Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/228/1 - Folder - Part 5

423.
They placed two posts, one where these Germans were
and the other kust on the sunken road. They got thus
complete touch between D & B and secured the northern flank
of the village.
About this time Lieut. Hardwick, O.C. Coy., came up
from Coy. H.Q. to see the dispositions of the support
platoons forward. On arriving back at the railway cutting
he met the advance guard of the American officers and O.R.
who came up before the Americans Bns. to see the
dispositions (to the railway cutting). Lieut. Hardwick
was showing the dispositions on the map to them when the
Germans put down a heavy bombardment about 6 p.m. on
Ramicourt, Estrees and the rear.
A shell landed and killed Hardwick, 2 American officers,
2 cpls. and a sergt., and wounded some others.
That evening the German aircraft was out incessantly
wheeling over the position and had complete mastery over
the village. The sniping of the platoon of D Coy. was very
active in preventing the enemy from getting back into the
village - from over the hill NE of the village, which he had
constantly tried to do by rushes.
The 18-pdrs. were asked to shoot on the dead ground in
front of the posts but were rather short.
About 11 men of D Coy. were relieved by 180 Americans.
It was a very quiet night.
Sergt. Montgomery was brought in under the white flag
but later d. of w.
It was the best shooting the 21st Bn. ever had, as the
Germans didn't seem to know where we were. A lot of our
original men were killed.
Capt. Sullivan, killed, M.C. & Bar, MM.
Lieut. Bennie, killed.
Lieut. Hardwick, M.C. & Bar, killed.
Lieut. Mason (in liaison with pioneers),
M.C. and Bar; wounded.
Lieut. Greness, wounded.
Lieut. Stuart, wounded.
Capt. Hoad, wounded.
Lieut. McTiernan, wounded.
Lieut. Tims (T.M. Offr.), wounded.
H.Q. was near Swiss Cottage; R.A.P. near there also.
Early in morning about 8 a.m., as the carry was so far back,
the M.O. decided to move to the railway cutting and worked
there all day under very heavy fire till after dusk on our
men and Germans.  One man he was dressing was killed.
Capt. Mendellssohn (M.C. the other day).
One single strand wire was laid 5 minutes before the
J.O. to the Ramicourt cemetery. It stayed there till 6.10.
Thence to railway cutting till 8 a.m. Thence to eastern ed
edge of cutting, and then on to the forward quarry.
At noon it was taken to A Coy. forward post right front
of village. During the whole operation the line was not
down more than 10 mins.
The first prisoners were received by the first report
centre and were kept as S/B's.
At 6.15 a squadron of German planes fired with M.G.'s
on these prisoners. (6.15 a.m.) Amongst the prisoners
was a F.O.O. who said they were rushed up the previous night
as they expected this attack. Most of them were pleased to
be captured. About 4 were killed by shells in the cutting.
At dusk we took an ordnance man in front of the German
front line. He had been sent up from Bohain that day for
duty in the line, ration carrying to an officer and then to
stay there. 

424.
MONT ST. QUENTIN: OFFICIAL PHOTOGRAPHER, CAPT WILKINS.
Wilkins in Mont St. Quentin went to the front line
just before the 1.30 show, put up his camera just before
the hop-over, and took his picture from there - a place
which everyone tried to avoid; and he went on after to the
road. He wanted to get a photo of a German M.G. in action.

24th BATTALION: BEAUREVOIR & MONTBREHAIN.
Oct. 3 the Bn. came up from Nauroy about 3.15 p.m. and
got to Estrees about 4.15. Five red aeroplanes gave the
signal and the Germans put a barrage on the north side of
Estrees while Bn. was filing down to the Beaurevoir line.
About ½-doz. casualties in this. They rested in a sunken
road (as the hour for the attack - 4.30 - had already passed)
Waited till 6.20 p.m.; moved to J.O. trench in Torrens
Canal - the barrage had finished when they started.  The
Germans had replied to our barrage with artillery and M.G.s
before 24th got to J.O.T., so they extended 400 yds. before
the Torrens. Having reached Torrens they moved to the
right to connect with 22nd Bn. near La Motte Farm.
(By the 4.15 barrage Col. James did not know anything
of the Zero hour.  For the second Zero he received orders
at 6.7 that they were to attack at 6.25. He rejoined the
unit at 6.22 and gave orders to the O.C.'s who acted at
once. There were 100 yds. to 90.  The Coy. Commanders
said: "See the windmill on ths hill: that is your
objective." That was all they knew.)
They had gone. They were told by 20th that 22nd.
had started. 24th then started at once. The Beaurevoir
mill was to be the left flank.

