Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/281/1 - 1918 - 1933 - Part 3

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2nd F Coy.
Orders
Tanks [shorthand] move into forward areas with
100 shovels
50 picks
2 bales sandbags
10 bundles French wire
20 coils barbed     "
100 long screws
100 short   "
and unload in valley R29b or c or d.
No. 4 Section, with Lt. Best (14 F Coy ) was to tape the J.O.T.
Report, ^(undated) on operations from 8 Aug. onwards
Three main works carried out by 2 FCoy were
Water supply
Reconnaissance
Defensive works.
Water supply
Definite areas were allotted to exploit. From three sources:-
Village surface wells
Deep well system
River supplies.
The village supplies were usually sufficient for the troops, but [shorthand] failed
absolutely to cope with the quantities reqd for the large number of horses [shorthand]
area. The testing of the wells by the AMC was often very late.
To cope with the problem of watering horses away from the Somme recourse
was made to the deep wells. On 9 Aug. & around Lihons coy was fortunate [Shorthand]
finding ^intact a complete German pumping set, but later on the pumping xxx sets
were destroyed.
Where operations were close to the river there was a plentiful supply for all.

3 F Coy.
22/8/18. Reserve field Coy
25/8/18 An RAP [shorthand] constructed at R 5a 00 but [shorthand] wrecked by
an explosion in a dump, ^presumably by a delay action mine or shell. 2 sappers were killed.
Between 23 & 26 Aug. carried out ^Lt L J Price made a detailed reconnaissance of area of Left Brigade
of for accommodation, bridges, roads & tracks, railways, wells, dumps
At Froissy dump (L 34d and R4b) on 25/8/18 —
Adzes 3 doz( about)                  Shovels  120 (abt)
Anvils  1                                         Spares, 30' lengths  600
Leather belting 50ft (abt)        Switchboard & starter 1
Armoured cable  3 reels           Timber 30000 running feet
Wire cable 100 ft (abt)               Vices   3
Cement   6 doz bags                 Barbed wire 760 coils
"                 1 doz tins                    Concertina wire 200 coils
Duckboards     3500                  French wire   280 rolls
Portable engines    2                 Wire netting  22 52 rolls
Stationary       "         3  
Hoop iron    4 doz coils
Iron, round   1000 ft (abt)
Joists, rolled steel 8"x 3", average length 18'         6400.
Small lathe, complete    1
Mining sets   1500
Electric motor  1 complete
"                 "         1 in pieces
"                  "        1 slightly damaged.
Nails      8 doz casks
   "           2 doz bags
Pickets, angle iron,   long    1800
   "                "          "     short       50
   "                 "          "    German  70
Picks           36 (abt)
Pit props    36,000   (abt)
Pulleys    7
Hand pumps.     10
Rails, metre gauge,  25' lengths,    90
Rammers   24 (abt)
Band Saw , complete,   1
Circular saws.    26
Circular saws & benches (complete)   4
Crosscut saws     4
Screws       4 cases
Shafting   50 ft

CRE 3 Div

War diary

19/8/18  9 F Coy relieved 13 F Coy, the only F Coy

with the Liaison Ince

3 Pioneer Bn taken from CRE & attached to 9 Inf Bde

as an extra fighting bn

Appendices

20/8/18  Lt N Johnson will act as Engr Liaison Officer with 9 Inf Bde

21/8/18   9 F Coy ^still employed with 9 Inf Bde on engr preparns until

Y/Z night when [shorthand] come into reserve.

26/8/18. Bridges in forward area.

L 2 2 a 6 5 3 , ^Sluice gates. Three bays  - Northern bay (18')

completely demolished. (S. bay 12', centre bay 14½)

L 22 a 56. bridge over stream. Span 21'.

superstructure completely demolished.

