The 'Aussies ' Attack Peronne

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Volume 5, Chapter 327, Pge 1801.</B></div> <div> <B>"The author of this story took part as an Australian officer in the assault on the town of Peronne and Mont St Quentin on September 1st, 1918. His story is one of great gallantry in the face of the most determined resistance. Nearly every officer of the line became a casualty. Mr William's himself was wounded the following day and invalided to England" </B></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <div> It was still dark on September 1, 1918, when we were aroused from our comfortless resting places. A drizzling, misty rain was falling. The sound of heavy artillery fire came from our left, and this soon brought down a German Barrage. The company commander sent a runner along to platoon officers with orders to get their men on the move and to file out of the trench on to the road. I was told to report to him, and found him standing at the entrance of the trench. In the noise of the bursting shells and the boom of the guns he had to shout his remarks.</div> <bR> <div> He told me the 54th Battalion was attacking on our right. They were to clear the ground in front of Peronne, and then attack the town itself. Alongside the 54th, the 53rd Battalion was to carry the line of attack past the right of Mont St Quentin, to a trench called Darmstadt Trench, which ran north and south about a mile east of Peronne.</div> <bR> <div> The 56th Battalion was to follow in close support of the 53rd, and when the latter had gained their objective, we were to turn south and attack the high  ground  beyond Peronne from the north. In this we were to be assisted by the 55th Battalion. All this was hurriedly communicated as our company filed out of the trench. I was ordered to take charge of the left half company.</div> <div> The company clear of the trench, we turned off the road to the right and formed up in two waves of half companies. Just before we went forward in this formation a 5.9 landed close by and knocked over the company commander and wounded a sergeant and a runner. Bull arose unscathed, but much shaken. A stretcher which picked up the sergeant was struck a little later by a shell, and the N.C.O. and the two bearers were killed. </div> <bR> <div> Our advance started. The rain drove into our faces and the barrage fell about us. The Germans were using their deadly 5.9's extensively. In front, we could hear the ceaseless chatter of many machine-guns, and before we had gone far we were amid the swishing sound of the bullets . A quarry opened in front of us. The lines of men went down it's steep banks, crossed the bottom, and were soon scrambling up the far side. Just as we were emerging a man next but one to me crumpled up. I turned to see him rolling down to the bottom. He appeared to be dead, and I remember wondering whether, if he were only wounded, he would be found by the bearers. Next we came to a small wood, the trees still wearing green foliage. The machine gun bullets came through this, and men commenced to drop fast. Here we found that we were too far to the right,and the waves turned into file, and skirting the wood, crossed the road. Just on the left of the wood I saw a company runner lying badly wounded. He was only a lad of about twenty, and with his smiling face and pleasant manner was well liked by everyone in the company. He had an ugly wound in his temple, and his left eye seemed to be gone. The blood was streaming down his neck; and the breast of his tunic was dyed  red. As I came near, he recognised me  and. Half raising himself, caught hold of my leg. I knew that he wanted stretcher bearers, and told him that they were following behind my rear platoon. Our instructions were that no men other than the bearers were to fall out or attend to the wounded. I knew that it would hurt most of the chaps that were following on to step over the sorely wounded youngster who was so popular.</div> <bR> <div> Once we emerged from the cover of the wood we came under the  fire of machine-guns from Mont St Quentin on our left, as well as that directed at the waves of the 53rd battalion in our front. In Florina trench, the jumping off point for the 53rd Battalion, we saw many dead Germans. Afterwards we learnt that before zero hour, when the 53rd had moved up to this trench, they found it strongly held by the enemy and had to fight for the possession of the starting point of their attack. </div> <bR> <div> Our A Company was moving in front of us, and, crossing a railway line, I saw a friend of mine. Lieutenant Cory, being attended to by the bearers. He had been struck in the back by a piece of shell, and, with his blood soaked tunic cut open , he was shivering in the rawness of the morning. </div> <div> In front , the 53rd Battalion was heavily engaged. The German barrage searched the ground over which the advance was being made. But even worse than the German shells was their machine gun fire. Never before had I experienced such a volume of their fire. It sprayed our ranks from Mont St Quentin  and Anvil Wood. The German positions must have swarmed with machine guns, and Fritz, being a past master in the tactical handling of these, took a heavy toll of the advancing infantry. </div> <bR> <div> In front of Anvil Wood were situated several belts of wire of imposing width and height. In wide, rusted lines they swept away across the slopes of Mont St Quentin. Many dead of the 53rd Battalion lay in and around these wire belts. The Germans had left openings; but these were death traps swept by the machine gunners. Some of the 53rd Battalion's  Lewis Gunners rested their guns on the wire and gave covering fire to their platoons, by engaging the enemy's machine -gunners while a passage of the wire was being made. Then Anvil Wood was cleared, but the fire from Mont St Quentin still caused us many casualties.