Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/273/1 - 1918 - 1937 - Part 20

V/B.  51 Bn. H.N.

Sadlier. 

Canning Dam

Via Armadale

28/6/35

 

Dear Mr Bean.

Yours of 4th with reference

to the fighting at Villers-Bretonneux I

regret delay in replying but have got in

touch with several other ex officers, who,

got through the whole stunt & can give

you details re The Monument. I was only

in for about 4 hrs & as we had no

maps & it was night time can only

describe by aid of a rough sketch, & trust

that same may be of use to you.

I will commence from the

morning of the 24^th April, we were in parade

at Pont Noyelle, when orders came to get

into fighting kit and move up to a position

behind Villers-Brett I believe we went forward

of a village called Blancy Tronville? the

march up was approx 15 kilos & about

half this distance was done in open or

artillery formation, weather was misty

& light rain, when crossing over a river

we were surprised with a Fritz plane

(evidently flying low to pick up bearing)

swooping down & blazing at us with

machine gun, at the time we had about

50% new reinforc. in Bn & this was their

first taste of war, late in the afternoon

we found ourselves trying to dig in

on the slope behind the wood, in a

(2)

position it would have been impossible

to hold, however at 8 p.m. we received

orders to counter attack at 10 p.m. & we

had about 5 minutes to have our one &

only glimpse of the map. Orders were

to go forward past the village, find

old front line dig in, my orders were

to skirt the village & wood & connect

up with 15 Brigade who were attacking

on the left of wood & village, Air force

were supposed to bomb the village & tanks

to assist but neither eventuated.

We got into position for the attack

within a few minutes of 10, I think a

little late & we went into unknown

territory, on what appeared a very slight

hope of success, fighting every ^against conceivable

difficulty that could discourage us,

wire leading off our true direction,

enfilade & front machine gun fire &

abnormal casualties, at the start &

50% of new men.

When we arrived at hopping off

mark, my platoon on the open flank.

was around a curve in the wood &

I went over to inspect the wood to see

the prospects of goin advancing through the

edge of same, but decided to keep out.

as it contained a very strong odour of

gas & the risk of losing ways touch

(3)

with one another so appeared to great, the

wood itself appeared to me to be fairly

dense, when word came to advance

we had gone only a few hundred yards

when it was clear that we were walking

into certain death from machine guns

enfilading us from the wood, with

my first casualties we got down to

sum up the position & locate where

the fire was coming from, (the land

on right of wood was sloping up toward

our ^Bn right flank & some were out of range

over the ridge). I on looking to my right

I could see men lying, kneeling & half

kneeling in groups of 5 & 6's & I at first

thought that the whole advance was held

up. & gave my runner orders to work out

over the ridge & tell my Compy Cmdr that

we were taking to the woods to clean

up machine gun posts & would be late

out to objective. to I did this to give them a chance

of joining with 15^th Brig on our left & save

a gap in line in front of village, after a

few minutes down we decided to rush

into the woods having located one

gun, my runner returned & reported he

could not find balance of Company &

when I pointed out what appeared

bl like the company held up he

informed me they were all dead.

(4)

B' Company had by this time come close

up in our heels & I got in touch with

nearest officers & explained position &

advised him to move over to the right

flank & push out to front line as I

would be held up for some time, by

the time I made the wood I had

about six men left including Sergt.

Lewis Gunner & bombing Corp., the lewis

gunner was left in a shell hole just

outside the wood with instruction to

engage the first machine gun while we

rushed in with bombs through the edge of

wood, we had not gone far when I

walked around a bush & almost fell

into a post of 3 Fritz's & yelled out to

boys to hop back & pulled the pin of

a mills & dropped same in trench. I

was just stepping back when I got

one a clean bullet wound through inside

of right thigh but the bomb cleaned up

that post naturally as soon as bomb

went off we rushed through, to get at

the first post we had to use mills bombs

as rifle grenades but had no containers

fired them with handle against bayonet;

