Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/226/1 - Folder - Part 7

57.
told Sergt. Kelly that they were rushed down from depots behind
the lines and rushed in against the Canadians in busses. They
got out of their busses this morning and deployed but were at
once recalled and brought round and put in against the
Australians. Most of them seemed to filter in during the night
through our lines. This man, when taken, said he knew the
Australians were there. When told it was the lst Divisi
Australian Division he said -  "Impossible. They were up
around Meteren."

D Coy. under Captain Bourke ("Paddy" Bourke) found that the
7th Bn was so weak after casualties that he pushed into the
front line also, and enabled 7th Bn to ease right and consolidate.

B Coy., under Rickets  n, rem ined in reserve at the cross¬
roads near Vauvillers where 7th Bn H.Q. was.

Morrison was mortally wounded. Lieut. "Rooster" Morrison
went over from D Coy. to command his brother's Coy. (C) on night
of Aug. 9. Nothing was heard till he was reported within three
days prisoner of war (He was a Fitzroy footballer (League) and
Scots College.
Kieut/.Hanson of Morrison's Coy. (C) was also wounded.
2/Lieut. Colvin was also wounded at this point.
2n
Lieut. Simpson (Lewis Gun officer) was sent from Bn H.QM to
Morrison's Coy. to replace casualties and was hit that same night.
Lieut. Maddox was hit very early on Aug. 9 near Harbonnieres
and had leg amputated - he was the man who started the daylight
raids at Hazebrouck and got M.C. and bar - several successful
raids and no unsuccessful ones.

Before or after midnight orders were received for advance
to be continued - A and B to attack; C and D (then in line) to
support them - C and D to withdraw from line to do this -
3rd Bn 1
5th Bn 1 
8th Bn 1

At 7.45 a.m. the preliminary bombardment began. While
A and B were formed up waiting it was found that it had been
impossible to pull C and D our of the line as there was no one to
put in. Therefore they did not move to support until an hour
after Zero.
The boundary had been fixed; but the fight was much helped
by Col. Mullins, C.O. of 9th Bn, coming up and arranging on the
spot for new boundaries easier to follow. The boundary on the
map was a grid line - but Mullins and Hastie agreed on the road
being made the boundary, which was clearer.

It looked as if 9th were going to be late. But just before
Zero Hastie looked round and there was the 9th Bn coming up
through the fog with the Colonel at the head and the pack animals
at the rear. They reached the J.O.T. in artillery formation
without a casualty.

Just then, a few minutes before Zero, a German plane came
over about 300ft up. It circled over the 5th and 9th Bns,
Lewis gunners trying to drive it off with Lewis guns at shoulder.
At 8 a.m. the advance commenced - the men advancing at the
quick in lines of skirmishers at about 3 yds interval and 25 to
3o yd s distance between the two lines in each wave, and 70 yds.
between waves.

Though M.G. fire was then very heavy there were practically
no casualties till hillcrest was reached (the boundary alteration
amounted only to 60 or 70 yds in all
 

58.
amounted to only to 80 or 70 yds. in all).

To the right of Crepy Wood was a smaller wood with a deep
ravine or pond filled with water and a factory in it. This they
called Factory Wood. Between the hillcrest and this wood the
casualties from M.G. fire were fairly heavy, and in the subsequent
capture of the wood by outflanking it the casualties were heavy.
Both flanks went round it by rushes. Then a Lewis Gun from
left flank was brought to bear on the wood and the German M.G.
fire finished.

Beyond this wood were a few old trenches, and on reaching
these Hastie and Ricketson established a combined H.Q. in the
wood and reorganised the Coys. in these trenches.
A message was sent that through heavy casualties and
resistance they had reached this place and were held up. They
got contact with 9th on left and 6th on right, both similarly
held up.