</div> <bR> <div> The rain ceased, but the dust and smoke hid much from us. The 6th Brigade was heavily engaged against Mont St Quentin. As yet we had not seen any prisoners coming back - a sure indication of desperate battle. Near Anvil Wood our company came to a halt in a sunken road. Here I saw two German machine gun posts, each with their entire crew lying dead around their guns. In one post were the bodies of sixteen dead Germans, including an officer. They fought to the last. We received word that the 53rd Battalion was held up round the cemetery to the left of Peronne, swept by machine gun fire from the ramparts of the town. These fortifications gave the utmost protection to the machine-gunners, and our artillery was not heavy enough to dislodge them. Some of the 53rd Battalion dug themselves in among the graves of the cemetery. A company of the 56th Battalion had become involved with the latter phase of the 53rd Battalions advance, and were now holding a position among some hutments and a railway line near the cemetery. Word came through that the 54th Battalion had gained a foothold in the town of Peronne. This was achieved  only by the utmost heroism. Small parties were rushed across foot-bridges raked with machine-gun fire, in which many were killed, but the few who lived to reach the bridgehead attacked the German machine-gunners and cleared a way for other parties to cross the foot-bridges. Once a hold was gained on part of the town, it was exploited to the utmost, and the Germans were rooted out of cellars and other cover. Two N.C.O's of this battalion (Corporals A.C.Hall and A.H.Buckley) were afterwards awarded the Victoria Cross for their bravery and example in this fighting. Only the stoutest of troops could have gained an entry in face of the obstacles of ramparts and moat and the determined garrison.</div> <bR> <div> About 11am I saw the first German prisoners of the fight, a small arty in charge of two slightly wounded men of the 54th Battalion. The prisoners were decidedly different from those we had seen during these last weeks. These were all big men in good uniforms, and wearing white shoulder knots on their uniform. They belonged to the 2nd Prussian Guards Division, and had been kept in reserve by the German High Command to be used only in case of dire necessity. The intelligence staff of our corps headquarters was surprised to find among the few prisoners taken during the fighting of Mont St Quentin and Peronne, men from many units of the German Army. It was soon to be learned that volunteers had been called for to hold these positions against the coming attack of the Australians. It was no wonder, therefore, that the 6th and 14th Brigades had to fight like demons. The German machine-gunners could fairly be ranked with Leonida's Spartan Three Hundred, as they fought by their guns to death, and continued firing when all hope for themselves personally had vanished. </div> <bR> <div> Sitting spaced out along the sunken road, we watched the little band of German prisoners pass. Even in defeat the carried themselves with the upright carriage and swagger of a crack regiment. There was no sign of the  bewilderment and terror we had seen on the faces of the prisoners on 8 and 23rd of August, when the captives showed all the signs of men who had suffered the effects of heavy barrages. These prisoners now passing had had all the odds in their favour; but, although our attack had not yet reached its final goal, it had made headway.</div> <bR> <div> Meanwhile our A company had consolidated a position near the cemetery to the left of Peronne, where the advance of the 53rd Battalion had been halted by heavy machine gun fire. During the morning a runner came back from A company to ask for support for it's left flank, upon which a counter attack was developing. This flank was well " in the air" being exposed on the side of Mont St Quentin, the summit of which was still in German hands. Lieutenant Bull told me to take my platoon gun-team forward to assist A Company against the coming attack. Leaving the sunken road, we entered a trench that ran from  Anvil Wood. I noticed that A company was being subjected to heavy bombardment; the runner told me as we moved along that machine-guns from Mont St Quentin were enfilading the length of A Company's position. As a matter of fact, A company was under fire from front, left flank and left rear. Each of my gun-team, including myself carried spare lewis gun panniers - metal discs with the cartridges around them. These were slung across our shoulders in khaki-covered carriers each containing four panniers. </div> <bR> <div> Passing along the trench we saw some dead of the 53rd Battalion and among them   two sorely wounded men. Soon we had to leave the shelter of the trench, and the runner told me that we would then be the target for machine-guns on Mont St Quentin. I told my gun team that we would cross the open ground (about three hundred yards) by doubling over it in twos, at irregular intervals, and that I would go first.</div> <bR> <div> I got out of my tench, and before I was into my stride, the machine-gun bullets went "zip-zip" around me. Half way across I turned to see that my team were following - </div> <div> Suddenly I was bowled over as if a sledge-hammer had struck me. My tunic was on fire, and the fumes of cordite made me cough and splutter. Some machine gun bullets had struck the pannier which was over my left breast. The metal of the pannier had turned the bullets, which cut through perhaps eight or ten cartridges that were in the pannier and set fire to them. </div> <bR> <div> I beat the fire out by banging the panniers on the ground, and crushed the burning tunic in my hand. To my surprise I was not wounded. A few more yards and instinct caused me to adopt the prone position; a shell landed so close that it's explosion covered my face with earth, and knocked my steel helmet off. Again unscathed , I arose and continued on my way. I halted in a large shell hole, and when my team caught up we had a "breather". With the next spurt we reached A Companys line.