald remained behind with a sergant. batman, and 2 runners.
They gathered up the Bde Commanders with 150 men and
4 officers. By the time they were lined up and in fours,
three or four slightly wounded men came back who took them de
down to Bn. HQrs. A good many of he Germane took a risk and
got away through our barrage to the NE.
McDonald and his party then went on. The
Germans had a trench on the top of the high canal bank at,
about 8 c 5.7 These Germans put up a good M.C. fight.
As soon as our line (B.and C.) got close to them they gave
up. but the men were not taking prisoners in a cloe fight lil
About 40 Germans were dead here and 4 M.Gs.
They were probably transport for they had different kit -
or artillery men.
On crossing the Canal thee they joined the other
Companies and wnt through the village. Nothing of the
village was standing - it was all weeds and scraggy trees.
When the left got to its objective McDonald
sent a post out into the village to command the cross road
N. of Feuillacourt;when they got there they saw two 77.
guns in 3 B. which was firing point blank at them. They
got the Lewis Guns cut on to them and th made them shift -
range was too long to do any damage but they cleared on
the road up the valley.
In the afternoon they came back just out of
sight round the bend of the valley to the left and caused
great trouble later.  After getting on the objective and
settling down they watched a barrage of ours creeping up
to the Bapaume Road - this would be about 10 minutes after
the objective was gained (it was gained right on time)
The infantry of 3rd Division appeared behind this barrage
on the top of the hill but stopped there in the system in
I 1. They came no further than that - they did not work
futher than that in the trenches - the 20th Bn had understood
the night before that they were coming up on to the Bapaume
Road.
The 20th Bn dug in on the top of the road bank.
Major McDonald sent back a disposition report of the Bn.
front and told the C.O. they could hold on provided the
flank were protected.
Later on the 3rd Division sent up a platoon of
3rdDivision but did not arrive till hours aftewards.  They
had got lost and it was then night and 6th Bde were there
then.
Later the two guns which had been shifted got
into place again and their shooting became very accurate.
The gun was a 4.2 H.E. bursting on the edge of the road
(the west edge) and causing many casualties.  Up the
valley there was a number of old brick locks in the Canal.
The Germans workd down the Canal into these and then across
from there into the village in small parties.  At the
ame time they orked down on the left bank and it was found
that there was a gap below the 20th Bn and 17th Bn    Up to
then Small's message had made them think that the line was
continuous.
 

188
8.
Lt. Anthon about 1 pm came down to report that Germans
were firing on them from t heir right - partly from Mt.
St. Quentin which lookdd down on them - and partly from
just SW of the road (possibly below road and Elsa Trench.
(About 9 am, two Coys 18th Bn had been asked
for by Col Dorbes and sent up to fill in the gap which the
C.O. had been informed existed between 20th and 17th.
These troops of 18th Bn. got to Gottlieb Trench
and later when 20th Bn came back they found them there and
this made further restraint retirement unnecessary. Capt.
Keppe- 18th Bn was there)
The position was such that Major McDonald order-
a retirement withdrawal to Gottlieb Trench (Oder trench was
just a recently battered line and could not be occupied.)
They went by small parties through the village.  There were
Germans in the village, and some of the parties had to
fight to get back. The party which was on the road out by
the road on the left could not be communicated with in time.
They kept Clark, seeing what had happened, and came back when
6th Brigade went through on September 1.  A party of three
wounded men who had to be left in the A.M.C. dugout in the
road bank were well looked after by the Germans - one taken
prisoner and the other two left and retaken by us.  They
gave our men coffee and bandaged them, gave one man splints;
and told them that our people would be tgere again next
morning and then left them.
A few men were hit by M.G. men getting back to
Gottlieb.  A report was sent back to C.0. that only 50
men were left, and giving dispositions. He sent up all
the runners and Bn HQs staff under Lt. Bain, L.G. Officer.
They had collected a lot of M.Gs and Sgt Clarke (L.G. Sergeant 
from Bn. HQrs instructed the men then and there how to
fire them.  They had at lwast a dozen German M.Gs and every
post now had a M.G. and any amount of ammunition.
McDonald had sent Lt. Gillholme back along Gottlieb 
Trench to see if there were any troops on the right.
He said to that Capt. Keppel 18th Bn had a Coy there. This
fixed the right. Two posts were put on the left flank right
down on the N. Bank of the canal (8 or 9 ft deep); they
were looking NNW up a valley and had a fine field of fire.
This made the position secure. No troops could be seen
on the left.
The Germans never came out of the village - he
occupied the village on the road.
The 20th Bn was in Gottlieb Trench by 4 30 pm.
After dark - it was very dark, 6th Bde came up and occupied
the trencg with them; and the 20th Bn was able to send back
men to Bn. HQrs to get rations - hot rissoles and tea.
Lt. Noble was killed on the bank of the Canal,
sniped as they were advancing.
Lt. Webb was wounded just after C. Coy got well
started.
Lt. Richardson was wounded by the 4.2 gun about
half an hor after Bn reached objective
when the gun had changed its position.
Capt. Barlow was wounded by M.G. while they were
retiring through the village. He
thought he would be captured so he buried 
his revolver and his papers
Pte Williams stayed by him and helped him back
through the Germans and under M.G. fire
Lt.Elliott was wounded by a small piece of shell
as we were withdrawing.
-------------------------------------------------
Two S.O.S. signals were put up before Bn. withdrew 
but there was no reply. Pte Arnold went back, after
the withdrawal, with a verbal mesage to the C.0. that artillery
 was wanted.  They put a protective barrage round
 

