Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/214/1 - August - October 1918 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066810
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Page 1 / 10

post were only retetd a little closer to 1 Ameis line At 20 mins before 1 Cnsdian Aug 9 gers orders were recd from Bde to B Ausl. Dion we late, &t BBde ad conform to Quadin advance & protect their left flank. 58 60 were to leappoy 591 57. That us all I orders a were obtained In order to confer w Col. Deneby, Col Scaulon had to get across from his H.D.S.Wof Harbounieres t Deneby's an terrice abt 17 C Central, in a vank. t there ws a lively barrage or across his spece. Icanton tin Estated an advanced tges Abt 12D7.8. He here found to 58 Bn ws still in 1 line held ap I whole way cloy. They
had no tauks nor arty preerily 1 m.g. fire held them. They moved soon after & Cole Seaulos took 59th out in support of keem. It ws not known a 8t Bde had to atteck - nor any objective - To Col. Scaulon lid down a provisional objic for 58059 - alittle in advance of Vanvillers Rosieres Rd. Hws here to 10 Din overtook them t theis tanks, & pessed tho At first thy were held up at Harborniires by 1 rly Sti pat. The Germans fought a fird rate M.g. scrap - tey fought thin mp. till their guns opened & te withdrew their mgs as fast they cd. Iws then to our advance opened. Te sermon 77barryge
wo light a dibat heponn people back a Te 60k had startes before the 58th- t were beto upby a few mop. ah key overcame by manoen re The 50t were approx ately in touch to 58 Ba betw rly & rd. She green line ws tns taken & ws handed ov to 15t Din then it came thro' 59 followed because ad an open flank on lep. The Canedions advanced v. well-they had tanks to then angg arty baiion offs t 59an wshil b a shall oulled white waite for alteck to start (i Tones) eThe Ay 8. L Stewart By D Kelloh wised out L.9.C CStevenson 10 sent forwd as lan end disd we by 29. 4 Mankey Capt Soukwall. by usfire from to Tucher. Aug9. W Dunklus blown any
79.60. Peronne P. Bde folld ferms to Canal - te 4 Bno abreast, 59 on lift- Extreme rt on E.W Road. While 59 Bn 40 ws at the V fook W. of Barlenx Col Scaulon ws sugnmoned to confer with Te G.O.C. fm. Clleott away out in poot without digger in point of them. The ws to untile arraye an attack on the jerms. Across soune by crossing 1 some The nitg ws in Syntax E in 31 DorB- everyone on 1 paripet asin glasses & wope The 15 Bde ws to relieve OBele next day to force a Boie() the relief king at Haphincourt
began just before dark Leading Coy of 59 ws an touch w 8th Bde Bn, and whole Sn ws on move, when it had to be recalldis illed Aug30. Abt 3 am Col Scaule ws sent to same Hgis where he got further orders dictated by Bde 1.0. whereby 7Bde ws t force a King neas Perouns t 15 Bde ws to Capp of to them They had to move at 6(71 am & be in positen by 7.30P.1 am ready to Ceapp of. 7Bde found be I crossin we impossible; but 596n Warna Yr Sat moved down there for 1 day
Tontmyle thy had or durs te relieve 7Bde to night, & diirg after they reconnoitred. Tey reldpartdf 28 t part of 26. (nijls of 30/31) Nothing happened Exc. to 59Ba pushed down posts to con kings in is the old fortification Bristol Brite of the Rly On my of Sept 1. Brigads atter personal rel ordered the attick on Hamicourt. 2 boys of 59& whole Do were to s down to river bank & to cross in the manner Showa on1 folly sage
Ttinnn K Pentreak took 5 or 6 uts down. Thy pt over 1 footbridge, back to 12t then worked alon Ibank But The rly bank give then some cover up to I bend But as they came you bend a myg. saw them & Peatreak ws wd in Ile &2 man bit As a resatt of this recom it we realieed to 1 attenp ws impossible &it ws cancelled. Trat night Ben LoS wetdsawn to its origina
1 coy ws left - site in sooks on E side ofCansl from Wooden Bridge to Rly Sept2. At 4 am. C.OS. ver called to Bde Ages & orders in for an aback on Peroane by 14 Bde 1 2aust Div - 15Bde to leap pof 14 Bde when the reached twi objie, change direct right rateack up the Fanccourt - Le messil sour. He wooden bridge had bu completed by 1 Engrs. 58Bn ws to mop up Peronne nove troat after 14 Bde. 59r 60! zero) afterth Bde. Te attack, ws at 6 am. Bus were kattered. The Bridge at 33A9.9. of blown apgrders as a mass
tie 2i 1 it. By time the ross reacher Peronne (abt 1056) the Jerms vere Kelling Wend it & our people te E. end barry being at S. Zoam) hey went ap w Col. Scauton at head as shown on y nap to the Rlytowds or Denis, v of Peronne. There ty were getting reverse fire from the top of Mr St A. (Eash of the 2Dwm) & found venner of 14Bde beto uply s heave fire fom of Denis. Col. Scaulon had the arty liasison (VShayp M.C. offrfa him, & 4orderlies, all prer hit w mes. bullets. Sterte ws reported to Bde; & Br dug in. The 6oth followed & near 1Anodrome1) fored
all day ay stage ter the shellfire us is ee myKing At Polygon Jerm. Lavy complete + close observation That night orders came for 59 Ba to relieve 5F& 555 50 Bn ws in support to 59. Bok under ColoScan The 60Kh w 2 loys leapfogy to night & advanced I line towds N Denis & Estethilr posts By this time DS Bu had batlements, & had pashed out posts to night towds rty E of Reronne Septet 1Bn of SBde ws to relieve whole of 59 Bn or one Coy on relief to 59 hadb more a long way back - to Berlenx.