Reports from BN H.Q. reported that 9th Bn had gained their
objective. Hastie and Ricketson could see the 9th Bn were held
up and not on objective and sent a runner to th Bn H.Q. where
Col. Mullins confirmed them. See message in Bn diary re pocket
in "large" wood still holding out - and right of blue line not
held by 9th Bn. Mullins said his men were held up west of their
objective. They were only a part of the way through Crepy Wood
and there were M.G. there near edge of wood. These M.G. which
held 9th Bn had enfilade fire over 5th Bn front also.

By this time Hastie's Coy. had lost, besides Lieut. Corlette
(hit in leg on 9th Aug. by shell fire), Lieut. Barber (hit by
shell in stomach at the same time as Corlette on 9 Aug.), Lieut.
Maunsell, killed near Factory Wood by bullet - leaving him only
Lieut. Volum. Ricketson had lost Lieut. Robinson, wounded in
forearm with a bullet, and at the same time Lieut. Taverner, hit
in abdomen about on the crest of the hill before reaching Factory
Wood, and another officer about the same place - leaving him Lieut
Hirwood and Bechevaise (both of whom got M.C.).

This was all for this day except the tremendous air activity
by our planes which brought down or drove off every German plane
which tried to interfere. The Air Force was working splendidly
thay day - we lost two or three, but one of our men brought down
three Germans within a few minutes.

The two support Coys. of sth Bn werevery tired and were not
called on this day (Aug. 10) and not put in up there. The line
had brought up in those trenches about o - 10 a.m.
In afternoon the line was taken on by creeping up a sunken
road about 100 yds. to old French trenches. The hilltop was too
flat to see the country beyond - all old v cut-up grassy
trenches and shellholes. To left was Crepy Wood and open
plateau; inf front was the wood before Lihons. You could see
about 500 yds.

During afternoon Lieut. Kirwood took a patrol to the wood
ahead without meeting opposition till the wood was reached. In
the wood they got right onto three or four Germans - shot s were
exchanged and both parties withdrew.

On Aug. 1l at 4 a.m. two Coys. of Sth Bn passed through
under cover of artillery. They were helped a lot by the fot -
went ahead with great dash. There was fairly heavy M.G. fire
from the wood ahead - but there were very few casualties owing
to the bad visibility. They reached their objective (blue line).
 

59.
 

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

During afternoon C and D Coys 5th Bn were sent up by platoons
to help to hold and consolidate the line and let the 8th Bn ease

practically without casualties. This move was done in broad daylight
practically without casualties.
Lieut, o'Farrell was killed on reaching the front line (by
a small piece of shell which, bursting 300 yds. away, caught
him behind the ear. No one knew how it was he was hit for some
time).
On Aug. 9 German fire was harassing rather than concentrated.

On Aug. 10 our barrage opened well but quickly died away.
A lot of help could have been given by the barrage cutting off
Factory Wood. There was a hidden sunken road behind the wood
which you could not see till you got there (it was not marked on
the map as sunken). The germans all except about 20 got away
there. These 30 were captured.

On Aug. 1l our barrage was good. On both 10 and 11 Aug.
German shelling was light.

The 5th Bn was relieved that night (11/12 Aug.) by 3rd Bde.
Units did not take over from units, which made relief difficult.
It wasfinished about midnight. 5th Bn moved back into the quarry.
Germans continued harassing fire on the quarry, and a party of
Stretach Bearers who had worked wonderfully all through the fight,
stretcherbearers,
were wounded (three - one died).

Theevening of Aug. 10 the shelling of Crepy Wood was
particularly heavy.

On Aug. 13 Battn. reorganised. German aerial activity
became greater - and one Lewis Gunner claims a German plane.
They flew very low and Bn at the end had almost every gun firing
on them.
Aug. 12, 13 and 14, 5th Bn spent in the quarry.

On Aug. 15 it came out to Cerisy. Thence to Hamelet, near
Corbie. The bathing there made a wonderful difference to the men,

Lillie was known on the Peninsula as "The Pink Kid" or the "The
Pink Baby" - for one day - then it changed.
 