</div> <bR> <div> Here the company commander told me that his own gun-teams had beaten off the half-hearted attack on his flank, that the assistance of my Lewis gun was not needed, and that I was to report back to my own company. My team had a rest in a shell-hole, while I smoked a cigarette with Captain Dalkeith of A Company. His men were occupying shell-holes and any depression in the ground that gave cover. They had endured  a torrid time from the heavy shelling and the raking machine gun fire from Mont St Quentin. While we smoked, Dalkeith told me about the performance of the shelling Mont St Quentin with captured field gun. One of his men, claiming some slight knowledge of the piece, laid the gun, while Dalkeith and another man did the firing. They had the pleasure of seeing bits of the German trenches spout into the air as the shells landed. Of course, it was firing through open sight, as the crest of the Mont was only 800 yards away.</div> <bR> <div> The enemy's artillery appeared to have  decided ascendancy over ours, and even while we talked German  shells were deluging the position held by A company and the 53rd Battalion. I went across to my team and started them on the way back to  the trench that ran towards Anvil Wood, and told them to  wait in this shelter for me. Nugget, my gun corporal, and myself brought  up the rear. The machine guns again sprayed us as we crossed the open. My Corporal was bowled over</div> <div> . and we assisted  him into the trench and bound up a wound in his upper am. Near by were lying two badly wounded men of the 53rd Battalion. We lit cigarettes fore them and after reporting to my company commander, I sent beareres to bring them in.</div> <bR> <div> About 1 pm we watched a barrage from our guns go down on the crest of Mont St Quentin, and under cover of this the 6th Brigade stormed the summit and drove the Germans from their position - thus crowning with success  the bitter fighting that the 5th and 6th  Brigades of the 2nd Australian Division  had endured for some days. Sir John Monash , in his book, declares that when  he laid before the army commander  his plans for assault  of Mont St Quentin, General Rawlinson  listened and then remarked;- 'Surely you don't expect to capture  such a position with three battalions?"  and, being assured that this was  the intention replied; "Well I do not think that I should stop you  making the attempt, so go ahead." It certainly took the efforts of two brigades </div> <div> finally to capture the famous hill, but when the army headquarters heard of the success they were at first incredulous. </div> <bR> <div> Some of our men went through the packs of the dead Germans who were lying in a machine gun post in Anvil Wood, They came back with  a bottle of brandy, handfuls of cigars, also some black bread and synthetic jam. Soon all the company were smoking cigars as if they were millionaires, the brandy was doled out, and most of us tried the German bread and Jam. The bread was awful stuff, it's base appeared to be sawdust, and how men lived on it and did not die of inflamed intestine puzzled most of us.</div> <bR> <div> But the shelling never ceased along our position, and on the gains that the 53rd Battalion were consolidating a ceaseless rain of shells and machine gun was falling. A pall of smoke and dust hung over the scene. Passing along the sunken road were stretcher parties carrying the badly wounded. In most cases they had lain out  for hours before they could be moved to the Aid Post. They were in in a pitiful condition, drenched with rain, shivering, and with faces pale from loss of blood. But when spoken to each man could summon a wan smile and never a word of complaint was heard from them. </div> <bR> <div> There were some ghastly wounds among them. Shells had smashed bones and cut flesh in a manner sickening to behold. One chap had stopped a burst of fire from a machine gun, which had torn part of his stomach away. How he lived long enough to be carried back to the sunken road was little short of miraculous; still he lay among us for some time and smoked cigarettes unceasingly, these being fed to him by our fellows. </div> <bR> <div> We had been waiting for some hours expecting the attack to be renewed and the calling up of our companies into the advance. Shortly after the summit of Mont St Quentin fell, our A company was withdrawn, and passing down the road moved across to the right. We were next. Our orders were to get into position on the high ground above Peronne, and, linking with the right flank of the 53rd Battalion, attack the village of St Dennis. We moved across more or less  dead ground on the right of the road, and, wound our way up the rise that hid Peronne from our view. </div> <div> Here were several deep trenches near which were lying some dead Germans and men of the 54th Battalion. On the crest of the rise we passed through a heavy wire system and immediately came under shell fire. The company was halted in extended formation on the Peronne side of the rise, near a small wood. </div> <div> We lay out on the ground, some in the shelter of shallow excavations that appeared to have had tents erected over them at one time. Bull left me in charge of the company while he went away to attend a conference. From our position we could look across the ramparts of Peronne and realise to the full what a tough proposition the walled town must have been for the 54th Battalion to storm. The sky was full of fighting planes, and to pass the time and keep my mind of the shells that were dropping around us, I counted seventy of these fighters in the sky.