Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/189/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 5

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point to point on / left

o / Bn, & putting their

guns down & firing

on  Mt. St. Q. advancing

again. C Coy captd a

When the Bn go

Whizz bangs in the huts

there – A signaller of C Coy ( Pt

Crank) & Capt Weatherby

(Storeman of C. Coy) got hold

of this gun & fired into 

/ Germs who were

massing on xx near

the Bapaume Rd S of

Mt St Q. under / edge o /

village, detonated their 

own shells & next thing

/ Major knew ws

hearing this gun firing

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behind him & seeing the

shells explode right

amongst / Germans causing

them to run.

Krank ran up &

helped joined the Coy

presently.

The G

A & B Coys were now

in front o / wood w

their left flank on the 

cemetery. C & D Coys

were astride the rly

with left flank bent

back.

When they got to the 

cemetery Hopkins Lt Waite of D

asked permission for

Crank to go on the gun 

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38

again as / Germs were

observed to be massing.

C. ws permitted by the

Major to go  – & he

said "Right – joined the

batty artillery", & dropped

his telephone & ran back,

& with Pte Hopkins of D Coy

worked / gun again

& did exactly / same.

This time / Germans

put down a barrage

on this gun wh ws

near / brickworks –

& they had to leave

it in / end.  They had

no means of cleaning

/ gun & fired abt 90

rounds – which meant a

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great danger of it exploding.

(The Cpl had bn wd by now).

This advance ws abt

1500yds.  The major decided

tt this ws as far as they

cd safely go & held /

line there — the left

being held up because

2 Div had not taken

St Q.  till 1.30

All thro / time the 

53 Bn ws here the Germs

shelled. 

m.g. bullet Musgrave 56}  were killed

Direct hit by  whizzbang on head Collis 55 } in the majors sandpit

Whizzbang on head (did raid at Wytschaete) Cotterill 55

Offrs k. { x Lamerton on wire.

in 53     {x Sherwood at Bn HQ.

Bn         { Anslow } in Majors sandpit

              {x Davies} trench

 x buried together.

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40

A shell came into

Anslow's post in this (final)

trench & k the whole post  –

they were all found lying

 there.

The Germans were fighting

all / way during this

period – damned good troops-

well equipped.  When we

stopped they stopped & fought.

Smith of A Coy ( who came

from Engrs) ws rushing a 

post when he ws wd. He 

put his revolver into / whole

lot o / Germans before he

fell –

( Major is Murray)

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41

Abt 5 p.m. same day

Murray led another attack.

On the N of Peronne.

The Centre & S. of Peronne

ws in our hands (54 Bn)

but the N. & St Denis

were German.

53 ws ordered to 

attack & Murray fixed 

Zero at 5.

There ws no special

arty.  Murray told C.O.

that it ws impossible &

murderous. He sd GOC

ordered it.  Murray spoke

to GOC & he sd it had to 

go.  The trouble ws tt

they sd Peronne ws ours

& as a matter of fact

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there were m.g.s firing

from windows, from

culverts with loopholes.

The moat ws ahead –

they were to get round

or cross or somehow

surmount it ( none knew 

how).

The m.gs. opened

up / moment / attack

started.  One Coy got

into St Denis – Lt Waite

&  20 men alone reached

it. They were able to

stay there & were isolated.

Pte Currie volunteered

& went out 3 times

to ask Waite to withdraw

so tt arty cd fire for 56

Bn who wanted to do the

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same stunt later.

Currey went out 2ce

500yds & cdnt get

in touch. Major sd. This

message has got to go.

Currie sd well I'll have

another try & if I

cant reach him I

'll stand up  & shout at

him.  He went out

near St Denis

& stood up & shouted

Waitsy get in! (once)

They heard him & 

understood.  They turned

everything on to him –

it ws dark – flares

m.gs. – gas.  He ws

gassed & had his

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respirator shot thro.

But he got back & 

Waite came in almost 

at once.

56 Bn afterwds did

[[at time?]] show & ws cut up.

53 (exc. Waite) got

on abt 2 150yds &

had to come back – they

made a dive in one

wave for a rly that 

ws in front ( one not

Marked on ordinary

map). They hopped off 

from rly line marked on 

/ map – some remained

on the second rly line

till dusk.  When they got 

out there , & Murray

gave / order " Prepare

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to advance " – he 

realised  tt / German

m.g. was so tremendous

tt no advance cd

succeed.  You cd see

/ m.gs in / houses

& some must have

bn on / ramparts.

Murray organised

/ men he had left into

 search parties for wd –

& pties for bringing up rations.

Then w a Coy of

55 Bn held j. o. line.

Eastman ws hit in the 

second attack going over /

top. Lt Lindsay ( comdg D Coy)

Capt Evers (A.) ws wd on /

wire in front of Florina trench