Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/280B/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 17

3 Div Arty Locations
2 pm 3/10/18
3 Aust Div Arty      HQ    F26c88
Left Right Group HQ   A21a8580 ←[Lt Col WG Allsop]
8 AFA Bde     HQ A21a8580           ←
29 Bty              A26c97
30                     A26a6575
31                      A26b8535
108                   A25b63
290 Bde RFA [Lt Col WAF Jones]
HQ                   A20b18
A Bty               A14b9560
B   "                  A21a58 
C   "                  A15c26
D   "                 A14c97
291 Bde RFA [Lt Col R Longstaff]
HQ                  A27c4590
A Bty              A27d77
B                     A27c65
C                     A27d6590
D                    A27d3545
Left Group H.Q. F17a31  ←[Lt Col G I Stevenson]
3 Army Bde AFA              ←
HQ.                F17a31
87 Bty           A21a55
8                    A21c39
9                    A26b7580
103                A21c3532
7 AFA Bde [Major HJH Glover]
HQ                F17c70
25 Bty          A20d41
26                 A26b3580
27                 A26b4065
107               A14b9590
110 Bde RFA [Lt Col. KE Milford]
HQ               F29a99
A Bty           F23c7045
B                  F23c3045
C                  F23d48
D                 F23c17

7 AFA Bde
War diary
[*29/9/18*] Attack began at 5.50 a.m. with a heavy creeping barrage from our
guns. Enemy retaliation heavy between Guillamont Fm
and Ronssoy but none on back areas.
7.30 a.m. one section of 26 Bty and one section of 27 Bty
attached to 38 & 40 Bns respectively moved forward from
waggon lines with their bns.
8 a.m. an officers patrol from each bty went fwd to
reconnoitre roads and report on situation
8.30 a.m. Firing btys only assembled at the
rendezvous in F20d.
Throughout whole attack there was great scarcity
of information, none whatever till 8.45 am when an
officers patrol returned stating that nothing definite
was known of the progress of the attack and that Z Copse in F17c was still under
m/g fire from Guillamont Fm.
9 am News recd from Infy that Americans succeeded in
crossing Hind Line and were pushing on to Green Line
but that no mopping up had been done - consequently there were
numerous m/g nests and S/Ps holding out who were
offering determined opposn to the 3 Div on Brown Line.
Owing to uncertainty of situation btys remained
standing to at rendezvous at F20d while advanced
Bde HQ moved to new 10 AI Bde HQ F17d74
On arrival at 10 AI Bde HQ m/g fire still very heavy and it was learnt
that infy held up on line - Dog trench - Willow trench and unable
advance.
Situation in front so obscure that btys remained until
afternoon at rendezvous.
Abt 3 pm contact reported Americans on Green Line
E of Gouy and Mt St Martin and at 3.30 10 AI Bde ordered
into action at F22b and F23a but owing to stiff
resistance put up by m/gs in Claymore Valley our infy                
unable to push forward till 8 p.m. when general line
of Guillemont trench reached. Many small groups of isolated

7 FA Bde
War diary
2
[*29/9/18*] Americans found.
The detached sections had been unable to get into action
all day and rejoined their btys at dusk.
6 pm btys in follg posns.
25 Bty  F22b6615
26         F22d7085
27         F23c06
107       F22a28
[*30/9/18*] 6 am Bde fired an enfilade barrage creeping due N
through A30. 14 & 8 to support mopping up of those squares
by 9 & 10 AI Bdes. while 11 A1 Bde advanced in
northerly directn twds Gouy.
During morning OPs estab F18c & A8c12
& many targets engaged during morning inclg two
77m guns which had been holding up our advance.
1 pm. 15 mins concentration put down on trenches of the H Line
N. of Douy and roads leading NE through A8a & b
heavily harassed.
3 pm Douy subjected to a short shoot
No moves of btys took place through day.
6 pm 7 AFA Bde became part of Left Group arty
under CO. 110 Bde RFA.
Definite informatn being recd that Americans
who had reached Green Line had been cut off and captured
SOS lines were given to btys for first time.
[*1/10/18*] During morning without arty barrage 10 AI Bde
pushed, taking Douy with 11 AI Bde, and the Hind Line.
Later ^they crossed Canal tunnel and estab posts on the Knob
and Bony Point. During these operns Battery OPs manned
and effective support given infy by dealing with targets under
direct observatn. Between noon and 6 pm
heavy harassing fire maintained on enemy trenches,