            B                               A
Capt. Pollington    Capt. Mahoney
                           D

                   Capt. Fletcher

A Coy. met some resistance - M.G. fire soon after start
from a small copse 200 yds. from Canal. They advanced
firing L.G.'s from hip - the Germans cleared - one Sergt.
was wounded. There was no more resiatance. Up by the
mill were 2 M.G.(s in a trench beside it and about 8 gxxx
Germans. The left had passed them. They fired one shot
at us. The left came back on them. They had been firing all
day. One ran, the rest were captured. They did not see
the 77's. They dug in with the left across the sunken
road, beyond the mill. The right rested on a small creek
on the road from La Motte farm to Beaurevoir. Here they
joined 22nd Bn. - they caught up with 22nd. Bn. long before
reaching the objective. The right was in potholes on the
objective. The Germans had run to the sunken road from
La Motte to Beaurevoir and 15 were taken there.
A limber was heard coming down the road from Beaurevoir.
A German halted him. The driver got off and walked on down
the road to this dugout (where he probably expected to find

425.
his Coy. H.Q.). They let him walk straight in. At the
bottom of the dugout, sliding down, he found himself
covered by Lieut. Ellis with a revolver.
A Germans Sergt. Major was captured from a patrol. We
fired on the patrol. He lay down, and going out to see if
they had killed anyone they found him. A German machine
gunner ahead with a candle was fixing up his gun - they
fired on him. Also Germans flashing torches on the road and
talking.
At about midnight they were relieved by (?)7th Manchester
and came back to a quarry in the direction of Montbrehain and
just south of the Estrees Roman road. They stayed there till
3.30 a.m. on 5th October (i.e., one day and part of night).
Oct. 5th. - They then moved for the J.O.T. for
Montbrehain.
Their right rested on the main road from Ramicourt to
Montbrehain. They had three Coys. totalling about 240 men.
They had a J.O.T. of 1000 yds. and a front on the objective
of about 1500.

                                 ⇑
     D                       B                   A

Fletcher      Pollington       Mahoney

They were on the tape at 5 a.m. and were shelled
constantly with gas. B Coy. had a man killed and several
wounded on the tape. Some of the Coys, were in their gas
helmets.
Right.- Everything went well on right till within 200
yds. of the village. There they struck 4 German S/P's which
were just 70 yds. short of the nearest buildings. The German
was dropping a heavy barrage on a little valley on the left
which caused A Coy. to bunch towards the right and caused a
bit of a gap. Just then a tank wobbled across the road,
from the right, It went across the top of the left post
and fired two shots from each of its guns at 2 of these
posts (canister). A Coy. advanced behind the tank near
enough to rush the post and captured 20 to 30 Germans. This
post as the tank came up put up 2 single green flares and
the German artillery came down on the position (evidently
signal for tank approaching). This got the Coy. to a small
bank with a hedge in front of it. They reorganised there
before entering the village. They had a good many casualties
from artillery fire there.
They then moved on into the back of the houses in 6B.
On getting through hedge of the bank on which they reorganised
Lieut. Clough knocked his tin hat against the muzzle of a
M.G. there and his batman (a Russian) shot the two Germans
for being cowards. They went straight through the village
to the road junction in the village centre. Capt. Mahoney
(a famous Melbourne footballer who used to play for a Public
Service side in Melbourne - Fletcher and he were both teachers
at a technical school and lived together at Footscray and
joined together as sergeants and gave up their stripes so as
to come away with the 24th Bn.) - Mahoney and Coy. H.Q. took
2 M.G.'s, a M/werfer and 10 Germans from some of the houses
on the roads on the north of the side of the village; and
Sergt. Laidlaw took 1 officer and 10 O.R. and a M/werfer from
under some apple trees in a garden. They didn't fight as we
got onto them. They pushed on again into the open on the
north side of the village. In the houses on the right of
the cemetry cemetery were a few civilians - they mostly got
into cellars - some of them were crying - mostly old people.
At this point (in the open on the grid between 1A & B)
Clough, finding his left flank open, left Sergt. Laidlaw, 4
men and a L.G. - and went across to a small trench system in
front of the cemetery. He thought these Germans might be

