Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/187/1 - April - July 1918 - Part 7

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105

Diagram - see original document
Germs got thro the Warwicks.
 

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68

Diagram - see original document
Retreat of
British after Portuguese
defeat at
Laventie.

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XIIth Army Bde AFA
Under XI Corps
(April 1918)

5.10a.m.

9.  Fired in rail of

Canadians.

10. Ordered at 10 noon to pull out.

move to Langlais

CO. & Adjt went

to Oldfield 6RA

51 Divn H.Q.

[[Shorthand]]

near Pacaut.

To go in in morning
*5.45 When
Germs first
appeared at
H.Q.
Ap. 11. at 11a.m.
Rode to 51 Divn  He sd
Pacaut gone
all got into [[shorthand]] as quickly as
possible near Bequeodles Fm.
Bde trotting thro Robecq put heart into ev.one.
*Ap. 12.

3.15pm.

[[shorthand]] went to Bartin for night.

Diagram - see original document

Course taken by Col Lloyd.

Bties were just S of Alonne W & E of Rd.  

W of river.  They Rendezvoused

in Buisnes.

1st went into action at Buisnes

Then Chateau the Quesnoy. (night of 12Ap)

13 Ap. Moved to Aquecdut a’ Siphon.  Night xx14/15. moved imd behind

Robecq. (W of it).  On morning of 18 Ap. Germs attd 1st Corps.
 

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Flash Spotting System

for self protection.

4.2 Bties

for C. Bties

Diagram - see original document

Dyson sd.

come [[shorthand]]

to Cunninghams

[[shorthand]]

Dyson [[shorthand]] of

Bde of [[shorthand]]

153 Bde.

Robecq Stn first; then St Vinant.  Germans hit charges &

often men gave bearings of guns shooting on U.

Knocked a buttress

away from one Lt tower

where they were spotting

Germs shot Lateau v. [[shorthand]].
[[shorthand]].  No area

shoots after 2 Stns going.

Abt every other man in / front line of skirmishers

had a light bluish light.

2 long lines of skirmishers v  distinct pties w

LMGs a few paces behind.  These wd stop & fire at oppositn

while flanks got on.

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In the first line every

other man seemed to be

firing white lights as

they went
 

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Diagram - see original document

Ap 11.  Ll. joined 153 Bde HQ

then Commd by Lt Col. Dyson,

Arty Bde Commdr.  Opposite ws

152 Bde under Gen. Cunningham.

Ap12. 5.45 a.m.  Germs. attd.

Ll. had shaved.  Man came up

w horses.  He sent him back. 

[*Presently bullets began

to come thro wall &

strike ceiling!*] 

Went into Rd  Saw Germs

abt 150 yds away - 2 lines

of Skirmishers - then infy

in 4s further along road -

& little parties w m.gs. coming behind Skirmishers almost  amongst

them.  Then went into house.  Dyson & he got stick waited for inf.

meaning to go back w them - but when went into rd. again Germans

were at back of hedge.  They went across to 152 Bde.  Dyson

knocked at window & sd.  Come on Dick.  Cunningham from inside

sd "right" & Ll cd see him thro / window.  Then Dyson sd "D. it - Ive

forgotten my stick."  Ll. offered to go back for it & did so.  As

he came out he saw / Germs just breaking in at / back door.

He stepped into / rd & there ws a m.gunner 15 yds away

lying in / rd firing.  The man who had stepped out before Ll. ws

lying in / rd shot thro / body &  looking at him appealingly. The

Sergt who left behind him ws shot dead.  Just then Ll's horses

came up.  He waved / man away & he turned & /

m.gunner switched onto / horses instd of Lloyd. Ll.

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got into / ditch on / N. side o / road & as he

did so Germs came round / house on S. of

rd - entered it & took whole Bde Staff prisoners.

Dyson had gone on - as he stood outside the

Bde a Signaller ws just starting on a byke The Sigr

 sd to a man "Give us a shove off  will you?"  The

man fired at him at 5 ft.  It ws a german.  The

Sigr dropped tt byke & ran across / rd & got

 anor wh ws there & got clear.  Dyson meanwhile

had got away & stumped across / fields - / Germs

were across / road at Z. & so he had to cut

across / fields.

A few infy were in

(I have typed an a/c of

this in hist.(notes)

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10 Bn Merris.

 B Coy - lay out in thick wheat crop

just N of Garbedoen Farm.  There were

Germs at abt 2A.5.6 & FIB.70.20.

The barrage just cleared the party coy (abt 70 strong)

They moved to left in single file.

Each pln had 2 men on each flank

(a few yds).  They then moved along the road

over a couple of big trees, across

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the X road & down the big hedge leading to

E end of Merris.  A party of

Germs at X rds opened fire but

a bomb or two caused them to surrender.

Hurcombe sent them straight back

to No 10 post where his HQ ws.

Three or four other parties of Germs

fired a shot or two at them & gave

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up almost at once.  These were mostly

on E side o / hedge - Hurcombe

ws working on / west side - a bomb

or two caused each lot to surrender.

Lt Pennington led his pln down to /

road & there he & a man w him met

the offr Sergt leading the other pln from the

S.  He ^there sent up / signal 25 mins

after / Start.

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Hurcombe then went out w Sergt Major

& 2 runners, wire & bombs.  Going betw

2 & 3 posts he saw some movement

in  / hedge on left & someone shoutd

from there.  H. knew they were Germs

& called to them to come out & surrender.

They fired on him.  H & part dropped

into a shell hole & heaved some

bombs ( he cd see stell German Helmet)

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The two runners had become separated.

One being wd in back of neck - probly revolver bullet.

from flash from hedge.

G.M. & Hurcombe & one man went on to next

post, got a Sergt w L.G., & another

man - went back.  The Germs

fired again.  L.G. got thro to E. side

of hedge & fired along it, & others

attacked from W of hedge w bombs.

The S.M. ws wd in / face - & 

they heard groans.  They rushed

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/ hedge & got 22 men & 2 m.gs.  There

were 6 v. badly wd from the two

bombs.  The bomb probly got right

into the shelter in wh they were.

Our shells were falling in Merris

& some rather close in front.  Parties

went out in front as far as

barrage wd let them & in rear

to mop up.  15 more Germs were