Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/260/1 - 1916 - 1930 - Part 17

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066696
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Ballarad 3rd Sebe29 Captain C.E.C. Bean ductoria Bocraels Paddeeglow Dear Beau. I am bee receept of your letter of the 20th Acgued and I steace be heeared to tell yau whad I exa recember of the advance from Bapannie for exacd records of the advance & details of the formations eed my icenory would not be Eaffectly reliabee beed I have a very eved ricollectiion of the captivee of treencoard& the ananne to the Bengny line from Fremcoed On the day of the advance Iwas attached to a Sauadion of the 13th LHorse as Leason Officer. The Lt were eantering sleand te exeutey in ond icolated graupt attracting decviting
fine for the purpose of lcating the eey. The fron exeused to be fairly cleae to the ridge between Bengny I Grencourd excepd for Teemoutd itself Sleats continued to come from this town despise the tread of a smarl grocep of the L.R. to end it off The L.A. did sist eseced in getting betwen Ereuncoud & Becegny as they were deiven back by the fire each time the attemnd was made when the fired small patuve of the infantey came along I lied up my horse & jained them seve hastinen ahead of everyone snterid srmesd ad the Bahann end Gre were abrand five ofees all told. We were serenlin in teemonrd dccees nod find any kenis. Ae we seached the occhtets of the town on the Beegay cixe. we lland a mashing dea which counded
about 50-100 yards away. We were thm in a canken road edecided to clarge in the drrcdtion of the Cooed. We took off acl hambering exuchmend dlined the road sad a word pcnse up &ran like blages lowaras where we cannred the saggi to be beed escced freed no one as ae were eearshing aleand we were beang pixed upon from an isolate Eceluin between Bengny Druncourd. We were now joined by another harty of ifactry who has jued come through srnconed aleand 12 men sucheding Lt Robb who afterward. was killed Wee decides to charge the building froom which the shiots were coming &staria offie Ensccce wases lend god tired of that founation d all can on togection in a jolly faclion of our own. Gen Hens continued to fie
asus for a bid but thin ceased swve ran on up to the eieed of the sice as hard as we could in the liofes of tetting a few sleots The madtime gun referres to excur was apparcastly ccconted betweenn Tenened &te colois lcelding dive were ustaten as to the direction frrom which the sames came & the dictai The fin was apparently decmintled + rin bad to the Bengny- Ebze line as soon as we made our oppearance assoon as we reashed the occed of the ridge we almost ran uto the evire in friond of the Bengny- E bee line oe saw aband a doyen teas standing on the hamor of the trush. Ee sier down silte the beied detasted to bire ave godback over the ovrd ny changed
ineffective shots with them. aeeevr well and in the front on our own ad this time Gue infantry who were advaning each side of Trencour soon caure up an either side. Keering of teee 59th on our left was the fixed to jain us As faras I can receember the Companier advanced in Elctions wece sud tun ceations in closer formation safianon in plations Lagh I know was held ut on the right left by a post of kens in a sheet holl or cister. The hord included an Officer. I know that I can back as soon as the others came up as I wished t enformm General Elliot of the state of ffairs Ture was no further opposition lo our occupation of Bengny
I forget how the ex& step of the advance was carried and as I eas wod in the vace. as I have as mapsos records adace I can give uo further detach bu am sure of the iecidents which I have related by sheeling of the canes of the buns may be wrong for I have not leen the seames since 1913. I do nod thieet our Brigade look frad in the captiere of Beannetz ee were I think sccoved and to tas left ostopped there for a time. He seex d. Brigade adventure was the attack on Beaumety by the tens &tee coutes attect by the 57th Bes Perhaps there details are too scrately to intereed you but they are all
that I can remember which cald be of any hossible interest Jam quite cortain ofsy facts weeh regard to scconrd. Is was excenary to elear this town before the enfactyy edved up on he flaecks as the senters were active leere & their retrest was covered by those ine the building aothe rear of Gremeone &the secasine geen between the benlking other locon. I do not know if then has ever beec ree accurate record of this harticular tot bi I cannot eecollend writing a repord E oveyone was see great form on the day of the advance. The change from the some seend to the Greec Dward and sen life icto us the asace was carried and in a biinie shered I ofter adcese your work reyhastre with your in your terrific task yours Enecerety RASaimon le kind reegards.
Ballarat. 13 Dec 29. Gue Hectorian Pictoria Barrane Eegancy Dear Bean I received your letter No 5238 today. The actual circumstances of the encide as Deleanx Farm are too vague ill my decensory to be of any uce to you Iarely saw the scrap for the crater at a distance & though I heard the detach of the eeceed at the leeae I am sead seere Ca Tam sorry that I cannod accred you Wich beed wishes for this Clexielmas & the hew years Yoeers Cincerly RAsamon
4733. 14 August 1929. Major D. B. Doyle, S. Helmorood Avenue, Brighten. Vic. Dear Major Doyle, I have been describing the fine advance of Elliott's column from Bapaume in 1917, but the description would be mch improved if one could relate not merely that the flanking companies moved round Fremicourt, Delsaux Farm, Beaumetz, etc. but how that movement was carried out. For example, was it a general advance, the companies moving forward extended in successive lines of plateons (if so, how widely extended) I that were the expariences of men and officers) Did it become necess- ary to adopt section rushes with covering fire, or was this done in some places where the fire was not) Did the line facing the enem posts creep forward on its belliest and so on. 1 believe that you watched and assisted some of these movements, and any recollections would therefore be of great assistance. I would be most grateful if you could spare the time to note them down for me, quite shortly. Yours sincerely.
Holmwood to 5 Brighton Ref your No 4733 Aug 1929 19 Dear Mr Bean Fortunately I have some notes in my diary of the period your I shall give you extracts enquiry covers. therefrom and amplify them as far as possible. at 16. March Retreat of Termans begins th 17 Vellages burning in all behind enemy lines. An directions not a shot to quiet- unearthly be heard. th March Switch Trench in Left 18 full marching order with transport. Battalion attacks Delsaux 60 C Cay Form. Passed Reincourt and Bancourt Billit at Fremicourt - all in ruins. 1 Up to this stage little or no opposition had developed 19th March Attack Bengny. Self as O.C. Left Vanguard - consisting of two Bn. Companies the 60 Sniping of from