426.
holding up B Coy. - and went over to relieve the pressure,
taking 4 men. They saw the Germans run back into a sunken
road, and Clough got into the trenches they had left. The
Germans were very thick in the sunken road in front of B Coy.
They turned a M.G. onto Clough's party and killed four men.
He had to return with his runner. He met Capt. Mahoney
at the Coy. who asked him how things were. He told Mahoney
that he couldn't see B Coy. Mahoney then went off himself
to the left and couldn't find them (he went to the cemetery).
At this time Lieut. Robinson was out establishing connection
with 21st Bn. on right and found that they were in touch.
Clough left Laidlaw's post to protect the left and took
the Coy. on past the sunken road at the end of the village
to the road which was their objective. Clough had 11 men
when he reached this point. Mahoney came up there to have a
look at it when he was hit by a M.G. bullet through the
temple.
The Germans were enfilading this road (18 ins. deep only)
from the high ground on the right; they had to fall back to
the sunken road on the edge of the village. 24th was on the
left of the main road, 21st on right. Several men were hit
in withdrawing. There was no one on the left for 800 yds.
nor on the 21st party's right for 800 yds. Word came from
Sergt. Laidlaw that the Germans had worked back into the
orachards behind him and into the cemetery trenches (from the
left). The sunken road was still being enfiladed from the
right. Roberts and Gibson and Clough decided that the
position could not be held - they were short of ammunition.
They came back through the village to the outskirts of the
village and Clough went to advanced Bn. H.Q. and rang up to
find out where the line was to left and right. He learnt
that B Coy. were in the quarry B30.D.70.00, 75 yds. to north
of cemetery. By this time 2 Coys. 27th Bn, were coming up
in support. Lieut. Robinson and 11 men were sent forward
to get touch with B Coy. (round from the S.W. end of the
village, where they were, and round the N. edge of it up a
sunken road). He reached B Coy. and put three posts in the
cemetery - Sgt. Laidlaw and 2 others. (The German was
still in the trenches in front of the cemetery and in the
orchard).
Lieut. Gawler, 21st Bn., had established 2 posts along
the road from Cemetery to main road.
27th Bn. came up and one of their officers was
instructed to establish the line from top of the village back
to Gawler on right of cemetery. This officer differed.
The enemy was trying to get back into the village over the
open to join the Germans who had got back to the village.
Corporal Toorney of 21st shot them up as they came, and
Lieut. Reed, 27th Bn., and Lieut. Clough and 2 batmen had some
very good shooting for two hours at Germans who came up to the
ridge in small sections - as long as a German raised his leg
or moved he was shot at, so they fired until they were quite
still. Reed wouldn't put his Coy. there but he didn't mind
going himself.
Lieut. Roberts and the 21st were by now again up at the
position on the sunken road at the top of the village. They
worked down from there around the left on the west of the
village back to the people in the cemetery. D Coy. 21st Bn.
did this - Clough was with them. They got 2 M.G.'s and 20
Germans there.

xxx Diagram - see original document

Sergt. Edwards of 21st Bn. got across from the xxxx
cemetery up to the sunken road and back - the gap was by
these means filled.

