Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/227/1 - Folder - Part 9

276
4.
The guns which fired on 15th Bn were the three 
guns mentioned. When these were put out they got no fire
from the north side of the river.
While 15th Bn was in Dudgeon Valley they were
shown by a Tommy officer how to fire a 4.2 Howitzer. They
turned them round and then all day long they were firing
4.2 shells on the Germans. They started on Bray and
lengthened and shortened and were perfectly happy with themselves.
The German that day put some 5.9 shell into the valley.
On August 9 about 3 (?) a very fine barrage was p
put over and the Americans advanced in a N.E direction from
Malard Wood. Very heavy M.G. fire came from the direction
of Chipilly but the Yankees missed this and worked up towards
Gressaire Wood to cut off the peninsula. All along
the top of the Peninsula the German flares were still going
up even after the Yankees had got to Gressaire Wood.
Next morning, Aug 10, a Bn of 13th Bde (?) could
be seen dug in a-long the east side of the cliffs and heights
of the Chipilly Peninsula.
Lt. Shaw was killed.
Lt. Hocken wounded late in the afternoon by a shell
when things were pretty quiet (may have been
a piece of one of ours from Chipilly)

Before August 8, the Germans m de a daylight raid
on 15th Bn in the trenches taken over from the French. This
was beaten off. The account of the Bn I.O. is with that of
Bde I.O. with the War Diary of the Bde.
In the day a Frenchmen never went over the top.
They were very invisible. As soon as our people got in
of course they could not be kept down. They were out getting
iron roofs from Cachy and so on. The Germans could not
help noticing the difference.

277
5.
45th BATTALION - August 8th
(From Col. Johnston)
45th Bn started from the trenches near Mouse
Copse. They were for the Red Line. They moved at 5.30,
as Col Johnston decided that thei this would bring them to
move through the 3rd Division at 8 am.
There was great difficulty moving up. This
was owing to the fog. There was a mule track as far a s
the old front line - but after that they had to rely on
compass and sense of direction (no barrage or anything to
help.)   After great difficulty they got to Accorche Wood
and struck the road in P.16 Central. The C.O. decided to
follow this road though it took him our of his course
a bit for it was a guide.
When they got through the wood the fog lifted
a bit and saved things somewhat. They formed up in the
position they were to hop off from, on the slopes in 17 B&D-
and moved in artillery formation to J.O. line - the road
W. of Kate Wood and Thin Wood. The tanks were nor there
till Lt. Vincent the I.O. who had gone earlier for them,
brought them up from the slopes SE of Hamel. They would
not have arrived otherwise. About 5 minutes before the
attack the 7 tanks arrived.
Everything was quiet at the J.P. trench. p
just the ordinary stray whizzbang shots. At 8 am. our
barrage lifted and 45th Bn moved, 2 Coys in advance and 2
in support. The first Germans met were in Hamilton Wood
and Lena Wood. They put up no fight 1 there were guns,
M.Gs, A.M.C. and so on. They were sent back in small
parties. The tanks were working with the scouts, with
the leading skirmishers within 50 yards of them
     
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

They generally skirted the woods. The two rear Coys
then mopped the woods up, coming through them. Only in
odd instances did the Germans fight, One Section came
on a post where an officer was sending a telephone message
at the bottom of a dugout. He told the officer to stop
hut he went on; so he shot him (in Susan Wood) An odd
M.G. would fire a few shots and then would clear.
But when they got to about the edge of the
big Morcourt valley the 46th Bn struck trouble on the
main road at the red brick house. Our heavy shells were
 

