Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/213/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 3

left did not know o / positn on
/ right.
The whippets were sent up
on / strength o / informatn
sent back that 20 Bn had
gone thro on / left.
A Coy Capt Hinds  wd.
Lt Gordon  wd.
B. Coy  Lt Hall
C. Coy  2 offrs.
D. Coy  Capt Sells who ws w original Bn.
M.C. Morlanct. Bar. Aug 8 [[?]].
didnt know it   }
2/Lt Hampson } d. of wds.
(M.C. at Mt St Q. didnt know it)
Lt MaClean (since died from
illness).
20

17 Bn.  Somme & Mt St Q.
Lt Gill.  Lt Crofts.
On mg. of 29 Aug.  17 Bn
started abt 5.30a.m. from
a reserve positn at Cappy
down the Dompierre Rd
follg 19 Bn - to the trench
system S. of Frise (2 miles S of it)
They then turned NE towds
Mereauet Wood & halted
in / trench system running
S from the Centre o / S. side
o / wood.  Here they came
in touch w / rear Coy
of 19 Bn & got into Arty
formatn there.
Abt 8 30 am rear
Coy of 19 Bn moved forwd
& 17 Bn started agn moving
21

in Arty formation.  They
were now abt in that
days new ground.
On reaching 21 Central
2 Coys remained in Wilkind
trench & Guerriers Alley.
The 2 forwd Coys moved
to the positn in 22 A & D.
At Wilkind avenue they
were folld by some Rl. Horse
Artillery who came undr.
observatn there from the
heights near Mt St Q &
were shelled.
The 2 forwd Coys remained
in 22 B & D.  They presently
moved into Guerriers Alley.
By this time 19 Bn ^w 18 Bn on left were
fighting / enemy down the
22

slopes in 23. & in / wood.
(18 Bn ws to cross at
OmiecT., & 19 Bn at
Halle].
17 Bn ws instrd to stay
there till further orders.
The Germans cd be seen
near E of Halle & E of Park Wood
- horses etc moving.  Later in
/ aftn - abt 6 p.m. the Bn
Commdr interviewed G.O.C.
& it ws decided to prepare
an operatn to attack
Mt St Q from this side o /
river.
At midnight G.O.C.
Divn came to a Confce at
19 Bn Hqrs in the Quarry
S of Feuilleres - & definite
23

instrns were issued.
Engrs were sent to
Omiecourt to prepare a
X ing there & another
at / Junctn o / Canal
Du Nord & Somme Canal.
18 Bn ws to make effect the
crossing at Omiecourt
& estab bridgehead guards
NE o / river.  19 Bn
were to cross at the Canal
Junctn. & form bridgehead guards
across / river.
Zero ws at dawn.
At dawn 20 Bn ws to
cross at Omiect & attack
Mt St Q from N.W.
17 Bn ws to cross at
the Junctn & attack hit St Q
24

from S.W.  Everything ws
prepared for this.  The Engrs
were sent down.  They reported,
after making every effort, tt
it ws absolutely impossible
to erect suitable bridges.
Abt ½ hr before Zero
word ws recd tt / operatn
ws cancelled & tt all
Bns exc. 19 Bn wd move
back & take up positns in /
trench system W. of Mereauct
Wood.  19 Bn ws to remain
near Omiect & defend
tt locality.
This move back ws
completed by 8 a.m.  The
Bn had had no rest tt
night.  They had not bn shelled
while in waiting positn.  On
25

arriving in positn a
Confce of Bn C.Os ws
ordered at the Bde Hqrs
S. of Frise.
17 Bn:  Orders were recd to
cross / river at Feuilleres;
& on crossing it, Bn ws
to get into arty formatn &
move practically along /
N bank o / river towds Clery
following 20 Bn.
It ws understood at this
time tt Clery ws clear o /
Germans.  There ws just time to inform
O.Cs, Coys; Bn started at 11 a.m.,
crossed / river, after a ^hot meal,
moved along / North Bank,
& on reaching NW Corner o
/ village, found tt 20 Bn had
26

come in contact w /
enemy.  Just before reaching
Clery the Bn had to move
up into the neck wh /
road & rly make there.
Here it ran onto / tail of
20 Bn halted - as they
had hit on / Germs at /
E end o / village.
There xx ws nothing to do.
exc. for 19 17 Bn to get into
/ trenches just N o / Embankt -
Odoe? Alley.  The Bn Hqrs
ws estabd in / Embankt
just W of Clery w 20 Bn
HQrs beside it.  Maj. Fussell
O.C. conferred w Col Forbes.
There ws a lot of shell fire
& this end o / village ws
heavily shelled.
27

The German seemed to be
moving a gt deal down
thr two old opposing front line
systems - & each Bn had
arty liaison offrs w them.
Informatn ws sent to
Bde by phone.
Abt 4 p.m. instrns
were recd from Bde to
make an extra effort to
push forward; 20 Bn
moved a little & took
a few prisoners E o /
village.  But no definite
move cd be made owing
to / maze of trenches E o /
village.
3rd Divn ws holding /
high ground N of Clery - they were
28

also sd to be holding
Berlingots trench.
The shelling in Clery ws
heavy.  Our shelling ws
heavier still on / Germs -
it ws retaliation apparently.
Artillery all round ws
v. active.
Abt 9 p.m. after constant
interchange of informatn by phone
etc w Bde - ^informatn came tt a Confce ws
called for by divn being held
by Divn wh wd probably
result in a definite
xx decision on / method
of attack on Mt St Q.
They knew tt they were going
for Mt St Q somehow.
29