7 AFA Bde
3
War diary
[*1/10/18*] approaches and roads, 400 rounds expended.
8.30 pm regrouping of arty. on div front.
{7 AFA Bde & 3 Army Bde AFA - Left Group
{under CO                                                           
{110 Bde.                                                            
{110 Bde RFA
[*2/10/18*] Enemy extremely quiet.
Bty Cdrs reconnoitred forward posns. in A20 and A26
but did not move. Trenches in S28 and roads, trenches and copses
in A4 again heavily strafed during afternoon,
400 rounds fired.
3 pm CO 3 AFA took command Left Group
(Lt Col Stevenson)

7 AFA Bde
War diary
[*3/10/18*] 6.5 a.m. Bde fired creeping barrage to support
advance by 50 Div. At 8 a.m. 107 Bty moved forward
to vicinity of Douy and at 8.30 18 pdr btys went
to A20 & A26.
10 a.m. locations
25 Bty  A20d41
26         A26b3580

27         A26b4065
107       A14b9590
During attack hostile arty retaliation very slight.
but increased abt noon when c/attack developed.
forcing our troops off Prospect Hill. Our btys maintained
heavy standing barrage on Protective Barrage Line
till 1.30 pm. when fire ceased.
[*4/10/18*] 6.10 a.m. minor oprn took place but 7 FA Bde
did not participate.
3.30 to 4.30 pm. trenches in S28 & S29 heavily
bombarded after 1 taken by 50 Div without
opposition, in conjunction with an advance on our left. 
[*5/10/18*] 10 a.m. 7 FA Bde came under CRA 2 Div.
Withdrew btys to vicinity Villeret
[*night 6/7 Oct*] Btys moved up to -
25 Bty^th 25  B29c19
26   "             B28c63
27   "             B29c71
107 "             B29c25
500 rds per 18 pdr and 300 rds per 4.5 how
dumped at positions.

8 AFA Bde
[*29/9/18*] Role to support 11 AI Bde in exploitation from Green
Line and advance to Red Line.
Btys did not fire any original barrage
but at 9 am left bivouac area in L6 and moved up
to assembly posn in F28  ready to move forward.
Definite orders issued that btys on no a/c to move
any further fwd till it was certain Green Line had been captured.
American attack failure so btys moved back to F20.
Arty not allowed to fire owing to fact that it was reported
that Americans had dashed through without mopping up.
[*1/10/18*] Btys moved forward into A26, HQ in liaison with 11^th AI Bde
in dugouts in Hind Line at A21a8580. CO. [Lt Col
Allsop] took command of Right Group Arty
consisting of 8th AFA Bde, 290 & 291 RFA Bdes.,
the two latter bdes in vicinity of A16.
Quiet day.
7 pm. 11 AI Bde relieved by 151 Bde [50 Div]
[*2/10/18*] 151 Bde attacked at dawn to capture village of
Catelet and Gouy and high ground carried to the North.
Objectives gained but infy retired during day
asserting that they had been driven out by Boche which we cd
not believe on the reports rendered us by our arty
observers.  This attack repeated on morning of Oct 3
[*3/10/18*]  by the same bde at 6.5 a.m.  This attack more or less
successful - mostly less and again at night our line xx
was the same except that we held Prospect Hill.
[*4/10/18*] 150 Inf Bde relieved 151 Bde and attacked Le Catelet and Gouy
at 6.10 am  This attack went well but later in morning
troops withdrew.  In afternoon line ran S. of Le Catelet
but one bn cdr refused to be driven out of Le Panier South
[s29b] and hung on there all day with 100 men. At 12.35 pm

2
8 AFA Bde
[*4/10/18*] we were holding S29b03 - S29b70 in touch
with Wilts at S29d01.
Whole operns since handover by 11^th AI Bde on 1/10/18
handled very badly, apparently due to incompetence
of Infy Bde staffs.
During aftnoon heavy area shoot carried out
on high ground in S28 & 29 in preparn for capture of it
at 7 pm.  Attack carried out without a barrage
and was successful.
[*5/10/18*] 7 & 8 AFA Bdes recd orders to report to 2 Div Arty
report centre at Bellicourt where orders given
for us to move into waggon lines G1S.
[*6/10/18*] Orders recd from 2 Div Arty to move into
action vicinity H5 on night 6/7th to support
hop over of 30 Amer Div on morning 8^th.
Permission obtd to move up on night 7/8th
to avoid prob. casualties through being in forward area
for a day when not reqd.