Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/275/1 - 1918 - 1938 - Part 22

Part of Intelligence Report - 10th July.

 

Flares -   The greens seems to mean "no attack" - bunch of yellow

                  flares to mean "lengthen range or register" - A short

                  time after three pairs of red flares went up - the

                  Artillery opened and it stopped on the use of white

                  flares only.

Enemy - Owing to our stretcher bearers using white flags, the

                  enemy evidently thought we desired an armistice, and

                  stood up while we were carrying in our dead and                                   wounded.

                  From what I could see they belonged to a Bavarian

                  Res. Regt. and were all young looking. There were about

                  25 occupying trench P27 a 53 to 56. About 6 at trench

                  P 27 a 47 - a couple showed at P27a 66 - evidently M.G.

                  position - and an isolated hear or two shoed at P27 c 77.

                  The trench attacked this morning was very

                  strongly held & M.G. fire responsible for the repulse.

                  At least 4 M.G's played over the space before our entering

                  the trench. I should think it advisable to use artillery

                  Stokes before attacking again.

 

G. S. Holmes

Lieut.

 

 

 

Part of Intelligence Report - 10th July.

 

Flares -   The greens seems to mean "no attack" - bunch of yellow

                  flares to mean "lengthen range or register" - A short

                  time after three pairs of red flares went up - the

                  Artillery opened and it stopped on the use of white

                  flares only.

Enemy - Owing to our stretcher bearers using white flags, the

                  enemy evidently thought we desired an armistice, and

                  stood up while we were carrying in our dead and                                   wounded.

                  From what I could see they belonged to a Bavarian

                  Res. Regt. and were all young looking. There were about

                  25 occupying trench P27 a 53 to 56. About 6 at trench

                  P 27 a 47 - a couple showed at P27a 66 - evidently M.G.

                  position - and an isolated hear or two shoed at P27 c 77.

                  The trench attacked this morning was very

                  strongly held & M.G. fire responsible for the repulse.

                  At least 4 M.G's played over the space before our entering

                  the trench. I should think it advisable to use artillery

                  Stokes before attacking again.

 

G. S. Holmes

Lieut.

 

 

10876.

 

28 July 1938.

 

F. Loone, Esq.s

46 William Street,

Balaclava.  Vic.

 

Dear Sir,

In describing the attack upon the mound at Monument

Wood on 17 July 1918, I find that the records of the 25th

Battalion are very scrappy. I understand that your party of

the 22nd Machine Gun Company got into a German trench (presum-

ably the semicircular one) in which there were still Germans

and that you and your men captured some of these. I should

be grateful for the benefit of any recollections that you

possess of that night's work, as the account is otherwise

bound to be defective.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

C.E.W. Bean

Official Historian.

 

 

10856.

 

15 July 1938.

 

A.C. Borella, Esq., V.C., M.M.,

"Fleurbaix",

Hensley Park,

via Cavendish, Vic.

 

Dear Mr. Borella,

In describing the attack upon the mound at Monument

wood on 17 July 1918, I find very little in the records concern-

ing the actual events of the fight. I understand that an

outpost line was first rushed under a barrage and that the 26th

then next met opposition at the eastern end of the mound where

were some German headquarters dugouts. I believe you then

pushed ahead either into or near Jaffa Trench, astride the

railway 200 yards  beyond the mound and bridge, but whether this

trench was entered by your party or others of the 26th the

records are not clear, though they say that the 25th got into

the western branch of it further north. I should be grateful

if you could give me the benefit of any recollections that you

have of the fight and the counter-attacks next day, as the 

official records are so scanty.

Was the machine-un which you rushed at the western or 

eastern end of the mound, and were the dugouts you bombed at its

eastern end. From the official account I gather this was so.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

C.E.W. Bean

Official Historian.

 

 

 

H.N. From Mr Borella.

The Mound 17/18 July 1918

 

"Fleurbaix"

Hensley Park

via Cavendish

Vic.