278
6.
were still falling on the valley and the opposite slope
and the Germans on top of the eastern side of the valley
opposite the 45th Bn were firing on them across the
valley.  As soon a s ta shells lifted Lt. Vincent and the
scouts rushed down the slope into the valley about 300
yards north of Caroline Wood and got in amongst 200
Germans. The scouts and Vincent were armed with 4 stripped
L.Gs. and they fired these at the Germans standing and
wounded about 15. The Germans then kameraded and so did
those around. The tanks were at the back - the ravine
being too steep for them.   A couple of tanks had been
knocked before this. The 45th Bn got across the ravine
and the Germans in front of 46th Bn then gave up. 45th Bn
got to Morgan Wood without further trouble and reached Red
Line at 10. 19 am. The Chipilly guns enfiladed them all the
time they were digging in and caused casualties. The guns
could be seen firing, They were on the Chipilly heights.
They made it very hot for about three hours. Then they ease
eased by about 1 or 2 pm.   45th Bn was the first Bn on the
objective. It was in touch with the 13th Bn on the left,
and 46th on the right. They dug in on the objective.
And 48th Bn went through. Johnston told Perry all he knew
of the situation ahead. They had the mark V Star tanks
which were not a success. (48th Bn tanks hung their advance
up for 2 or 3 hours)
That night 45th Bn relieved 48th Bn in Bray line
from main road of the hospital.  They got the flag of the
hospital and sent it to the war records.
That M.G morning an officer went out (Lt. Potts
with one man), poking around for over 1000 yards towards
the big dump.  He could see the Germans in the big houses
at Proyart. That night, Aug.9/10 about 9 pm, orders were
received to rush out to a line xxxxxxxxx running diagonally
SE of Proyart to the road Junction at La Flaque. This was
a very hurried show - C.O. decided to two Coys should take
it - one from the railway to the Road at 20C  1.5 and one
from the railway to the Main Cross Road. There was no time
to reconnoitre so the C.O. went out with them and there was
a lively time. The M.Gs. were very active indeed. The
M.Gs. were very active indeed. The scouts were out, also a
patrol. Coys then moved in file. They had to get down
every few yards. The aeroplanes were dropping star shells
The left Coy had a brush with a M.G. post and had a couple of
men wounded. The Germans got away. They got a British
escaped prisoner - in a terrible state ) He got int through
Proyart) There was no opposition from the dump. They
located the Germans along the main road from La Flague towards
Proyart; and in trenches SW of Proyart. He had a M.G. screen.
When they got to the cross roads the Germans
just beyond the factory began firing with T?Ms. 45th dug in
without further incident - but it was an active night with the
Germans M.Gs. The Germans planes did not drop bombs - only
star shells.
The position could not be approached in daylight.
Meals had to go up by night.
The night of August 8 9 the Bn had a very good hot
stew. 9/10. The next night before going out they had a hot
stew again.
Night of 10/11 at Col. Morshead came up to relieve
Cannam. Godard and Morshead were having a conference in the
dugout when th Johnston left. They were discussing the
proposed attack and no one liked it very much.
On August 8th there was one officer slightly
wounded - Capt. Ferguson. He was wounded at Caroline Wood
by a shell. He got a tetanus injection and came back again
next day. Vincent did splendid work this day. He got a bar
M.C.,D.C.M

279
7.
to his M.C. He is a Sydney boy.
Bn got to the ped Line with 35 casualties,
shell and M.E.
Total for whole tour, about 60. It was a
wonderfully successful fight.
They got receipts for 370 prisoners (and
really over 400) and 6.6 in. 5.8 Hows. Bty  of 5.9,
two 4.2s and other 77s, 27 guns in all, 48 TMs. (many in
a workshop in the Harbonnieres valley, 10 Russian ponies
and some waggons. a canteen - about 40 M.Gs (See War Diary)
The last phase
Dec 3rd, Today in 15th and 16th Bns there was some
trouble. the men coming to some of thier Coy commanders an
saving that they would not parade, or that they thought the
ought not to parade, owing to the shortage of rations.
15th Bn only had ¾ of its ration biscuit ration, I believe.
Anyway it shows bow difficult out task would have been if t
the Germans had simply r etired more wuickly and further
instead of fighting and then collapsing. (The French
people say that there was noactual mutiny amongst the
Germans, Their discipline had been noticeably slacker but
the last few months.)
We cannot even now keep up with them owing to the
blow up of the railays - Our lorries have to go back to
Le gateau and fetch the rations up here - and they cannot
feed out men properly, or provide even enough candles
(a lot of this diary has to be written up agatn in half
light.  I have seen no newspapers since that of November
28th nor has anyone at 12th Bde HdQrs.) We could never
have kept up with the Germans if they had adopted this
policy.
 