 [*This is 

copy of 

9 F Coy 

report*]

L 22 a 5 0 65. bridge over stream. Span 20'.  superstructure

completely demolished.
L 21 b 68.  (railway bridge).                 64'6"
L 21 b 58  road bridge. Span 67½. Superstructure.
completely demolished.

L 21 d 25 40   Standard Gauge Railway bridge.

Span 10'9"  Timber superstructure.   In good order,

L 21 d 20 35. Road bridge. Brick arch. good condition.

L 28 C 65 25            "          "  Brick arch demolished.

Span   49"

3 Div. Engrs
Messages & Signals
From Lt. T. A Borthwick   3 pm  26 Aug 1918.

[shorthand] report [shorthand]  large Arty [shorthand]  ammun dump at L22 b & d o

fully prepared [shorthand] demolition  with detonators [shorthand]  position.

Hand grenade traps are installed [shorthand] stacks [shorthand] Engr dump

at same place. 40 Bn [shorthand] temply mounted small guard

but / [shorthand]  quite inadequate [shorthand] size [shorthand] place. [shorthand] take [shorthand] least

two days [shorthand] remove charges & investigate the place [shorthand] further traps.

9 F Coy

War diary

22/8/18. Three sections of coy into reserve. No. 2 Sectn e engaged in

9 Bde opern. Moved out at zero hour (4.45am) to
reconnoitre captd area for deep dugouts & to examine CC 

mines [shorthand] traps. Section had a very rough day through

heavy enemy barrage both going [shorthand] coming back

25/8/18 Attack continued. Four sections left camp 3.30am

to construct bridges over Somme & canal near Bray.

& to make roads trafficable. Work continued for over 14 hrs,
till 6.30 p.m. Three bridges to take ambulances,
three for foot traffic

26/8/18 The three foot traffic bridges made previous day, reconstructed
to carry field arty.

Report of Lt N Cook ( No 2 Section) on Bray operations 22/8/18.

Role - to examine & report on captd dugouts in 9 Bde area.

Worked in three parties.

Track took section [shorthand] dense mist in valley, Gas "pretty bad" also.

However by picking up land marks [shorthand] I noticed day before,

reached a small quarry near the main Bray Corbie road

where divided into 3 parties.

No 1 party went on the left & and "the farther we went the

thicker the barrage seemed to get". The runners bicycles

were becoming awkward over the torn-up ground, so

left in a shell hole.

After ½ minute's spell behind disabled tank party spread

out & went on. Thickest part of barrage just ahead

& only by sheer luck cd [shorthand] hope to pass it. A party of abt

12 infymen blocked [shorthand] a 5.9 shell immed ahead.

"L [shorthand] other [shorthand]  first thought [shorthand] 'first aid', but [shorthand] a stunt the

rule o [shorthand] Get on with [shorthand] job [shorthand] leave [shorthand]  s/bs. So on

[shorthand] went"
The first dugout was a m/g post [shorthand] open, well

camouflaged. Inf gunners [shorthand] killed [shorthand] shellfire, also one of their

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9 FCoy

message dogs. The other dog very much alive & savage.^(Later Killed 

by German shell.)

Got busy [shorthand] torches [shorthand] searched vevery inch [shorthand] dugout [shorthand] booby traps.

but found [shorthand] suspicious. Bn Sig Officer already

established [shorthand] there.

Remainder of area searched [shorthand] tank mines and booby

traps, but "apparently there had [shorthand] prepare [shorthand]."

(^The Two other parties were broken up [shorthand] barrage, the

corporal [shorthand] charge [shorthand] being killed,  while the corporal [shorthand] a spr of the

other party were slightly wounded but considbly shaken.)

No 1 party

As [shorthand] did not turn up at rendezvous, No 1 Party 

searched the remainder of the bde area. [shorthand] included 3 deep

dugouts and a hastily prepared tank mine on the main

road –– made up [shorthand] stick grenades. Easily

dismantled & thrown clear [shorthand] road. (L14 c 7575)

The mine [shorthand] 2 parts, one [shorthand] each tractor of the tank. Each

consisted of 21 stick  bombs on top of [shorthand] a lump of iron

(about 56 lb). There were 3 bundles [shorthand] 3 bombs

bound together [shorthand] strings all tied [shorthand] a length [shorthand] cable.