60.
5th Battn. - Herleville
(St. Martin's Wood).
On 21 Aug. about 8 p.m. Battn. moved. The Coy. Commanders
were changed.
In this show Captain "Paddy" Burke, who should have been left
out, but for his own insistence, went in and was killed. (He
was a Melbourne man, one of three brothers all of whom came away.
His sister is an Australian nurse.)

 

4th Bn was on left of 5th Bn. The hill opposite them was

less steep. Some tanks were able to get up after the infantry
there, e.g., with supplies - it has great moral effect seeing
the tanks get up with these supplies. The tanks were dropping
out Stokes shells. When the right was held up and wondering
whether to go on or no, a T.M. officer (Lieut. Darling, since
M.C.) asked him of he should fire off a few T.M. shells at them.
He did so - and silenced the fire from a position and the right
Coy, was able to get on. This T.M. wasvery well forward.

5th Bn went through 53rd Bn, who withdrew front posts. 5th
Bn, about 300 yds from the tape, had to cross a road. M.G.'s
had started before - at this road were the first M.G. positions -
on right (near 6th Bn). The support Coy. (A), Capt. O'Sullivan
(with Lieut. Volum and Lieut. Booth), had by that time joined
front Coy. (Capt. Permezel). He called Volum (on left of Coy.)
in to fill a gap. The German barrage put down while Bn was on
the tape went over about 200-300 yds. But possibly on account
of this (which caught 6th Bn) the 6th Bn kept close to the road.
The whole support Coy, was in with Permezel's (B) Coy. before
they got to the little wood west of St Martin's Wood.

The Germans on the road surrendered in their small posts
as 5th Bn got to them.

Heavy M.G. fire began to come from the woods ahead and from
the flanks, especially right flank. The Bn went straight on
after the barrage into Little Wood. Capt. O'Sullivan was shot
in the stomach just as they got to this wood - he died of
wounds. Bn went straight into the wood and got two well-
camouflaged 77's on the edge of the wood. They had not
(apparently) fired - one was so fixed that if she had been fired
she would explode. (It was later marked "Not to be touched!'
The wood was fairly thick, with a tram track through it. The
Germans had mostly run back into the big wood. There were a
few T.M. bombs from a distance but no shells. The Bn on coming
out at E. sied of the Little Wood came under heavy sniping from
whole front of St Martin's Wood. Bn. were very close to the
barrage. The worked down the left and right of the wood,
did not go in at the front but went in 300 yds. down and then
cut through the wood and met the right party who were on the
slope of the valley valley. The right was a bit ahead of the
left here. Just before reaching the far edge of the wood the
left had to wait for the barrage which waited here for 1/4-hour.

One tank was to go into the wood along the railway track
and settle a blockhouse in the wood (which didn't exist). Two
were to go left of the wood and one right and work roundit.
There were to be two others also. Only two tanks got up. Two
were hit - probably in the barrage behind the tape. One tank
went right round the wood and went right up the gully in front
to the left, crossed the gully and was knocked out just on the
crest by a shell, after getting stuck in a big trench there and
half capsized. The second worked round the left into the gully
blazed a few rounds into the dugouts, closing them up, and then
went ahead of line attacking, on the far side, and patrolled up
and down half an hour and did its job very well and got back.
(Both these tanks got well into our own barrage).

 

 
*** 

61.
The Germans had mostly run back out of the front of the
wood into dugout s which were in the rear end of the wood just
before you went across the valley. One Sergt xxxxxxxxxx
Clarke and one man of Volum's Coy. got 60 prisoners here.They
included a Colonel. There were about 500-700 prisoners taken
out of this wood first and last.
***
When the barrage lifted they went across the gully. Doing
this they got enfiladed from high ground over which the road dips
down into the second fork of the gully (probably about Herleville
Wood). They worked across the gully one or two men at a time
till they got into dead ground under the cliff on the far side -
it was almost a cliff. There were dugouts on that side, clearly
old French ones, and shelters.
The 5th Bn worked up the far side at once through the old
trenches cutting up the bank eastwards. They had started to go
over the open, but a M.G. about 250 yds. from the gully on the
edge of the crest in the old trenches and gun positions killed one
man and wounded a Sergt., so they took the line of going up by the
trenches.

