Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/227/1 - Folder - Part 10

286
14
ran across the flat one at a time and the
Diagram - see original document
outpost sniped them at about 100 yards to 150 yards -
getting 19 - practically the lot. A good many Turks
had come up in the party.Loutit could hear them saying
saying "Don't fire - we are Indians!" and thought they
were. It was only when they fired that he knew what they
were. They had come up across the flat into the gully
just where Loutut had crossed it. All the four days
orders were coming down to unfix and fix bayonets, not to
fire on such and such a spot as someone was going to
advance.

Diagram- see original document
The cease fire orders were complied with till it became
clear thay nothing came of them. There was no Communication
Trench to this trench. All the first night the Turks
apparently attempting to reorganise, coming up and going
back. All the four days there were parties crossing the
gully and attempting to work up especially at night.
On Monday night and Tuesday night a few men were extended
across the gully at 10 paces to act as sentries but they aeat
could not pyysically keep awake.
On Monday by daylight about 5 pm. after blowing
of trumpets and shouting a large bpdy of Turks came forward
across the same flat and on the other side of German Officers
Ridge (North of it) They were extended and working in
waves. Our people on the left got up and charged out to
meet them. The Turks broke and went back to the flat.
In the morning of Monday crods of Turks kept
coming down Sari Bair but their formation and the whole
attack was smashed up by the Queen Elizabeth by shells.
There must have been battalions after battalions of them.
One shell would burst and the whole hill seemed to move in
the smoke and flame.  Some of the Turks went back but
small parties still dribbled down towards Quinns and Popes.
German officers Trench hid them from Loutit. It was probably 
these and those from GunRidge across the flat who
made the attack at dusk.
Diagram- see original document

287
 15.
On Monday morning two men collected all the
waterhottles of the 19th men and tried to go back over
the shoulder where Maclagen was to obtain water! but going
over they were killed by snipers from the flat. They had
50 or 60 yards to get over the ridge They had to wait till
Monday night when they sent back to Lt. Todd's post 150
yards in rear and got all rations and water from him.
(Lt. Haig was there all the time).
The Marines who relieved lost that this post
the same night and fell back on to Todd's post which became
the original front line. Our menwere dopey by this time
for want of sleep. The whole time the Turk was trying to
work up to between the two posts but never got up so far.
The men supposed to be Indians got right up between the two
but on the foot of the gully.
The Turks began trenches on the German Officers
Trench Ridge, And had two guns somewhere down by the flat
which shelled with shrapnel Johnston's Jolly and Shrapnel
and Wire Gully. These guns could not be picked up/
Haig and Loutit had about 9 men when relieved. Behind was a
cleft inthe gully and into this they rolled the men who
were killed. At the end small posts were dug down the
valley across to 3rd Bn's post - just rifle pits. 

