Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/260/1 - 1916 - 1930 - Part 4

4606.
25 June 1929.
Captain T. F. Rossiter, M.B.E.,
20, Stonehaven Avenue,
East Malvern, S.E.5.  Vic.
Dear Captain Rossiter,
I have to thank you for the map and notes, which 
are of much assistance.  I notice on the map, which I here-

with return, what looks like a mark representing the objective 
of "C" Company on the right of "A" and "B", but I cannot see 
the objective of "D" Company.  Do you remember whether it 
enclosed Lagnicourt?
Yours sincerely,

4957.
4 October 1929.
Captain K.C. McDonald, M.C.,
10, Higinbotham Street,
Brighton, S.5. Vic.
Dear Captain McDonald,
Many thanks for your reply to my letter, which
corrects in several respects the account that I had received.

I should be glad of confirmation in one matter.
The account of the taking of Delsaux Farm usually given states 
that the German officer in charge of the post, apparently 
observing that his men were becoming anxious to retire, walked 
out to the crater swinging a walking-stick, and had just reached 
it when he was shot; and that on his body was found the order 
to which you refer.  I take it from your account that the Ger-

mans were withdrawing and he following them when he was shot, 
and that the order was found not on his body, but in his dugout.
If you are certain of the details, I will follow your account, 
but, if you have any doubt, I should be grateful if you would 
refer me to someone who could possibly settle the question.
Yours sincerely,

4986.

15 October 1929.

Major J. Pascoe, M.C.,

212A, Lyons Street,

North Ballarat, Vic.

Dear Major Pascoe,

I am sorry to worry you again about the details of 
the fight on 19 March 1917 at Noreuil, but the event is very 
difficult to disentangle.  I conclude that the companies from 
right to left were as follows - Captain Moss, Captain Rossiter, 
Captain Pascoe.  The commander of the fourth company, which 
was to have advanced beside yours but missed its way, I do not 
know.

I also conclude that Captain Moss' company was held 
up somewhere in the valley south-west of Langnicourt; that 
Rossiter's reached the sunken road leading into Lagnicourt 
from Noreuil; and that the fourth company lost its way, and 
did not really enter into the fight until the others were withdrawn 
and put in again later over the spur between Noreuil and Lag-

nicourt.

I should be very grateful if you could in a few 
words, inform me whether, as far as you know, these conclusions 
are correct.

Yours faithfully,

CITY OF BALLARAT  VICTORIA
City Engineers' Office,
Town Hall,
12th November, 1929.

Mr. C.E.W. Bean,
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
PADDINGTON.
New South Wales.

Dear Sir,
In reply to your 4986 on the 15th 

ult., I should say your conclusions are as 

correct as is possible to arrive at.
Yours faithfully,
J Pascoe

. . . . . . . . . . . 

FL.4151

==========

4512.

25 May 1929.

Dear Anderson,

I was reading today the account you gave me of the 

attack at Noreuil and Lagnicourt. I would be grateful for 

information on the following points -

[*Capt Rossiter

Major Moss*]

(1) I take it that the companys which moved against 

Bois de Vaulx were the two support companies - Captain 

Rossiter's and yours. Is this correct?
[*Mr. A in R's Coy

other coy was led by 

Lt Moss*]

(2) The name of your company commander.

[*Rossiter*]

(3) Can you remember for certain whether vague orders 

for an attack on Lagnicourt and Noreuil were given to you 

before the companies settled down for the night at 

Vaulx?  Other accounts seem to indicate that no plans 

were explained until the middle of the night or early 
next morning.

[*Not given

called out in the

middle of night - first

news of intended 

attack*]

(4) Were you aware that Captain Pascoe and his company got 

along the top of the spur on your left to a position 

beyond the road (which you reached) and came back after 

staying about half an-hour? I take it you saw nothing 

of them.

[*No*]

[*Yes.*]

(5) Was it Captain Pascoe's company that attacked Lagni-

court on your right?
[*No. Moss's*]

(6) Do you remember whether anything was said beforehand 

about not attacking the villages if they were strongly 

held?

Yours sincerely,

CEW Bean

[*shorthand]

[shorthand] unoccupied

on sunken rd near L. [shorthand] two

parts in R [shorthand]*]

W.W. Anderson, Esq.,

Australian War Memorial,

Box 214D, G.P.O.,

Melbourne

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

_{TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS}

_"AUSWARMUSE"

_{TELEPHONE. Nos.}

_{F 2597}

_{F 2598}

_{AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL}

_{NOW BEING ERECTED AT CANBERRA}

_{Communications to be addressed to}

_{"The Director"}

_{In reply please quote}

No. 12/3/49

_{"They gave their lives. For that public gift 
they received a praise which never ages and a 
tomb most glorious - not so much the tomb in 
which they lie, but that in which their fame 
survives, to be remembered for ever when 
occasion comes for work or deed . . . ."}

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL OFFICES,

_{Post Office Box 214 D.}

_{EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, MELBOURNE,}

 

25th September, 1929.

