Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/74/1 - March 1917 - Part 6

57
After this c. attack Tevan
waited f 2 Germans of sturm pty
got into house & sniped 10 of our
men. Tevan went out at dusk.
w rifle. Came on one of these
men w rifle pointing to shoot -
Shot him. G's mate turned & ran.
Tevan hadnt time to re-load but
grabbed German's rifle & shot
other man as he ran. Got
valuable diary from these men, 
wh admitted tt they had found
Beaumetz to strongly held.
[They were to attack "as Beaumetz
ws given up too soon"
25^th 3 of our
planes driven down
by German Planes today in
flames in 15 Bde area.

20  58
Coy ^ (250 men) of "1st Storming Bn".
Infantry of 38 Divn were to
follow the storm troops &
occupy the village. Half 
way thro village they
came under very heavy
m.g. fire.
Pris. sd he thought the
Siegfried Stelling ws not
quite ready to be occupied
& Germans were trying to
make time for it.
[Germs have to retire
to avoid our offensive - but
if retire too soon will find Siegf.
line not ready.
[7 & 8 Coys of 95 Regt
came along rd from directn
Doignies & were to join
5 & 6 Coys but cdnt find
them (5 & 6 Coys had attacked
night before & dont seem to
have been keen). 7 & 8 Coys
 

20  59
extended on both sides
of road & had m.g. fire
brought to bear on them
on road. They had a 
sentry post near. The
shrine where prisoner
(7 Coy 95 Regt) who made
this statement ws captd.)
 

Lagnicourt.
Notes written in
Col. Slanes dugout (26 Bn)
Vaulx, 4 a.m. - onwards
26 March.

[Diagram-see original]
 

20  60
26 March
26 Bn & 2 Coys 28 Bn to
attack & envelop Lagnicourt.
25 Bn to remain in touch
with left but not take
part unless sp. ordered.
267 Bn objve.
Lagnicourt Noreuil Rd.
C23 b 55-75 to C.17 c.55. 30.
[Diagram-see original]
A Coy to patrol rd to Noreuil
B Coy to swing rt flank
forwd to C 22 a 89
& to send forwd strong patrol
with support to reconnoitre
Noreuil.
 

20  61
Arty. 5.15 zero.
5.15 to 5.35 on rd from
C 9 B. 7.0. round S. of
Noreuil, round S.W of
Lagnicourt to C. 29 B. 8. 0.
Lift at 5.35 to 5.45 to
various points in and
beyond Lagnicourt. Elsewhere
Remain on rd in 9 d,
16 a and D till 5.45 a.m.
———
Bde objve.
C. 24. d 7.7. C. 18 d. 9. 1.
C 18 d. 3. 7. C 18 c. 35. 60
C. 17 d. 7. 4. C 17 c. 53.
C 22 a 8. 9. to connect on
left with post O 15 d . 4. 0.
5^th Aust div will attack advance to
Lagnicourt - Beametz Road &
estab. posts on Lagnicourt
Doignies Rd, left post at C. 24 d.
7. 7.
 

C 17 c 55
 

20  62
7 Bde objve.
Sunken Rd from C. 30 a.
5. 6 to Lagnicourt; village
of L., Sunken Rd from Lagn,
to O 17. c. 55. 30.
26 Bn, & 2 Coys 28 Bn to attack
from C. 30 a 5. 6 to Rd Junction
at C. 23 b. 55. 75.
27 Bn will attack from
Rd Junctn at C. 23. b 55. 75
to C. 17. c. 55. 30.
Signal: Lagnicourt 4 Very lights w
15 secs betw. each.
7th Brit. Divn is not attacking
as arranged: 25 Bn ws to have
attacked Noreuil but this
is off.
———
6.35 Left Coy (A) of 27 Bn
reports. Objve gained.
No casualties. Post estab
at C. 17. C. 1½. 4. Listening post
estab. 100 yds in front of objve X
 

63
C 17. d 3. 8. 7^o10^o
C 18 d.

8 prisoners caught rushing up
Sunken Road to W of Lagnicourt.
Friederichs was [[?ated]], leading
his batch. Leading bomber, 4 or
5 yds ahead of him got S several
Germans w bombs - then ws 
hit in arm

20  64
This message ws sent at.
5.40 a.m.
26 Bn has got thro' village
of Lagnicourt - 2 Germans
captured -
25 Bn is thro' village
100 yards short of Tank Trap
in C 18 d - (abt C. 18 c 9. 1)
They have touch with 27 Bn on
left.
25 Bn are held up by
m.g. in Noreuil.
7.30 a.m. Redford reports our men
seen moving about 10 c & d, -
behind Noreuil.
Fredericks rings up to
say Germans coming on
left. M.gs getting onto him & Germans
trying to get in behind him & betw. him & Byce
Beddam says many
snipers in Noreuil.
Col. Slaney rings up battery to
put it onto Noreuil at once.
25 Bn asked to push out towards
village.
 

20  65
8 a.m. Fredericks getting casualties
from m.g. fire - wants
s.bs. says that his men are 
not in C. 10 at all -
Byse reports.
Am being c. attd heavily
on left of my positn. (i.e.
left of positn on Sunken Rd.)
Beddom (along ridge) told to
give more support to Byce's
left.
Beddome reports that he had
been along ridge in 22 a & b
& 17 c & d. Enemy were lying
very close together along the
NW crest of ridge (he estimated
them as 2 Bns).
Arty is now firing at these
Germans, but some of them
are within 50 yds of Byce.
Byce & Fredericks have each
lost 2 L.Gs & are having casualties.
 

20  66
Abt 11 a.m. C. Attak agst
Travers w 26. Another
Coy of 28^th ordered up
Three German prisoners
going down, one with a 
bad foot wh he sd was
6 inches shorter than the other.
——
Shortly after this I went 
up to 28 Bn. They were
sending off their last
Coy to ^meet a c. attack.
As we were watching
for signs of fighting
Gilchrist (6 Engrs) came
up & asked me if I
wd go to Lagnicourt
w him. I went -
(scene there is described
in an article of
this date - written
next day).