288
16

45th BATTALION - Augusta8th

Green line was down the road west of Kate
and Thin Wood.
There was one 77 gun in the small wood between
R2geginald and Lena Wood and immediately in rear there
were six.
A couple of the guns behind the small wood
were firing at the Bn while it was waiting to push off.
No scrap was put up with small arms. The gunners had
run by the time Bn reached them. By the time they
crossed the road east of Reginal Wood the R.H.A. came
into action and started to cover the advance west of Lena
Wood.
As they passed the SE corner of Reginald Wood
a German M.G. was firing bursts for a few minutes. Then
the crew ran and two were captured.
As they got into the gully before Susan Wood
a German M.G. which was there mounted on an anti-aircraft
mounting to protect the guns, opened.One of the tanks
zettled this - he found it himself. To here the tanks
were ahead of the Bn. A few stray rifle shots came from
Susan Wood.
There was a Bn or Regt. HQrs in the terraces
NW of Susan Wood and a major was captured there.
A number of German artillerymen who had been wounded by our
barrage were captured here. Also one tank had got down the
valley and mopped it up and came back again as it could
not climb the hill the other side. At this point the
tanks of the 45th Bn, as they could not climb the hill,
moved off right to 46th Bn front. 5.9 and 4.2 Hows were-eap
captured in this valley. The Germans had run round to
the rear of Susan Wood and many were captured by 46th Bn.
which had a straighter course and was a bit ahead.
There was a time belt of cavalry wire about
one foot high along the bottom of Susan Valley --
German.
Bn was fighting in artillery formation all
the time - never extended at all. They then pushed to
the Crucifix Rd without opposition and waited there 15
minuted for the barrage to lift from the Morcourt-Harbonnieres 
Valley. During this halt the Bn scouts pushed out
to investigate this gully, one officer and 6 o.r. They
were fired at by rifles and one M.G. from right and-ene--
at Caroline Wood for a while. They went forward in two
bodies in diamond formation - Vincent and three others
to the left to the main gully, and Sergt Brown D.C.M.
and two others to Grace Wood.
The Germans were running- and throwing away
kit and arms and clearing out. A few were trying to
loot a canteen but the scouts fired on t hem with M.Gs and
killed a few and the rest r an. Our barrage was still on
the gully - about three heavy guns and the R.H.A. (not
much of a barrage). After looking into the stablesa nd
dugouts in the valley, they got up to 200 prisoners-
an engineering shop, kit store, centeen and HQrs of some
sort. (The Germans set fire to an orderly room here - a
typewriter was salved from it but the papers could not be
got/ The dugouts were near Susan Wood were burnt by
throwing in of a phosphorous bomb which set fire to two
of them. Out of one of them c ame 38 prisoners)
There was a canteen next to the orderly room,
with grapes, wine, schnapps, and champagne which we broke
and liqueurs, cigars etc. 8 in howitzers, 5.9 guns and

289
17.

M.Gs. were got there, but most of the M.Gs were along
the bank west of Susan Wood. The objective was on
the road on the next ridge. In a small wood just west
of Morgan Wood. -The-objective-was-en-the read-on-the
next-ridge a M.G. was holding out west with 15 men.
They were enfilading 46th Bn, not firing on 45th Bn. Vincent 
and Cpl Sellick (D.C.M.) crept up to the edge of the
wood and threw two bombs to about 30 yards of them -
and the Gemans surrendered. One man ran out of the
wood (the post was on the e dge)  He shouted in good English
"Don't shoot me, don't shoot me- I am an Australian -
Vive la France."
They were now on the objective. Ahead there was
a bit of low scrub with dugouts in it. They went straight
on and got a number of prisoners out of this. Hope Wood
was on their right flank.
Fully 1000 Germans were fell fleeing northwards
towards Mericourt. There was a section of 77 guns which
shelled wheeled round about on the final objective just north
of the road and were firing at 45th Bn digging in. Another
section was on the road west of Proyart. And one German
M.G. for 1½ hours was fighting from the Willow (the advance
was delayed at this stage a bit through 48th Bn tanks being
knocked out.)
The sections of guns ahead were very well fought
retiring and opening again - they were seen at this stage
and L.G. fire was brought on to them and they cleared out.
Our big gun at the back of Proyart kept on firing at
intervals towards Corbie,
There was enfilade fire from north of the Somme.
On the objective the tanks presently c ame from
46th Bn direction. They cruised about a bit/ Then as
they came back round Morgan Wood a 5.9 battery from behid
Mericourt and Chipilly cliffs banged at them.
In the afternoon, 4 or 5 hours after the position
was taken, a few 6.9s fell in the valley. Up to then all
the fire had been enfiladed. The Germans had direct
observation up the valley.
On the green line a few German planes came over
wounded with M.Gs. and machine gunned them. Then droves
of our planes did good work and the Germans cleared. On
the objective our planes were scarcer (returned for petrol
etc.) aad one German plane put down three of them in ten
minutes. (48 pushed throught)
That night at dusk 45th Bn relieved right half
of 48th Bn's front.
Next day (Aug. 9) Lt. Potts, M.C. and one man
went out by day and crossed the road from Proyart to La
Flague factory. He met no opposition - just simply
walked out. He had watched the place for an hour and
reckoned there was no one there and went out to see.
The 2nd Div. came through 5th Div that day and
their left was at La Flague. 45th Bn had not been told to
advance. That night 45th Bnwas ordered toswing up (as
marked on my map). First a reconnaisance patrol under
Lt. Vincent was sent cut and/went along the railway line to
the road to Proyart. They were just going on to the village
when they heard German being spoken in their left rear -
commands, and shovels rattling on marching men along the
other road from Proyart S.W.    Vincent withdrew his patrol
as these Germans got into the trenches S.W. of Proyart. Abe.
About an hour later they began to send up flares and tear
in with M.G. fire  --  and this seems to have been the
first garrisoning of the line ahead at all. That night
also the guns Germans renewed the 77. fure along the main