Dear Mr. Bean,

With reference to your letter No. 4512 of the 

25th May, Mr. Anderson did not reply immediately as he was 

desirous of consulting brother-officers and verifying his own 

recollections of the attack referred to.

He now informs me that the answers to the 
questions asked in your letter are as follows :-

(1) The companies which moved against Bois de Vaulx 

were those commanded by Captain Rossiter and 

Major Moss. Mr. Anderson was second-in-command 

of the former.

(2) The company to which Mr. Anderson belonged was 

commanded by Captain Rossiter.

(3) No orders for an attack on Lagnicourt and Noreuil 

were given before the companies settled down for 

the night. They were called out during the 

night and then for the first time received 

advice of the impending attack.

(4) Mr. Anderson was unaware that Captain Pascoe's 

company had reached the spur on the left. He 

saw nothing of this company.

(5) The company which attacked Lagnicourt on Mr.  

Anderson's right was commanded by Lieutenant 

(later Major) Moss - not by Captain Pascoe.

(6) Nothing was said beforehand about attacking 

the villages if they were strongly held.  

Captain Rossiter and Mr. Anderson had received 

advice from their battalion headquarters, which

they believed had been based on an aeroplane 
reconnaissance, that Langnicourt was unoccupied.   

Consequently, when the company neared Lagnicourt, 

in the shelter of a sunken road, Captain Rossiter 

divided his company in two, left one in the 

command of Mr. Anderson, and led the other into 
Lagnicourt where he unexpectedly encountered 

heavy machine gun fire and was eventually forced

to rejoin the part of the company under Mr. 

Anderson which had remained in the sunken road. 

Yours sincerely, 

J  Treloar
[*These answers to

questions by Mr Bean

I believe to be right*]

[*W Anderson*]

Mr. C. E. W. Bean,

Official Historian,

Sydney.

4988.

15 October 1929.

W.W. Anderson, Esq.,

Australian War Memorial,

Box 214D, G.P.O.,

Melbourne.

Dear Anderson,

I am sorry to worry you again about the details of the

fight on 19 March 1917 at Noreuil, but the event is very difficult

to disentangle. I conclude that the companies from right to left

were as follows - Captain Moss, Captain Rossiter, Captain Pascoe.

The commander of the fourth company, which was to have advanced

beside Pascoe's but missed its way, I do not know.

I also conclude that Captain Moss's company was held up

somewhere in the valley south-west of Lagnicourt; that Rossiter's

reached the sunken road leading into Lagnicourt from Noreuil; that

Pascoe's crossed this road and reached a point east of Noreuil;

and that the fourth company lost its way, and did not really enter

the fight until the others were withdrawn and put in again later

over the spur between Noreuil and Lagnicourt.

I should be very grateful if you could in a few words

inform me whether, as far as you know, these conclusions are

correct.

Yours sincerely,

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

_{TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS}

_{"AUSWARMUSE."}

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL,

_{POST OFFICE BOX 214 D}

_{EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, MELBOURNE}

_{TELEPHONE NOS.}

_{F 2597.}

_{F 2598.
COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO}

_{"THE DIRECTOR."}

_{IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE}

_{No. . . . .}

_{"They gave their lives. For that public gift they 
received a praise which never ages and a 
tomb most glorious-not so much the tomb in 
which they lie, but that in which their fame 
survives to be remembered for ever when occasion 
comes for work of deed . . . ."}

 

_{October 29th 1929}

Dear Mr Bean

In answer to your letter

No. 4998 of the 15^th Inst, I must first  
apologise again for not replying

earlier. I am not able yet to give 
you the information you require, 
although I discussed, last  
night, the fight in Noreuil 
on 19 March 1917 with several officers 
of the battalion who were there. 
The battalion officers, however  
are holding their annual reunion 
next Monday night, when I

shall meet Col. Bateman; 
Captain Moss, Captain Rossiter, 
and Captain Pascoe. After  
discussing the operation with these 
people I should be able to give 
you an account as near to 
the truth as possible. 
believe me

Yours truly

Wallace Anderson

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA

_{TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS}

_{"AUSWARMUSE."}

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL,

_{POST OFFICE BOX 214 D,}

_{EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, MELBOURNE}

_{TELEPHONE NOS.}

_{F 2597}

_{F 2598}

_{COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO}

_{"THE DIRECTOR"}

_{IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE}

_{No. . . . .}

_{. . . . .}

_{"They gave their lives. For that public gift 
they received a praise which never ages and a 
tomb most glorious-not so much the tomb in 
which they lie, but that in which their fame}

_{survives to be remembered for ever when occasion 
comes for word or deed . . . . "}

 

November 11^th 1929

Dear Mr Bean

Your letter No. 5726 to hand. 
I am enclosing a brief account of 
the attack made by the 23^rd Battalion 
on March 19^th 1917 at Noreuil. I had held 
it up, so that I could get any comments 
from Major Bateman to whom I had sent 
a copy as he asked me to do so.  
However if any further information
comes to hand I will send on to 
you

Yours truly

Wallace Anderson

P.S Colonel Bateman's note to hand so

have enclosed it.

WWA