Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/275/1 - 1918 - 1938 - Part 9

In case you care to communicate direct with
Alec. Irvine, my account is as under, -

We moved into the line on night of May 10 - 11th
taking over from 35 Bn. Reference to air photso 12-4-18
will show the lack of trenches.  - the Bn was
engaged in digging for some days, and the
snipers to the left of our position were very
troublesome.  - Our front line fell away
towards the German posts, giving good
visibility of our movements,  - and effective use
of his small T.Ms. To overcome this we
dug a cuniform trench, (shows on photo)
and got him under. - On the night of
17^th-18^th & dug what was intended as a
'flank', but after the 19^th, became a C.T.
It was just over the crest of a rise, and
not visible from the German lines. No
plane was over on the morning of the
18th May. The day was very drowsy. - One
of the N.C.O.s commented that the line was
also very quiet, and probably asleep - I
discussed the position with Irvine & Daniels,
and selected a raiding party, to go over at
11.30 a.m. The discussion took place about 20 - 25 mins
earlier. Irvine (or someone suggested going over
from the cuniform trench, but I vetoed that idea,
and sent them back to the newly dug
position referred to above. The orders were,
rifle at the high post., walk to crest then
rush down without checking - stop there till
dark and the Bn will cover them during the day.
When Irvine saw he had 23 prisoners he (quite rightly) varied the
instruction & came back almost at once. Perhaps confusion has
arisen here. Yours faithfully. Geo Fr Murphy

Phone:-
Bayswater,2255.

26, Burnham Court,
Moscow Road,
Bayswater, W.2.
London. 8th August.

C.E.W.Bean.
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
Paddington.
Sydney.

Dear Sir,

In reference to your letterNo 10232 of the I9th May,
I am pleased to give you the following information of the
unfortunate incident, that occurred at Morlancourt, when Sergeant
Babb was killed.

I was, on the particular night referred to, detailed to place
screen from our left flank to the 9th Brigade right flank,
and so protect a working party that was going a trench across
the breach as the German Machine Gun Post was firing almost
into the back of our front line.

While I was away making the necessary arrangements, Sergeant
Babb with others of my party, were on the extreme left of the
front line, familarising them selves of the ground that we were
to cover.

The Germans saw movement in the trench and poor Sergeant Babb
received a machine-gun burst in the head killing him instantly.
I might add that this tragedy took place in daylightlate in the
evening.

This Machine Gun Post was afterwards raided by a party from the
I8thBattalion, and is to my mind, one of the most interesting
incidents that occured in the history of the Battalion if truly
related.

I would be interested to know if you are writing up the history
of the I8th Battalion, and if I can be of any further help to
you, as I will be only too ready to give you any help I can.

Yours faithfully,
EWSatchell
E.W.SATCHELL.

No. 10429.

15 September 1937.

E.W. Satchell, Esq.,
26, Burnham Court,
Moscow Road,
Bayswater,
London, W.2. England.

Dear Mr. Satchell,

Many thanks for your letter about Sergeant Babb's
death. We would certainly like to have your notes of the
subsequent raid on the German machine-gun post, and also of
any other engagement in 1918 in which you participated. As
we are now engaged in the compilation of the final volume of
the history, we should be grateful if you could let us have
the notes within the next month or two.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W. Bean
Official Historian.

B3997

From 27 Ap Noon when Fr. & Aust C. rel III Aust C. alone in line.

Change over of III & Aust Corps.

1 May Aust C. alone in line till May 6 when III came in N of it.

Incidentally a Corps of 5 Divns

Ap 21/2 8 Bde extended l. N of river & gave rt to 14 Bde.

After May 27. Hurried overhauling ^& revision of defence schemes.

Now urgent to make prisoners - 

Had begun 8.5 Ap. 5 Ferres,

Att. expd all while.

Raids Later e.g. 2 Div Dct. (6 Bde 14 Apr)

? 162 I.R. 17/18 Apr SW of MI ct. What Dw?

P.P. raids - 

lead to Morlanct (1)

Germs. retaliate 5 Bde just in May 14.

Daylight raid by 5 Bde (just come in)

Ville

Ville order

When were the 21, & 23 Bns to
enter the village?  6.30 or 4.15?

