Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280A/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 5
1 FABde 2
2
Lt R R Murray went out with mounted patrol to keep touch with infy.
29 Sept 6.53 a.m. Lt L.H.R. Gordon (Group F00) reports "all OK, enemy
barrage fairly heavy across squares. G8b and
G14d, but has now eased off. Tanks going through at 6.20"
[*Gordon & Rutlege took a wireless set. good results*]
7.15 Gordon reports "All well, another bn is crossing
tape line and going forward ........"
7.20 Lt Lewis reports 3rd American Bn crossed St. Q Canal
to time
8.20 Lt Rutledge (F.O.O.) reports that a runner has been
intercepted on his way to bn HQ with message asking for
reinfcmts as our troops are being held up in G9d by m/g fire
8.30 Lewis reports advance going right through. 200 prisoners
taken from canal tunnel. Opposn in front of Nauroy,
3. Amer bn in touch with both flank bns.
9.10 Our smoke barrage, owing to change in direction of wind,
blew back over our lines and made all movement
very difficult. (loud extremely dense
9.15 Lt Murray reports 46 Div across Canal in G16 and G22
and as far as along canal as he cd see. Enemy put down
heavy barrage between Canal and our old front line
but now ceased
9.45 150 Bde RFA unable move fwd owing to heavy
smoke and fog. Div. Arty ordered bde to move fwd at once.
11 a.m. From Lt Murray [timed 7.30 am] "I have just been talking
to English troops at Nigger Copse G23 b & d. I am now
going to find our own men near Bellicourt. It is almost
imposs to find yr way anywhere owing to ∧smoke and fog. None of our
btys have yet crossed the Canal. I have met several
bly cdrs; they are all lost".
11.55 84 Bde O.P. reports our infy falling back from Nauroy
twds Canal bank, but this report not confirmed by
other OP's.
1 FaBde 3
29 Sept
12.33 p.m. From Murray [timed 11 am] M/guns
and anti-tank guns firing from E edge of Bellicourt.
As far as I could make out the infy are well past them, but owing
to fog have missed them in mopping up. Road running through
G9CA&B is fil [[reserve?]] traffic, but very heavy.
One 5 Div 18 pdr bty has tried to go through the village, but
failed so far
Major Pudsey (Liaison officer with 120 Rgt) reports
Austs now going down slope to E of Nauroy and Bellicourt
now been cleared of enemy.
1 p.m. Lt Rutledge reports our infy held up on road through
G11a &C. Two tanks firing into triangular wood
on N side of Nauroy.
1.20 Lt Gordon reports our infy now clear of G11 and are moving through
G5 . Enemy opposn coming from Cabaret Wd Fm
1.30 LtCol Dean reports that none of our arty has gone forward over
ridge W of Bellicourt. And that our infy have no arty support.
2pm 1& 2 FaBdes ordered to remain laid on Protective
barrage line
3.10 Lt Gordon reports btys in action in G23c on E side of
Canal, and other btys moving in same direction.
3.40 Lt Gordon - Nauroy now quite cleaned up.
3.50. Message from Maj. Pudsey. Two bns of S Staffs estab
across Canal and another being pushed across in support
4.30 Pudsey reports Our line now runs G12 to H20
Southern portion of this taken by 8 Aust Bde and not by
117 Amer Rgt.
Orders recd from CRA that Right Group Arty would not open
fire unless under orders from 1 Div Arty HQ
11 pm SOS lines over Right Group bdes.
G 12d 60 50 - H7 a 20 10 - thence along protective
barrage line to H1 A00 - A 30c -50 00- Rudder Copse.
A22 d central
1 FABde 4
30 Sept Withdrew to Waggon lines at Jeancourt
2 Oct Bde advanced to Joncount
1Bty H14d 70 61
2Bty H14d 26 61
3 Bty H 1 C 09 00
101 Bty H7b 98 29
6.20 pm In response to heavy bombdt on front line
1 & 2 Btys opened fire on SOS lines at slow
rate of fire. (eased 6.50.
3rd Oct. 6.50 a.m. Barrage fired.
6.10 Enemy put down slight c/bty work in vicinity
of Joncourt - Nauroy - Strecourt and in H7+ H13
7.15 Heavy German barrage put down. 7.25 easing off
8.20 Liaison officer reports hostile bty firing in open
in B 23 C 80 30. [our barrage had already
passed over this co-ordinate. Later transpired
that report was delayed in reaching Bde HQ].
8.47. Barrage stopped on Green line
10.10 Right Group ordered intense concentration shoot
for 5 mins on farm, sunken road, and trench in B27
central. at 10.30. 1, 2, & 101 Btys carried out
programme.
12.30pmm 1 FABde ^began to withdraw to waggon lines & out to
rest.
2 FABde Ltcol D H Moore
Sept . 25 Americans put up SOS & all btys fired at
5.20 am, & again at 5.35. SOS again at pm
6.15. At 6.30 am slowed down to 2 rds pgpm
at 6.50 to 1 rd pgpm. 6.58 ceased.
8.10 p.m. SOS went up. on centre of our front
ceased fire 8.24.
Sept. 27. 102 HowBty expended 600 rounds in cutting
barbed wire around the H.Line.
Sept 28 102 Bty fired 600 rds cutting lanes in wire
5 & 6 Btys carried out intensive bombdt between 9 pm
& midnight and then moved fwd to battle posns.
Major Toomey (102 HBty) gassed.
Sept 29. After the protective barrage ceased 102 HowBty
moved fwd to posn abt 750 yds in front of 18pdr btys.