Ballarat.
3rd Sept 29
Captain C.E.W. Bean.
Victoria Barracks.
Paddington 
Dear Bean.
I am in receipt of your
letter of the 20th August. and I shall
be pleased to tell you what I can 
remember of the advance from Bapaume
For exact records of the advance & details
of the formations used my memory 
would not be sufficiently reliable but 
I have a very vivid recollection of the
capture of Fremicourt & the advance 
to the Beugny line from Fremicourt
On the day of the advance I was
attached to a Squadron of the 13th L.Horse
as Liason Officer. The LH were
sauntering about the country in odd
isolated groups attracting & inviting
 

 

fire for the purpose of locating the
enemy. The front [[excused?]] to be fairly
close to the ridge between Beugny &
Fremicourt except for Fremicourt itself
Shots continued to come from this
town despite the threat of a small
group of the L.H. to cut it off.  The L.H.
did not succeed in getting between
Fremicourt & Beugny as they were driven
back by the fire each time the attempt
was made.
When the first small patrol of the
infantry came along I tied up my
horse & joined them & we hastened

ahead of everyone & entered Fremicourt 
at the Bapaume end. There were about
five [ ??? ] all told. We were [[?]]
in Fremicourt & could not find any
Huns.  As we reached the outskirts of
the town on the Beugny side. We
heard a machine gun which sounded

 

about 50-100 yards away. We were
[ ??? ] in a sunken road & decided to
charge in the direction of the [  ??? ].
We took off all hampering equipment
& lined the road  & at a word jumped
up &ran  like blazes towards where
we considered the m/gun to be but
could find no one.  As we were
searching about we were being
fired upon from an isolated building
between Beugny & Fremicourt.  We were
now joined by another party of infantry
who has just come through Fremicourt
- about 12 men including Lt Robb who
afterwards
was killed - We decides to charge
the building from which the shots were
coming & started off in excessive waves
but got tired of that formation & all
ran on together in a jolly fashion of
our own. The Huns continued to fire
 

 

at us for a bit but then ceased & we
ran on up to the crest of the hill as
hard as we could in the hopes of
getting a few shots
(The machine gun referred to earlier
was apparently [  ??? ]  between
Fremicourt & the isolated building & we
were mistaken as to the direction from
which the sound came & the distance
The gun was apparently [ ? dismantled ? ] &
run back to the Beugny-[ ? Etre ? ] line as
soon as we made our appearance.)
As soon as we reached the crest of
the ridge we almost ran into the wire
in front of the Beugny-[ ? Etre ?] line & we
saw about a dozen Huns standing on 
the [ ??? ] of the trench.  They jumped
down into the trench and started to fire
& we got back over the crest and exchanged
 