The two cables laid along the road to a dugout 100 yds

East, so that the mines cd be exploded [shorthand] the tank reached

the spot. Appeared [shorthand] a hurriedly constructed
work , and only ^attempt at concealment was an ammunition basket thrown

on the top of each. [shorthand] less conspicuous had [shorthand] not [shorthand]

exactly opp each other on the  wheel tracks.

25/8/18 Pontoon bridge with approaches completed at L 33 c 19

Bridge for F.Arty constructed L 28 c 31.

[*Major Drake Brockman's report*]

At L 22 a 53 gap being bridged by stone bank [as bridge only

over a backwater] [shorthand] abt completed.

At L 22 a 66 three gaps still remain [shorthand] bridged.

Col. Sanday (3 Pioneer Bn) [shorthand] making reconn. 'these demolished

bridges' says idea [shorthand] commencing work [shorthand] after. [shorthand] he states [shorthand]

job [shorthand] men [shorthand] worked out [shorthand] propose handing over [shorthand]

the three gaps at L22 a 66. Will hand over [shorthand] 12.30 from

Road [shorthand] made fit [shorthand] traffic [shorthand] L33 c19 to L22 a 66 7

3

9 F Coy

road along canal [shorthand] improved [shorthand] made passable to German

pontoon bridge S. of Q5 d 21.

Pontoon footbridge [shorthand] put [shorthand] at L33 a83 [shorthand] track marked [shorthand]

repaired [shorthand] L 33 a 83 to L21 d 93.

Tempry footbridge [shorthand] put [shorthand] first gap at L 22 a 66. The

other two gaps [shorthand] crossed [shorthand] only with diffy.

25/8/18 Later report Finished work [shorthand] bridges etc at 12.30pm.[shorthand] day.

The road [shorthand] fit [shorthand] light traffic to L 22 a 66 — i.e. ambulances

cd go to that point.

[shorthand] advance to three gaps over streams still require [shorthand] bridged.

[shorthand] roughly footbridged so [shorthand] take walking wounded etc.

Report 7pm 26/8/18  From Pontoon bridge L 33 a 30 to L 22 a 67 [shorthand] tpt [shorthand] traffic [shorthand]

6pm today. that [shorthand] , three bridges [shorthand] constructed over gaps.

Shd carry F. Arty.

Have examined demolished road bridge at L 22 b 66.

Wd take several days to clear up old site, [shorthand] erect a

bridge between road and railway bridge fairly quickly. Stream at

least 12 ft deep . [shorthand] opinion [shorthand] Coy cd construct bridge [shorthand] 1½ days

but [shorthand] working hard [shorthand] long hours [shorthand] last few days [shorthand]

sooner [shorthand] more [shorthand] expec trestle bridge a always

doubtful proportion [shorthand] a/c of foundations.

10 F Coy

Engaged on road reconnaissance & repair work, wells,

dugouts etc.

Stock of Engr material in captured dump at Bray

52 516 boxes of explosives

3800 mining sets

1000 iron notice boards

200 expanded metal rolls

5360 5200 lengths of timber

675                   "          "   corrugated iron

750    bundles of laths

350    pit props

56  5

565  poles.

838 338 rolls wire netting.

