Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/274/1 - 1918 - 1941 - Part 4

Reveille
June 1935
The Proyart Gun
The 3rd Battalion History, recently published, gives
the credit to 5208, Pte. J. N. Doughty as being the first
Digger to reach the mammoth gun near Proyart, which
had been destroyed by the enemy just previous to the
arrival of the Australians, during the August (1918)
offensive.
That statement about Doughty is incorrect. I was the first man
to reach the gun, and received a stab in the arm - the scar I still
carry - from a German officer who was hiding in one of the little
rooms adjacent to the gun. Doughty came along after I had despatched
this German.
When we came out of the stunt, Capt. Bean called on the Bn., and
its C.O. (Col. Moore) sent for me and told me that as the Bn. on
our right had claimed the gun he wanted me to give Capt. Bean my
impressions of the stunt.
I did not mind so much my name being omitted from the Honour
Roll - I received the M.M. at Proyart - but I still claim to be the first
Digger to reach the gun. - J. T. CONMEE, c/o. J. D. Crawford, Moss
Vale (N.S.W.).
[*This is Pat Kinchington's brother
(served as Conmee) *]

Vol XII plate. 531
Lt. S. O. Mitchell 1 Bn.
says that reference to capture by 3^rd Bn
of German xx 14 inch naval gun at Proyart
on 23 Aug 1918 is incorrect.
This platoon (No. 5 of " B" Coy) was the
first to reach it, the 3^rd Bn leapfrogging
through xx his bn abt half an hour
later
1935
475, Forest Rd
Penshurst, 
NSW. 

1
Hand drawn map - see original document
[* Capt Joyset's fight
at Chiugnottes.
As the records are
quite wrong I got
J. to tell me of this fight
in detail. He won
the V.C. by this action.
C.E.W.B. *]

2
Hand drawn diagram - see original document 

3
J at A ^(abt to dig in) saw 5 Bn coming back (attracted by lot of firing from
that direction). to L. of E.West Rd (Peronne Rd). J went across
w batman (Newman) - as he moved the 8 Bn saw him. Said
to his CSM tt he ws just going forward - going up to see
what ws happening. At copse he found a lot of Gs w arms
who hadn't surrendered - not then fighting. At Sunken Rd
a Coy of 6 Bn under a new offr were sitting down inst.
of getting on to objve. They had lost all their senior offrs
The 6^th seemed to be on their objve on rt, but not left.
This showed why rt of 5 ws coming back. J "kicked them
over" There ws 300 yds of flat to cross. Offr sd "how

4
shall I go." J. sd "anyhow! - by rushes of 25 yds."
There ws a gallant sergt. of 6^th doing all he could.
He sd- " go on - you've got to get over." J. had no
intention of going on - they began to get into bullets
& then ran. They disappeared into the gorge &
didn't come up / other side. J. sd: Look here
Newman, we'll have to go on & ginger them up again.
He cd then see tt / Gs were sending up rifles along / rd
& holding Plateau Wood & / steep bank in front
of it. A m.g. had held up / left of 6 & scuttled

5
their other offrs. J. went forward w batman & a 
tank appeared going up. Everything opened on it
& J & N turned to rt, found an old French trench wh
led them into the ^steep valley. They got into dead ground
There ws terrific fire from Plat Wd. In hollow J. found
2 Scotsmen in kilts (from the rt Divn). 6^th had stopped
higher on rt, in cover. J got ½ way across gorge 
- m.g. fire from l. ws terrific (Newman had by then bn
wd in neck w shrap). while he ws there deliberating up
the gorge from rt came M.Gun (of Js Coy) w 15 men of 

6
m.gs pln. [while J ws waiting he had heard a
L.G. on rt blazing away when suddenly it ceased
& at same time G. fire ceased. The Austlns were 
yelling out "We've got him!" M.G's pln L.Gr. had
got up & had shot the G. mgr. Joynt joined M.G. &
the 15 men - & they went across the road Northwards.
Under / edge o / bank ws a C C.C.S. w 2 Doctors
who cd speak Engl. They sd they wd stay there & look
after / Austln wd as well as their own. Abt 50
Gs were sent back from here. They then went forwd 

7
& found more resistance coming from Plateau wood.
Realising this, J went back for left of 6 Bn, & met
Capt ^H.F. Darby on the E-W Road. J. sd to D. "If
you take these men up on S. of Rd ^from summit & bring fire to bear
on the Plateau Wood, I will work round w M.G.
& the 15 men & rush / wood from the N.W. Later
J. heard firing (D. ws keen & went off in fine style -
J. sd "dont open fire for a quarter of an hour so as to give us time to get
there; then
fire like blazes, & stop suddenly & we'll rush them."
Going round N.W. corner w McGwin, J found 

8
an old trench (also the G. M-gunner dead beside his
gun w a great pile of ammun & one m.gr K earlier). Along / trench were ^ many deep
dugouts & G. prisrs in them all, who put up
no fight. At this time M.G., Joynt & another were
going up / trench alone having left / rest behind.
They reached one dugout - cd hear Gs down there - shouted
to them but they wdnt come up. Had none of own 
bombs but took some G. bombs wh were lying abt
& threw a number down - but not one went off.
They were wondering abt the reason when they heard