posts were only estabd a little

closer to / Amiens line.

Aug 9. At 20 mins. before / Canadian

zero orders were recd from

Bde tt 1st Aust. Divn ws late,

& tt 15 Bd wd conform to Canadian

advance & protect their left flank.

58 & 60 were to leapfrog 59 & 57.

That ws all / order tt were obtained.

In order to confer w Col.

Denehy, Col Scanlon had to

get across from his H.Q. S.W of 

Harbonnieres to Denehy's in

abt 17 C central, in a ∧ terrace bank. xx

there ws a lively barrage on

across this space.  Scanlon then

Estoled an advanced Hqrs

abt 12D7.8.  He there found

tt 58 Bn ws still in / line

held up / whole way along.  They

 

 

had no tanks nor arty preparation

& / m.g. fire held them.

They moved soon after & Col.

Scanlon took 59th out in support

of them.  It ws not known tt

8th Bde had to attack - nor any

objective - So Col. Scanlon laid

down a provisional objve for

58 & 59 - a little in advance of /

Vauvillers Rosieres Rd.  It ws

here tt 1st Divn overtook them

w their tanks, & passed thro.

At first they were held up

at Harbonnieres by / rly stn post.

The Germans fought a first rate

m.g. scrap - they fought their

mgs. till their guns opened & then

withdrew their m.gs as fast as

they cd.  It ws then tt our advance

opened.  The German 77 barrage

 

 

ws light & didnt keep our

perople back.

The 60th had started

before the 58th - they were held

up by a few m.gs. wh they

overcame by manoeuvre.

The 60th were approximately in

touch w 58 Bn betw rly & rd.

The green line ws thus 

taken & ws handed over to 1st

Divn when it came thro'.

59 followed because 58

had an open flank on / left.

The Canadians advanced

v. well - they had tanks w them.

Aug 9.  Arty Liaison offr w 59 Bn ws hit by a shell

bullet while wating for attack to start (Lt.Jones)

Aug 8:

 Lt. Stewart - By [?] one of the shells wh wiped out L.G. team

                                                                                            (severely)

Lt. Stevenson - I.O. sent forwd as liaison at

                             2nd Division. wd by m.g.

Lt. Mankey -

Capt Southwall -  by m.g. fire from many

Lt. Fincher -           directions soon after

                                  arrival East of Harb.

Aug 9 - Lt. Dunkley blown up but remained on duty.

 

 

 

59.60

Peronne.  8 Bde foled Germs to

anal - the 4Bns abreast,

59 on left - extreme rt on

E-W Road.  While 59 Bn HQ

ws at the Y fork W. of

Barleux Col. Scanlon ws

summoned to confer with

the G.O.C. Gen Elliott away

out in front without a 

digger in front of them.  This

ws to underla  arrange an

attack on the Germs.  Across

/ Somme by crossing / Somme.