290
18.
 road and the blue line. The La Flague dumps was full
of wood - some of the stacks were burning. Probably
they had beenset fire to. There was a very big dump
of Mills grenades there.
(In the rear line of the Bray trenches north
of the road were found two Pom Poms, 1 ¼ in bore (about)
with a bras cartridge case and hollow seel nose cap full
of magazine powere (flare powder - white flare - )
probably the flaming onions  1 not strings of sausages
but a fast pale blue light. The sausage strings were said
by a German prisoner to be fired by granaten werfers.
The onions weretracers for a pompom.
From there 45th Bn went to Sailly Laurette - an
then to Harbonniers and Lik ons where they relieved the 3rd
Bn and had some hot bombing. The Germans were vey game
there - contimually rene ing bombs/ attacks, would not
wear steel helmets - we are in the old German front line an
and the old French line was out support line and there were
25 CTs on 45th Bn's front each of which had to be held
with a bomb stop. For the first two days bomb stops
were not allowed as the Divisions was to advance.
This was the Alpine Corps, and were good shots. 

291
19.
48th BATTALION - 8th August
The mark V tanks started with their crews and
parties. There were eight of them. They were to go
just behind Bn. They all got to their assembly point
(before the fog) in the valley behind the Bn's HQrs. It
was ligh when 48th Bn moved (before zero) but fog came on
just after moving. This gave a lot of difficulty in
getting to Accroche Wood but all the tanks except one. and
Bn got into position cast of Accroche Wood with the
officer wounded [Lt. B.A. Jones) one man killed and one
wounded. The Germans had one 5.9 Battery playing along
the Hamlet Warfusee Rd. This caused these sacualties
and one tank was left behind,
Bn was east of Accroche Wood for 25 minutes.
Then they moved to Rat Gully in platoons in Artillery
formation. The tanks came on behind. The fog had cleared
The only trouble was one 77 gun firing possibly from
near Susam Wood. This was easily avoided - it was firing on
on t he one point near Rat Wood
The tanks tailed out a bit. Bn got to Rat
Wood/ Lt. Morley went out and got the information that to 46th
Bn were going well.
Bn left half an hour After reaching Rat Wood in
exact accodance with programme. The R/H.A followed
closely but tanks were a good way behind trying to cross
the gully near Rat Wood. The parties with the tanks were
marching along by them. They had tried getting inside but
it was terribly hot and they got out again.
48th Bn moved on in artillery formation to near
Susan Wood. The only shell fire was shrapnel fired from
some point unknown and very hight
At Susan Wood Bn waited 15 minutes. A little
indirect M.G. fire was met   The tanks were a kilo behind
and could be seen.
Bn moved to Richmond Wood Gully, and at Q 28
they shook int out into skirmishing order as they came under
heavy M.G. and shell fire. Col Perry would wounded here
and a few others hit. This was from near the hospital
probably. 46th Bn was then fighting and 45th also. This
fire was so sharp that the menwere aken under command of
their officers and pushed straight on as hard as they could
to Richmond Gully. Bn now had its right on the road.
The abov ementioned fire which/ got the Bn while i
was advancing knocked out three tanks. These tanks had
caught up here (six f the, - one missing and not known of)
Bnwas coming under the fire of this gun whichwas firing
from between the road and the hospital at the tanks 1 and th
this is why the officers took their Coys forward (at a steady
double)
Bn now had itsri right on the main road.
There it found that the 45th and 46th Bns had gone on to
their objective.
The taks were coming up on the right in order
to get intp the gully by the main road.
48th Bn remained in Richmond Gully about
quarter of an hout to give the men a spell before the
hop over. Meanwhile one of the scouts, Pte Gell, and
Lt. Morley went out with the 45th Bn   Gell came back and
reported45th Bn O.K. When 48th Bn got up to 45th,
Morley reported to C.O. (Col. :erry remained on duty -
hit through left arm) that 4th Bde were all right on righ
flank but had trouble on left.
The tanks werenot up there again they went
astray  48th Bn waited on the 45th objective. Under
direct ?.G. fire from the old Bray line on their lft.
There seemed to be 4 M.Gs firing and the Germans could be
 