189
9.
when they found what the position was.
The next day Spt. 1  20th Bn went to Halle - and
were heavily shelled there.
                         ----------------------------
Shortly before McDonald came to German Bde
H.Q. they saw a Coy of 19th Bn following in extended
order over the same gound as the left of 20th Bn. Major
McDonald saw their officer Lt/Fleming andput him on his right
track. Lt Anthon also met Lt. Hughes at Gottlieb trench
while the 20th Bn was waiting for its barrage to lift - and
told him while where his objective was - on the right.
They did not seem certain of their objective - thought it was
400 yards to the right of Mt. St. Quentin.
                   ------------------------
From Lt. Anthon
and Lt/ Cameron
20th BATTALION - BEAUREVOIR
                ------------
Took over a line from 15th Bde in the road and
past Folinprise Farm; that same night advanced line to the
nextroad from Mint Copse to the Cemetery.  The Germans
shelled Folemprise and Mint Copse very heavily with H.E.
gas. No scrap in getting to the sunken road.
Patrols were sent to Torrens Canal the first nig
night and found no water in it; another patrol to Pail
Copse. This patrol saw a German patrol out getting back
into the Beaurevoir line, but did not engage it.
                            -------------------------
At about dusk of October 2 Coy Commanders had
to report to Bn HQ fir geneal instructions for the attack
to take place at dawn Oct. 3.  The 25th Bn relieved B and
C Coys from Folemprise road to Mint Copse about 9 pm.
The Coys were to withdraw to the diagonal
sunken road between Folemprise Farm and Estress for hot
food, ammunition and bombs.  But as the Germans were
shelling that area from 9.30 Om till 5 am. with gas
very heavily (with mustard gas and tear gas) it was found
advisable to keep B and C Coys in the original sunken road.
They were fed there about 3.30 - hot stew and
tea.
A Coy which was in the diagonal road had to sit
in its gas helmets a good part of that time.
At 5.30 am. they were in position from the
corner of Folemprise Rd to the outskirts of Estress just
past the cemetery. They jumped off from that road, not
from in front ot it.

Cameron        Bain
------------       ---------
       B                   A
           Holmes
            -----------
                 C
Bn was down to three Coys on accout of the
proposal to absorb 19th Bn (which had been postponed the
 