****
They knocked out this gun with a rifle grenade and then got on
fairly easily. They got on into Plateau Wood No, 1 and worked
through it fairly easily till they got to the E. end (working up
trenches). Then they came under an impossible sniping and M.G.
fire from Plateau Wood No. 2 (where 6th Bn was hung up and where
there were numbers of M.G.'s and snipers holding up the whole line).
They were in old trenches on the east side of the wood. "A" Coy.
of 8th Bn worked up the trenches to Plateau Wood No. 2. Capt.
Permezel's Coy. (B) was then able to push into line with C Coy. and
with the corner of Plateau Wood No. 2 making a line of post along
an old continuous trench system. The field of view was right to
Foucaucourt. Volum with A Coy, stayed in support at Plateau Wood
No. 1.
Left of Sth Bn. started from a point about opposite the left
of St Martin's Wood (which was to be its left also). They had
orders to get across the road as fast as they could in order to miss
the German barrage. It was a still night and it was expected that
the Germans would hear the tanks.

A little opposition was struck from small outposts on the
road with M.G.'s. They gave up when the line reached them,
easily. About 100-150 yds further on were some well-camouflaged
trenches with M.G.'s which they were not expecting. Two of these
were put out by Sergt. Kolly (who rushed forward and bayonetted
the gunners while the advance was held up - and took the remainder
prisoner). He was supposed to be in the support Coy. He
immediately ran about 50 yds. straight for the Germans, chancing
everything. Thetwo posts ware practically together - and he got
the men at the guns. Just before reaching there Capt. Burke,

 

62.
officer in charge of D Coy, was killed by a short shell, together
with his C.S.M. and a runner. He was doing a lot of running
about keeping the show going when this shell got him.
A corporal did the same thing as Kelly did - rushing from
the flank at the post. They took a shot at him as he came up -
and missed. This was a post a little beyond the ones which Kelly
settled. Kelly was a 1914 man.
The tank on the left joined about here (the tanks were late),
and when given direction it went on with the work.

At the left corner of St Martin's Wood the line was held up
for a minute by the barrage. Thetank went on into the barrage and
along the edge of the wood. Thebarrage lifted and (left) line
went straight into the wood with its right on the tramway. They
struck practically no opposition in the wood. In the huts, while
they were waiting for the barrage to lift, there was found an old
piano (of some German Soldatenheim). A Digger of 7th Bn started
to play on the piano there during the wait and the music went on
while the Bn was going on up the other side.

There was a bit of a dimple in the wood near the edge and
here was the wait and the huts where the piano was.

When the barrage lifted it started to go up the hill on the
far side of the main gully. Here they found the tank in the
valley firing at dugouts in the W, side of the hill in which
Germans were. These Germans were being captured for two days
afterwards- some of the lst Pioneers Bn were waiting here after-
wards for the Germans to dig themselves out - they could hear them
digging (they would be on a fatigue). 5th Bn struc no opposition
from the ridge, which was very steep indeed. On the top they had
to wait a few minutes for the right to come up.

When the right came up the left went on to its objective
ahead of the line of old trenches - 200 yds. short of the road
(the exact objective as finally arranged) and occupied old French
trenches there.

A couple of German Field Bakery men were found there and two
77's rigged up by the Germans, beautifully camouflaged, etc., but
fit to give a back burst.

A couple of T.M. were taken and turned against the Germans by
the Bde T.M. Coy - with plenty of ammuniation.