</div> <bR> <div> The German gunners soon picked up our range, and the company began to suffer casualties. Time went by and still Bull did not return. Some hitch occurred; the 53rd Battalion left their trenches to attempt the advance without knowing that we were still awaiting orders as to our part in the attack. As soon as they attempted to move the 53rd Battalion met such a storm of machine gun fore that their attack melted away in the face of it.</div> <div> All this time my company was in an exposed position and casualties were mounting fast. It appeared to me senseless to keep the men lying out to be shot to pieces when the attack had been so mismanaged. I decided to withdraw the company two hundred yards over the crest of the hill, into the shelter of a large trench which I had noticed as we moved up. I told Lieutenant Nancarrow to commence to dribble his platoon back to this position, through the gap in the wire. The N.C.O's in charge of the other platoons were likewise instructed. In the failing light of the late afternoon this was carried out. Fritz shelling us viciously all the while</div> <div> .</div> <div> Company Sergeant Major Goldin, Sergeant Owens, Nugget, and two others stayed behind with me. We managed to get the wounded into a large shell-hole. One of them had a badly shattered leg, and Sergeant Owens bound it up with a putee. Both he and Golding were as cool as icebergs under the heavy shelling. Sergeant Owens, a 1914 man, was killed the next morning in the attack on St Denis. Lieutenant Nancarrow sent bearers up from the trench, and the wounded were taken back. Darkness was coming on when,  along with my little band, I reached the trench where our company was. Only then did Company Sergeant Major Golding, stripping his tunic off, ask me to put some iodine on a wound in the upper part of his right arm, where a shell splinter had struck  him. I told him to go to the Aid Post. He demurred, and only went when he was ordered to do so. Some hours later I heard his voice in the trench, and asked why he had not gone back to the Aid Post. He replied; "I did go back to the Aid Post, but when I saw the crowd of wounded lying around awaiting attention, I could not go in and show my scratch to to the Doctor."</div> <div> This cool, game. young Englishman actually went over the top in the attack next morning with his right arm hanging stiffly by his side. He was a 1914 man and was recognised throughout the battalion as one of the best line soldiers that ever wore the green and white colour-patches. He survived the war, and returned to Australia respected by everyone and admired for his unassuming manner and a courage that was enough for three men.</div> <bR> <div> It was dark when the company commander returned. He told me that A Company had lost all it's officers, that the conference he had attended had waited in vain for instructions for this afternoon's  attack to come through, and that the 53rd Battalion had attacked ignorant of the fact that our battalion had not received its orders. Afterwards it was learned that a senior officer had been sent forward from battalion headquarters to take charge of the attack, and was now missing.</div> <div> Two days later he was discovered. He had trodden on a hidden machine gun shaft and the top collapsing under his weight, he had fallen into a hole twenty feet deep. Here he lay and would no doubt have died, but a curios soldier some days later happened to peer down, and discovered the hapless prisoner.</div> <div> We were a tired lot of men that night. Our company had suffered rather heavily during the day. The German guns were still shelling, and presently gas shells drenched Anvil Wood, and the vicinity of our position. In the moonlight our rations arrived, with the godsend of a rum issue. We had not had a proper meal since two night before at Barleux. My batman generally did not drink rum, but this night I made him take his issue. Then we stripped the water proof capes from our two dead Germans and, wrapping ourselves in these, lay in the bottom of the trench to get a few hours sleep.</div> <bR> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> <TABLE BORDER="2" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="608" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#666633" BORDERCOLORDARK="#996600" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP BGCOLOR=#000000 HEIGHT= 20 WIDTH="596"><div> <B>THE END OF A STORY OF "VALOUR AND SACRIFICE"</B></div> </tD> </tR> <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 418 WIDTH="596"><div> Amidst the ruins of the town of Peronne, men of the 54th Australian Battalion have established  a machine-gun nest on the morning of the day they entered the town, September 2nd 1918. The 54th Battalion formed part of the 14th Australian Brigade which played an important part in the taking of Peronne. The Battalion was entrusted with the work of "mopping up" the German stragglers, which was completed quickly. Sir John Monash states "Many deeds of valour and sacrifice adorn the story"</div> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> From "I Was There" Volume 5, Page no.1816 <A NAME="1816"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="1" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="1" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" ></A></div> <div> <IMG SRC="87e900f0.jpg" border=0 width="400" height="271" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <div>  <style>  </style>  </div> <bR> <div>   <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript">  </script> <script type="text/javascript" language="javascript" src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter/frames.js"> </script> <noscript> <a href="http://www.statcounter.com" target="_top"><img src="http://www.statcounter.com/counter.php?usr=anzacs&java=0" alt="StatCounter - Free Web Tracker and Counter" border="0"/></a> </noscript>   </div> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>