Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/281/1 - 1918 - 1933 - Part 11

6 
15th Coy
Wire to CRE.
5.30am 3/9/18  Lt. Gullen just returned from building second
footbridge. Reports that he "placed all avail floating
material in posn and from the end of the bridge there is still 100ft of
water showing. And then apparently reeds. It was imposs to
ascertain at night where the nearest dry land was.
Apparenty infy are not using the first bridge that was put in.
4/9/18 
Wire to CRE Repaired two infy xx bridges Beaches to St Radegonde.
Demolished girders on road of approach to. bridge at 33 d49
Approaches cleared & squared up by Pioneers.....
5/9/18
To CRE. There are 4 timber trestle bridges at Dogt Doingt. The river
forks & there are two sets of  two bridges over the forks -
these are at 1 36a 96. We have repaired  one of these
& both sets are fit for MT. There  is another brick arch
bridge at I 36a 36 & light timber bridge at Isot
I 36 a 95 65.  Both lead to  tracks. Footbridge at I36d37
To CRE
8.37pm
5/9/18 Track across Somme swamp [[off?]] at Loch 0 3b 76. Bridges
repaired at Doingt I 36 a76 two sets of^two  bridges overlook -
river fit for MT. No wells located but many
tracks lead down - river as if that was water supply.
 

Pioneers
see also Engineers
 

[[*Folder
Engineers & 
Pioneers*]]
3^rd Pioneer Bn (Lt Col W.H. Sanday)
Under C.O. 3 Pioneers - 3 Pioneer
9 F Coy Engrs
10 ------
13 -------
3 Pioneer History
At 4.35
32 top drays loaded ^with stone at Vaire on night of Aug. 7.
"C" Coy was  to maintain road through Hamel up to front line and keep
it open after zero
"A" Coy was to so beyond "C" and repair main road through Cerisy
One platoon of B Coy to g forward to lateral track from Gailly to La Motte.
By an hour after zero the main road was now a passable
condition for transport, but the Xrds near Gailly, where the
lateral track tuned off, were found to be in a  serious state.
Tanks turned round on at this spot & did not improve it.
By abt 6a.m drays were carting bricks through Gailly
By 7.30 all roads passable state. Field arty appeared and went
into action in the cutting at beginning of lateral road.
"By A little after 8 a.m. the  whole of ^the main road was one dense column of
guns & waggons, ^the majority of which were turning into 
Cerisy- La Motte valley, now also filling with the supporting troops of the 4 Div.
All the reserve tank bns also moved into this great fold in the ground,
which by this time presented a wonderful sight.
"As the first experience of open warfare, the sight reminded one
more of a greatly magnified field day in pre-war days,
than of a great attack in deadly earnest. Here one saw every
arm of the service concentrating, coming & going. Here
wounded tanks returned to be inspected & temply patched up,
guns teams waited till orders came from reconnaissance
officers for their move to new poss, engineers and tunnellers opened
up and inspected wells, advanced dressing stns sprang up, and
further parties from the B Coy worked hard on the repair of the earth
made lateral track. It soon became a matter of maintaining
 

3rd Pioneers
2
many tracks in that valley, every day traffic was so great waggons
deviated the constructed road, making new tracks, to themselves
and the more tracks that existed the quieter the access from point to point,
and the less chance of blocks which might occur on a single road." Here
During this time a party with 2/c/command all unit had
worked along Somme xxx river, examining and reporting on
conditn of bridges.
D Coy (which was held in reserve) was put on main road
follg up the advance, clearing and repairing the road through Cerisy
and on to Morcourt. At dusk work on roads ceased.
Met little trouble except occasional shoots on rd twds
Morcourt.  "In fact it was the quietest day the unit had
experienced for some time, and it was hard to realise that it was
the biggest opern in which they had been engaged."
From Aug 8 to 11 the work on all the roads, incly minor
roads and tracks, was continued at top pressure. On Aug 12
all roads up to Cerisy taken handed over to
Corps Roads Officer. Aug 10- 13^th d Coy retd to 4 Divn.
[[*Cerisy Chipelly
Bridge
Aug 12*]]
Orders recd to rebuild the steel girder bridge
across Somme at Cerisy. After reconnaissance, a
guarantee was made that the unit cd rebuild the bridge in a week.
Major H.P. Phillips was placed in charge of the job
The work consisted of raising a steel girder bridge
from the stream and placing it on  old abutments of
another bridge !which had been demolished alongside it. Tackles and
winches were salved from the old German dump at La Flaque
 

3rd Pioneers
3
Major Phillips report on bridges at Cerisy.
(Q 3 90 55)
On this site at one period two distinct steel bridges
existed, one which we will call the "civilian" or road bridge,
the other I would say an army railway bridge as it is
bolted together in sections.
The "civilian" bridge was constructed on brick abutments
which are in good conditn. Span between abutments,
approx 70ft. This bridge was built with two steel
girders, which open entire distance. It has been blown
about 10ft from the N side of the bridge.
The railway bridge was built on pile abutments
which are still sound. This has also blown 10 feet from the N side.
And that end of bridge fallen into river. The S. end
remains, however resting on abutment. No very
great diffy would be experienced in the repair of this bridge.
[[*compiled from
Sanday's report*]]
The dismantling of the bridge was immed put in hand.  It was decided
to utilise the brick abutments of the "civilian" bridge. The
span was therefore decreased by about 10 -12 feet, "thereby
enabling damaged portion of the bridge (railway bridge) to be cut away, which after
being reconnected, gave us a bridge of sufficient span to be
utilised on the brick abutments".
The top portion of these abutments had first to be rebuilt. This was done
in time to enable the bridge girders to be lifted intact into posn.
It was then simply a question of putting,^together again  the parts which had
 

3 Pioneers
4 
been dismantled. Three inch decking, some of it was cut
at our workshops at Blangy, and the remainder salved from the
La Flaque dump, was utilised for the bridge.
The whole of the work was completed and the bridge
opened for traffic by 4 pm on Aug 18.

xxxx xxxx xxx 35/15 had when completely delapidated
At a later date a wooden bridge had been xxxx but this
also had been demolished.
 