The [mtg?] was in Syntax [?]

in 31 DorB - everyone on /

parapet using glasses & maps.

The 15 Bde ws to relieve

8 Bde mext day to force a

Xing at Boie (?) The relief

Haplincourt

 

 

 

began just before dark.

Leading Coy of 59 ws in touch

w 8th Bde Bn, and whole Bn

ws on move, when it had

to be recalled as / move ws

cancelled.

Aug 30. Abt 3am Col.Scanlon

ws sent to / same Hqrs

where he got further orders

dictated by Bde I.O.

whereby 7Bde ws to force

a Xing near Peronne, & 

15 Bde ws to leapfrog thro them.

They had to move at 6 (?) am

& be in positn by 7.30(?) am

ready to leapfrog.

7 Bde found tt / crossing

ws impossible; but 59 Bn

moved to 8A (?) Varna [?] & sat

down there for / day.

 

 

 

That night  They had orders to

relieve 7Bde tt night, / day

after they reconnoitred.  They

reld part of 28 & part of 26.

(night of 30/31).

Nothing happened exc.

tt 59 Bn pushed down posts

to command / Xings in

(1) the old fortifications near

Bristol Bridge

(2) The Rly crossing

 

On mg of Sept 1.  Bridgade

after personal reconnaissance

ordered the attach on

Flamicourt.  2 Coys of 59 & whold of

58 were to go down to / river

bank & to cross in the

manner shown on /

follg page.

 

 

see hand drawn diagram

 

Lt. Pentreath took 5 or 6

scouts down.  They got over 

/ footbridge, back to / rly,

then worked along / bank.

But The rly bank gave them

some cover up to / bend.

But as they came round /

bend a m.g. saw them &

Pentreath ws wd in / leg - 

& 2 men hit.

As a result of this reconnaissance

it ws realised tt / attempt ws

impossible & it ws cancelled.

That night Bn ws

withdrawn to its original

 

 

positn - / Coy ws left

in posts on E side o / canal

from Wooden Bridge to Rly.

Sept 2.  At 4am.  C.Os. were

called to Bde Hqrs & orders

gn for an attack on Peronne

by 14 Bde & 2 Aust Div - 15 Bde

to leap frog 14 Bde when they

reached their objve, change

directn right, & attack

up the Flamicourt - Le Mesnil

Spur.  The Wooden bridge had

bn completed by / Engrs.

58 Bn ws to mop up Peronne

after 14 Bde.  58 & 60 to move thro it

after 14 Bde.  The attack ∧(zero) ws at 6am.

Bns were scattered.

The Bridge at 33A9.9

ws a mass of blown up girders

 

 

They simply had to scramble

across it.  By the time they

reached Peronne (abt 10 to 6)

the Germs were shelling W end

of it, & our people the E. end

(barrage being at 5.30am)

They wert up w Col.

Scanlon at head as shown on 

my map to the Rly towds

St.Denis, N. of Peronne.  There

they were getting reverse fire

from the top of Mr St.Q.

(East of the 2 Divn) & found remnants

of 14Bde held up by v. heavy

fire from St Denis.

Col. Scanlon had the arty liaison

offr ∧(Lt Sharp M.C.) w him, & 4 orderlies, all

hit w m.g. bullets ∧from / rear. situatn

ws reported to Bde; & Bn dug

in.  The 60th followed &

formed near / aerodrome (?)

 

 

They stayed here all day - 

the shell fire ws as heavy as

anything at Polygon - /

Germ. having complete & close

observation.

That night orders came 

for 59 Bn to relieve 55 &

56; 60Bn ws in suppost

to 59. Both under Col. Scanlon.

The 60th w 2 Coys leapfrogged

tt night & advanced / line

towds St Denis & established posts.

By this time 58 Bn had /

battlements, & 58 pushed

out posts tt night towds

/ rly E of Peronne.

 

Sept 3/4

1 Bn of 8 Bde ws to relieve

whole of 59 Bn w one Coy.

On relief the 59 had to move

a Coy way back ∧near to Barleux.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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