Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/214/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 5

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

Page 1 / 10

The other 2 Coys of 87 came + noppedup Doigt pretty Easily. Bn then sidestepper & occupied a tine onthe high ground I of the river & E of the Ls Mesail Main Rd. Next mg. Anor devision went to In the last stage of fight more camnalties were certainly inflisted on than there were men ferms in the Cog. On Aug 29. t Sellick ad going up thro 8Bde for proposed abossing at Brce. byshell. Sept 2? E Marsen K. at Hanncourt. at Ry Stu.
17 Bn Bellicourt . Sep 27? moved up by route march to Marpcoart. Stayed till m9.29 Sept. Had reconnoctie. Sarti rouls e12 day before started early on 29 Sept Intuntion ws to start at T.O line at 9? + move thro American at 1I am. were to mose b 2 diff roates, 2 logs on each! After Tours distance there to a fairt Leavy for +p 2 columss converged so as to be sure of track. Mey reached Istart line on time bntoving to heavy fog didnt deploy there but went on
to I tunnel in same formatir This fof seemed to be bok for & smoke. Director ws mainty the you cont see a man 5ydaway. By were in art jormati + reached kindby line. During his advance they had received prety heav Sel H.E. & gas & had afal no of casnatties. I Tompson d. d W. (later -recd now) & I morrison who had his arm blown riglt off. Several mnclptis of Americans wereseen in Hindly tine. They were perto hopping up on but diont at all know what we cai on in port. They wailed on the Hindle
line for a bit -ten went on. struck to bi C.T. (wh we saw w 1 tank ditchidon it) & went beside his CT. towds tunnel. getting to tannel some news ws reed Hver someth ls wrong in port. They read orders to thy in - wh they did, on the tunnel, so as to be able to man it if terms attached. A few isotated Americans were foun her. I seemed to know very little. The visibility as now good. Petrols were also sentabeed to see if they ad learn anything of situate Icanwhile they were being shellr a lible, & enpladed w m.g. hi
from 1 left (58Bn were on left 59 unknown) mys- were firing down along I near side (W.) of 7 Tannel bank. re petrots foun a few Americans in the rly drain att 300 yds ahead. Nothing definite co be for from tese The Patrols were fined at fom the L8 Cat. - Nawroy line & from Elyto Nawroy. t we now abtmidday. I ws decided to attack at Spm. Meanwhill tha tank Commander had assumtled att 10 tanks whipets & mark 5 under Ehbank & hews 5 cooperate in 1 attact. The attack startis t a screen of Scouts, tanks
in pont, remainder of infy in arty formati of cections in file? Immediately they crossed rly + came near creat line te terms put down a v. heave Mif barrage (were in 4A & as firing at very close range indo w whizzbangs + 591 ot seemed to be directed all at tants, His Arty. Heavy arty fire came fom I immediate lef flank + lefreer, as ail as hout. As the got to alt 4A8.0 the fire we so heavy, & I casuetties To many - men simply getting from shell hile to shell hole & gettry knocked on way - & motc. tanks being hit- tat L measo w
if coy decided to make t right & see whether there as protection tere from this Enfilete. The rly catting kene Affordit some shetter, so1 men were got over to it at a time, & thence into a newly duy y on 1S. slope o I hill. They continued Iattack from there (5C.2.7-2.0 & into the Le-Catelet Nawro line S. ofIRly meantime a Bn of 8BDe near Nawroy had fot unto same line. The O.C. of CCoy came up - Nw Sposster brought his men up + worked to I lef along the same of the other 2 Cogs one duy in
about the V. Shaped road 4.13 central - The other went back to [Tannel there in en badty knocked abt. AC Coy (Capt. Keys) worked up 1 Catelet 2) neet Ilerms had a sep bourt fight to thene. Sept 30 Nex Mng. a Br te 14 B de into deployed facing NS moved literelly up 1 direction &1 Lcatelet line past 57Ba hates on they had 8ptints 121 keys les flank in 12 wdbe
somewhere ne tabaretI The 57th staged where it was - the rest of on sait of it amiy upo the left of the Coys in the CcCatilet live. any attempt made by 57 to yet from Le Citelet line forward as heavily firet at from Aboret Im & t high ground to No & also from the highground neer Irly atead. on od B we attacked son the C Calelet line. He it flank sidestepped N. soass have its ot on puntion of rly & truch at 5D4.7. The objve bs the line from A 22 centl 5 H15 central
& there to Tanks were a creeps wh s perfer. objie without fled in deso We first or hip fom it Coy alox sot abt 4-188 These had taken shelter in deep dugonts in the rd thio SA. the et Cy occupied some o100 Gin Co GB. (This ws definite defence system of o Ind. banage lifter a fighting patrot went ford to Totemprise Fm. & to high from N of Estrees. Mey met ns oppos took 3 pnsoners. Afes been outabtan hour they were v heavil fin on from th Beaurevow Line & from Freld fis wh had be retirng & now

The other 2 Corp of 57 came

& mopped up [Doingt??] pretty

easily.  Bn then sidestepped

& occupied a oine on the

high ground S of the river

& E of the [L5 Mesnil??] Main

Rd.  Next mg amor division

went thro.

In this last stage o /

fight more casualties were

certainly inflicted on /

Germs than there were men

in the Coy.

