Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/253/1 - 1918 - 1939 - Part 8

Beyond Villers Brettoneaux we joined the battalion horse lines and  waited

for the battalion which had not yet returned from the linewhere it had

remained in occupation after Villers Sur Anere.

Eventually we moved up again to a position just on the edge and slightly

to the right of Villers Sur Anere itself it was here that volunteers

from A coy21 batn with the support of a box barrage raided an enemy

outpostwith the view to getting information prior to Hamel.Fortunately

for the raiders the german machine gunxxxx jammed and the gunner was

shot down while trying to free it with out hand and shooting at us

with his automatic with the other..Allwere killedthat did not escape

but information wasobtained from the dead and their dugout. The party

withdrew and the ly person who was hit was Private C B Gates who was

evacuated next morning with a wound in the knee . At Hamel I acted as

guide to the tape for A coy and after as runner to Lt Bennie who repeated

ly got me to call up the right flank which was swinging back. We twice

had to stop as we were right up with our own barrage otherwise a perfect

stunt. Our objective reached A coy dug in or occupied existing trenches

 while I was sent by Lt Bennie to ask a tank v=crew which had stopped

on our front in no man land to give help on our right which was held

up temporary by machine guns fire from the enemy. The tank officer

possibly becauxse I did not salute orbecause I had no written order

ignored my request. Poor Hasey killed in this stunt.I also saw one of 

our chaps shot in mistake for a fritz he was charging ahead of the line

in the half light and was I was told hopping in for souvenirs

we had just dealt with the outposts enemy and were making for his front

line. I had great shooting while we were consolidating the light now

being very good the enemy retiring inhundreds in the open . When we

first hit their front line I followed my O C along itsx parapet and

got one poor devil at pointblank range it was dark in the trench but

x xxx xxxxx xxxxx xxx xx xx

 

 

I saw the bayonet .The others surrendered.

The next day I was given the machine gun (which was captured by the

relieving 22 battn v c) to taketo the rear and as the gun was awkward

to carry in the trench Lt Bennie and myself risked a cut across the

open and were immediately shelled by whiz bangs the gunner who no

doubt could see us and that sprint to our old Hopoff front line must 

have given him the laugh of his life.

A coy was in reserve in the old railway cutting near Villers Brett

after Hamel and mostly spent our time doing fatigues to the front line

on the night that the big gasx attack  was launched by thex germans

we were detailed to dig support trenches in front of the village and

near the old aerodrome.The gas shells seemed to be coming over in

miliions and as we only had picks and shovels and an attack seemed

certain we were ordered back to stand to and this coy was fortunate

seeing an attack did no develop that it hada gas proof dugout in which

to spend the night. Poor old C coy billeted right in the village got

it bad. Lt .Dick a new reinforcement officerwas in charge at that time.

of the fatigue part a coy.

Before august the 8th the 21 st were in the line  we were brought out

theday of the attack given an overhaul and so much rations that we went

up and on to the tape near the cutting on the railway. With about

Aug 8 twenty minutes to go to zero we were  subjected to an intense shelling

while we were on the tape. This became so deadly that we were ordered

back into theold outpost trenches to save wastage as much as possible

and also to be in a position for a possible attack . After this shelling

by the enemy it was the sweetest music of my life when our own barrage

opened .The guns were one roar and the smallarms fire terrific. I was

the right hand man of the Australian Corps that day my comrade accross

 

 

COPY

the quitting being a canadian .Truly this was a great day.

During the ( peacefull penetration) that followed Lt Brett was in

charge of my platoon Captain Sullivan in chargeA coy we were held up

by a sniper in a tree on the high ground near the village of Freeze

(prounced so)Lt  .Brett a signaller and myself went to the left while

the remainder of the platoon worked to the right.The sniper was brought

down. From this advantage point we now overlooked the village where the

germans could be seen frantically trying to remove what was possibly

Headquarters material.Ihad previously qualified for my marksmanship

in England and this gave me some excellent shooting the removal being

greatly speeded up and in return I was no doubt responsible for the

slavos and whizbangs that had apparently been directed on to ur position

It may be interesting to recall that the battn was recalled from the

line here torest at Cappy but through some error no 1 platoon did not

get the order toreitre and we remained in position for an extra day

awaiting orders myself being finially sent back tolook for the battn 

which I found as I neared Cappy and also a battn runner being sent to

lookfor us. Before leaving this phase of the peacefull penetration

behind I must recall that I was left by Captain Sullivan to guide the

famous raider(Iforgot his name  but an officer of the 23 or 24 battn)

we raided but came up agast a machine gun that could not be silenced

and the stunt was called off.