190
10.
day before)
A Coy had to open out quickly to their right.
They got off all right.  25th Bn was on left.
It was very hard to keep direction, Barrage
good - for an unregistered barrage.  A few M.Gs, were met
in pot holes short of the Beaurevoir line (these had been
missed by 19)  In the deep curved sunken road in 26 A 8 B
the Germans had a lot of men and M.Gs. 19th and 20th had
closed up.  There was a good bit of opposite there.  The
Germans were using a lot of the big Mauser pistols with a
drum containing 35 rounds - fired in single shots but as
good as a rifle/ These Germans were in niches on the top
of the bank. Fire was kept on these by L.Gs and the bns
got on on the flanks of them. They had to wiat on the wire
which was very thicj. While waiting there they saw a tank
coming down from Folemprise Farm. There was a M.G. on
the other side of the wire giving a lot of trouble. Cpl
(now Sergt. D.C.M. and Bar) Frost worked his way alone across
the wire, shot the two men of the crew and captured the gun.
The tank (Mionney) came across the wire and made
a track which enabled the infantry to get across. When they
got across they found fire coming across into their backs
from the direction of White Farm (the White Coattage or House
Through the wire thee was a lot of fighting. The men manning
 the guns were German engineers and they fought well.
(The tank Mionney was later blown up)
At this time the Bnwas swerving a little left,
The valleys had a lot of gas in them and direction was hard
to keep. 25th Bn worked left and Lt. Elkington with them on
left of Cameron's Coy - and so the whole Coy. The Beaurevoir 
trench where the 20th crossed it was dug l but was held
in small pothole posts (much as where we saw it)
The 20th Bn got on the left of Kukri valley.
You could not get up the valley on account of the terrific
M.G. fire from Baurevoir Mill and also from two anti-tank
guns just behind the mill. going-up-the riege-through-14th-
B and D. Here at about 14 A 8.3 they struck two 4.2 guns.
The crews werenot firing the guns now but were standing
behind the guns firing with rifles. Lt. Bain and Lt.
Cameron got two guns German M.G.s working (heavies which had
been found in a bit of a shallow drain trench near there)
and knocked the crew. These were lyig outside the trench I
one had no stand and the other had a rough wooden mounting -
They rested the unmounted gun on the grass but it would not
work because of the ejector being on the ground. However when
the ejector cleaned the trench she went. Everyman is supposed 
to know how to work a German M.G. The Bn carries two
of them.
Going up the ridge through 14 B and D they found h
that they were being fired on from Lamotte Farm.  This
naturally forced Camerona and Elkington further over still -
the Coy with Cameron was losing a great many men here.
Elkingtongot near the top of the 135th ridge and
saw 6 small holes covered by W.P. sheets. He kicked the
top of one of-the and four Huns jumped out of it - he then
went to the others; they got 4 Germans out of each. At
the bottom qas a little trench dugout - only 4 feet deep.

xxx
Diagram - see original scan

This was a curious arrangement - possibly to
escape observation and get up after we had passed with their
M.G. (one was with them in the holes)
 

191

11.
By then they had lost touch on right and
left - the whole three Coys were mixed by then. Coming
up towards Bellevue Farm they got to the Sunken Road across
the valley. While Cameron was there Elkington came down this
same road from the left and joined.
They turned their M.Gs onto Beaurevoir Mill M.Gs.
and shut them up by sniping. The road was 6 feet deep. Thy-
They could not keep Bellevue Farm quiet, nor the anti-tank
guns. You couldn't get your head above the road.
A tank there came round down the slope from the
N.W. of Beaurevoir - he started to belt into Bellevue Farm
but could not stop the guns there, probably they were on the
roof. He was wandering there all the while under very heavy
fire fromthe Anti-tank gun which by some miracle didn't hit
him. Cameron signalled to him by raising a tin hat on a rifle
and he came down to the road and stopped on the edge of the
bank. The officer in charge of the tank "Mudhook"-
2/Lt. Martin, 13th Tank Bn. got out of the tank and brought
his map down to find out his location.
Cameron asked him to go up again and try to
blow out the Farm. He went up firing his 6 pdr but the
thing jammed and the Hotchkiss jammed also. He went
back over the back of he hill under fire from these guns
most of the way and down into mushroom quarry - the infantry
could not get at the guns to help.
Some there in the small party wanted to go on
and take Beaurevoir.
Cameron thought there were only 13 men there.
The flanks were both in the air. They were being fired on
from all round. They decided to withdraw under cover of
the hill
 

xxx   

Diagram - see original scan

As showb across the hill to the left, ten down the old
18 in trenches of the Beaurevoir line (where were a number of
20th Bn who followed them and were tied up by M.Gs from
crossing to the road) to the Quarry - up the Torrens Gully -
mop up Lamotte Farm, and then attack up over the hill to take
Beauremoir (with some T?Ms the Farm could have been shifted
but nothing could be done as it was)
An artillery officer qas with themfrom an Army
Bde and he was going back to arrange the barrage. They got
into the Torrens near Lamotte. It seemed to be very strongly
held/. Also they had a good idea that the show had not gone
well to the right rear.  There were Germans in the hedge at
22 A 77 and lots coming down the Roman Road
 