280
8.
52nd BATTALION - Dernancourt
Capt Fraser who was reported wounded and missing
at Dernancourt was captured at-Dernancourt
wounded by the Germans and survives.
Lieut.  L.C. BOASE who was also wounded after the
great fight under the archany, was also captured.
Fraser in this fight (writing afterwards from
Germany) hung on at his position about 100 yards down from
the railway crossing until he saw the Germans crawling
across the line, when 5 diggers came back from the subway.
He then dashed across with two others about 200 tards coming
under very heavy M.G. fire all at once and was hit slightly.
He lay in a shell hole for a while until the M.G. quietened
and then started. He managed another 100 yards and had to
take cover again. This time the M.G. kept playing over
him. The German infantry were advancing in extended order
and the nexy thing he knew was a bayoney through his overcoat
and a clout on the head from a rifle. He was later
(when regaining consciousness) taken back prisoner.
Boase was early knocked quite unconscious wounded
in ten places. He and some others had made several
little attacks underthe bridge, using bombs and revolver.
He was seen to fall and was believed to be dead (in one of
these rushes) Several men spoke of Boase's work as
magnificent.
Fraser from Germany, thinking him dead, wrote as
a prisoner:k "I desire to recommend the late Lieut. Boase
for a V.C.''
 

281
9.
45th BATTALION - September 18th
Major Loutit
45th Bn was in the railway line from before
Vendelles to the Tommies on the right; the 48th Bn ahead
in their front line. As soon as 48th Bn moved the 45th
followed them at 400 yards distance.
Diagram - see original document
Artillery formation of platoons.
HdQrs in rear of C.
It was diff cult to find your way owing to the
drizzle and fog. You could see a man at about 20 yards &
not more.
They checked themselves largely by the sunken road
running aboutn the centre of the Bn frontage east and west, and
the Cambresiels (?) Wood. The worst part of the whole busines
for 45th Bn really was coming up in rear of 48th Bn to their
objective. The German barrage missed 48th Bn but ut fell on
45th Bn. shortening the whole way. While 48th was consoliating,
45th Bn waited for 14 hours on a previously decided
position about 200 yards inrear of 48th pn in shell holes-
behind banks and in sunken road. It was getting lighter then.
The ridge top is practically flat - the Germans
could not see the, - the cover and the fog would prevent
Germans froms eeing them, but they were in the German barrage.
Lt. Hinds was killed there while reorganising his
platoon, by a German sniper who was on the near side of barrage -
The adjutant, Capt. Adams, was wounded here for the second time
by a shell. During the advance Major Loutit had been wounded
just after the adjutant. Lt. Hill the signalling officer
was killed at about the same time, Lt. Hughes, Int. Officer
badly wounded - (died of wounds), adjutant wounded, and Maj.
Loutit. The barrage was heavy - Lt. Horne O.C., C Coy was
wounded at the same time, and Lt. Lifield, of D Coy wounded -
The wire which was uncut (the the barrage was very good) was
a nuisance. In places you had to walk 50 yards to find a gap.
There was both old British wire and German wire.
After waiting 1¼ hours the barrage increased and
moved forward. The Bnjust be fore moved to within 50 to 80
yds of it and followed it when it moved.
As soona s 45th got through 48th, they met the
Germans coming to counter aattack 48th Bn. They were actually
asvancing in waves. As the Bn got over the slope of the
gentle crest they saw the Ger, ans coming up extended (not more
than 100 yards away) from the lower ground where he had massed
Our barrage caught him, and the L.G. fire of our men some of
whom took up positions and got on to the Germans - others
firing from the hip. Those who were not caught by the barrage
or L.C. simply threw down their rifles and walked right throug
the 45thm, surrendering immediately - this was about 8 am. and the
sun was up - things were looking a lot brighter.
There were probably 350 prisoners taken the re - this
counter-attack would certainly be one and possibly two battalions
strong. The 45th Bn had 471 fighting strength exclusinve of
officers. The Germans had light and heavy M.Gs with them.
Probably they thought our advance had finished with the first
 