40 bundles round iron

1 stack forging iron

84 Mixed iron rails

3 stacks Hospital timber parts

400 sheets baby elephant iron

220        "      Cupola iron

500        "            "         "     ridging

25 barrels tar

6250   screw pickets

3000 coils barbed wire

1255       "       plain wire

24  barbed wire entanglements

300 coils French wire

432  312  162  140  rolls of camouflage

200 picks

8850 8350 iron pickets

350 coils trench matting

5000   bundles fascines

75  xxx iron  girders 18' &  15'

18  ^heavy sets heavy foot bridges  12' x 3'

300 light sets                  "           "         16' x 3'

100 Camouflage road screens

400  duckboards

780 750  xxx  bridge decking

120 Glass windows

 24 Suction pumps

40  24  force      "

1 stack Iron timber clamps

3 boring machine outfits

200 bags cement 10 tons lime 700 sandbags

[*also, 

Nails

Iron Piping 

Plate Glass 

etc*]

11 F Coy

War diary

22/8/18 Lt. E.H.Rhodes & party marched [shorthand] track [shorthand] L13 central on main Bray-Corbie

road to L9 c98.

23/8/18 No. 4  Section on water supply.

25/8/18 No 2   Section on road maintenance

No 1                    "        loading bridging gear and material.

No. 3                  "        on dugouts, splinter proof shelters

Extracts from War Diary C.R.E. Second Division (J.M.C. Corlette).

1st Oct. Went up to 5th D.H.Q. at Hervilly to see Colonel Mather as we

are taking over part of the front from them tomorrow morning . . . . 

No formal taking over necessary. Work is chiefly the development of wells

in the forward area.

2nd Oct. Templeux. Received information that an attack to be made by this

Div. tomorrow morning. There is no opportunity for any detailed arrangements
as to engineer work; this also is scarcely necessary as coys. will

arrange direct with Bdes. for co-operation. The chief duties will be water

supply and searching for booby traps, mines, etc . . . . . The whole affair

has been hurriedly arranged.

3rd Oct. Visited three coys. today. Went up to high ground between

Estrees and Joncourt, from where there was a good view of Montbrehain; did

not see much going on on the front. Field coys. are not able to do much,

they are chiefly occupied in opening up wells. Pioneers were employed on

roads but today they have been taken over as div. reserve fighting troops

and moved to near Nauroy. This quarry has been shelled fairly frequently

by H.V. guns; a number of casualties were caused last night among D.H.Q.

staff and attached personnel.

4th Oct. Further attack made today to advance our line. . . . .The troops

are getting pretty done up and these small attacks are not doing us much

good. Tomorrow the 6th Bde. to take Montbrehain village. So far as I know

the capture of the village is the complete operation and if successful will

leave a salient like a wart on our front commanded from the high ground on

the S.E. No mention of co-operation of troops on our right for the capture

of this high ground.

5th Oct. This afternoon I walked to Gillemont Farm. Not far from there

were 8 British tanks in a row within a distance of 200 yds. which had been 

put out of action through crossing old British anti-tank minefield which

had been laid early in the year before the retreat. Four more, similarly

disabled, were lying a short distance away. Disabled tanks are freely

dotted all over the landscape. Near Gillemont Farm American troops are

collecting and burying men killed in recent attacks against the Hindenburg

Line by the 27th American Div. They are burying hundreds and still more

are being brought in.

5th Field Coy.

Report by Lieut. R. J. Dumas re laying of J.O. tapes between

Estrees and Joncourt. on night of 2/3rd October:

Left camp at 6.30 p.m. 2/10/18 and owing to H.Q. of 18th Bn.

having been blown out I could not locate them until 10.30 p.m. As

suggested by C.O. 18th, I then waited until Coy. commanders came in from

the line to explain to them where the tape would be. . . . .  It was not till

11.30 p.m. that I left Bn. H.Q. to carry out the work. The tape was laid

throughout the length between the map references required, and two coy.

boundary leading-on tapes ran back to sunken road. Work completed about

2.15 a.m. As troops were to be on tapes by 4 a.m. I decided to stay to see

everything satisfactory. During night very heavy shelling behind front

line and slight MG. fire in No Man's Land. On right sector great deal of

gas from previous shelling and owing to the barbed wire and shell holes

was totally impossible to wear gas masks on such a dark night.