Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/214/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066810
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

vally they got into clease smoke + fof far thicked than A of Aug. 8 - So thick that they edat see byards ahead. Theis only guide was to they knew there ws a tie of telep app poles wh ran down 1 hill to Bellicourt into 1S. of Bellicourt. They didnt take broad because they knew it wd be shelles. They struck these poles. The weres were trailing from the cross pieces 5 or Else, when I top ws entirely brokie off will we lying beside 1soles on 1 ground. The C.O. got his half Bu here into one sugle tine - not a good fernate for a bettlefield but what sle co be
do. He & the L.O. weit aleed choping down to see wires & follow them to next post. When I post ws reached theone ahead wd shout "found it & they wd come up to him, iby got to old wire -& pour book tangled 0 1place ICO. guessed they must now be by Hendenburg Line. He according halled te Bn & struck of N. -wds to see if he cd. find the roadi which he thas bs now Nohim -8 wh be ought to strike at a cutting. He found it about 100a200 y do away. He had cn Bu strict orders not to move. To be came back to
whil they waited info ans without aras captenly 3 fer tembled in upon them. Merce Pardon. they began to cry. Tee men looked up at them laughing & motioued them I way to to. of they went, very pleased, in direction of our rear. them & found them when they had been & extended a line of mee from them (in Lordinary vay, Eack knocke (next mans back) from there to road - &then marched by thling. The for cleared as the to road & 1 Every just kee began to shell it heavily. They for across queckly + nt a good trench 1other side wh (he took it) must be the End Hendenberg trench of the first system. He got twen ap it just here in came their other two Coys (who had bee coming down separate) & also
the 58K Ba from perker M. The now worked round (ipas intended to be N. o 1 town In I trench where the had got to a part of abt 10 americans with boyonets came down 1 trech. Denely asket who they were. The od they were moppers up they were dealing with diponts. D. asked what y this was - the Awere raw it ts t 2nd trench. This turned at to be right. The En ws led off in two long sigle files this the wir of the System N.Of Bellicourt. They had to 1 in this formar
for I wirl ws very thick there were few papo As they came thro I + cleer of it, N.of town, tey saw ahead I mound spoil fom 1 Hudenb tunuel. On top of this they cdsee men moving in bunches. Suddenly it became evident to one of thear men ws waving to the trying to present them por Cous However, went on. They found thes were Americans. to they were occupying this embankment over I teaael (wh here, of course, is hidden 90 or 100 feet below in bowet's 81 Eark) There were 6or
of others in I tunnel deyonts hopelessly at sea as to what no happening or what they were doing; I hopel to witout any knowledge of what ws happening ahead. A few is dated groups Ed be seen ahead by 1st btonnone ves and about then a few bukets whezzed past pa rear. Col Denebe told his men to dif in as fast as thy cd. The 58 Bn ws in the End witly Hind by truch on the reft; te 59 Bn cdat be seen at all they had (to this went known) Struck troulleown
back by Dumnement or Malakoff Farms + were ighting neir way through. The C.O decided to dig in & report (posite to Bde. The Bn. worked up to the 1solated reported. americous ahead I fopt en orders came from Den C suck eter this ws before dypy eporti or after) te Americus clearr he failed (it we thought they had when news ws so rarce in 1 Early hours? when I few wounded seemed to know nothr at all abt it - prisoners had also passed early under absurdly strong guards accords to our experience of us.
The order as go for an attack at 3p with abanag. what heppened to 1 barrys Deaely doesn't know - he thinks they fieed on a wrong map reference (3 were thy prohibited by 41h Army from firy at all). Anyway, some hee kought 1 juus fired somewhere Else - they attacked. the rnks were all anochd, out ot will The 57 got at the Nawroy tine onthe I. & Sir of Cabaret wood Im; the 58 got some men ito I tread on the N.W. of it. The C.O.of 58 keptinsisting to they were in touch (but they were 2ot) in the trench. What happened ws a
Cob. wood Fu 58 58 E Spperts 58 had its right out o trench along a road? tis us in touch with 57 bus supports. The resistance from the farm wI very stiong. Rut I mas pt into I trenches & the ws bosibfighting pi on in
Sap between 57 1 58 The right of 58 Bn, earlies in 1 day, had made a pod advance under mearer?I by worke around Irly cutting on it when I left ws held up. roughto defensive Plank ws trown back towards 59th Bn by an advance of support Coys (after I first advance towds cabaret wood tr (An American Bn reported to C0.57 that night & ax advised b him to makegant Echelomo one rep 2 Next doy (Spt 30) Ri 533dBu same thio & bombed up to the N. and clear cabsret Fiu in (process, Ko

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