Objective was reached 5 mins. after the time laid down - e3
93 mins. instead of 90. On the left our barrage was good the

whole way. Touch was kept with 4th Bn all the time though lost
with the right for a short period in the valley and just after
crossing it. After attack stopped there were two 77's firing
point-blank from S.E. and one M.G. TheGermans must have come
back to these.

In the gas bombardment most of the 5th Bnm being in front
line, was ahead of it.

Artillery was very good in this fight. 5th Bn gave 1st D.A.
one of its captured guns.

The men naturally do not enjoy going over the top; but they
were in fine spirits when the show started. They were all
waiting for the barrage with cigarettes and matches ready. As
soon as the barrage came down they all lit these cigarettes
(as usual) and went on like a lot of schoolboys.

One young German handed his cigarette case to one of our men.
icer immediately shot the German through the head with
his revolver. The officer was immediately bayonetted by two of
our men. There is no doubt about this.
A corporal-and anoth
 

63.
A corporal and another were sent down with the two Field Bakery
Germans mentioned before. By the time they reached Bn H.Q. they
had 20 Germans with them.

Ansänkziks.
The Engineers were on the job immediately they got there and
had made a dump with a G.S. wagon in the gully and brought up a
list of stuff within half an hour of the finish of the attack.
T.M.'s were quickly up in the front line.
CASUALTIES.
A C0Y
Capt. O'Sullivan - Wounded as above (Died of wounds).
Lieut. Booth - Wounded, remaining on duty, coming back after
24 hours from Dressing Station.
B COY.
Lieut. Copke (should be Kopke? - Wounded. He went across
to BCoy after the attack owing to
Lieut. Harris being wounded near the first road.
Lieut. Gillies - Wounded just before entering the wood.
Kopke was wounded after the end of the attack. B Coy.
was right front Coy.
C COY.
Lieut. Cameron - Slightly gassed on morning of Aug. 24.
Lieut. Makin - Wounded in heavy bas gas bombardment by
direct hit by gas shell (one leg amputated, then the
other - and he died of wounds). On Aug. 25 he was
wounded.
D COY.
Captain Burke - Killed (as above).
 

64.  (197)

 23rd BATTALION - NOREUIL AND BULLECOURT
 23rd Bn. Noreuil
23rd BATTALION - NOREUIL AND BULLECOURTA
On night on which attack was made 23rd Bn (which got orders
late in morning to move that afternoon) moved from Favreuil
to valuxVal Vaulx/V. Sugar Refinery (2 Coys.) and centre of
village (2 Coys.) Coy. Commander of C Coy. gave them some
idea of scheme which was very hurried and hazy. People did
not seem to know much what was wanted - preparations
incomplete. (Brazenor away (after Flers), 23rd under
Bateman. Brazenor returned in June).

Two Coys were to attack Lagnicourt and two to attack Noreuil.
The two Lagnicourt Coys, were first to clear Bois de Vaulx
which was reported by mounted patrols to be held by enemy.
After Bn had turned in Coy. Commanders were wakened up and
called to Bn H.Q. and given order of attack. They left
instructions before going away that Coy. was to be roused.
All was ready by the time they came back. German was shelling
Vaulx. Cavalry had gone to the outskirts of the village and
had been fired on from Bois de Vaulx.

C and D Coys. were told to attack Lagnicourt.

C

D
It was later understood by ^Battn. that aeroplanes had reported that there
were no enemy in the village. At the time they were given no
information as there was not time.
A and B were to attack Noreuil with 21st Bn on their left
(the 5th Div. was on right).

At 2.30 a.m. they were to form in front of Bois de Vaulx,
clear it out and move to Lagnicourt
They formed in waves about 200 yds. in front of the wood -
how they succeeded in finding the way is a mystery - it was
drizzling rain and very cold - a lot of time was lost in going
up the main street of Vaulx as they had to break into single
file in many parts owing to buildings blown up lying across
the road. From the crucifix they cut half-right across the
open to the front of the wood. It was drizzling and very cold.
The night had been densely dark.

