Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/278/1 - Folder - Part 6

Col. Selmes private diary
Aug 9
Bde Marched to Bayonvillers was easy, everyone light of heart.
Bde came along under adjutant.
On reaching Bayonvillers Selmes, ^who was accompanied by
bty cdrs and orderlies, decided that owing to the large
collection of troops & vehicles ^there, because country was
eminently suitable for aeroplane bombing, "it would be
suicide to take posns in the vicinity", so he galloped
forward to Harbonnieres & ordered.

All posns
Excellent cover for all btys. Close up to firing line,
Congratulated by Gen Glasgow on posns. chosen
1 FA Bde HQ were with Inf H.Q. at Guillaucourt during
day & at night were moved forward into culvert
under rel rly 1000 yds SW of Harbonnieres
First night there "most severe we had been subjected to".
German planes "played merry hell" all night long

2

Selmes' diary
10 Aug

101 How Bty posn. afforded close support to infy
to deal with m/guns in rly cutting at F 6c near
Le Halte. This advanced & rather dangerous
posn was justified in view of the situation as the
enemy guns in the cutting had completely held up
infy & had caused heavy casualties. The O.C.
101 How Bty ^only had to fire abt 3 salvoes into
cutting "and the rest was easy".
The infy were soon on their feet and off like tigers.
Gen Heane was well forward & discussed with
Selmes the huge gap between our right flank
and left of Canadians. Heane made necy
arrgts for a protective flank until gap was closed.
A bty of 4.2 guns had been abadoned with 5000-6000
gu rounds of ammun. One of Selmes bty cdrs asked
permission to fire them. Despite absence of dial sights
Selmes agreed but ordered that guns be elevated to limit
of xxx & this was done. Guns had very long range -
10000-15000 yds
[*I think all this is Aug 10*]

3

Selmes' diary
10 Aug
While Heane & Selmes examining Lihons through
glasses, saw German bty coming into action.
S. immediately ordered Major Sexton (101 How Bty)
to fire on it at once, & in a short time, actually
before the horse teams got clear, the 101st
got well on to target & nothing was heard from
that bty. "Finally I advanced up to the woods
about F 6a & b, and occupied some
excellent gun pits partly prepared by
enemy with good cover for the detachment
near by.
One of difficulties of this advance was the
water for horses. Long distances had to be
travelled & at times horses only had one
drink a day.
[*I think all this is Aug 10*]
Bty positions 11 Aug.
1 Bty X 28d 50 40             )
2 Bty F 4b 90 90               )
3 Bty F 3c 80 70                ) Approx
101 How. Bty F 4b 00 20  )
 

189th (Army) Bde RFA
Aug 9.
Recd orders at 5. 30 a.m. to move into action
Bayonvillers area. The C.O. & Bty Cdrs pushed
forward selected posns with btys, which came into action
abt 9.30 a.m. & the Bde got into touch with
HQ 15 AI Bde.
The C.O. also got into touch with the GOC at
Guillaucourt and telephone commun. was estab with the 2nd
Bde HQ.
One section of "C" Bty, 189 Bde accompanied
7 Bn in attack at 11 a.m. This section
engaged anti tank guns. The officer in command
and the No.1. of one gun wounded but continued
in action and silenced at least one enemy gun. This
officer has since had his leg amputated.
This section was in action in X 19.
When Red Line gained the Bde moved
forward to posns in W 24b, W 18e, W 17b.
Harassing fire carried on throughout night
"The bde ^?waggon lines of the 189 Bde" were near Warfusee
which was heavily shelled during day and bombed during night, losing
allogether 63 animals and some men.

2
189th (Army) Bde RFA (contd)
Aug 10,  5.30 a.m. Orders ^were recd for barrage at 8 p.m.
When extreme range was reached the btys
moved fwd with instructions to get as far
E. as poss over in subsequent exploitation.
They came into action at X 28a and
X 22c. HQ at W 24b 55.
Telephone commun at once estab.
Area shoots cd out during day to stop
hostile m/g fire
3pm Orders recd that 3 Aust Army Bde would relieve
189 Bde. Btys relieved 7 pm.

Lihons 9 Aug 1918
298th (Army) Bde RFA Diary
9 Aug 6 a.m. Bde advanced to posns near Bayonvillers
& fired in support of 5 Div attack.
5 p.m. Bde advanced to positions S. of Harbonnieres
& covered 2 A I Bde. (^298 Bde HQ at W 24b)
10 Aug 8 a.m. Bde fired barrage in support of
3 AI Bde attack.
7.30 p.m. btys fired on Lihee Wd in support of
another attack
11 Aug 4 a.m. btys fired barrage in support of another
attack on Lihons. Heavy c/attacks during
afternoon & SOS called for. Arty fire
reported very effective by infy.
8 pm Btys occupied posns. on S. edge of
Vauvillers.
 No report.