427.
Lieut. Robinson was wounded in the cemetery late in the
afternoon.
B COY. - Met no opposition except in its centre at first.
There was a S/P about 6 Central. Lieut. Calvert was on
the right. The centre was held up at the S/P. The right
moved in touch with A Coy. to the village. The S/P which
was holding up the centre and inflicting casualties on the
left was rushed after about 10 minutes by Capt. Pollington
and Lieut. Ingram leading and their party. Ingram'/s got
up close to the S.P. and then rushed it - he on its left
and Pollington on its right. He had his revolver and got
a German with each chamber. About 25 were taken, 15 killed
and 6 light M.G. taken.
About 50 yds. on was a bank. The Coy. reorganised
behind this (it was on the side of a road). While the
Coy. was being reorganised Lieut. Ingram went out alone
and mopped up about 3 S/P's which were preventing them
from getting their heads over the bank. (He had got a
German revolver, and he had refilled his own.) He simply
got up over the bank and rushed 75 yds. to the most
advanced of these posts.. A L.G. was firing - he shot 5
Germans in the most advanced post there. There was a
M.G. there. When Ingram got there he was sitting on the
5 dead Germans and trying to work the M.G.
The Coy. was meanwhile lined under the bank under
Capt. Pollington. Pollington then led over the top again.
As soon as they poked their nose over they got a heavy
burst of M.G. - apparently from the houses at the crossroad
B 6. B.3.9½.
They could see an advance was impossible till they
could find out what was the position. They got the Stokes
mortars to work, which were with them. They only had 5
rounds and the Germans didn't move, though they hit the
house.
The Coy. then signalled to a tank which was making up
through the village by waving steel hats on bayonets. It
saw and came through the village and began to move towards
the houses. The Coy. then followed it. Ingram jumped
up and shouted to them, "Come on! qFollow me." He hopped
out ahead and kept by the tank directing operations.
What they thought was a strong post ahead of Lieut.
Ingram turned out to be a big quarry, with niches all
round the side.
Here Ingram jumped in amongst the Germans in the
quarry (which was 30 ft. deep - and wide) and shot several
with his revolver again. Out of this quarry came 2
officers and 40 O.R. and there were probably more still
in the dugouts. Ingram then went out again on his own
and started to explore the houses on the far side of the
quarry, just beyond the edge of it.
The next they saw of him (after mopping up they went
out to find him) he had 30 Germans bailed up in a cellar
of one of these houses. The M.G. had been firing froma
ventilator in the cellar and Ingram had been firing in at
the ventilator. About 30 Germans came out of there.
The tank circled round the quarry and went back towards
the cemetery and made back again for the cross-roads
and these same houses, towards Ramicourt. Capt. Ingram,
Sergt. Johnson and a couple of men followed it down and
got in touch with D Coy. who were lying just off the road
B.6.A.7.8. They established a post behind a hedge about
6B 1.9. with a L.G. (Cpl. and 2 men). The remainder of
the Coy. took up its position in another quarry just on
the north side of the same road opposite this last post.
Lieut. Calvert came up on the right with A Coy. As
the morning broke they could see that the centre was being

