Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/260/1 - 1916 - 1930 - Part 8

(3)

Distribution : -

Copies to : 1. 25th Bn.

2. 26th Bn.

3. 27th Bn.

4. 28th Bn.

5. 7th A.M.G. Coy

6. 7th A.L.T.M.B.

7. B Squad, 13th A.L.H.

8. Half B. Coy 1st Anzac Cyclist Corps

9. 5th Field Amb (Bearer sub-div)

10. O.C. Advanced Guards Artillery

11. O.C. 6th Field Coy

12. 116th H. Battery

13. 122th H. Battery.

14. 2nd Aust. Div. "G"

15.  '' " " "Q"

16. G.O.C.

17. Staff Capt.

18. O.C. 17th A.A.S.C.

19. Brigade Sig. Officer.

20. 20th Imp. Brigade.

21. 5th A.I. Bde

22. 6th A.I. Bde

23. 3rd Squad R.F.C.

24. 15th A.I. Bde.

25. War Diary

26. File

27 to 30 Spare

31. Reconnaissance Off. 1st Anzac H.A.

SECRET

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ADVANCED GUARD - 3RD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

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ADDENDUM to Operation Order No. 89.

 

Reference MAPS 57 C.N.W 2 VAULX-VRAUCOURT 1/10,000.

57cN.W Ed.5.A. 1/20,000.

 

(1) To map reference in Operation Order No. 89 add

57 c.N.[?].2 VAULX-VRAUCOURT 1/10,000.

(2) Care will be taken that summer time is adopted in

reckoning Zero time.

(3) The 20th Brigade is attacking LONGATTE simultaneously

with our attack on LAGNICOURT.

(4) The C.O. 25th Battalion will arrange to keep in close

touch with the Right of the 20th Brigade.

(5) After the capture of LAGNICOURT and after the posts

mentioned in para 2 of Operation Order No. 89 have been

established the C.O. 27th Battalion will sand strong

patrols to reconnoitre NOREUIL and if it is unoccupied they

will push through it. Posts will then be established on

the general line C.17.d.7.4., C.17.central, C.10.c.5.95.

If 20th Brigade attack has succeeded, the line will be

carried to C.3.central   If this attack fails the line will

be established along the line C.9.d.55.95, C.9.c.7.5.,

C.8.d.15.65 where touch will be established with the

nearest post of the 20th Brigade.

(6) For the purpose of the operation the boundary between

the 20th Brigade and the 7th Australian Brigade will be the

road C.15.b.7.2., C.8.b.5.8., C.3.central.

(7) On the 20th Brigade gaining LONGATTE the 25th Battalion

will push forward patrols to establish posts linking up the

Right of the 20th Brigade and the Left of the 27th Battalion

Should NOREUIL be unoccupied the 25th Battalion posts will

be established on the line C.10.c.F5.95., C.3.central, at

which points it will be in touch with the 27th Battalion

and the 20th Brigade respectively.

(8) A contact Aeroplane will fly over the line at about

7.0 a.m. (new time)

(9) Order No.89 para 2 line 3. For C.18.c.3.7. read

C.16.d.3.7.

(signed) N. WELLINGTON, Captain,

A/Brigade Major, 7th Australian Infantry Brigade

Distribution as per Order No. 89.

Task Table 'A' (issued with 2nd Aust. Div. Artillery Order No.22)

PHASE 1.

Unit	Time	Task
'A' Bty ^4th AFA Brigade	0.0. to 0.20.	Road C.17.c.00.55 to C.16.b.1.3. thence to C.16.a.45.55.
'B' Bty " "	" " "	C.18.a.45.55. to C.16.a.20.65 to C.10.c.1.2.
'C' Bty " "	" " "	C.10.c.1.2. to C.9.b.0.6
104th How. Bty	" " "	Road junction at C.10.c.25.05 C.10.c.5.1. C.10.c.7.3. C.10.c.65 C.10.c.8.1 C.10.c.95.10.
'A' Bty 5th AFA Brigade	" " "	C.23.d.95.00 to C.23.s.1.1. to C.23.d.25.35.
'B' " " " "	" " "	C.23.d.25.35 to C.23.d.7.9.
'C' " " " "	" " "	C.23.d.7.9. to C.33.b.45.45.
'D' " " " "	" " "	C.23.b.45.45 to C.23.b.55.75 to C.17.d.0.1.
'E' " " " "	" " "	C.17.d.0.1. to C.17.c.00.55.
105th How. Bty	" " "	C.23.d.40.15, C.23.b.45.45 Road Junctions at C.24.c.05.50.50, C.23.d. 95.75,C.23.b.8.4. C.23.b.35.75.

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PHASE 11.