 

On Aug 29   Lt Sellick wd going up thro

                    8 Bde for proposed [ebossing]

                     at Bice.  by shell

Sept 2?         Lt Marxsen k at Harnicourt

                      at rly stn.

41

 

57 Btn Bellecourt

Sept 27? moved up

by route march to [Harpicourt.??]

Stayed till mg 29 Sept.

Had reconnoitred.

routes 2/[  ?  ] day before.

Started early on 29 Sept.

Intention was to start at J.O line

at 9? & move thro Americans

at 11am.  Were to move by

2 diff routes. 2 Coys on each.

[  drawing  ]  After some distance

                     there ws a fairly

                      heavy fog & the

                      two columns

                      converged so as

to be sure o / track.  They 

reached / start line on time,

but owing to heavy fog didn't

deploy there but went on

42

 

to the tunnel in same formation.

This fog seemed to be both

fog & smoke.  Direction ws maintained

tho you wdns see a man

5 yds away.  They were in

arty formation & reached /

Hindbg line.  During this advance

they had received pretty heavy

shelling H.E. & gas & had a fair

no of casualties.  Lt J Thompson

d of w (later - recd now) & Lt

Morrison who had his arm 

blown right off.

Several small pties of 

Americans were seen in Hindbg

line.  They were part o /

mopping up bn but didn't at 

all know what ws going on

in front.  They waited in the Hindbg

43

 

line for a bit - then went on -

struck the big C.T. (wh we

saw w / tank ditched on it)

& went beside this C.T,

towds / tunnel.  /Getting to

/ tunnel some news ws

recd tt something

ws wrong in front. They rcvd

orders to dig in - wh they

did, on the tunnel, so as

to e able to man it if

/ Germs attacken.  A few isolated

Americans were found here & they

seemed to know very little.  The

visibility ws now good.  Patrold

were also sent ahead to se if

they cd learn anything o / situation/

Meanwhile they were being shelled

a little, and enfiladed w m.g. fire

44

 

from / left (58 Btn were on left

59 unknown) mgs were 

firing down along / rear side

(W) of / tunnel bank.

The patrols found a few

Americans in the rly drain

abt 300 yds ahead.  Nothing

definite cd be got from these.

The patrols were fired at from

the [ LE Cat.??] - Nauroy line & from /

rly to Nauroy.

It was now abt midday.

It ws decided to attack at 3pm.

Meanwhile a tank commander

had assembled abt 10 tanks -

whippets & mark % under /

embankt & he ws to cooperate

in / attack.  The attack started

w a screen of scouts, tanks

45

 

 in front, remainder of infy

in arty formation of sections in

file.

Immediately they crossed

rly & came near crest line

the Germs put down a v heavy

mg barrage.  We were in 4A)

& ws firing at very close range

indeed w whizzbangs & 5.9s.

It seemed to be directed all at

/ tanks, this arty,  Heavy

arty fire came from / immediate

left flank & left rear, as well

as / front.

As they got to abt 4A 8.0

the fire ws so heavy, & / casualties

so many - men simply getting

from shell hole to shell hole and getting'

knocked down on / way - & most o /

tanks being hit - that [ ?????? ]

46

 

rt Coy decided to make to /

right & see whether there

ws protection there from this

enfilade.  The rly cutting there

afforded some shelter, so /

men were got over to it, 2

at a time, & thence into

a newly dug [shorthand trench ] on / S slope o

/ hill.  They continued / attack

from there (5C.&.7 -2.0)

& into the Le-Catelet Nauroy

line & of / Rly.

Meantime a Bn of 8 Bde

near Nauroy had got into

/ same line.  The I.C. of C Coy {shorthand ?trench?]

Of the other 2 Coys one dug in

47

 

about the V shaped road in

4B central - The other

went back to / tunnel &

remained there in reserve

badly knocked abt.

C Coy (Capt Keys)

worked up / Catelet [ shorthand trench}] &

met / Germs & had a stiff

[  ?? ] fight w them.

Sept 30  Next mg a Bn of

14 Bde

deployed facing N &

moved laterally up /direction o / Le Catelet line

past 57 Bn.

Later on they had              drawing

to get into / [ shorthand trench ] 

Keys left flank in / [shorthand trench ] wd be

48

 

somewhere near Cabaret /wood

Fm.

The 57th stayed where it

was - the rest of Bn or

part of it coming up on

the left of his Coys in the Le Catelet

line.

Any attempt made by

57 to get from Le Catelet

line forward ws heavily fired

at from Cabaret Fm & the

high ground to N. & lso from the

high ground near / rly ahead.

On Oct 1st we attacked

from the Le Catelet line.  The rt

flank sidestepped N so as to

have its rt on / junction of rly

& trench at 5D 4 7.  The objve

ws the line from A22 centl to H15 central.

49

 

Tanks were present & there ws

a creeping barrage, hs ws perfect.

They reached / objve without

opposition.  Germs fled in disorder.

Wr fired on by m.g.s from high &

rt Coy alone got abt 14-18 prisoners.

These had taken shelter in

deep dugouts in the rd thro 6A.

The rt Coy 6B (This ws a

definite defence system of old

[ shorthand trench].)  Imd barrage [ lifted?? ] a

fighting patrol went forward to

[  ??? Fm ??] & the high ground

N of Estrees.  They met no opposition

& took 3 prisoners.  After being

out abt an hour they were

v. heavily fired on from the

Beaurevois Line & from field

guns wh had bn retiring & now

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