There was no barrage. They went forward; as soon as
the front wave moved the others followed without any noise -
no barrage.
When the scouts got into the wood - the noise must have
frightened any enemy there. There was no rifle shot and no
casualties till the wood was past. After passing the wood,
being late - it was growing light - and as the Germans now put
up a few flares and M.G.'s from the right front were beginning
to play - C Coy, moved left across to the left-hand crest of
the valley and lined at once the Noreuil-Morchies road (a
single line of skirmishers) and D Coy. moved right (and
disappeared into the dark to line up similarly somewhere on the
south side of the valley leading from Bois de Vaulx to
Lagnicourt).

C Coy. extended nearly to the crest (about to 100 contour
on their left - right about 50 yds north of Vaulx Lagnicourt
sunken road). They moved off and a M.G. fire began to come
from this sunken road on their right (as C Coy. got closer the
Germans could be seen getting away ^with their guns. (It was now
quite light). M.G. fire also came from the front from the
sunken road between Lagnicourt and Noreuil.

C Coy. came right down to that sunken road, the right

keeping north of the Vaulx-Lagnicourt road all the time.
 

65.
They had a few casualties. When they got to the sunken road
from Noreuil to Lagnicourt they were comparatively safe. The
Germans had been seen running back over the crest - also into
the village.
Battn, had been there about half an hour when they found
that the Germans were working up on their left flank. Lewis
guns teams were sent up and made a strong post up on the crest
in the sunken road.   The Coy. Commander, having the post
established, was going to make a frontal attack on Lagnicourt
straight down the main road into Lagnicourt from Noreuil and
Vaulx.
The last men were just about to move off (Anderson was to
bring up the rear) when the men ahead who had run into M.G.
fire directly down the road began to come back. They had seen
the Germans rushing M.G.'s from the village and putting them
up in positions where they could fire clear down the road.
The fact of the road branching into a Y saved them - it was not
dead straight. Several were killed, some others wounded, and
they came back by crawling along the road under the bank, in
the mud. The C.O. led off with his Sergt.-Major. In going
down the road they met an unarmed German sauntering up the road
as if to meet them. He was lost in thought and only saw them
when 20 yards away. When he saw them he turned and ran - the
C.O. emptied his revolver at him but missed. The Sergt.-Major
grabbed a rifle from the nearest man and ran after him firing,
and after the third shot killed him. They were going in single
file down the road. Till then no Germans had been seen in the
village - possibly the shots roused them.
Probably the C.O. didn't expect the village to be occupied.
The Sergt.-Major rushed up to the man he had killed and took
all papers from him. The Germans must have been flabbergasted
at the attack coming so quietly and from this direction.
C Coy. returned to the sunken xxxx Noreuil-Lagnicourt road
and dug in till further orders or till some further plan of
attack were evolved.
They were digging in when a runner came to O.C. Coy. from
Bn. H.Q. that they were to fall back. Afterwards it was known
that D Coy. on the right had had severe casualties - they had
no cover and came under heavy M.G. fire - and had to fall back,
so possibly this is why C Coy. also had to fall back. It was
now between 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. Fortunately by this time a
little fine snow was falling. The men were sent off by twos -
scattered - mostly up the sunken road which was open to M.G.
fire, but the snow ^did not obscure  the movement.
The Germans shot at them but none was hit. Gilchrist
was up here in the sunken road then - standing up on the bank,
wanting to know what the retirement was for - and very angry.
The Adjutant of the 23rd Bn, Evans, had been killed about this
time by a sniper or M.G. D Coy. has sent a report and he was
going up to see them with a runner when he was shot by a sniper.
Bn H.Q. was in the sunken road to Lagnicourt from Vaulx/V. near
Vaulz/V. Evans was well up in 22D or thereabouts.
A and B Coys. had evidently been held up; and C Coy.
commander (who reported back to Bn. H.O.) was told to support
A and B by pushing straight towards Noreuil. The orders to
Anderson (who was the last to get back) were to lead across the
Coy. towards Noreuil. They did not know how strongly Noreuil
was held or what was doing there; but that they had to help the
other Coys. in the attack on it. C Coy. moved down the forward
slope looking towards Noreuil (in 15 A w B, 18c). They were
under M.G. fire from the N.W. corner of Noreuil and from the
high ground in 17 (N. of Lagnicourt) all the way. They got
touch with the Coy. of 23rd Bn on their left and lay down
behind the many small manure heaps scattered on the slope
(near the crest).