428.
held. Fire was coming from all directions. There was a
gap between the centre and the right platoon of this Coy.
but not enought to matter. They moved up till they got
to the sunken road about 6 B.7.7. about 100 yds. south
of the cemetery. Calvert had there a L.G. and 5 or 6
men. Lying along this road he came in touch with Lieut.
West and a few men. A m/werfer was firing from the edge
of the village towards our troops on his left with a M.G.
They engaged it (there were 2 M/werfers behind a hedge in
the open) with our M.G. fire, and rushed towards it. As
they got near they saw one of A Coy. come round and shoot
the machine gunner. The crew of the M/werfer ran back
through into the village NE. Here West went on with 2 or
3 men towards the cemetery.
Calvert moved forward and found, lying out in organised
shellholes, about 20 Germans. They didn't try to fight and
were captured. While 2 was there Calvert was there West
returned with three prisoners from a M.G. position at the
cemetery. He had got through a hedge and saw them firing
on our centre. He shot 4 and took 3 (They didn't see him)
and took the lock of the gun. Not having enough men he
returned.
Calvert then went on with a corporal, 3 men and a M.G.
and came on this position in the cemetery. From there they
went out through the cemetery in front where 2 M. gunners
were killed.
From here they could see all that was holding the centre
up - they saw the tank come into action again to help B Coy. -
the Germans began to clear out from the shellholes and
sunken road half left of the cemetery - and the M.G.'s had a
lot of targets. The tank was hit there by a shell which
broke the caterpillar - the crew got away.
In the cemetery Calvert got 6 M.G.'s but you couldn't st
stay in front of the cemetery by day. Two 77's were firing
pointblank from the high ground NW of Brancourt (M.G.'s would
not reach them from the top of the village).
Lieut. West found 6 Germans pioneers in the village -
he only had one other man, the others had been killed or
wounded, or were with the centre.
He went down the slope from the cemetery. The leftwas
now in the quarry. The tank began to fire on him (before
it was put out) and he withdrew again. (The pioneers went
into the village).
The Germans now began to shell the cemetery and rear
of the village with 5.9. It was too hot to stay in the
cemetery. Calvert and West, went back to the centre with
the remaining men to the quarry. From here they could
command the ground we had obtained, but not look down onto
the enemy as from the cemetery. They had tried to attract
the attention of the centre before this and get some help, as
it was such a good position - but the centre was too weak to
assist.
There was no one in the cemetery at all at this time.
It was later that the posts there were established.
Calvert then took over D Coy. where all the officers
had been killed or wounded. Lieut. West took charge of B
Coy. (centre). (West shot his Germans in the cemetery in
2 M.G. posts).
B Coy. handed over to the Americans in the quarry about
11 p.m.
D Coy. was at dusk about 6A 8.7. to 5 B.90.65. After
dark posts were put across to 23rd Bn. post (which could be
seen from Vickers gun position) at 5 B.3.4. 

429.
Capt. Fletcher was killed by a shell fired at the tank.
Lieut. Gear (as above).
Lieut. Forbes, wounded just as they got onto the hill,
by M.G. fire.
Lieut. Baldie was killed (with a section all killed or
wounded except one man).
Lieut. White (A Coy.) was wounded with A Coy. about 100
yards from J.O.
Lieut. Ellis (A Coy.) was wounded in the middle of the
village near the church.
640 prisoners were taken by the Bde. - pioneers were
collecting most of these as they were sent back. Ingram
must have got 60.

430

Sketch of Fort at E. end of Clery.

8th BRIGADE
30th) 
32nd)    Battalions.
39th)

8th Brigade.  (From Maj. Wisdom, B.Major).
August 8th. Bde. went over as
Diagram - see original document

This Coy. deployed in
Morcourt Valley - Lieut.
D. Trimmer 32nd Bn. having
a smart fight in this
valley with the Germans who
put up a fight - but he
rushed them.
No other Coy. of 32nd or
39th deployed.

August 9th. At 7 a.m. the warning was obtained
on the 'phone for an attack at 9 defenite orders.
Conference of C.Os. artillery and Group Commander
at once - finished at 10.20 a.m. 8th Bde. was to
have 1st Div. on its right - the attack by 58th Bn.
and 60th Bn, was extemporised in order to protect
the flank of both 8th Bde. and Canadians.
29th Bn. was at first hung up by M.Gs. and
A.T. guns as shown in my map (about 1.30 p.m. this
was reported to Be. - they had started at 11.42 a.m.)
G.O.C. then got artillery on to trees at S.W.
end of village and later on to village - G.O.C.
thought the S.W. buildings too close).
Lieut. Clayton Davis, D.S.O. for this) M.C. began
to reconnoitre to S. of village with 2 men. One was
knocked out by gas shell. D-oarried Davis carried
him back and when he got back organised one party to
go round S., another party to go round N. While he
and 2 men went through the village.
By 2.55 he had a line of outposts well E. of
Vanvillers. He had been shot through the neck and
was evacuated after this.
28th Bn. relieved these posts and 29 withdrew
and came out to Aubigny line.
58th En. had started about same time but pushed
S.E. and got well away from flank of 29th.

431

2.
Vanvillers was the H.Q. of the xxxxx 2nd German
Corps and they got the Corps Commander's sword and
one of his cars - also the papers of the Corps.
There were cavalrymen dead in Vanvillers.
The reason for 29th Bn. being late was the late
notice of the attack - they had to come 3,500 yards
by daylight to reach J.O. point.
b     They were not waiting for support right. They
were (as wasBde.) under the firm impression that 1st
Div. was there.