192
12.
When these lastwere seen it looked certain
that the show at Estress had failed. So Cameron
decided that they would settle where they were. They
occupied Torrens from about 20 B 9.5 to 15 C.7.0
They were facing both ways from the Torrens. They knew
there were men in Lormisset having seen 25th Bn there p so
the important front was that towards the Roman Road.
As they sat there they saw Mudhook coming from
Mushroom Quarry, and asked where he was going. He said he
was going to have a shot at Lamotte Farm - a 7th Bde officer
had pointed it out to him from the Quarry which was getting
fire from it. His guns joined jammed and his crew had fainted
with gas. He said he would, have another go if he could get
some vilunteers - he had the driver and himself but wanted
two men to work the guns. Two of the 7th Bde volunteeres
to work the guns (which he had repaired)  The first time
he had about reached Cameron 1 He got bearly as far again
firing all the time when the antiltank guns hit him in the
traveller, set the tank on fire and killed the driver. The
officer and two Austrakians got out- and were given a drink
by 20th Bn and then went off.
No word had come from HdQrs. So after fixing
things Cameron decided to go back with a runner himself and
report to C.0. and what to do. When nearly at HdQrs he met
a runner with a message telling him to withdraw to Torrens
Canal and saying what had happened. Cameron saw the C.0.
and returned.
In the mantime W. Burdos. D.S.O. was sent up to
find out where they were. He found the Bn in the Canal,
and then a party went over under Burdus and Anthon and had
a look at Lamotte Farm. Most of the Germans had cleared.
A few men fought but they got the Farm and two guns in the
back of the Farm amongst the trees. Cameron found that
the M.G. fire was heavier than ever from the hedges in 22 A
77. They had now the Cabal absolutely enfiladed.
At this time Cameron reported that he saw over
100 Germans coming into Beaurevoir and others in the hollow
south of the Cemetery.
He asked for an organised shoot on the anti-
tank gun and on Beaurevoir. The anti-tank gun was shot
up first by four(?) batteries which made a brigade shoot of
it; Beaurevoir was shot low up about 3.30 p.m.
Lt Elliott gassed R.O.D.
Lt. Hainey wounded in leg in morning in
Beaurevoir line
Lt. Toopod hit in arm in Beaurevoir line.
Bn. marched out to Hervilly 14-D- 140 strong all
included.
Cameron's Company went in 70 and came out 23.
Three posts were pushed out, one under Lt.
Clarke M.C. - one near the Farm, one north of the Torrens
another N.W. of the Farm - about three men and a L.G.
in each.  They stayed till about 3 p.m. when things were
quieter - White House had now fallen - about 11 am.
Bn. was in the Canal all the afternoon. The
Germans held the hedge till after dark.
In the Canal they got a message to say 6th Bde
would go through. Outposts had been put out before dark;
these were withdrawn as soon as a sentry specially placed
reported that 6th Bde were coming - so that 6th Bde would
not take them for Germans.
6th Bde got a lot of prisoners from the hedge.
6th Bde occupied the line of the heights through 15 and 22
Central.
At 2 am. Cameron got a message to withiraw Bn.
and come back to H 17 B - sunken roads. They stayed there
day and niht of Oct. 4.
 

193
13.
Oct.5      At 2am Next morning at 10 am. they were told
to be ready to move by 10.30 am.  They came past south of
Joncourt and took up a position on the top of the hill 158
supporting 2nd Pioneer Bn. They were shelled by whizz-
bangs. 20th Bn. were 93 strong and had no losses there.
About 9 pm. Careron received a message to take over the Bn
as he was going to the Americans, and take 20th Bn back
to the original position which it had left in H 17 B. They
stayed there that night and next night came back to Hervilly
(Oct 6)
The Tank Mionney was blown out. Mudhook and
Mioneey were two of the 20th Bn tanks.
        n                

                  --------------------------------------------
 

194
18th BATTALION - 8th August
      -------------------------------
(From Capt, Lane)
 

18th Battalion started behind 20th Bn/
When the show started everyone got mixed - 
compasses and the sound of the guns gave the direction. Some
Germans were met in short elements of trenches - there was
not much fire - the Germans were simply waiting rather
helpless.
The main trench was, on the 1st objective.
There were a lot of Germans in this. They fought in places
Lane poked his rifle down into one dugout and a man poked
his rifle up and fired aimless-y at him. The fighting was
mainly - someone telling anyone he met that there were some
Germans down in some corner he had passed or where he had
seen them. Collecting a few men - gping round and grabbing
them - generally from the rear. It took a little while to
get these trenches cleared - there were a good many bits of
C.T. and so on in which there were Germans-occasionally
bombs had to be used.
It was beginning to get light here - so they kept
these groups going and found many Germans in the village.
There was a dressing station there in dugouts with a lot of
Germans in it. There was not much German artillery fire.
In the steep gully NE of Warfusee there were a
fair number of guns. Very few Germans from there forward
probably got away at all. There were horses in this gully
and in one case they were harnessed in. There were artillery
limbers - the guns were mostly whizzbangs. They did not
fight.
The Bns had now gone through the main infantry line
and the first line of guns. It was light by thes time they
were in this valley. The junction of the valley and the
road by a small copse fixed the right of the Bns objective
and made it easy to settle. They dug in on the line and 5th
Divl.Artillery came through and went forward.
All the tanks which were with the 18th Bn got
up. They were very useful in some cases but it was so smoky
that morning that it was difficult to say which tanks were
which and what they were doing.
While digging in B Coy got a few casualties from
shellfire. The guns in Warfusee Valley did not seem to be
firing when 18th Bn got close to them.. The Germans were
clearly surprised - they expected no big attack.