282
10.
objective, and weremaking an immediate counterattack.
Three officers were captured there,
The advance continued without much opposition
or shellfire tuill the final objective was reached. Two
77s. were captured just before reaching the objective, at
Red Wood: and on the objective a complete battery of
5.9 Hows with a complete staff of officers - 6 guns and
4 officers. The horses were there. As the battalion.
came up a M.G.? near by opened. The battery personnel
was seen attempting to limber up - with their six teams
there. One platoon 6 A Coy (Right) saw this and went
beyond the objective and took up cover where with their
L.Gs they could bring fire to bear on the horses. This
was spontaneous. They shot all the horses except that of
one of ficer who was captured. They shot the crew of
the M.G. and got the gun later. This gun was evidently
protecting the battery, (which was about 500 yards south of
the centre of Somerville Wood.
Just to the NW of Somerville Wood was another
battery of 5.9s - when Bn got to its objective it simply
walked on to these 1 the crews had previously fled. (Two
77s.. twelve 5.9s) 7 officers and 474 men prisoners.
This brought 45th Bn on to the high ground on
our side of Ascension Valley overlocking the low ground to the
Hindenberg outpost line. The opposite line could just
be seen here and there and there were German transport,
gun teams pulling out all over the country, There were
also German guns firing at extremely close range. On the cr.
cross roads in the centre of Pontruet village, for example,
a Btty of 77s could be seen firing. Our barrage was in
the village and all rounf them and they did not last long there
These guns were firing on to the high ground where 45th Bn
were - you could see the flash and then c ame the shells.
Consolidation was chiefly troubled by this
battery but was not sdifficult ewing excect for scattered f
shelling. Lt. Deitz, a 1914 man, just received his commissions
was hit direct by one of these shells. He was due
to go back to Australia and would have gone as soon as 1at
the Bn came out. He would have been left out, but as it
was his first time in as an officer, he asked to go in.
This battery was firing for wute an hour before
the barrage shifted it.
The Tommies on the right - 1st Bn Suffolk Regt.
who conformed with our movement and started with 45th Bn.
They got the Tumulus in line with 45th B, but
shortly after that point they were held up - and reached
their final objective with the assistance of 46th Bn some
hours later
The fire from the right front in British area
did not censolidate constitute a serious obstacle to 45th
Bn. Some undoubtedly came from there, but the German was
so disorganised that our advance was not delayed by it.
The right flank of 45th Bn was absolutely on its boundary
on the objective. The 2nd right platoons were flung back.
The left flank was in touch all the way with 13th Bn, who
reached objective with 45th Bn.
46th Bn went trhough almost at once. The 45th
Bn had gone out under the barrage and as soon as it lifted
they went there and patrolled over ground which 46th Bn were
to advance over. They took a prisoners of the parties who
were wandering around. Bn had 477 strength captured 474 pr
prisoners
 

283
11.
The Battalion's total casualties were:-
Lt. Hill Killed. signal officer.
Lt. Horne, killed, as above
Lt. Hughes, wounded, died of wounds, as above.
Lt. Hines killed by sniper (as above)
Lt. Dietz, killed as above.

Wounded
Major Captain Young - wounded during reconnaissance,
day before the attack, by shell
Major Loutit )
Capt, Adams) wounded during advance behind
Lt. Fifield       ) 48th Bn.
Other ranks: - killed 8
                           wounded 101
Total 8 officers
109 men.
 