There the Germans began to get onto them with 4.2 and 77's
 

66.
(shrapnel and H.E.0. The O.C. Coy. and two other officers
went forward and made a reconnaissance running forward and then
creeping forward - and found that the 21 Bn. and the Coy. of
23 Bn. on left were held up. He sent to Bn. to say that they
could not push further without very heavy casualties and that
it was better to fall back. (The three officers were in the
open lying as flat and close to the ground as they could. The
O.C. had taken a runner with him and the runner was lying
beside him). They then came back to the remainder of the men
on the slope above. The Germans could be seen in the trenches
N.W. of Noreuil but when fired on a heavy burst came from the
gun at 17 Central (the men there could be seen also). As the
O.C. ran back from his reconnaissance a German sniper knelt up
50 yds. away from him and blazed at him but missed. Two or
three later joined him (the sniper) till one of them was shot.

When the runner returned they received the order to fall
back.
As they passed Bn. H.Q. Capt. Parkes told them that they
had to form a definite defensive flank just N.E. of the Bois
de Vaulx, which they did. The artillery fire was fairly

heavy at this time. During the whole affair they heard three
or four 18-pdr. shells fly over, and it put the heart into them
to think that, after all, they might do something. But without
a barrage it was impossible to get forward. The other Coys.
dug in across the crest through 21c and 20d. They were
relieved the same night by 7th Bde.
 

23rd Bn.

Bullecourt,

May 3rd.
During 6th Bde advance the M.G. fire was mainly coming from
about 23D6.6; also from 28A they were getting shot in the back
From about point 80 in 23c  Anderson looking back over his
right shoulder from the parapet saw some of 5th Bde. just
approaching the Hindenburg line about 29D 6.6.- being shot down
from the Hindenburg line, and then running down aalong a trench
(possibly O.G.1)towards the left (towards Sunken road
At that time it was also known that the British had not got
up on the left, because the 22nd had a post there and were
bombing to keep the Germans back.
But as orders were to go forward, some of the 23rd Bn and
24th Bn went on to the tram line. Some Lewis gunners went up
the track leading N.E. from the star, almost into Riencourt.
They had to come back as they were quite unsupported.
While they were out on the railway embankment (there were
plenty of shellholes) they were being shot at, whenever they
raised a head, from 23D Central, and from Riencourt.
They saw that the men who were lying up under the bank of
the sunken road through (29 and) 23 had apparently orders to
retire to the Hindenburg line, and the party there gradually
got back. These from behind the line of scrub also started
back. They moved by taking advantage of German shellbursts -
when the dust and smoke of the shell was in the air they would
hop back into a shell hole further back so escaping the German
M.G. fire. But a fair number of the wounded - with arms
bandaged or heads bandaged - were shot dead by the German M.G.'s
as they attempted to get back.

Tha night our own artillery fell heavily on O.G. 2,
sometimes bur sting right on the trench. No one could be sent
back as the Germans had a barrage down on the Pioneer track
(through 29), and there was no means of communicating. The
Germans were continually bombing and counterattacking from the
East and Riencourt direction. But no counterattacks came from
the front. One of our shells killed 6 men of 6th Bde. in our
own trench.