Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/156/1 - March 1917 - Part 4

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tt they cd not get there -
the m.g. ws there. Probly
they did not know exactly
where it was. C.O.
26 Bn to whom this
Coy 28 Bn ws attached
rang up the Bde for
a howitzer to blow this
gun out. But ½ hr
later Pugh reported tt
he ws there all right.
Probly it ws not there
that night - but Germans
were there bec. Pugh
ws fired on from there.
On 23/24 Lt Wills patrolling
along Vaulx Lagnict
rd located a m.g. abt

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20 yds from E. ^^?W point
of village (at A) He ws
fired at at point blank
range. He ws shot
thro / chest - he fired
his pistol at them; he
walked back & reported
the m.g. The bullet is
still in him - probly a
ricochet. This gun
ws located in / attack
at this point. Amongst
other artifices - one of
the German range
sticks ws shifted abt
150 yds.
On 23rd abt
midday Holmes, Glasgow

38
^xAbt Apr. 1. Holmes &
Ferguson were going out
to / forward posts
over the hill knuckle
betw Lagnict & Noreuil
when, near one o / posts,
they were fired at &
F. hit w rifle bullet. They
got into / post. Holmes
presently went back &
ws not fired at - he wd
not wait. He bound F. up
& sd he wd send a horse for
him after dark. ½ hr later
a shell came into / post, k.
4 men. & agn stunned F.
hitting him in / head. He ws
paralysed down right side. He
ws taken away at dark - the horse turned
up later.
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36
Barnard, Bridges,
(w Travers) & Ferguson
came up to see the
country as 4 Div
ws to take over
afterwds. As they
walked over / top o
/ hill betw Vaulx Wood
& Marict Wood the
Germans got onto them
with [shorthand] & v. nearly
got them. The burst
ws just overhead &
/ spread behind them.
The J.O. line ws to
be the Noreuil Morchies

58 Bn
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36

Rd. The 60 Bn ws
to attack on right.
They were to reach the
Lagnict - Doignies
Rd, incl. one on the
first rd junction to
right of Lagnict. Arrangemnts
were made betw. COs
& Coy Comandrs. But at
last moment 55 Bn ws [*58*]
substituted & result ws
tt there ws no cooperation
betw. the two Bns.
The 27 Bn ws to
attack on left. The
26 Bn ws holding
the dotted line in sketch
map. 27Bn ws to

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swing onto the ridge
facing Noreuil to protect
left of attack so as to
form a defensive flank.
The 26 started from
Noreuil Rd in three
isolated attacks, converging
& taking in the Sunken
Rd. Junction at S. We
had excellent air photos
taken a day or two before -
& each coy ws able to
see the part of the village
wh it ws to take.
B ws to take left part
of Village & Sunken Rd -
C went thro whole village -
A skirted rt of village past

42
[*3rd Sqn. R.F.C.
Little Cleaver came
up & did this.*]
43

36
crucifix to other side.
Cherry ^(C Coy) ws convinced
there ws a trench round
the SE end of village
- after watching w. glasses.
Air photos were asked
for & showed there was.
The plane dropped a
map. (The ^airmen were asked
for - came up in a car,
went back to Beugnatre
flew over, dropped a
marked map, all
within ^less than 2 hrs of being
asked for). {See note page 42} This ws
aftn of AG March 25.

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36
The night ws a horrible
one - Cherry ^who  came to
see the C.O. near the
Crucifix, & also Cooper ^B Coy.
each got lost tho they
knew / place well.
The C.O. later went out
& got lost himself on
way up to Battle H.Q.
C.O. got anxious abt
Cooper losing his way.
C.O. sent Maj. Robinson
up to make sure - &
sure eno' at Jumping
Off time B Coy & Cooper
were not there. They
were lost. Robinson
put ½ of D Coy up onto

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the J.O. line to do B.
Coys job. But as soon
as the arty opened,
Cooper, who was
back nearer the Vaulx
Copse, got his men
up, directed by the flash.
They got mixed up with
D coy on left each
considering tt / work
ws its own. They
had no great resistance
on this part but got
a m.g. & some prisoners.
A Coy on rt, passed
first rd without opposition;
but suddenly a

46
Major - a new offr. promoted
from the arty, went off into
Lagnicourt this day without
orders
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searchlight ws put onto
them from / village. The
blaze dazzled them for
a second, but and /
line stopped dead. But
a L.G. opened fire
from the hip - it ws
on a sling- & ws
hosed on this corner.
He must have killed
the German. There is
a bullet hole in the tripod
- the light went out at
once & / advance
went on. The thing ws
on perh. ½ min. The
searchlight is now being
used by the 7Bde Sigs.

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[This is a bit wrong. The
light ws on the first rd
abt 300 yds. down].
This se
LLoyds (A) Coy went on
& Stapleton (M.C. alt. Lagnict)
with one man first
reached front of Lagnict
at abt K. He captd.
3 or 4 Germs incl. AMC man
with short foot. Stap. sd
aftwds tt he thought /
attack ws held up -
they were so long coming
thro / village. He & his
companion to some  cut off some o
/ Germans there & shot some
men there as they ran
away into them;  He asked the