All Batteries 4th AFA Bde	0.20 to 0.30	As in Phase 1.
'A' 'B' & 'E' 5th " " X→	" " "	Creep back to N.E. Rate one lift 50 yards every 2 minutes
'C'  X Bty 5th AFA Bde	0.30 " 0.40	Search road from C.18.d.00.25 to D.7.c.6.2.
'D' Bty 5th AFA Bde	0.20 " 0.24   0.24 to 0.30	Search road from C.17.d.7.1. to C.17.d.6.6. Search back to N.E. rate one lift of 50 yards every 2 minutes.
105th How Battery	0.20 to 0.30	Roads from C.24.b.25.35 to C.24.b 95.35 (3) and C.24.b.20.35 to C.18.d.90.95

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Task Table 'B" (Issued with 2nd Aust. Div. Order No.22) Action by

14th A.F.A. Brigade Batteries

'A' 18 pndr Bty
14th A.F.A Bde	0.0 to 0.15 0.15 " 0.20 0.20 " 0.30	Road C.23.d.95.00 to C.39.b.75.00 C.23.d.95.00 to C.29.b.85.30. Lift back from C.23.d.95.50 to C.24.c.6.0. through village east Road C.24.c.D-3 C.23.d.95.80 - C.24.a.35.30, Rate lift 100 yards perminute.
	0.30 to 0.40	Search road from C.18.c.75.00 to V.7.c.3.0.
'B' 18 pndr Bty	0.0 to 0.20 0.20 to 0.40	Road C.24.c.15.10 to C.30.a.65.65 Lift back N.E. at rate 200 yards per minute to road C.24.b.10.25 D.10.c.0.4. and resting there.

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x **
'C' Bty 5th AFA Bde 0.20 to 0.50	Creep back to N.E. rate one lift of 50 yards every 2 minutes

Sheet C
Diagram - see original document

–            MAP            –

Illustrating the Battle

of

"LAGNICOURT"

Diagram - see original document

 

Ref: Map. 57c N.W.     FIELD SURVEY COY        Scale: - 1:10,000.

R.E.

39

Date    21/1/18

–   TRACING  –

Showing

Dispositions Before & After the Battle

of

"LAGNICOURT" 26^th March 1917.

Diagram - see original document

Ref: Map. 57c N.W.   FIELD SURVEY COY    Scale: - 1:20,000.

R.E.

 38

Date    21/1/18

FL. 4151.

xxxxxx

xxxxx

 

4694.

30 July 1929.

 

Dear Sir,

In writing the account of the battle of Lagnicourt

for Volume IV of the Official History of the War, I have

found some difficulty in describing the part played by the

26th Battalion, and especially by your company and Captain

Cherry. The records hardly mention what occurred -

(i) in the attack on the buildings at the entrance

of the village,

(ii) in the attack on the hedges,

(iii) in the attack on the crater.

Concerning the German counter-attack the records are rather

fuller.

I enclose a rough sketch of the village. If you

can remember what happened and would note down for me (on the

back of the sketch, if you prefer) your recollections of the

events as you saw them, I should be most grateful.

 

Yours faithfully

H.H. Bieske, Esq.,

251, Chapple Street,

Broken Hill,

N.S.W.

327 Wyman St

Broken Hill

N. S. Wales

6^th Aug 1929

 

Mr C.E.W. Bean

Victoria Barracks

Paddington

 

Dear Sir,

Your communication dated 30^th July

containing a request for information re

the battle of Lagnicourt arrived safely

to hand & in reply thereto I can feel

that I can perhaps supply a certain

amount of the information you require,

with regard to the movements of C

Company commanded by Capt Cherry & who

was entrusted with the task of penetrating

the village.

Zero time was 5 a.m. 26-3-17 & the night was

about the blackest I have seen. The village

was as it had been all along in complete

darkness giving the idea that it had 

been evacuated but we were all of one

mind in thinking otherwise.

Capt Cherry divided his Company in two

portions, then one half under Lieut Hamilton

with whom I was placed taking the left of

the road while Cherry with Lieut Corner advanced

2

along the road. All went well until

we arrived within about 50 yards of the

village when we received the full effect

of machine guns. Hamilton was one of

the first to fall & sang out to me to 

take charge, so on I went, but we were

caught by a wide awake Fritz who pxxred

machine-gunned us & when I entered the 

first line of trenches marked A I did

so with only five men, the remainder

approx 45 men being casualties.

Fritz cleared & did not wait to count my

small band. A machine gun was busy

at the left front so I took my band

over & we bombed them out without losing

one of the small party. We then found 

ourselves in the al second line of

trenches marked B. Here again Fritz

did not wait. I paused here to

consider my next move. To my left all

was quiet & on the right I could hear

rifle shots which sounded too far away

to have come Cherry. I then came

to the conclusion that Cherry & his

men were wiped out so I decided to

go to the right & investigate. Anyway

I made up my mind for the time being

3

to keep clear of the road as I was

not strong enough to encounter resistance.

Accordingly I crossed the road, & as

I did not meet Cherry I was now sure

he was gone. Rifle shooting was distinct on

my right front, & this I considered came

from Lloyd's Coy so with the idea of

linking up with him I took the track

I have marked until I came upon a

road without meeting any resistance.

Here we paused & listened. Hearing voices

to the left we went in their direction

& soon I came right on a Fritz officer.

He was more surprised than I as

I had come from behind. Realizing

it was all or nothing I pushed my

revolver straight into his tummy,

made him put his hands up &

march down in front of us. Then the

fun began. Fritz came from nowhere &

off they went at the gallop with my

five lads firing along the road at

them. Like a fool I forgot my

prisoner & the next thing I knew

was he had a bear hug on me & 

both my arms pinned so that I could

not use my revolver. Catch as catch