292
20.
seen moving about there.
While 48th Bnwas lying up there one gun (77 from
the left front) knocked out three tanks N.E. of Hope
Wood. (they were Mark V tanks, probably of 45th Bn.
This tookthe fire of the 48th Bn.
From this position all the men could see their
final obj ective. About 15 minutes after reaching the
objective )10.55) though only three tanks had arrived,
48th Bn decided to give it a go before the Germans began
to reorganise.

                                  ↑

    _______          _________       ________          
         D                      C                   A

                            _________

                                   B
                                  H.Q.
They had been in skirmishing order since first
under M.G. fire. Two tanks went with Coy. one tank,
Orpheus, want out with D Coy on the le ft - a very fine
action. This tank had its complement inside. It got 100
yards past the objective and was then hit. Several of the
crew were burnt and two of our L. Gunners were killed gettin
out of the Tank (possibly Vickers also) by German sniping.
Those who got out moved back to the old Bray line and got
there about the same time as the leading Coy.
The other two tanks went to their objective
A Coy got to its objective with only 10 causalties -
These taks then reported back to Richmond Valley.
The centre Coy had some difficulty at the b
of low scrub near R 13 central. Some M.Gs. held them
up there- but by getting into the trench line and bombing
and fighting with L.Gs they captured these with 80 prisoners.
Two platoons of D Coy moved in pretty wuickly an
and came under heavy M.G. fire from just E of the objective
(200 yards perhaps) They wereon the left of C Coy. They
got into the trenches there and the two platoons which were
following them were caught andsuffered pretty heavily by
this M.G? fire which was very hard to locate. The L.
Gunners of the two platoons whichwere held moved forward and
dealt with these guns from the open. The Germans were
trying to fire at them but they got in first. As their fire
died, our men ade for the trenches by short rushes and got
in. 22 Germans surrendered from this place - they had no
chance of getting away. A battery on the left flank above
Mericourt putting in gas and H.E. caused a bit of trouble
but the trenches were good.
To protect the consolidating fighting patrols
were sent out in the afternoon. They killed a few Germans.
They were almost to the outskirts of Proyart. Later in the
afternoon the Germans fot some other guns and fired int o
the gully by Bn HQrs where a supply dump was and a German
canteen with plenty of beer..
In the fighting on the scrub on the objective at
R 13 centrl the two tanks were sent for but had gone back
While the Germans held us here they must have established
the small post which D Coy had to ne et. In this fight the
smoke bombs were either from artillery or aeroplanes - not
smoke bombs from rifle grenades. The smoke wason the ridge
after just about this point. In this fighting the off cers
concerned were:- Lt. Potts M.C. (now Bar) and Sgt Kealy. 

293
21.
Sgt Seal M.M. did well there too and Ote Berry.
They got round this opposition by bombing up the trench.
48th Bn had 65 o.rs.
The youngster who toom out the fighting patrol
tpwards Proyart was Lt. M.B.T. McDowell. M.V.  M M. (the
same officer whowith 6 on fot through Monument Wood on May 31
An officer of 4th M.G. Bn is said to have got int
into Proyart

                                   ------------------------------------------
On August 8, 48th Bn lost:-
Killed Lt. J.G.O'Neil on the final objective in front
of the little wood with C. Coy
Wounded, Lt. W.B. Carr. M.C. D.C.M. (who took Bn HQrs
at Monument Wood with Stokell)  B
L.Gun was fired over his back at
Bulècourt- Hit after D. Coy got in.
Lt. B. A. Jones, hit coming up to Accroche W od.
Lt. Stockell M.C. at Richmond Gully, waiting.
Lt. L.L. Carter M.M. on the final objective. with
D. Coy. He was a B. Coy officer but
had come round to the l ft to see
what washolding up the two platoons.
He took them over the top where the
L. Gunners went for ward.
Col. Perry, wounded R.O.D.