Lt. Sheath B Coy. was wounded. He was wounded on
the way to the rear and was dressing a 20th Bn
man in a trench when a German is thought to
have come out of a dugout and shot him through
the back of his head. He was hit about the
first objective or between there and the 2nd
objective.
In Capt.Lane's Coy only two men were wounded that
morning. The casualties were very slight.
 

Aug. 9th
After staying a day in these trenches 18th Bn
received instrucions nect morning to march up to take part
in the further advance.
Bn went straight up the road to the Morcout Gully
and then opened into Artillery formation. The German was
dropping his big stuff into the gully and Lt. Jones was hit.
Bns went up independently. About the east side of this
gully, Major Robertson came up on a horse. He told O.C's
Coys what was the objedtive and where the J.0.
 

195
15.
Front of 18th Bn came from Y shaped tree to
the cross roads at R 31 B 20.40 (right Coy) and left Coy
from there to the road: They knew they were to attack with
tanks and that the objective was the road from La Flaque
southwards  There was a vague idea that 3rd Div. was
attacking on the left. The Bn on reaching the J.0. position
was fired on by M.Gs and rifles from pot holes all along the
front- T so lay down under what cover there was. About
4.23 the zero hour was given at 4.30  The tanks were juct
before this seen coming up the road - the main road.
There wzs no barrage. 18th Bn was just starting
to line out - standing up - when the tanks arrived and the
Germans started to bolt from the pot hole system ahead. 18th
Bn. fired on them with L.Gs and rifles and pushed on when the
tanks came.
For a good while there was no trouble. The
troops  remarked that it was some battle The left was a bit
in rear. 17th Bn was on the right and came on with the
tanks.   It was flat grassy country/ Germans were seen in
a few potholes 1 obe tank put en a 6 pdr/shot into a potjole
from about 10 yards/ (The little shellwould explode and
would be dangerous)
These Germans were overrun. There were Germans
along the railway.  They did not fight there. From there on
the M.G. fire began to grow. This was mostly from Framervi
The Germans at the La Flaque corner got out and ran back
along the road.
The 18th Bn right Coy came up to the pot holes
just N.W. of Rainecourt - from there their line went back
towards La Flaque corner. On the right it was in potholes
back towards Framerville.
The tanks were knocked out on the left front -
two were burning in the N half of 33 B on Sd 27 D.  No tan
seemed to be arriving surviving then. Straight ahead was
bit of a shanty on the rad which Capt. Lane took for part
of Framerville, never having seen the place. The Germans
were very thick in this and if there had been a tank they woud
have routed them out. (Lane must have kept going wonderfully
in this attack.)
As the advance on the left came up to the Factory
a tank came up and belted into it.
In the  offens objective there were potholes in
places they had to dig in. The M.G. fire was heavy. They
were consolidating this line when they were withdrawn after da
dark behind the road in rear (to La Flaque) Their position
was past the objective - very exposed to Rainecourt; and the
left was exposed,  te-Bn 18th Bn dug in along the new line which
was the objective.
Pretty well all the officers were hit this day,
13 or 14,
                A  B  /  /  D

                                      ------→
                B  C /   /   C

Capt. Graham /   / Capt. Lowther
Lt. Duncan      /   / Capt. Lane
 

In the later half of the attack M.G. fire was
coming from the road in 27 D and direction of Proyart and
straight ahead.  The tanks were hit by guns firing direct
from 27 C 1.3 or near by. The advance was one continuous advance
under M.G. fire very thick in spots. The time occupied was a
the time it took to walk there, less such time as was
occupied in clearing cut potholes.
The anti-tank guns were firing direct and after
the tanks were knocked out they turned their attention to the
infantry. The German barrage was mostly 4.2 at long range
on to the Blue Line.