Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/213/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 7

wd now hang on w their
guns for a time & then drop

back w their guns instead of

hanging on to I finish. It ws

concluded by by most o I offrs facing them tt they had

instrns to inflict casualties &

retire - typical rear guard

tactics.

Night of 11 Aug. 19Bn ws

relv by 22 & 24 Bns. The 5 Bde

came back to I Blue line.

Bn H.Q for this attack hd bn in

a cellar in Framerville. The barrage

was practically all heavy arty.

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19Bn M+S+Q

6Bde ws holding I line on

28 Aug. Late in aftn of 28 Aug

6 Bde definitely cleared I

system SE of Frise. The bend

o I river to N greatly increased

the frontage. The 5th Bde took over

the part N of the grid between

19 20 21 22 to 24 &

25-30

7 Bde took over to S of this line.

The grid E & W betw 13 & 19

squares was the Bn Boundary

18 to N of it, 19 to S. Each

Bn having their 1000 yds of front.

 

20 |    |18

_________

17|      |14

 

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the Frise trench system ws clear

abt an hour before dusk. If 6 Bde cd

clear these 18 Bn were to work along I

river & try to get Bridgeheads

at Feuilleres & Amiecourt.

There ws more oppositn at Frise

than had bn expected & it ws

now late on 28 Aug. 18 Bn

went thro & after dark worked

thro Mereauct Wood & reached the

Feuilleres Herebecourt Rd by

abt midnight. Abt midnight

the Germs blew up the Feuilleres 

bridge. This ws I positn at Dawn.

At dawn on Aug 29, 19 Bn

pushed up from Eclusier Quarry

where it had bn durg I night, got

in touch w I rt of 18 Bn &

moved due E along I plateau

74

 

twds Somme, 2 coys in front,

1 in suppt, 1 in reserve. There

ws no oppositn till they

reached I high gnd overlooking I

Somme. The Germ ws holding

Baz in court wood on I slopes

down to I river - & here the

Bn came under observation

from I hills behind Peronne.

Lt Cecil Healy, the swimmer, ws

hit here in I leg by a m.g. He 

got up & pointed out I positn

in wh this m.g. was firing - 

& ws hit again thro I neck

& killed.

The wood had to be cleared

of several mgs. It was clear by

abt midday. The m.g.s were

captured. But it is thought tt I

Germans swam I river.

75

 

The next thing ws to force a passage

across I Somme. The only chance

ws I bridge near I junction of

the Somme w I Canal du Nord.

The arrangement ws (Coy Commdrs

knew) tt if they cd get I crossings

they were to rush Mt St Q next

day, thro Omiecourt & this

Southern Xing. They cd cross I
Somme canal by a bridge wh had bn

partialy destroyed - a wooden

bridge. But on getting across you

were faced with abt 500 yards of

marsh. The causeway used

by I Germans (a wooden

construction N of the Nord Canal) had

bn broken in several places & [[?]]

it ws only a [[?]]. It was later used

by us for waggon traffic. The

Nord Canal bank didnt exist.

76

 

The Germans were in Halle

& were pretty quiet - they

didn't fire on our movement

by I river.

Next thing ws - I Engrs

had to bridge I marshes on I night

of Aug 29, to effect a Xing

while another was arranged at

Omiecourt

    17.  19 ——— Halle

    18.  20 ——— Omiecourt

Everyone thought this ws going

to come off but by 3am Engrs

decided they cdnt get a crossing

at either place. They brought

material down by I rds to I

river by I further they went I

more difficulties there were.

19 Bn ws to cross at 5am

on Aug 30. The whole scheme ws

77

 

called off abt 4.30am.

17, 18. 20 went at once

back to Feuilleres; 19 Bn

had to hold whole Bde front.

19 Bn extended from W side

of Somme Canal in 17 A 4.9

down to avt 24 D 9.1.

There were troops Germans in

Omiecourt on 30 Aug. & in

E of Clery also. Germs held

Omiecourt Bridge.

As 20 Bn passed the

Omict Bridge head NE of Somme

the Germans in Omiecourt cleared

out. Col Bateman on aftn 30 Aug

abt 3pm sent an offr & 30

men across the bridge over I

Somme Canal at 17 A 4.9

& they worked along I timbered

78

 

country S. of Somme & reported

Omiect clear but the

E bank held. The Germans were

out of the marshes S.W of I

Somme.

(18 Bn had previously on

29 Aug. Effected a crossing at I

same bridge at 17 A 4.9

but met oppositn in I woods

S. of the river).

The Engrs undertook to

have the Omiect bridge fit for

traffic by 3.30am. Co. Bateman

did not at this time (on evg. of

Aug 30) know tt 19 Bn wd be in

I attack. He sent one offr

from each Coy to reconnoitre I

way down to I bridge in 17 A 4.9

The Intelligence offr (Lt Armit,

79

 

had himself reconnoitred the (before

the patrol of 19 Bn) down towards

Omiecourt by himself.

(The Germs offered a big

reward - Iron X 3 wks leave

& money for the blowing up of this

bridge & they did attempt it -

Armit later got I papers)

At 1.30am on Aug 31

19 Bn C.O. got operatn order

by phone for I attack. Typed

order arrd at 2.20am. Bn

Hqrs ws at the Quarry in 15 D 3.2.

It looked a pretty hopeless job.

Col. sent message for Coy Commnds

to get their Coys moved down

at once to I bridge.

The Coy Commndrs got orders for

I attack. They left Bn H.Q. at 3.30

80

 

walking - pitch black.

The information ws tt 7a & c

were clear & tt they had to

X the bridge at Omiect & be

in assembly position 7B at

5am.

Barrage ws to fall on line

roughly Halle, Park Wood, &

[[? ?]] 5-5.30; left

from 5.30 to 6 on Anvil

wd - gott mit uns [[?]]; Mt St Q,

& Feuillacourt; [[?]]; 6-6.30

to lift onto Mt St Q wood.

It ws to stand there.

20 Bt to take Feuillact,

17 Bn Mt St Q. 19 Bn to

protect flank in uber alles &

gott mt uns [[?]]. 18 Bn in

reserve, w of Clery.

81