10th Battalion patch. Image courtesy Australian War Memorial
10th Battalion – September 1918
SEPTEMBER 1 – CERISY AREA [northern France]
Bivouaced [sic]. Battalion church parade. Weather: fairly long and heavy showers, during early morning. Fair and sunny generally.
2.
Wind, east. Weather, fine. Morning: Lewis Gun training at ranges. Afternoon, bathing parade and exchange of clothes. Lecture on educational scheme by Bishop Long. Lecture to officers on map reading.
3.
Wind, east. Weather, fine. Lewis Gun and technical training. Afternoon, lecture on German morale, etc., by Lieutenant Priestly, Divisional I.O.
4.
Wind, west. Weather, fine. Lewis Gun and technical training. Afternoon: bathing parade.
5.
Wind west. Weather, clear and fine. Technical and bombing training. Afternoon: cricket; concert parade. Thunderstorm in evening.
6.
Wind, north-west. Clear and fine. Brigade competitions in rifle and Lewis Gun shooting – won by 10th Battalion.
[see Appendix 1 – Attention is again directed to the necessity of avoiding enemy booby traps and especially ammunition dumps which frequently contain delayed action shells.]
[see Appendix 1 – Transport Officer will see that stables and manure heaps are left in an orderly condition.]
7 – PERONNE
Wind west, weather warm. Battalion moved to new area.
8.
Weather, showery. Wind west. Battalion church parade. Battalion paid.
9.
Wind, west, fine weather. Physical training. Route march
10 – TINCOURT AREA
Battalion moved to new area…Weather, wet (south-west rains).
11.
Wind south, weather showery. Battalion employed cleaning up billeting area and camp. Commanding Officer returned from short leave.
13.
Wind, south. Weather clear. Company private parade. Four enemy planes brought down whilst on bombing raid. Two of our kite balloons destroyed by enemy plane.
14.
Wind, south. Fine and clear. Private parade for Companies and recreation parade. One enemy plane brought down during night.
15.
West wind, weather fine. Battalion church parade, attended by Brigadier. One of our kite balloons brought down by shrapnel.
16.
Weather, showery, heavy thunderstorm during night. Preparing for attack.
17.
Wind, west. Weather, clear. Battalion practised the attack during the early morning, rested during the day, and moved to their respective jumping off points (Jeancourt) during evening ready for attack on the following morning.
18 – NEAR JEANCOURT [northern France]
Light, but continual rain during early morning hours, making ground “heavy going”, followed by fog, which lifted about 9 o’clock. Companies moved away from the jumping off line on time, in rear of 12th Battalion, whom they passed at First Objective (Brown Line), and until the Final Objective was reached Companies maintained the formation laid down for them. A line of posts was constructed, with C Coy in support. Consolidation was satisfactorily completed by 1 o’cloch [sic] in the afternoon. The advance was one of 5,000 yards, with a frontage of more than 1,000 yds.
[see Appendix 5 – Before moving forward to the attack a hot meal was served out in silence, and as a result of these measures the men moved out to their work on the morning of the 18th, with more eagerness and dash than might have been expected after their long period of active fighting.]
19 – RIGHT OF VILLERET
Weather fine. Battalion in line, as per diary of yesterday, above. Engaged on improving position.
20.
Light rain during early morning. Harassing fire carried out by artillery during early morning.
21.
Between 1 and 2.15am, patrols were sent forward, and line advanced… Weather fine. Battalion relieved by 12th Battalion, Australian Imperial Force, at 8pm, and occupied support line.
[see Appendix 7 – “Completion of relief will be communicated to battalion headquarters by phoning word ‘delightful’.”]
22.
Battalion in support line. Weather showery.
23.
Battalion relieved by 4 Companies [of] 2nd American Battalion, “A” Regiment, 59th American Brigade. Relief completed at 1am, 24th.
[see Appendix 8 – “Y.M.C.A stall…will issue hot drinks to all passers from dusk today.”]
24 – TINCOURT AREA
Battalion marched to Tincourt Wood, arriving there at 5am, and bivouacked [sic]. Headquarters at Hamel. Clothing parade and change in afternoon. Weather fine.
25.
Rained steadily during early morning hours. Companies, private parade and inspection of arms and equipment in afternoon.
[see Appendix 9 – “…troops will be warned to conserve water and rations as time of next supply is uncertain.”]
26 – TINCOURT and GORENFLOS areas
Weather, fine. Battalion (full m.o.) marched from Tincourt Wood to Tincourt Railway Station, entraining there at 12.39 p.m, and detrained at Longpre at 7pm. Marched (full m.o.) to Brucamps, arriving there at 11pm.
27 – BRUCAMPS
Billeted at Brucamps. Companies private parade in afternoon, shortages taken. Battalion paid. Weather fine, excepting light rain previous night.
28.
Weather: good. Rain fell during morning. Companies private parade.
29.
Weather: dull with light showers. Church parade.
30.
Weather: light showers, with cold southerly wind. Route march. Commanding Officer left to lecture Corps Army Instructors on late operations of Battalion, i.e., from Lihons, to attack in front of Hindenburg Line forward of Nauroy.
