Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/273/1 - 1918 - 1937 - Part 16

SITUATION AT 6.0 A.M.  25.4.18     III
Diagram - see original document

SITUATION AT 4.15 P.M.  25.4.18.     IV
Diagram - see original document

SITUATION AT 7 A.M. 26.4.18          V

Diagram - see original document

Still [shorthand] will be won
[shorthand]
Ah Charlie Chapman
[shorthand] A company
Do you want a good [shorthand]?
Fall in No 2 (Sergt)
Shake it up No 1
Fall in in sections No 2
[shorthand] up No 4
Serg to them
Cig. out
Pte - - -  Each sergt w little packs.
Minahan
has M?
Sergt Major without belt
Sergt Platoons stand at ease  stand easy
No 2 shows to be a half platoon number
on we are to be half platoon number
Stand at ease
2 officers from the one command same [shorthand] one in web belt.
Iron rations will be handed out up the line.  Is going into support.
Cooker of 43 arrived
Gun goes off
and [shorthand] at it.
Here I am off.
That is that dress for parade
[shorthand]
Dress for parade A company
come on here A company  dress for parade
Dress for parade No 1

86.
SPECIAL MAP “C”
Diagram - see original document

86
100
A.
:MAP E2:
Diagram - see original document

V/B;

Harborn,
H.N.
46 Hobbs Avenue
Midlands
June 29^th 35
Dear Mr Bean
Re Villers Bretonneux
Battle. After 17 years my brain
my not work too well, but will
endeavour to give you my little
account of this Glorious Fight.
Please forgive me
if I use the word I too often
but take some meaning for all
officers in my Battalion. We 
left Corbie on 23^rd April 1918 and
proceed to a place called Pont Moyelle
for a rest on the 24^th. While on
parade word arrived, that the
Hun had attacked and made 
a breach in the line at Villers
Bretonneux. So we had to pack
up and march a distance of about
15 kilometres, Half the way in
Artillery formation and you
know how trying that is for troops
on the march. On the way up

I informed my Coy we were

2
to march to a point behind

Villers-Bret and we were to

attack without Artillery or tank
support in conjunction with the
15^th Brigade A.I.F. on our left.
Time was very short so we had
to make a forced march and
arrived on the jumping off
tape about 10 minutes late.
But we started the attack
immediately. Before going any
further I will explain the idea
of the stunt. The 15^th Australian 
Brigade was attacking on the
left of Villers-Brett. and 13^th
Brigade & British troops on the 
right, the idea being to work
round the village and connect
up the other side surrounding
the garrison. The 51^st Bn had
a very nasty sector having to
cross two belts of wire with our
left flank open resting on the
woods held by machine guns. 

3
From the start the 51^st Bn had to
fight hard, and lost very heavy
in officers & men through
machine gun fire from the left
flank.  I had command of
“C“ Coy the left flank Coy
and Lt Sadlier V.C. was the
young officer in charge of the
extreme left flank. Our
objective was the Railway
Cutting or Bank and Monument
Wood. The Enemy side of Villers Bret
when the 15^th  Brigade would
link up with me. We very
soon engaged the Hun and
I found that my Coy “C” was held
up with heavy machine gun fire
Lt Sadlier on my left flank
reported that the woods was a
nest of m. guns and that he
would skirt the woods and
endeavour to clean same up.
My Coy pushed forward about
200 yards and I found that the 

4

rest of the Battalion were not
moving forward and held
up. I personally went to
the High ground on the right
of the woods and found out
the reason. The Bn was
under heavy m. gun fire with
Barb. wire and old French
trench in front of them.

Meanwhile my two platoons
on extreme left were clearing
the woods of enemy m. guns
I got in touch with
Captain Cooke  O.C. A Coy (the
other Coy in the attack) and
decided that we blow our
whistles and charge the
old trench & wire.  This
was a very  successfull
move. The men followed
like Heroes every Jack one
(as you know we had a least
50% new men and this was 
their first battle ) Sadlier
then put in his final work won