Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/274A/1 - 1918 - 1941 - Part 5

-2-
PS.
If you should ever be writing this way I would be 
glad to hear when the next volume of the History
is coming along, as we could get busy with an announcement 

and book up some orders. 
[[??]]
[*Wrote to Printers*]
PPS.
If any confirmation of the foregoing is required, it
may be obtained, I know, from Colonel Macarthur, who
is now Major J. W. Macarthur, Adjutant for the 24th Battalion,
whose Orderly-rooms are in the Camberwell district,
near Melbourne.
[[??]]

45 Westbrook St.
East Kew
16/10/33
To Dr C. E. W. Bean C. B. E.  M.C.
Dear Doctor
Subject 29^th Battalion BELLICOURT-NAUROY.
Please find herewith, copy of a Report
completed at my request, by Captain C. A. M.
Derham M.C. who was in Command of the
Battalion during this period. I being in
England (wounded) & Major Charlton who
had been acting as 2nd I/C being absent
on leave.
The reason that this is being forwarded
is to obtain any corrections necessary, as
the statements as set out the History of
5^th Division by Capt ELLIS. M.C. is not
quite correct and it is only fair that
Capt Derham at least received the
credits of being in Command.
As in some other instances the records
of the 29^th Bn. has not received full credit
for its work, owing to various reasons.
This is to request that you will once
again go into this matter & give credit
where due. I am very sorry to bother you at this
late date. Thanking you for past kindness
I remain
Yours faithfully
J. M^cArthur late

C. O. 29th Bn.
J M^cARTHUR
Late C. O. 29^th Bn.

[*Coms Copy*]
NARRATIVE. 
Sheet 62 B. N.W. 
1/20,000 
The Battle of the Hindenberg Line - Bellicourt-Nauroy
The part taken by the 29th Btn. A.I.F.
From September 28th to October 1st. inclusive, 1918, by
Captain C. A. M. Derham M.C., C.O., 29th Btn.
On the afternoon of September 28th 1918 I, as C.O. of the 29th
Btn., attended a conference of the commanding officers of the 8th
Infantry Brigade called by the Brigade Commander to discuss the
preparations for the part we were to play in the attack on the Hindenburg
Line on September 29th. Briefly, we were told that our task
was to act in conjunction with the 30th American Division and to exploit
their attack, as from their objective - the Green Line running
roughly North East and beyond the village of Nauroy.
Zero hour was set at 06.00 hours on September 29th and the 8th
Brigade was to move off from their Bivouac Area some 2,000 yards
in rear of the Americans at 07.00 hours. The 29th Btn. to take the
"Left Sector" with the 30th Btn. in support and the 32nd Btn. to
take the "Right Sector" with the 31st Btn. in support.
The general objective was to be "Exploitation of the country beyond
Nauroy and to establish a line before Estrees and the Beaurevoir
line”. The Battalion to move forward by way of Templeux
Bellicourt and Nauroy.
On returning to the battalion after the conference at Brigade
H. Qrs. I detailed an officer and two N.Co's to go forward to the
"Front Line" and to reconnoitre the route by which we were to move
forward the following morning and ordered the Company Commanders to 

cross the Canal at the tunnel at Bellicourt on the morning of 29th

2.
September, it being my intention that the Battalion should form
into battle formation below Nauroy so that it could pass through
the Green Line.
07.15 hrs. The battalion moved off from the Bivouac Area in Column
of Route - with distance between platoons - A Company leading via
the Black Road - previously reconnoitred - dense fog was soon 

encountered.
08.30 hrs.- Battalion passed the vicinity of Villeret and reports
were received that good progress was being made by the Americans -
small groups of German prisoners were met - usually escorted by
double their number of Americans - also "walking wounded" were 

escorted by soldiers who might easily have had useful work to do in
the battle line.
09.30 hrs.- Battalion crossed the Brown Line ^from where the Americans
had hopped off and further favourable reports kept coming in. It
was here, as we moved along the Black Road, that the first thought
occurred to me that the mopping up of the Americans had left much to
be desired. As I walked along with the Adjutant to Battalion H.Qrs.
we met various parties of Americans who tried to draw us away to capture
machine gun posts.
10.15 hrs. Battalion entered the W. outskirts of the village of
Bellicourt and came under fire from parties of German whom the
Americans had failed to "mop up". This necessitated the quick 

deployment of the two leading Companies to deal with the opposition -
and this was promptly done.
10.35 hrs.- Battalion formed into a defensive line on the Eastern
outskirts of the village. The position was very obscure and little
information could be obtained as to the position of the American 