At Mont S t Quentin we were in support to the 5 th Brigade who went

through us in the morning.We were taking a rest and a snack when orders

came to fix bayonets and retake the summit.Here again our platoon was

the extreme right at any rate no one was visible on that flank and almost without any artillery support we deployed our bayonets flashing

in the hot sun.It was here also I noticed the photographer Hurley I

think who snapped us as we advanced to the assault . The dead were

 

 

 

very thick around here.The restance from both machine guns and artillery

intense . Lt.Brett lost his 5th batman while we were crossing the main

Peronne road the position I believe being hard to fill.later. across

this road the machine gun fire wasvery deadly and we were forced out

from some shell holes in which we had temperolly taken cover .The

platoon then occupied a small section of trench which however would

not hold us all and Cpl.Star another and myself laid in the table drain

while the german 9.2tore up thebitumen  all round us.This shelling was

particular hell. We still advanced and eventually formed a front line

defensive system but still without any sign of anyone on our right and

we placed a gun and swung back our own flank to be prepared for a

flanking movement from the enemy. Thedead and wounded were very thick

in front and during the day these were brought in with the white flag.

That day we were releaved Lt.Brett and myself being left behind to

help consolidate the reliefx and when finally we got out I could not

keep up with the Lt whose nicknames was chunda and whose impressions

of Mont St Quentin inspired him to leave it with al possible speed,

I must recall that Lt.Dick AndSergeant Smartt were killed by the one

shell the morning the 5th brigade attacked.

After a short rest we were after the ene,y again and I was recalled

to a officers and N.C.O. school while we were passing through Roisel.

I rejoined the battn and were just going up again when the armistice

was signed.

 

 

Deed for which Military Medal was 

awarded to No. 5342 Private J.E. Hincks

26 Battalion.

Prior to the attack East 

of Villers Bretonmeux near Amiens on

August 8 1918 this man although

wounded, took charge of a Lewis Gun

team whose leader had been killed

and led them throughout the attack with

great gallantry and shill. During the

advance he encountered a machine gun

and going forward alone, engaged it

with his Lewis Gun silencing it and

helping three of the crew.

During the following

two days this man continued to lead

the Lewis Gun team with the same

gallantry and shill until severely 

wounded

 

 

EXTRACTS FROM AN ACCOUNT WRITTEN UP AFTER THE WAR

BY 1001 SGT JR EDWARDS PAY SERGEANT OF 26 BN

(FORMERLY MEDICAL SGT OF 27BN) FROM HIS OWN 

NOTES. XXX

When Battalion went onto the line on 7 Aug 1918

I retired to the O M's quarters in La Motte, & from there heard

the terrific bombardment which next day preceded the 

attack of John Monash's army........ We were soon

chasing the battalion up. It was wonderful how

the transport & stores kept up to the troops when the

big jumps to Peronne were taking place. One never

knew when the m=next move would occur, & often the

event go suddenly go forward in the dark.

Near Chuignies we saw the enormous 15" gun

which used to shell Amiens When in La Motte

I had heard the shells droning across the sky like

railway trains, watched the explosions in Amiens,

& destinctly heard the reports quite few miles 

away.

Told about provisions - they need to come down

in batches of 500 or 600 at a time, & yu could see the

Germans were nearly all pd up. The Prussian

officers, however, looked just as [[cumftious?]] and

arrogant as ever, but those pleasant traits

did not deter the Diggers from giving them the 

"once over."

The battalion at last stopped in front of

Harbonnieres & the transport were about  2 kilos

behind infant of Bayoubillers. We all took to the 

ground on account of bombs...... The damned

Gottas seemed always on the sly & sleep was hard

to get.......

 

 

 

2.

