Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/186/1 - 1917 - 1918 - Part 2

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85
The coys rushed in this way
till they were stopped by
m.g. fire; & in / centre
where m.g. fire ws most
intense they lost all their
offrs. No news came
from this point exc. from
wd men – no news of
offrs at this time.
Abt 10 pm to 11 pm news
arrd tt a gap of abt
150 yds existed between
left Coy & left centre Coy.
A Coy of 51 Bn ws put in
to fill this gap. It ws
there all day & ws reld
by men sent up from
reserves of 49 Bn on night
 

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85
of Ap. 6/7.
Lt Atkinsons body ws recovered,
& Lt Verry ws buried where
he fell – he ws too far forward
to bring back.
The Germs were mainly
in the road through 8 & 13
wh had a bank on the N W side.
The right Coy got across this
rd & joined w / 52 Bn in
front of the C.C.S. The left
of this Coy had to swing
back across / rd to join up
w / other 3 Coys wh did not
get so far.
There they dug the present
front line.
7 germans were captd.
 

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85
They were in front o / C.C.S.
& on the road. Also 4 m.gs.
(3 4 light 1 heavy) Right Coy got 4 light
guns (& left one in use); left coy
got one heavy pattern m.g. (all
were 1917 pattern guns).
While The Coys dug in after dark –
the mg. fire ws so intense
before this tt any movement
ws fatal. The Germs on one
sector after dark used tracer
bullets to locate the parapet
of one of our posts (left post).
The casualties to offrs were
pretty well all during the
early stage.
 

Hand drawn diagram. See original document.

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85
36 Bn.
Bn ws camped on morng
in the Bois l'abbe. They were
shelled out durg morning (abt
12 casualties) — moved to
Open S. of wood & then to
space between two woods
(Bde Blangy). Noon recd
notice to stand to. Abt an
hr aftwds recd notice
to go into Sunken Rd.
in U 5 B & 035 D. They
moved thro in arty formatn.
They moved up under the hill.
On top o / hill ws a heavy
barrage. This gradly increased
& / German concentrated
his barrage w a lot of
Gas on the Chateau by /
monument. There ws a
 

 14
Hand drawn diagram. See original document.
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85
Coy of Queens in Reserve
there - Imd. the shelling started
they ran back thro the ranks
of 36 Bn. The 36 Bn ws then
lined up ready to c. attack
at any time.
When these men came
away the supports saw
them & started to run.
Then the front line came back
in a crowd except the
6^th Londons in 1 a & 6 d.
These hung on more than
the others.
When this crowd came
back thro the 36^th the
orderx ws gn by the C.O.
36^th to advance & c. attack
Germans who appeared to
be 2 brigades. – 5 waves
of them.
 

16
These guns, 4 in number, contd
to fire till there were German
m.gs. firing directly at them
& / arty were firing over
their sights.
While they were firing their
limbers galloped up ^from the Bois de l'abbe ready to
get them out. But when
our men passed across
their front they decided
to stay & get / guns out
after dark.
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17
As the Tommies came back
over / hill / Germs saw our
line advancing over it.
There ws heavy m.g. fire
sweeping / crest wh runs
from U 5 C 9. 71 to the X
roads E of the station.
There were 13 pdrs of R.H.A.
on the Sunken Rd abt 35 D 3. 3
& also abt 200 yds S.W. of
the SW. Corner of wood by the
Chateau^x. The German was
right thro' this wood.
Our line went up to the NW
end o / wood in a single
line – from there on in
Short section rushes. The
A. Lewis gun team ws sent
thro / wood – the Germans
were getting back to their
own rear by this time, &
 

18
B .2. 

There were
Some London
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19
dodging behind the poplars on
the rd thro 12 A & C.
The Germans were in the E
of the Bois de Hangard.
There ws a British Brigadier
who had bn up with his men
on / hill forward – when
they came back & Col. Milne
decided to attack, Col. Milne
sent across to him & asked
if he wd cooperate. He
was a stout elderly man, Brig Gen.
Wood – & he grabbed abt
180 men & followed on the
right & rear of 36 Bn &
joined their right when they
got into positn (This Brigr ws
hit 4 times during / evg.)
The Colonel then learnt
tt / casualties o / Bn were
abt 150 -
All B Coys Offrs (5) had bn
 

20
A Coy Lt Cameron k.
[Capt. Bushell ws k. ∧later durg the relief
by 2 Divn.]
B Coy. Lt Hobbs M.C. (of Warneton Raid this
spring) died of w.
C. Coy Lt Kirby. just as they started over
/ top o / ridge.
The Germs at tt time were
still advancing.
Some of the Queens were
rallied w / London Regt. These
Tommies were not helped by
some of their offrs. The Sergt Major
ws ready to stay, but he pointed
to some o / offrs getting away on
horses & sd. "What can you do,
Sir?" The Londons came at it
again well.
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85
hit & all / offrs in C Coy.
All / offrs in C Coy Lieut.
Amos C Coy ws hit twice
but hung on.
The C.O. also found tt there
ws a big gap between B & C Coys
[*[Evidently this is
from Gadd.]*]
Hand drawn Diagram - See original document.
The C.O. found there
were no shovels
& not eno'
Ammn So
he sent Capt
Gadd over w
D Coy to fill in
/ gap between B &
C Coy (abt 7.30 pm then). It ws.
dark & the Coy had to work
its way carefully in – got
B. Coy –   felt across past an
old fallen aeroplane in /
dark & 750 yds away found
C Coy. A number of S. Ps were
 

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85
put in, abt 3 per pln,
until D Coy had filled
this gap. Our t 
Abt 3 a.m. 34 Bn
advanced past the rly bridge
on / left at V 1 B 60. 60.
There ws m.g. fire
Our line then ran almost
straight from the rly bridge to
the crucifix at U 6 c 4. 4.
The follg morning abt
daylight when they were
dug in & standg to Gadd
turned his glasses to / rt
& saw a big movemt of
Germans from the Bois de
Hangard marching from there
thro' 12 central NNE –  looked
like a division marching in
mass on a divl. parade.
Offrs leading on horseback.

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85

They marched, opening out,
swinging left onto / rly &
then formed left as if to attack
our front. They were anything
from 600 to 800 yds as they
moved across. On good targets
little bursts of m.g. fire were
opened –  ammn being conserved
in case of an attack.
450 yds away / Germs in a
copse were pulling straw out of
a haystack to put on / bottom
of a trench they intended to
dig. As it got lighter the
Germs seemed to be fixing
m.g. positns — 3 guns at
a time –  We had the ranges
by sniping at tt time.
We put three Lewis guns onto
them in bursts & this
wiped out two.