294
22.
 48th BATTALION

MONUMENT WOOD
After Monument Wood on May 3 the German Jaegers
who fought so well, afterwards sent in Lt. Garland's and
(?) Captain Cummings' effects)

48th BATTALION DERNANCOURT      
Diagram - see original document

German barrage lifted again about 9 at the dead
ground the reisitance in the Farm probably surprised him.
At 9 he came on again. He got np further. The right
flank came in about 11 am to Pioneer Trench. 5 Pltn
got back with Cummings about 3. Brown went down to
Shepherdson. Coy H.Q signalled to them to move to
Pioneer Trench which they did as shown/
April 5
When Brown went down to the post he saw the
Colonel of the Tommies and told him that they were moving
back on to Pioneer Trench, and this left no-one on his flank
This- Their C.0. told Lt. Ferguson (Liaison Officer) that
he was s atisfied that everything possible had been done.
This brought the line into Pioneer Trench.
Later the Tommies got out and swung across the valley from
about Z northwards. During the attack Signaller Tregpwath
in the morning went across to the Tommies and at X Y giving
them the position on the right (as known to Bn HQrs) He
first tried (as Coy Sgr) to signal the message across to the
Tommies. They could not get it. He accordingly took it a
across. He was hit severly about half way across - he had
200 yards to go. He crawled and stumbled under this M.G.
fire and was hit once more. He finally got to the Tommies
and before his wounds were attended to he delivered his
message and was taken away on a stretcher. 

295
23.
48th BATTALION  September 18
Killed Lt. Ward, M.C. - killed on night of
September 18 when they went up
to take the bit of trench on
the right of our Bde sector.
The two Coys of 48th Bn got in at the fork
trench at A whare right of 46 Bn was.

Diagram - see original document

Then they worked right to B where there was a straight point
They got 7 machine guns and 2 priosners, the restescaping
towards X. All the morning the Germans bombed up from Z
Lt. Reid held this for 5 hours with his platoon. The German
artillery and the artillery protecting the Tommies blew us out
of the trench about 2 pm Sept. 19, and t hey retired putting
in three stops fromB to A The artillery put us out of there
the Germans established themselves at B again. 48th established 
themselves in Onoto Trench and trenched touched with Tommies
who by thenwere in Fourmie trench on our right (line from
there uncertain to us)
Ward was killed by a shell in Onoto Trench/
After  dark 19/20 the same Coys attacked up Pen¬
insula Trench and over the top ofom Onoto, with a sprinkling
barrage. They took the S/P at B and past blocks at X Y Z andg
connected with the Tommies by outposts south of Entrance Trench
That was the line handed over. The point B is the summit.
They had the whole view of the hillside then.
                                     -------
Lt. R.W.J. Fletcher wounded, 18th Sept. just
getting to D Coys objective (Centre Coy)
This day Capt Anderson D.S.O _∧(for this) had worked out to
the right on to the top of the ridge with his L.Gs and
when the Germans counter attacked he got on to the right
of the attack with his L.Gs and the 45th Bn from the left.
As soon as 45th Bn started Anderson's men got up on the
crest of the hill and saw these Germans and turned into them
with L.Gs.

                                  -------------------
When 48th Bn struck Cooker Trench part of the German 
Coy which was holding it fought. Others got back to Bn se
HQs in a copse in r eat and in the sunken road about 600 yds
from the right of our objective. They too fought from here -
their officers could be seen trying to reorganise them.
Lt. Gelston and Lt. Parry's platoons of C Coy were pushed forward 
and Parry's Plan worked round to the right; round the
shoulder of the hill   The Tommies haf got into Maire Trench
on the right. Parry took the Tommies up to their trench,
(He was the liaison officer with the Tommies' left flank)