While near Bayouvillers I witnessed a good 

example of Troops digging in for a nights bivouac

.A company of a battalion on its way to the line

reached the field where I was dug in, at 7pm.

they piled arms & had a snack and then began to

get below ground, which was fairly soft. Pairs

of men with shovels excavated pits about 2'6"

deep x 2'6" wide and 7' long. They placed dry

grass on the bottom of the hole,  & in many instances

covered the top with galvanised iron or timber

secured  from the ruined village. All of these

separate possies held two diggers, and by 8p.m.

every man jack was in bed and completely

out of sight. No one could possibly have

learned their position without a very close

inspection. The reason for getting below

the ground level was to escape bomb

splinters. [[?]] for a direct hit, they

were quite safe..........

On 17 Aug we went back to Bussy - les- Dasurs

for a spell, & everyone enjoyed themselves on the

banks of the Somme. I remember one pleasant

afternoon attending the 27Bn aquatic sports

---------

from Dasurs we went back to the line

in busses. This was the prelude to that great

exploit of the 2nd Div. ..... Peronne & Mont

St Quentin.......

 

 

 

3.

On my way towards Peronne the le of the 7 Bde

Transport camped for a few nights at some crossroads

between the Somme & the remains of a village

named Dompierre. One night I went over to

the 27th........During the evening some

divisional signallers had found a lot of German

flares & began to fire a few in order to see the

pretty lights. This was an idiotic thing to do

& of course offered to all orders. Within ten

minutes.......over came a couple of Gottas & bombed

the Brigade camp.

Someone blew out our candle & down on the 

floor we went just in time to escape the

fragments of shell, earth, & bomb which flew

into the bivvy on the open side, from the first

or second explosion. The other bombs fell a bit

further away,  bit when we crept out we

found that the horse lines were shambles,

while on of the 27th runners, a kid named

Tiny Marriott, had been killed.

A number if 27th fellows had been

playing cards under a trench shelter. They

were not an inch below ground. When the

Gottas arrived, they nearly all took the prone

position, quick and lively, but Tiny just stood

outside & watched the show. A bomb fell 

close enough to riddle the trench shelter in a 

hundred places & dropped Tiny where he

stood. He was s most lovable youngster with

a sunny smile for everyone, but reckless to a fault......

 

 

4.

The transport of the 26th finally camped in a 

little wood at Fervillers......The bombing was 

violent here.......

The Brigade soon after came out for a decent

spell at Cappy where we camped in huts

right alongside the Somme, which is [[?]] at

this point. The fellows had a real holiday

here, & were engaged in all kinds of sport,

fishing & swimming. The brigade held a 

re & on the flat above the banks there was

a great athletic & race gathering, at which a

real "tote" run. This was a corps affair

& highly successful..........

On the evening of 27 Sept. we marched across

the Somme to Doigat ([[?]] Peronne & the famous Rue de Kanga)

.........The next night we

moved along Mont St Quentin & bivvied at

Templars la Fare on Templars la Garde........

Anyway we slept on shell racks. Next

morning the unit proceeded to Harjicourt......

We had furious bombing attacks by the Hun

while here, but it was wonderful how effective

were the now tactics adopted in defence. No

fire from the ground, but the searchlights would

get the enemy plane on the beam, enabling

our patrolling planes to locate the Gottas.

The greatest plane would put a few bursts into

the Hun & he invariably dropped his load

at once, & either scooted for home or crashed.

It was interesting to watch them turning 

& twisting to get out of the beam, because

 

 

 

5.

they knew that while in the light they offered a 

splendid target to their unseen enemy.

When the boys came out  the afternoon of 5 Oct

we camped for the night in some old trenches

a few kilos from Hajicourt. Next morning......

at 8 o'clock moved off towards Roisal.....&

entrained for Berteaucourt aux Dawes to enjoy

a long spell............Bertreaucourt

will always be a happy memory, because here we

heard of the signing of the Armistice.

Everybody took it very calmly, as xxx

all were "broke", & there were no [[?]]

at all......We at once began to speculate

as to when we would reach Aussie. I had

one wild floating hope that I might get home

before the New Year, but that hope quickly

fled when I heard that Col Chalmers thought

it would take a year to get all the

troops home. The next thing we heard

was that the 2 Div. was going to Cologne

& I listened to this story with mixed 

feelings. I wanted to see the Rhine,

but felt that one square yard of Australia

was worth more to me than all Europe.

However, although we never reached

Germany, we got well on the way during

the next few weeks & finally settled down

in....... a Suburb of Charleroi.......

We marched into the town with colours