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

there were Germans left 

behind in it.

Sept Oct. 1. This day an 

advance ws made on a 

long front slantwise

from NW to SE  (A.22 cent. to

H.15 cent). in order to

give 2nd Divn a good

hopping off line. The barrage

ws good & / objve ws

obtained without any 

difficulty. When it ws

obtained Colonel D. reported

to Bde tt the troops cd

have gone much further:

"Why didn't you do it?"

sd Elliott - "Goodness! if

you can go further, go further

now." They accordingly
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moved patrols out to / line

of Bank Copse & Folemprise

Farm - & / troops moved

up there. But by now /

German ws reorganised.

Our line ws on a forward

slope, & / German shelled

it mercilessly - Casualties

began to occur v. quickly 

& Col. D pulled his line

back, at once, to / objve.

Elliott sd tt this ws wrong &

/ casualties didn't justify

it, but D. sd tt / casualties

tho not many were happening

in a very short space of time

& his Bn wd be cut up

by remaining.
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22

※ Capt Macdonald w. early in / fight before
leapfrog.
Lt Mcfarlane. w.

?Aug 11 or 12.
Capt Snowball killed during move up
to assembly positn S. of Rly during
move for proposed attack on Chaulnes
D. of w. from shell.

57 Bn Aug. 8. ※
Rt on rly.
Diagram - see original document
Some losses in / barrage:
Directn diff. to maintain.
When Bn got to Marcelcave
shelling ws heavy.  Our barrage
ws still on / village S of Rly.
The German barrage on N. of
rly ws at v. close range,
whizzbang.  Not many casualties.
Germs had a bty of 5.9 guns near
Pieuret Wood but just N of rly,
& some whizzbangs near dump just
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N of them, & ws probly
firing direct on 26 Bn.
Rt of Bn ws ahead of
time & had plenty of time to
reorganise at trench S of
Labastille Mill.  Meara's
Coy had 3 mark 5 tanks.
They were on 26 Bn objve w
liaison men inside - formation
ws perfect & time perfect.
Tanks went ahead w
screen of infy.  On reaching
abt 400 yds from the
chalkpit where 5.9s ^(howitzers) were
they opened over direct sights.  The
shells were very flat trajectory & burst in rear near Hqrs.  Cd see guns & men firing them:
The centre tank went
straight for / bty - & where which concentrated its
attention on it - the men opened out ^from where tank was.
When abt 60 or 70 yds from it
received a direct hit &
ws knocked out.  Meantime
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/ other 2 tanks w infy
had got round / flanks &
took / bty together w /
crews.
This ws in / gully (Southwds
valley) going up / next rise one of
our 60 pdrs. greatly impeded
advance causing many
casualties.  Here we were
ahead o / Canadians.
2 Plns lined rly bank & fired
into / flank & rear o / Germs
who were in rear of Pieuret
Wood - several bties of heavies
were there tho at time we
cd see Germs & knew there
were guns there.
No gt oppositn then exc.
shelling, m.g. (a little). & some
mwfr fire from the rly sidings.
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After passing the Dump by /
rly sidings (small batches
of prisoners there) in / open
they got very heavy ^direct m.g.
fire from Guillau bldgs in Guillauct.
Lost some few men.  Actn developed
quickly - again both tanks
went straight for mg. fire (where they thought
it came from) - Oppositn
concentrated on tank - as soon
as tank got close the Germs
ducked into cover or came
out w hands up.  Got
52 prisoners 2 or 3 offrs &
many m.gs.
After Guillacourt they
got to Red line without
serious oppositn.  Cavalry
came thro abt this time in
dense formation - surprisingly
so.
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They were probly obeying
orders to go thro us at
red line if possible.
Only paused on red
line.  Bn went straight on
to Blue line.  This ws on / Sunken
Rd S. W of Harb. (The Canadians were
up to us as far as red line.)
The Cavalry were working
w patrols in front now &
getting a bad time.  (Armoured
cars & whippets went thro
abt the red line - Some whippets
got beyond rly in 17 D &
some were knocked out
there.  The mass o /
cavalry had early withdrawn
to the Sunken Rd (Blue
line) & their / patrols were getting
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m.g. fire.
At this stage, / line
having bn dug near /
Sunken Rd, 57 Bn got
word tt / Germs were
preparing to c/attack.
Cavalry dismounted & got
Hotchkiss guns down onto
road Bank in 17 c - r.
Strong w our Lewis & their Hotckiss guns;
but Germs. didn't come over.
We understood tt /
Canadians were not beyond /
valley, & so we remained
on / edge o / valley (blue line)
inst. of getting to / old Amiens
line.  Early next m.g. we
pushed out & occupied / old
Amiens defence line - /
Canadians got there first but
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had not informed us of this.
Aug 9.  Canadians went forwd
at 11 a.m.
60 Bn moved forward
to protect their flank, thro 57 Bn.
pending arrival of 1st Divn.
The Canadians got ahead
first.  Meara got orders to
go if 60 Didn't arrive.
Just abt 11 am. 60 Bn
ws seen arriving ; they took
a little while forming &
the Canadians got ahead first;
60 Bn met heavy m.g.
fire when they did start.
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Aug 29.  15 Bde moved up
in Column of route & arty
formatn behind 8th Bde.
15 Bde moved up
w / intentn of crossing
thro 8th Bde but orders
were cancelled.
Went back to a line
occupied previously behind
Carbonnel.
From there sideslipped
to Carso v Gongoles trenches
S. of Barleux.  From there
O Meara, another O.C. Coy,
& 2 scouts sent out to reconnoitre
near Eterpigny - But these
4 came under fire from
whizzbangs over thro' open
sights & O.C. ^32 Bn's Coy ws hit.
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