this was rather risky in dark, but had

to be done get over trees. etc. after

giving a few bombs the gun stopped

5

& we rushed through & cleaned up

the post, after this we we met opened

out to about a couple of paces apart

& worked through along the edge of the wood,

at about this time we got bombed by

Fritzs & we kept meeting germans behind

bushes & I can see very plainly still

going around a bush & some else around

the other side to the two of us to find

a german standing there & both blazing

at once I often wonder whether any of

us hit one or the other; his machine

guns were about 50 yards apart & I

think placed for anti aircraft work

as some were using tracer bullets, which

made things more terrifying, seeing

what you were walking into the second

gun we got two new lads had them

bailed up at point of bayonet just

as I got in these were the only ones

that night that I saw give any sign

of surrender & that was only after they

had probably been hit with bombs

& did not see us until we had

jumped almost on them. I found that

we were up against an exuberant

enemy, who fought till the last, &

under the circumstances we could not

afford to give any quarter.

(6)

as be we got toward the village our

party had dwindled & in the finish

I found myself alone & still one

gun to shift the history of that is

written with my decoration, I then started

to make out to the front line & I decided

to load my revolver I was carrying

bullets loose in jacket pocket & found

that the revolver was empty & also that

my right hand was paralized the bullet

last wound I got had cut nerve in

forearm; my leg was stiffening so I

decided to get out while I could still

walk. the cleaning up of the wood

must have taken us about 3 to 4 hours

I got back to 52 Bn. Headqrs & reported

to Col. Fitzgerald after passing 52 going

up./

I trust that this does not souxd

sound egotistical as I am trying to

convey what every one of the boys must

have done & how they must have

fought to have carried the stunt

through; my sector was very limited

& I have been in touch with

Capt. Harbourn M.C. Browne Hobbs. Ave Nedland

who commanded C. Coy that night &

can give you details of balance of our

[[stunt?]].

(7)

Col. Christie D.S.O. Now Major at.

Victoria Brk. Victoria was in charge of

Bn at time  &

Well I am sorry I can

tell you no more as naturally want.

the 51^st Bn to get credit for the work

they did that night, it called a halt.

to Fritz & finally stopped him

seperating the English from the French/

Yours Truly.

C. W. Sadlier.

Diagram - see original document

9306.

2 July 1935.

C.E.R.Burt, Esq., D.C.M.,

Solomontown,

Port Pirie, S.Aust.

Dear Sir,

In writing the story of the counter-attack by the

51st Battalion at Villers-Bretonneux, I find that, while

from the commanders' point of view the action is well

described, there is a dearth of record as to the actual

experiences of the companies - indeed, we have much fuller

accounts of these of the German front-line troops who met

them. I should be most grateful if you could assist me with

a note, however short, of your recollections of the actual

fighting. The chapter is now being written, and I would

therefore be greatly obliged if any notes that you can give

me could be forwarded at your earlies convenience.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W. Bean

Official Historian.

P.S. I am forwarding a duplicate copy of this

letter to you c/o Messrs. Dixon Bros.,

Girrahween, Koorawatha, N.S.Wales, as I am

not certain of your present address.

C/O H.O.McColl

Koorawatha

N.S.W.

We moved from our support line somewere

about eight oclock every thing at that time was

busy, heavy shelling, and all in readiness for

advance or retreat. the enemy consentrating on that

sector with very heavy shells.

Our first resistance was on nearing the first

sunken road until then our casualties were

light. Then we encounted the enemys barbed

wire entanglements, witch was not touched

by our Artillery & the only way to get

through those was through the roads that

were left purposely, the enemy consentrated

on these roads & inflicted heavy looses on

our side. At the second sunken road was were

the heavy fighting occured, hand to hand for

the possession of the road. on the out skirts

of Villers Bretonneus the enemy was so massed

that machine guns (Lewis) were used from the shoulder

& the enemy suffered very heavily, the streets are

greasy with human blood. the enemy counter attacted

at very different times through the night, but never

again got possession of the sunken road or Villers

Bretonneux.

At this stage was when Sgt. C.R.Buck & Pte R. Hilliar

won ther D.C.M capturing 60 prisoners & 4 machine

guns under very heavy fire.

I am

Yours faithfully

C.Buck