Aug 8-10^th
5 Pioneer Bn (LtCol H G Carter)
Aug
 Under O.C. 5 Pioneer Bn. - 5th Pioneer Bn
5^th  FCoy Engrs
6^th     ""      ""
15^th    '''      ''

Repairs carried out on main road as far forward: as poss. throughout the 3 nights
prior to opern. The trenches under the road where Villeris Line and
[[Airawatta?]] trench crossed road were filled in & metalled. Two saps
under road in  P 26 c timbered up with mining sets.
C & D Coys 5 Pioneers & 5 FCoy xxxxx started work on main
road abt 6 a.m. on Aug 8. Condition of road much better
than expected. 14 contact mines found by 5 FCoy & removed.
Armoured cars moved up as soon as poss. and went fwd as s/holes were
filled in and obstacles removed. ^Work finished 40 minutes ahead of time estimated At 7.40 am first car
entered Warfusee, others following immed. From this hour
road began to be used for traffic and by 10 a.m all kind of vehicles
& guns were using it. During whole day no troubles to traffic
occd from road troubles. The two coys improved the road during the day, but could
not do very much because of press of traffic
An earth road was started at 7a.m.  by "A" Coy 5Pion. from
0 36 a 25 twds Marcelcave.  Completed twds evening
& largely used by horse traffic. Loop road from P25c13
to Quarry Crossing and round to Warfursee also put under repair
for motor traffic - 15^th & 6^th FCoys  - but xxxx ^portion had only
thin metal & so not poss to make it avail for more than very light
motor traffic.
xxxxxx A mine an P21 central removed by 9^th & 10^th 1st Tuesday;
another at P32 central by 15 FCoy. Both withdrawn
on evening of Aug 8.
Aug 9/10
Roads E of La Motte & Marcelcave reconnoitred on 9^th & 10^th
& found to be on the whole in excellent order, odd s/holes and a few obstacles
only requiring attention. On 9^th & 10^th a horse traffic
 

2
5 Pioneer
road, parallel with the main road, was made between
V/B and Warfusee, on the N. side. 37 contact mines
were discovered in this section and in neighbourhod to P27c&d.
Stone dumps found – abt 200 tons at Marcelcave
rly stn; about 400 tons at Guillancourt.
On evening of Aug 10 all units rejoined their divn's
9 Aug. Railway repairs
Col Carter at 4.15 pm reported to CE. Aust Corps
"I have noticed that the men on the  main rly line at  Villers are doing very little
and working in a very easy and halfhearted manner. There does not
appear to be anyone shaking them up and they are certainly doing
anything but their bit ...."
Aug 11. ^Most of 5 Pioneer Bn resting. B Coy instructed and A.D.S.
Aug 12 Three coys (AB (A.C. &D) working on heavy railway
beyond Marcelcave. Completed nearly a mile of
plate-laying and repairing. (Under 1st Canadian Rly Coy)
5 Pioneer History says that in abt two days 1½ miles of double lines was converted
to a single working track with a siding 1200 yds long. Well over
1000 men employed on this work  Each alternate fishplate had been shattered
by a plug of gelignite. All the rails therefore practically useless, but
nevertheless all that had to be done was removal of these shattered rails and the laying of
new ones. Work done at high pressure under supervision,^and with the assistance  of trained Canadian
rly workers but it took 2 days to do 1½ miles.  

2nd Pioneer Bn
 A & B Coys. under CRE 3Div, opening up roads
8 Aug
A Coy (Capt. LC Roth)
Each platoon organised into at least 3 parties.
Each Divsl party was composed of resourceful men under a
capable leader to keep on heels of advancing infy,
cut all were and remove what obstacles they could.
Second parties removed heavier branches and trees and filled
in or broke down trenches crossing the road.
Third a other parties filled in any shellholes.
that 18pdrs cd not cross.
In all 15000 yds of road restored for 18 pdrs
6000yds of road which had been allotted to Coy
was found OK.
Lt Rich's platoon got well ahead and in a short time
passed the Infy moppers up. At one time they had to
help the infy to mop up Platoon captured
over 40 prisoners and 3 m/guns
Lt Toole's platoon did 7000 yds in 2 hours.
An example of what determination and hard work
can do in the face of lively m/gun fire.
Lt Edwards platoon had to work through Accroche Wd
for first ten minutes it was  worried by m/gun fire but German
gunners were handicapped by fog. Fire died down
suddenly. Several times party xxxx surprised Germans hopping
down into Sunken road and captured them.
 

2 Pioneer Bn
B Coy (Lt A.H.Traves Capt J Nicolson) under CRE 3 Div
8 Aug threw open 14800 yds of road
1 casualty
During first hour work hampered by fog
but after 5. 30 a.m. had less difficulty.
(C+D under CRE 5 Div)
C Coy (Lt A.H. Traves) working with own divn.
opened up 5200 yds of road for wheeled
traffic.
D Coy (Capt J A Armitage)
3 Platoons attached ^to field Artillery to form roads
for guns to move forward.