What was to happen at 4 15?
Air Photos

Front line before Ville.

Diagram - see original document

Is / rd leading to Cemety from L Catpr sunken?

Diagram - see original document

For

Treloar

Gun No 25 493; "No 33" in white metal.

This is gun whose gun ws hit by Lt PJ Abercrombie, 22 Bn,

(old Ballarat cricketer & S.Melb. footballer) at 40^x.

It is marked dented by / bomb.

Write to Ruthven

Where were / other offrs?

What caused Hunter's wd.

Was it at the B. Catpr?

Was / gun at / B Catpr?

For checking

Morlancourt.

Was there one support line of p's or were

there two? Here ↓

Diagram - see original document

Any Awards for Morlancourt May 14.

Any Prisoners' Statements 17 Bn. May 14.

Diagram - see original document

P. 14

What battalions were holding / defensive

line during the Ville operations &

what were their boundaries.

Diagram - see original document

Snipers

Water in Saps

Was Ritter Bn or Coy Cdr?

52 RIR. p.504

Ville Chpt. VI p. 173 14 German

[*Sully?

G. m.g. falls

5 Bde atts

[*53-4

59.*]

[Winter Bros. Ultimo]

See attack 15 7-8 for LH at Kemmel.

Elliott & the flannel around his neck

at V/B for mustard gas trouble / 167

G. m.g. barrage on left of it made 60^th (wh suffd a

few cases) bunch towds right as climbed up, whose

north side the bullets hit.

Mont. is a fine house in an apple orchard -

(Wood is main orchard; ) Chateau is in 

smaller orchard).

Mont.

Have I mentioned prisoners ?

Soldier of 46^th and Algerian Regt / 178.

3 D: took prisoners on every night exc. one of ^its 45 days ^in line. Is this true.

After Butler's patrol 10 Bde began to adv. its ps. E of [Freux?]

9 Bde (3 Bns) began by pushing its ps. on May 4/5 across
head of S. le S. gully. Success - no fight exc w G. patrol.

Same night 35 recd beyond head of N gy.

Next night 5/6 fixed for seizure of G. f.l. on 1½ on front.

In after ^of 5^th it ws found from air photo tt Gs had dug a 2nd 

trench, 400^x behind first. 9 Bde resolved to take [l of R.?]

1st wave took 1st trench; 2nd, thro it, took 2nd. 1st

went thro & made screen. Easy on ^rt front & centre ^by 1 a.m. but

heavy fighting on l. L. pln reached 2nd line 3 strong; retd w

20 prisoners & mg, for rfts. These went out & completed l. by 3 a.m.

3 Prs, who had gone to dig, helped.

Cutlack (18)

18 Bn recommendns. Ville. May 19.

Ville. Incident of Darling R. officer who shot 3 went out agst snipers nest & shot G. from

shoulder after all 3 o.r. hit.

Sgt who lost arm but went on till fainted.

Offrs. leading all 3 Coys of 22 wd in advance.

Short burst from mg at Litt. Caterps. Sgt subdued it by L.G. from hip.

At big Caterp. some Gs put up a fight but over almost imdly. - most Gs

in bivvies under Engl. W.P. shells. Some too frightened to come out,

some without boots - only ½ clothes on.

As 22 attd 21 attd on l. & strung itself out on flank. 24 placed

couple of Ps on N. edge of G.

Engrs hadnt bn able to build 3rd 2nd bridge bec. of fire from

2 well hidden G. mg nests close to river. Pty 924 X^d by on bridge & k

crew of nearer gun. Then surrdd & captd further gun.

At 4.15 men waiting dashed into G. on S.W. no diffcty.

2 coys strong. Caught large no of Gs in large house at beginning

as approached it a Germ. put head up from undergrd

entrance. An Austln imdly dashed down it, confused

noise, then a Sgt at other end saw 2.60 coming out w hands up.

in other cellars bombs went in quickly.

[*23} Sp. Pty. 23rd attd from N.W. Pln w 3 offrs of whom one shdn't
have bn there (Bn sig offr) who vowed to take telephone himself.

He went w leading in - & his tel.

Pty lay up near str. trench & rushed it at once - Gs got inf. ready

but on signal Austlns spread.