 

ineffective shots with them.  We were
well out in the front on "our own"
ad this time
The infantry who were advancing
each side of Fremicourt soon came
up an either side.  Keering of the 59th
on our left was the fixed to join us
As far as I can remember the Companies
advanced in sections were [ ??? ]
their sections in closer formation & afterwards
in platoons
Layh, I know, was held up on the
right left by a [ ??? ] of Huns in a shell hole
or crater. The [ ??? ] included an Officer.
I know that I ran back as soon as
the others came up as I wished to
inform General Elliot of the state of
affairs
There was no further opposition to our
occupation of Beugny
 

 

I forget how the [  ??? ] & step of the
advance was carried out as I was
not in the [  ??? ].
As I have no maps or records at all
I can give no further details but I
am sure of the incidents which I have
related
My spelling of the names of the towns
may be wrong for I have not seen
the names since 1918.
I do nod think our Brigade look
part in the capture of Beaugny.  We
were I think moved over to the left
stopped there for a time.  [  ??? ??? ]
Brigade adventure was the attack on
Beaumetz by the Huns & the counter attack
by the 57th [ ? Bgde ? ]
Perhaps these details are too scratchy
to interest you but they are all
 

 

that I can remember which could be
of any possible interest
I am quite certain of my facts with
regard to Fremicourt. It was necessary
to clear this town before the infantry
moved up on the flanks as the snipers
were active here & their retreat was
covered by those in the building
at the rear of Fremicourt & the machine

gun between the building & the town.
I do not know if there has ever been
an accurate record of this particular
"tit bit" I cannot recollect writing a
report
Everyone was in great form on the
day of the advance. The change from
the [ ??? Somme ??   ?seemed?] to the [ ??? ??? ]
put new life into us & the advance
was carried out in a [ ??? ] spirit
I often admire your work & sympathise
with you in your terrific task 
my kind regards.
Yours sincerely
RASaimon [ ??? ]

 

Ballarat.
13 Dec 29.
The Historian
Victoria Barracks
Sydney


Dear Bean
I received your letter No 5238
today. The actual circumstances of the
incident at Deleanx Farm are too vague
in my memory to be of any use to you
I only saw the "scrap" for the crater at
a distance & though I heard the details of
the event at the time I am not sure of 
them,
I am sorry that I cannot assist you
With best wishes for this
Christmas & the New Years
Yours sincerely
RA Samon[ ??? ]
 

 

4733.
14 August 1929.
Major D. B. Doyle,
5. Helmwood Avenue,
Brighton. Vic.


Dear Major Doyle,
I have been describing the fine advance of Elliott's
column from Bapaume in 1917, but the description would be much
improved if one could relate not merely that the flanking
companies "moved round" Fremicourt, Delsaux Farm, Beaumetz, etc.,
but how that movement was carried out.  For example, was it a
general advance, the companies moving forward extended in
successive lines of platoons (if so, how widely extended)? What
were the experiences of men and officers? Did it become necess-
ary to adopt section rushes with covering fire, or was this done
in some places where the fire was hot?  Did the line facing the
enemy posts creep forward on its bellies?  And so on.
I believe that you watched and assisted some of these
movements, and any recollections would therefore be of great
assistance. I would be most grateful if you could spare the
time to note them down for me, quite shortly.
Yours sincerely.
 

 

5 Holmwood Av

enquiry covers.

Brighton
Ref your No 4733
19th Aug 1929

Dear Mr Bean
Fortunately I have some
notes in my diary of the period your
enquiry covers.  I shall give you extracts
therefrom and amplify them as far as
possible.

16th March - Retreat of Germans begins
17th     "         - Villages burning in all
directions behind enemy lines. An
unearthly quiet - not a shot to
be heard.
18th March  Left Switch Trench in
full marching order with transport.

"C' Coy 60th Battalion attacks Delsaux
Farm.  Passed Reincourt and Bancourt
Billet at Fremicourt - all in ruins.
[Up to this stage little or no
opposition had developed]
19th March   Attack Bengny. Self as
O.C. Left Vanguard - consisting of two
Companies of the 60th Bn.  Sniping from
 

 
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