Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280B/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/280B/1

Title: Folder, August - October 1918
Contains notes by A W Bazley on the 4th and
5th Division Artillery and extracts from official
records.
AWM38-3DRL606/280B/1 

Hist. Notes. Artillery 1918. No. 280(b)
Aust. H.T.M. Battery, 1915.
1^st SET.
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half-asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept., 1946.
C. E. W. BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN
AWM 38
3 DRL 606 ITEM 280B [1] 

5th Div Artillery
13 Aug - Sept 21 & 24 

War Diary
C.R.A. 5 Div.
13 Aug. 
5 Div. Arty, 3 Div Arty, 3 & 6 AFA Bdes AF move fwd to
area opp. Lihons -? (hilly front from Reserve posns
between V/Bret & Warfusee for opern against Chaulnes
14 Aug 
13th, 14th, 7th, 8th, 3rd, 6th AFA Bdes commenced preparns
to go into action in front of Chaulnes & began filling
pits. Opern cancelled 5 p.m.
15 Aug.
13 & 14 FA Bdes withdrawn to waggon lines
7 & 8     "    " passed ^back to command ^of CRA 3 Div during morning.
3 & 6     "     " xx came under CRA 1 Aust Div 10 a.m.
Aust Corps front divided into 4 sectors
Orders issued re allotment of Arty.
16 Aug.
13 & 14 FA Bdes moved into "C" Div sector preparatory
to relieving 17 Div Arty
17 Aug
HQ 5 Div Arty opened 10 a.m. at Q7c 2030.
CRA at that hour assumed command of arty in "C"
Div Sector -
13 & 14 AFA Bdes
12 Army Bde AFA
16     "        "     RHA
23    "         "     RFA
18-20 Aug 
21x Aug 21 Aug
Command of Arty covering "C" Div sector
passed to CRA 1 Aust Div 10 a.m.
13 & 14 FA Bdes & 5 Div MTM Bde & 5 DAC
remained with 1 Div Arty for forthcoming
operation.
HQ 5 Div Arty to Corbie 

Extracts from 5 Div Arty Orders 15/8/18
Corps front divided into follg sectors
"A" Sector  V/Bret - Chaulnes Rly to grid line
between S.11 and S.17
"B"       "       From gridline bet. S.11 & S.17 to
gridline along R23 central
"C"         "      From gridline through R32 central
to Somme inclusive
"D"       "       N. of Somme to Northern Corps
boundary.
Field Arty covering these sectors -
A Sector - (under CRA 4 Div Arty)
4 Div Arty
298 Army Bde RFA
3 and 6 Army Bdes AFA
189 Army Bde RFA
B Sector - (under CRA 2 Div Arty)
2 Div Arty
14 Army Bde RFA
C Sector - (under CRA. 17 Div Arty)
17 Div Arty
16 Army Bde RHA
12   "          "      AFA
23   "          "     RFA
D. Sector - (under CRA 58 Div Arty)
58 Div Arty
5 Army Bde RHA.
[*In reserve
1 Div Arty
3   "      "
5   "      "*] 

Extracts from -
5 Div. Arty. Standing Orders for
Semi-Mobile Warfare
dated 17/8/18
Each bty is responsible for an allotted portion of the
Div front, & unless a bty is in action, all guns will be
kept laid & loaded on SOS lines
All 18 pdrs & 4.5 hows. - Rates & duration
of fire for SOS - For first 8 mins, 4 rounds
 - for follg 7 mins, 3 rds. All fire to cease
after 15 mins unless SOS signal repeated
after the opening of fire.
Full use will be made of roving guns & sections
close up to the line, moves being made as reqd
from posn to posn. To work in close touch with infy
As much ^use as poss. will be made of gas shell for
harassing purposes. Ample supplies available 

5 Div. Arty.
Composition (19/8/18.)
Right Group (Lt Col. HW. Lloyd)
12 AFA Bde  (Lt Col HW Lloyd)
23 Army Bde RFA.  (Lt Col. HM Ballingall)
Left Group  (Lt Col H.O. Caddy)
13 AFA Bde  (Lt Col H.O Caddy)
14   "     "        (Lt Col. F.P. Derham)
Superimposed Group
16 Army Bde RHA  (Lt Col TM Archdale)
On night 20/21 Aug.
1 Div Arty
298 Army Bde RFA
5th Army Bde RHA.
reinforced arty covering 5 Div front and at
10 a.m. the command of all arty in div sector passed to
CRA 1 Div. 

C.R.A. 5th Div
Report.
At 10 a.m. 18/8/18? the command of the arty covering 5 Aust Div
passed to CRA. 5 Div.
Arrgts for Attack of 23 Aug 1918 (under CRA 1 Div)
500 rounds per gun dumped at bty posns
Six 6" Newton mortars from each of the 1st & 5th
M.T.M Bdes were emplaced immed
behind front line.
One platoon of 1 Pioneer Bn prepared tracks for
Arty over the old French trenches and wire. 

13 FA Bde (5 Div Arty)
13 Aug 
Orders received at conference 5 Div Arty HQ
8 am for Bde to occupy posns E of Rosieres
within 2000 yds of frontline in support of
operations to be continued
Btys dumping 600 rds per 18 pdr gun &
500 rds per 4.5 how. & will move into action tonight
Posns occupied -
13 FA Bde HQ.  F10a 8020
49 Bty                F11b 2010
50 Bty                F11b 4050
51 Bty                 F11b 5070
113 Bty                F11a 9550
Posns are in old French System trenches, abt
1800 yds from frontline S. of Lihons.
Btys all had long march & this with dumping of
ammun. tired both men & horses.
About 1.30 pm one of our "Camels" brought down
about F20
14 Aug.  
Two of our aeroplanes brought down, & one
other (unknown) in flames.
15 Aug  
Operation Cancelled. 5 Div Arty to
withdraw as soon as poss. Attempt made in daylight
in slight ground mist, but, after 50 Bty & 3 guns
of 113 How Bty had succeeded in withdrawing,
enemy fired on roads in rear of btys.
Withdrawal then stopped till 8.30 p.m.
Bde assembled at Ignaucourt. 

13 FA Bde (2)
17/8/18  
Bde left Ignaucourt 10-11 a.m. & btys xxx occupied posns.
E of Morcourt. Relief carried out by daylight Relieved 78 Bde RFA
18/8/18  
Bde ordered to fire abt 300 rds per bty daily
20/8/18  
Warning orders for opern arrived during afternoon. Groups
to be formed.
Left Group
(Lt Col HO Caddy)   13 & 14 AFA Bdes
298 Army Bde RFA
16 Army Bde RHA.   (3  13 pdr guns btys)
5    "         "     RFA    (4  18 pdr btys)
Right Group
(Lt Col HW Lloyd)
22 Aug.  
Final details for opern arranged with Brig Gen
I.G. Mackay, 1 Inf. Bde. Arrgts included
a further advance ^than that shown on barrage
map issued with orders for opern.
23 Aug.  
Zero hour 4.45 a.m. Advance supported
by creeping barrage.
During opern groups were rearranged and
"D" Subgroup became Left Group. C Sub Group
became Centre Group.
Arrgts for support of 3 Inf Bde by Left Group
made direct by C.O. of group ^direct with GOC 3 Inf Bde.
After completn of phase 1 some diffy experienced
in firing 3rd barrage  arrg details for this
phase on a/c of movemt of HQ of Left Group
but these were finally made & opern successful.
Some diffy experienced in firing the 3rd
barrage because btys had just moved.