 

11/8/38

Captain C.E.W. Bean

Official Historian

Victoria Barracks

Paddington

 

Dear Sir

I am indeed sorry that

I have been unable to furnish you with 

the following particulars at an earlier date,

but I have hunted through my war relics

for a report of that particular operation

written on the spot, and have failed to 

find it. Doubtless it would have given 

you a clearer and more accurate account

than I am able to give you at the present

day. Memory often becomes dulled

and is liable to play uncertain tricks

after a lapse of so many years.

 

 

(1)

 

On the night of 16-17 July 1918 we were

ordered to take the mound at Monument

Wood. We first met opposition at the 

western end of the mound, here was where

the machine-gun was located. This being

overcome without great difficulty we pushed

on along the mound. Our objective was

a road cutting straight cross the mound

almost in a north-south direction.

This road was so obliterated by shell fire

that we failed to see it in the darkness

and overran it. The most opposition we

met was at Jaffa Trench. This we came

on suddenly and seemed to quite surprise

the garrison. The Trench seemed very

full of the enemy, my men hurled 

bombs into them, and the Lewis gunner

sprayed them with bullets from the hip

A great number disappeared into the 

dugouts; a bomb or two brought them

out, and then were taken prisoner

I thought it advisable to halt here as

we were the spear-head of the attack and

the 25th on the left of the railway seemed

to have struck strong opposition, and

 

 

2

 

.....heavy fighting was going on there-

they still seemed a good distance back

Almost immediately the prisoners emerged

from the two dugouts they burst into

flames, evidently the were set alight

to destroy certain papers or maps.

I now found it unwise to remain in

Jaffa Trench, the brilliant illumination

would have made easy targets of us for the 

enemy, so I shifted my men farther

back along the mound (western direction)

and we took up our position in shell-holes

just out of the fire light

For the next hour or so the enemy

showed unusual lack of common sense,

numbers me up from their own side

and stood in the bright reflection of the

burning dugouts, and made wonderful 

targets for our men

When dawn broke and it became light

enough to see, a strong counterattack was

being organized. What I estimated at

about two company's of the enemy were

passing a certain point and jumping into

Jaffa Trench. We could see them passing

 

 

3

....from one to the other, what appeared to

be broom-stick bombs tied in bundles.

As we were the spear-head of our advanced 

line, well within bombing range and I

only had about 20 men all told, our position

seemed precarious, so I ordered my men 

back, one at a time to take up a new

position just our of bombing range, and 

at the same time fired the S.O.S. for 

our artillery. This slight retreat was

accomplished ∧^{under covering fire} with the loss of six or seven

wounded, and our barrage came down very 

promptly and broke up the attack.

Unfortunatly we were also well within 

our own barrage, although by a miracle

we escaped all our own shells. At the time

I slammed our artillery for bad shooting

but the truth was brought home to me

later: We were so far in advance of our 

objective that our artillery did not realize 

where we were

Towards evening a furious bombardment

was opened on the mound by the enemy,

and a further counterattack seemed immense

In the dust and smoke of the bombardment

 

 

 

4

 

....he was seen approaching in large numbers.

Tracer bullets from what appeared to be

three different machine-gun kept our

heads down in our post, and for a few

minutes things were desperate During a

temporary lull we got in some quick

rifle shooting and again fired the S.O.S.

Having in mind the experience of the 

morning I again sent my men back

one at a time out of the fringe of our

own barrage, which dropped again on 

the attacking enemy and stopped his 

further effort

During the height of the counter

bombardment when the air was screaming

with shells a loan allied airman played

his part. Heading straight for the 

attacking enemy he fired belt after belt

of bullets from his machine-gun, wheeling 

back while re refilled, and turning 

in the smoke and turmoil and discharging 

again

The night passed quiet and the enemy

made no further effort, the following

afternoon we were relieved by a battalion

of the 6th brigade

 

 

5

 

During this operation I was supported

by two platoons of wonderful men

partly from Queensland and partly

from Tasmania.

Outstanding were: Sergeant Lou Briggs

a splendid type of Tasmanian

also Private Mick Homan another

Tasmanian of wonderful mettle

Hoping Sir that this is not too late to

be of use to you

 

I remain

Yours faithfully

A.C, Borella