Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 472
Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 472]
Tuesday 1st October
Orders received for 5th Bde. to relieve 5th Aust. Div. in the line from Swiss Cottage to Mint Copse, this is in process of being carried out to-night. On completion of reliefs Brigades will be located as follows. 5th Bde. line, 6th Bde. trench system south of Nauroy, 7th Bde. in the Catelet-Nauroy line north of Nauroy. Corps Commander called during the afternoon stated that Division would probably attack in a north-Easterly direction instead of Easterly. The 9th Corps on the south & the 15th Corps on the north co-operating.
Wednesday 2nd October
Divisional Hdqts. moved to Quarry near Templeux-le-Gerrard & command taken over from 5th Aust. Div. at 9a.m. The Corps Commander verbally instructed me that we should now definitely attack north-Easterly on the morning of the 3rd. Our objectives being the whole of the Beaurevoir line from Swiss Cottage to Guisoncourt[?] Farm, Prospect Hill, Beaurevoir & Ponchaux. Ten Bdes. of Field Artillery are allotted for the operation, 16 Heavy tank & 8 Whippets. Conference held at D.H.Q. during morning of all Commanders concerned & final arrangements completed.
While the conference was sitting Corps boundaries & objectives were slightly altered, but with the exception of the inclusion of Wiancourt plans were not seriously affected. B.G.G.S called & went through details of the attack with me. Zero hour fixed at 0605. Attack to be carried out by 5th Bde. on right & 7th Bde. on left, the dividing line between Bdes. being Tolemprise farm, [indecipherable]. 7th Bde. takes over its part of the line to-night. General Charles commanding 25 Div. called at night & informed me his Division of 13th Corps was detailed to relieve my left Bde. on conclusion of operations to-morrow. The 48th Div. on our right & the 50th Div. on our left are attacking to-morrow