8th BRIGADE.

FOUCANCOURT.
On morning of August 27th Germans were still
holding Foucancourt. 32nd Bn. pushed out a patrol
and captured a post. The chief anxiety of Bde. was
lest the Germans might get away. The result was
constant feeling and outpost fights. At 1 p.m. a very
heavy bombardment was laid down. 30th Bn. advanced -
left threatened villgge from N; right pushed round
S. By 6 p.m. 27th August, 2 Coys. linked E. of
village, 1 officer 34 O.R., 16 M.Gs., 20 Germans
killed, mostly bayoneted.
August 28th - Next day Fay and Estrees - Germans
sometimes on bicycles - put up harder resistance
opposite Estrees.
9 p.m. Assevillers taken by 32nd Bn., 16 prisoners
of 2 Guards Div. being taken. Heavy M.G. fire from
Woods E and W.E. of Belloy.
August 29th. Took Belloy 5.25 a.m. by 29th Bn.
By 6.30 a.m. Villers Carbonnel was taken and Barleux
at 7.40 a.m. - patrols ahead - Bn. in artillery
formation behind.
Heavy M.G. fire from Eterpigny where 29th Bn.
was aheadnof 26th Bn. Crossings not tried that day.
15th Bde. passed through and relieved.
After Peronne on 1st Sept. 88th Bde. came up in
support/of/15th Bde. who were trying to cross to
Flamicourt. Bde. was near xxxxx Railway Bridge S.W. of
Flamicourt. Stayed there and 3rd September sidestepped
and relieved 14th Bde. N of Somme Canal.
n 5th Sept. Germans slowly retireing - 8th Bde.
advanced 2000 yards - 32nd Bn. took Bussu, 30th Bn.
conformed on right. Then followed heaviest and
weariest work Bde. had done. C.Os. could scarcely
expect Bns. to do such work.
Bde. then moved S. through Peronne to allow
14th Bde. of 32nd Divn. to cross Somme and move to
high ground at Le Mesnil. As 14th British Bde. was

432

3.
following Germans, 8th Bde. was formed into a regular
advanced guard with Squadron of L.H., 1 section of
Artillery attached to each Bn. and 2 Army Bdes. of
(5th Bde.R.H.A. and 290 R.H.A.) artillery allowed to
attached to Main Guard.
At 7 a.m. on 7th they went through 14th British
Brigade on red line, and got fairly easily to Blue
Line taking Hancourt, Vraignes and Bernies, Flechin,
and Poeuilly and Bouvincourt.
Sept. 9th - Afternoon they were on high ground
giving good command of Vendelles and all valleys
forward.
On night of Sept. 10th relieved by 13th A.I.Bde.
and moved/back to Le Mesnil.
The L.H. did very good work here - both L.H.
and Cyclists. 3 times cyclists engaged Germans
L.H. located strong points (their job).
{See Geddes 31st Bn. for this).
 

BELLICOURT.
Diagram - see original document
Both had reconnoitred.
29th was all right on Black Road. Wark had to
reconnoitre through mist.
29th through Bellicourt in Column, formed body.
32nd S. towards Tunnel head - deployed - met
resistance W. of the N.S. Road through Bellicourt
120 American was to make line S. of Bellicourt.

Diagram - see original document

Wark found them held up at X and had a fight there
Wark xxxx realised that Americans weren't through and
that he had the whole flank to make including Magny
la Fesse.
He took a battery of 77s. and crew of 9; 50 men
in Magny la Fesse.
(Wark is a quantity surveyor in Sydney).
August 30th - On 2nd mroning when troops were ordered
to attack from Nauroy and reported they couldn't (after
trying it from N.) Bde. Major, Maj. Wisdom, went up
himself and crawled out to observe, but was fired at
by M.G.  from the Sugar Factory by M.Gs. This was in
spite of heavy shelling by all guns Bde. had on night
29/30th - and again before 29th Bn. attacked on 30th.
But that time fire from left by Lamp Station
caught 29th Bn. B.M. got out about 120 yards but
couldn't get further.