284
12.
Major LOUTIT (Then Lt. Loutit) A Coy. 10th Bn., was in a
destroyer and landed in a row boat south of Ari Burnu
opposite Anzac Gully. One man was killed on the destroyer by
a bullet in the head. From the time they got off the
destroyer into the boat they were under rifle fire and three
men were killed in the boat going ashore. They had one
sailor in the boat who steered. The men rowed and did it
well. They landed with rifles empty. You could just
see the top of the hill. Flashes were still coming from
there and there were Turks still on the beach and in the
scrub at the bottom firing at point blank range as they
landed. When the boats got in (several of A Coy and others)
these Turks cleared up through the scrub (impossible to
say how many) Our men's rifles were not leaded nor bayonets
fixed till then.
They got ashore, dumped packs against the bank,
and fixed bayonets, and loaded rifles; shooting then was
coming from direction of Gaba Tepe and enfilading the beach.
(Hell spit)
The 10th Bn rushed the hill and from the top
in the open looked down into Shrapnel Gully where the Turks
were retiring in single file down a small track at the
bottom of the gully and up the hill towards the head of wire
gully. They were shooting at these Turks from the top and
then ran down in amongst them while they were still in
Shrapnel Gully. They threw down their rifles and wanted
to surrender, but there are too many and wer shot.
[*This refers to the tents in Owens Gully*]
(There were three or four tents by this path down from
Plugges, the lamps inside were still burning - they had been
men's tents and our men went inside and came out holding
up souvenirs - watches, kit, and so on.)
He came on at them with them
As they were going down the hill they met Major
Brand. He came on with them. They went on up to the
head of Wire Cully - and down wire gully.
As they got down Wire Gully they saw several
guns. The party saw these guns from the head of Wire Gully
and opened - but the range was too great and the guns got
away. They could see the Turks put teams in these guns.
The teams were in, in some cases, when first seem.
They had only a few yards to go to get over the crest.
Brand told Loutit to keep going. He went back tothe beach. He had
seen these guns.
[*Morlan ridge*]
From there Loutit and Lt. Haig, (10th Bn) went
on past where the guns had been (no dead Turks here) down
the gully. At the bottom of Wire Gully a creek branched to
the right. There was a stockyard there with some horses stil
in it. This creek ran away down to Kaba Tepe. They crossed
this creek, a/broad sandy shallow creek, and came on to a hill
in front of the creek. Very few Turks were about except
snipers who were scattered everywhere and sniped from behind
and everywhere.
Loutit had 32 men with him, some his own, some
9th Bn. sone 11th Bn. They went to the top of this next
ridge where which was covered with holly scrub - and stopped
just over the crest owing to opposition from Turks ahead.
Gaba Tepe was back over their right shoulders. The Turks
were thick (when the party got to the crest) on another
ridge of about equal height 400 yards in front. These Turks
stopped them there with rifle and M.G. fire. They had lost
many men. A few were killed in this position, They could
see our men on the previous ridge, behid the gully they had
xrossedm, on both flanks of them. some digging in, some cruising
round potting snipers - nothing very organised on both
their flanks, but no one on the same ridge. From there they
sent back to the party on their right rear on Johnston's Joll
 

285
13.
and asked them to come up and form on their right flank.
They did so and turned out to be Capt. Ryder with about
one platoon of 9th Bn - and they got up alongside on the
right. In the meantime the Turks had worked to the left
flank and were enfilading from about 400 yards on the 1eft.
You could not dig in (even from the first - too hot 4 We
were lying behind the bushes firing through them.) Our 44
line was then forced to retire starting from the right.
Ryder sent a message along saying he was going to retire.
Soon after he and part of his men were seen going back to
their former position which they reached by going for all
they were worth down the slope.
Loutit then retired. The He left a section
and retired by small parties under mutual covering
fire till they got to a small mound about 100 yards on the
Turk side of the entrance to Wire Gully.
(On the top of the furthest hill the water
of the Dardanelles was clearly seen) They thought this m
must be a very long way in. This was on the Turk side of
of the creek (S.E.) The Turks followed occupying the ridge
they had just left. There they met Peck. He went was
unwounded - with a few men. They stayed there half an
hour using their rifles - It was very warm. The Turks had
brought ip one M.G. with them Peck was wounded slightly
and was taken back by one of the men.
From there they had to ccross the flat (about
500 or 600 yards of grass through which the creek ran.) As
they got half way across the Turks reached the knoll they
had left two minutes before and made it very hot.
From there the party got up Wire Gully, taking up a position
at the bottom of Wire Gully on the Johnstone Jolly side of
it. overlooking the gully and the flat at the foot. It was
then about 11 am. They then found there was a formed line
about 80 yds in rear. By collecting strays in the gully
the party (11 strong now) was made up to 19. Afterwards
Lt. Frayne, 10th Bn, joined. He had a few men on Johnstone
Jolly and came down to them. They dug in there and held the
there till relieved four days later by the Marines.

Diagram -  see original document
The trench was at A. Maclagen was directly in
left rear and Loutit could signal back about 300 yards to
the Bde signallers there.
Late on Sunday night when the Turks pretended to
be Indians some of them - worked up that gully and established
themselves at the bottom of the gully directly enfilading
this position. They fired into the outpost all night.
There was no one in the gully. But on the far side was a
post of 5th (?) 3rd (?) Bn. They would mutually watch each
others side of the gully.
On Monday morning as soon as it was light the
Turks at the gully foot had to work down the dully and
across the same flat. They threw away rifles and kit and