Lives of the First World War

The night of the 22nd was quiet, but early on the 23rd a ‘‘fighting patrol” of the right company of the 29th found the German position crowded with troops, and had just returned to its post on the right, which was separated by a wide gap from those in the village, when, at 4.35, a bomb exploded to the north, followed by other explosions all along the battalion’s front. The right flank posts were standing to arms, and, opening fire, held off what appeared to be two waves of the enemy, but then found Germans moving in their rear. They accordingly fell back towards the south-west corner of Beaumetz, and ten minutes later, on seeing the enemy advance through the village, withdrew about half-way to Lebucquiere. Meanwhile, at the eastern exit of the village, a machine-gun officer, Lieutenant Trevan, who was in the act of taking one of two local guns to an advanced emplacement for daylight sniping, found himself and his men surrounded by a crowd of German infantry. They charged through it, and, with some loss, carried their gun back. The northern company of the 29th had been driven from its posts, and one of its officers reached the headquarters of Colonel Clark of the 30th, in Lebucquiere, with a report that the 29th had been cut to pieces and the Germans were moving on Lebucquiere. Meanwhile the 30th, north of the Cambrai road, had also been attacked. While Colonel Clark was telephoning to his right company for information as to the bombing which he could hear, the company commander. Lieutenant Adams, broke off the conversation with: “They’re coming at me I must go.” A party of the enemy approaching from Beaumetz had from the rear rushed the company’s right post in a crater on the Cambrai road, killing the garrison, and seizing the Lewis gun. The report that Beaumetz had been lost reached Elliott in Fremicourt about 5.30. He immediately ordered the 59th in Bancourt to move up and restore the line, and to stand ready. By 6.30, however, spot were turning defeat into success. By 22nd March the 29th Battalion occupied a defensive line from Velu to the Bapaume road. It was fortunate that the 29th and 30th Battalions had consolidated their hold on the ground around Beaumetz, for at 4.30am on the 23rd March, the village was suddenly shelled. The Germans, having failed to recapture Beaumetz, shelled it persistently during March 23rd, causing considerable loss. That night the 57th Battalion relieved the 29th, and the 58th the 30th. By 8.30am the entire defensive line had been restored, with the attacking Germans bearing the brunt of the casualties. At 4 a. m. on the 24th the Germans launched a second attempt to retake the village, this time after attack again an hour's bombardment. They again attacked on both flanks, and, as before, their right, advancing up the valley leading into the village from the north-east, drove back the outposts there and reached that edge of the village. This time, however, they did not penetrate it, the few Australians from the posts continuing to hold the houses and the cemetery, on the eastern edge of the town. At day-break a portion of the attacking force was seen sheltering in the sunken way leading from the cemetery to the Cambrai road. An Australian machine-gun fired from the cemetery straight into this party, killing and wounding a number, and thus again, without the assistance of reserves, the garrison drove the enemy clear of all except two or three cottages by the side of this road. Having successfully thwarted the enemy attack on Beaumetz, the 29th Battalion was relieved by the 57th Battalion that evening [23rd March], and marched back to Till Trench. The 29th took no further part in the Australian advance as it spent the rest of the month filling in shell craters around Bancourt and constructing shelters along the Beugny defence line. During March 1917 the 29th Battalion had lost 29 men killed or died of wounds, 91 wounded and 11 missing [including Pvt Schimlick], leaving the battalion with a strength of 16 officers and 621 ORs.

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