3.
troops. Patrols were at once sent forward to obtain information
and were immediately engaged with German Posts and prisoners were
taken. The fog was still very heavy.
Battalion Headquarters was established at G.10.D. 6-2 and contact
was made with the C.O. of the 31st Btn. A.I.F. At this stage the
fog cleared from the high ground in front of Nauroy and the Le
Catalet Line and the battalion came under direct observation and
heavy fire from a German 77-4 gun battery - minnenwerfers  - M.Gs. and
rifle fire, Americans retreating in disorder from Nauroy.
September 29th. I met Col. Caddy in Bellicourt when we got there
and he seemed to be worried about his artillery, and I suggested to
him that as the position was so obscure that it would be better he
retire his artillery to the other side of the Canal. He agreed to
do this and consequently, in getting a battery out from in front of
fire from the German 77 battery, which forced the pace for them, but
I understand they suffered very little damage.
11.00 hrs. The four (4) Tanks attached to the battalion came through
Bellicourt into the open. The C.O. Tanks was advised to move his
command quickly forward 100 yards into "dead ground" and wait until
we had dealt with the 77 battery. Unfortunately, three of them were
hit and burnt during the next few minutes. The remaining tank

commanded  by Captain Grenfell remained with the battalion all day and
did excellent work. Captain Grenfell, though wounded, carried on in
a very gallant fashion.
11.50 hrs. I ordered the battalion to attack Nauroy and the Le
Catalet Line.

4.
12.40 hrs. Battalion - after a stiff fight and the capture of
4 77's. minnenwerfers and M.Gs, and a tank fort with 2 anti-tank
rifles, and many prisoners - is in possession of the LeCatalet Line
from the interxxsection intersection of the Railway line to a point
South of Nauroy. Many Germans killed. At this stage I was very
worried at the nonappearance of the 15th Bde. A.I.F. as my "Left
Flank" was now exposed for a distance of considerably over 1000 yds
and under heavy fire from the Cabaret Wood Farm and the LeCatalet Line
North of the Railway. I now ordered one Company from the 30th Btn.
to form a defensive "Left Flank" pending the arrival of the 57th
Btn. A.I.F.
15.00 hrs. Owing to heavy fire from the "Left Flank", which was
still exposed, and also to the fact that the "Right Flank" was also
in the air, owing to a wide gap between us and the 32nd Btn. A.I.F.,
which was had borne off to the south end gone forward with the British
Division on the right, I decided to hold my position in the LaCatalet
Line before Nauroy.
18.00 hrs. The 57th Btn. now moved up and joined with my Left. My
Btn. was able to give them great assistance by rifle and M.G. fire
as they advanced to the LeCatalet line in front of Cabaret Wood Farm.
18.10 hrs.  Battalion now get in touch on the Right with the 31st
Btn., which had been moved forward to fill the gap between us and
the 32nd Btn. South of Nauroy.
21.00 hrs. In consultation with Capt. Reid, who rendered yeoman
service throughout this trying day and who, with me, was the only
other original officer of the Btn. present, I decided to move forward
and occupy a line East of Nauroy. I explained the movement to the
S. X. B.M who directed this attack to be carried out at 24 hrs.

The Courier-Mail
BRISBANE, SATURDAY

BERNARD O'REILLY
WRITES A BOOK
BERNARD O'REILLY, expert bushman and mountaineer, has written a book,
"GREEN MOUNTAINS"

Newspaper article - see original document

SATURDAY, The Herald    February 15, 1941    MELBOURNE
BUSHMAN O'REILLY'S STORY OF QUEENSLAND
JUNGLE DRAMA. . . 

Newspaper article - see original document

From
Teleradio
SATURDAY, JANUARY 25th
A Book Worth Reading
"GREEN MOUNTAINS"
By Bernard O'Reilly
Book Review from 4QR

Newspaper article - see original document

July 18, 1941  
Issued by the Department
of Information
May be used in organisational
Journals
A WEEK OF WAR

Newspaper article - see original document