14th Army Bde RFA.
68 Bty )
88  "     )
A/14  "  )
402  "   )
under 2 Div Arty 5 Aug to end of barrage 8 Aug.
8.30 am 8/Aug. btys moved forward came under
5 Aust Div Arty. Took up posns in
Q 33a and c.
6 pm 8 Aug. came under 2 Aust Div Arty
9 Aug not in action
10 Aug tfd to Corps reserve, though remaining in same posns.
11 Aug. Moved forward 6 a.m. & took command of left group
consisting of 14 Army Bde and 23 Army Bde.
Bty Positions
68 Bty W 6c 65 97
88 Bty W 5b 60 50
A/14 B
A Bty 14 Bde Q 35d 75 65
C/O 2 Bty W 5a 80 70. 

Aug 8
2 Div Arty
Right Group (LtCol CA Callaghan)
(a) 4 FA Bde (LtCol Callaghan)
(b) 5 FA Bde (LtCol WH Rygall)
14 FA Bde (LtCol FP Derham)
(b) right sub-group (LtCol HV. De Satge RFA)
298 Army Bde RFA (De Satge)
1st A FA Bde (Maj. JC. Selmes)
Left Group (LtCol JH Gibson )RFA)
(a) 2 FA Bde (LtCol DH Moore)
(Maj AW Dodd temply cdg)
14 Army Bde RFA (LtCol JH Gibson)
(b) left sub group (LtCol DH Moore)
6 FA Bde (LtCol HE Cohen)
13 FA Bde (LtCol HO Caddy)
One 4.5 how bty from right group placed
at disposal of left Group for use in
barrage from zero hour to zero + 240 mins
[*2D*] 

2nd Div Arty.
(Times are those of receipt,
at D.A. H.Q)
8 Aug
4.42 a.m.
4.35 a.m. Right group reports little retaliatory fire
4.42am Left sub-group reports No retaliation on their btys
106 How Bty heavily shelled - 3 howitzers
out of action.
6.15am. detachments of 106 Bty replaced Bty in action
6.35 No retaliation on btys. (Left sub-group)
6.55 From right group F.O.O. in front of P 34d (5.15 am)
8.20 ^Command of Artillery covering attack in Centre Div sector handed
over to CRA 5 Aust Div
(CRA 2 Div assumed command of mobile reserve
arty in right sector).
[*8.15 am
in 4 FA Bde
diary*]
8.22 From right group. Prisoner states attack expected
Tanks & lorries heard two days ago.
9 Aug Right group to support 7 AI Bde attack
Left group - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 AI Bde  "
10 Aug 8.25 p.m.
In confirmation of verbal instructions, Groups
notified of impending attack on morning of Aug 11
11 Aug 1.30 am Command of arty covering 2 Div front passed
to CRA 2 Div
Noon report Enemy arty was light, principally from long range
HV guns.
Bombing planes (both ours and enemy) were active.
14 Bty waggon lines heavily bombed, 21 horses killed 25 wounded, but
no casualties among personnel. 23 Army Bde RFA lines also bombed 23 horses killed.

[*5 FA Bde says
23 killed 19 wounded*]

 8 Aug
4 FA Bde
8 Aug
10 a.m. 4 FA Bde H.Q. moved out of V/B passed all btys
en route. Btys placed in posn.
10 Bty W 3a 72 09
11 Bty W 3a 42 68
12 Bty P 35d 84
104 Bty W 2d 56 78
Noon Received order from Group to take up bty posns
in W 18c & d
9 Aug 

2 pm. 14 Bde RFA reported that infy held up by m/gun fire

2.30 p.m. Section of 12 Bty sent forward to Col Watson (58 Bn)
with orders to shoot up anything he wanted
10 Aug 2.30 to 4.15 Taking over from 14 A FA Bde
7.30 pm Obtained commun with
7 pm Word recd from 10 Bty that 53 Bty had returned
All btys reported that btys they had relieved had
returned
7.30 pm. Obtained communication with 13 FA Bde who
stated that 5 Div Arty had been ordered back to fire
a barrage. We offered him the use of our btys
as well and agreed to deliver all orders to his
btys.