Major C. Gavan Duffy wounded.
Lieut E.N. Dewar went out on an officers patrol
and secured valuable information.
Sept 30 Btys withdrew
Oct. 3. 6.5 am Barrage opened.
Lt Boulton (6Bty) mortally wd by gas shell. Major Dodd
(OC.6Bty) severely gassed while attending to Boulton, as was Lt Watson who
had be evacuated next day. Capt H E Kirkland (RMO) killed by direct hit
of a 5.9 at 5 Bty, & Capt NS Hollis (OC5Bty)
and Lt H J Fisher both mortally wd by some shell
In Afternoon Btys withdrew to waggon lines
1 Div. MTMBde (12 mortars)
(Capt H H Morris)
Sept 29 1& 2 MtMBtys fired 360 rounds on enemy
wire. Cutting of wire by 6" mortars
proved very effective - "good lanes were
made wide enough to allow a G S waggon to
pass through"
4 drivers with 4 pairs of mules [from the DAC) were xxxx
attached to MTMBde for the purpose of taking forward 6"
mortars (fixed with mobile fittings) in support of infy.
if infy should require them. But they were not reqd.
4 FABde
29 Sept 3.50am barrage opened to time. Reports from all btys
that very little enemy shelling was coming back.
8 am. Very indefinite reports coming back from infy.
but situation seems fairly good on the right of our div front,
supposed they have crossed the Canal and making Nauroy.
[*Lieut Monkhouse (104 Bty) FOO*]
On left everything obscure, m/g fire can be distinctly
heard from here. Observers report that Div. on right
were seen to cross Canal.
11am Adjutant of Group rang up and reported
that right bn was supposed to be in Nauroy, left bn held up
but now supposed to have crossed Canal. 4.15 Telephone Div Bty
5 FABde (under CRA 1 Div) Atta
25 Sept 13 Bty L 5d 60 75
14 Bty L 5a 48 98
15 Bty L 5a 55 80
105 Bty L 5b 32 50
26 Sept Preliminary bombt began 9. 30pm 26 Sept. - 8 hours
gas bombdt in which 18pdrs fired 300 rds per bty
4.5 hows did not participate. - 8 hrs later they began
cutting wire entanglemts & for next 48 hours.
27 Sept }Each 18pdr fired 600 shells each day
28 Sept } special and intense harassing bombts on
likely assembly areas, tracks, etc
Bty Positions for attack had to be on N of Hargicourt and within 2500 yds of
Infy J.O.line. Btys located as folls -
13 Bty G 5d 20 80
14 Bty G 5b 50 40
15 Bty G 5b 40 60
105 Bty G 5b 30 00
Principal diff was the carrying of ammun, over the whole area
N of ∧and including Hargicourt was subjected to continuous and intense fire of Germ guns.
500 rds per 18 pdr and 450 rds per 4.5 how had to be
at Bty posn prior to attack. All guns in posn and ammun
complete by midnight 28th.
"It is difficult to speak of the work of the drivers without
appearing to be lavishing fulsome praise . . . but something must be
said. Most of them are old war-worn tired men. As in their
many past sturdy achievements, so on this occasion these men
unflinchingly and unhesitatingly faced the Shell torn roads
and fire harassed areas through which their job lay - making trip
after trip with a joke ever ready and smile on their faces to make their
work appear light and cheer a new hand, with perhaps a
5 FABde 2
growl now and again - but these stouthearted
men managed somehow to make even their growling
humorous and cheerful and it never appears out of place or
discouraging; and at midnight on 28th the facts that the guns
were ready and ammun supply complete for the attack
are sufficient to those of us who know their work to place
the bty drivers high in the ranks of the great gallant heroes
who do the unchronicled work of preparation
and supply in this war."
Sept. 29. Lt JW Salmon Bde F.O.O.
[severely wounded on his return from the front next day]
2nd Div. Arty notes
Aug 19 to Oct 5, 1918
Aug 19 - Sept 2
2 Div. Arty war diary
Aug 19
When 32 Div. relieved 2 Aust Div, ∧brigades of 2 Div Arty remained in
line under CRA 32 Div.
Right Group
161 Bde RFA
4 AFABde
Left Group
168 Bde RFA
5 AFAbde
Aug 24. Major (A Clowes (Brigade Major) and Lt J S Smith (Staff Capt Trainee)
went to 32 Div Arty HQ at midnight to perform ^temporarily duties of BM
and SC respectively as the BM and SC of 32 Div Arty had
been hit by aeroplane bomb. [Clowes and Smith returned to
2 Div Arty HQ on 27th]
Aug 26 At 10 pm CRA 2 Aust Div took command of arty
covering "C" Div, Aust Corps (2nd Div.). Arty under his
command -
Right group 16 Army Bde RHA (Lt Col Archdale)
Centre Group 298th Army Bde RFA (Lt Col de Satge)
Left Group 5 Army Bde RHA (Lt Col A H D West)
Aug 27 - 5 Army Bde ordered to support 6 Aust
Infy Bde in clearing system in G29b and d G30a G24c
at 4.55am 28th
Aug 28 5 Army Bde ordered support 5 Aust Infy Bde attack between
H 19 and H25 night 28/29th
16 Army Bde and 29th Army Bde to support 7 Bde advance. 29th Aug
Aug 29 9.45am Btys of 16 Army Bde reported going into action abt N5C
10 am. 128 Heavy Bty (60 pdrs) placed under 2 Div
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