Leaving the scene we returned to our company and after our evening meal, prepared to march into the Front Line again. This was on the night of October 1st, 1918. The road to Bellicourt was choked with traffic, the enemy shelled it heavily and it was very dark with low threatening, cloudy weather. It was therefore very difficult to keep touch with our platoons ahead, and we were glad indeed when we at last reached Nouroy and branched off the road and took a track across the open fields towards our sector which we were to take over. As we approached, in Indian file, the enemy seemed to be in an extremely nervous state of mind. Innumerable flares of all descriptions and colours were being sent up all along the front, whilst salvo after salvo of whizzbangs searched out the tracks and roads behind our lines.

At last we arrived at our destination and No. 8 platoon took over a post in rear of Felemprize Farm, the remainder of the company taking over a position to the right behind the village of Estrées. The platoon commander of the 58th Btn. A.l.F. gave my platoon a rather “nervous” account of the disadvantages of the post. His bad report soon proved correct, as for some reason or other we seemed to be a target for hundreds of 5.9’s, and H.2 shells which the enemy sent over all that night and during the next day. The following night we were glad to get orders to move out of our trench which was only 3ft. 6” deep to shift across to where the remainder of the company were in position in a deep sunken road behind Estrées. On re-establishing my platoon in its new position I was required to visit the Advanced Posts out in a position to the left of Estrées and to make myself acquainted as far as possible with the general aspect of the ground in front of our position. The 20th Btn. spent the remainder of the night in preparing for an attach-on the last German defence line, known as the Beaurevoir System. Gas shells fell around us by the dozen but as most of them fell where they could not do much damage, we paid them little heed. The gas shells were also mixed with intermittent bursts of shell fire, mostly of the 5.9 variety, some of which landed and burst much too close to be comfortable, although I am not aware that any casualties were caused.

Despite fatigue, gas and shell fire, we were enabled by one hour before dawn to give all ranks a good meal of hot stew, brought up in patent containers. Also all men were informed by platoon commanders of the battalion’s objectives, methods of attack and so forth to be carried out so soon as dawn came. When it began to get light, the 20th Btn moved to the line of departure some 300 yards ahead and waited until the 19th Btn arrived. The 19th then moved out in front of our sheltered position in a sunken road whilst we placed our sections, etc. in artillery formation, in readiness, in rear.

The 7th Brigade joined us on the left and the 18th and 17th Btns formed up similar to the 19th and 20th on our immediate right. British troops also worked in conjunction with the Australian 2nd Div. on the extreme right and left. Our 6th Brigade was held in reserve to our 5th and 7th Brigade who were to make the assault. Zero hour took place at about 6 am of a beautiful day, resplendent with warm sunshine and a cloudless sky. The barrage, though not heavy came down and began to move forward, the 19th and 18th Btns moving forward behind it as it advanced down the slope of the hill and on to the German wire protecting his last system of trenches, at the bottom of a valley line depression when the 19th had advanced in this fashion for a few hundred yards, the 20th began to follow on in artillery formation amidst the counter-barrage of the German guns, which had immediately been returned in answer to the fire of our own guns. Our casualties up to the German wire were slight enough but when we reached the first line of wire we were forced to lie down and wait for the assistance of a tank which was slowly lumbering up behind us. As soon as it arrived it rolled down the wire entanglements in front of us and began to pour in a heavy fire into the German M.G. Posts and mortar positions, thus enabling the 19th and 20th men to get forward to complete the capture of the trenches without much further opposition. Without the assistance of our two tanks, I consider that our casualties would have been much heavier, since the machine gun fire, which had checked us at the first line of wire was extremely heavy and would have caused a large number of casualties. German prisoners soon commenced to surrender freely and the number was added to when Cpl. Nelson and I, in passing along, chanced to notice what seemed to be a waterproof sheet lying covered with the fresh earth of shell holes. We both had our suspicions, so seizing each an end of the sheet, we suddenly jerked it off the ground exposing six Hun soldiers, sitting huddled together in their secret hiding place. They of course instantly surrendered and were added with the contents of a similar position close by to the general collection of prisoners who were then sent to the rear in charge of our walking wounded.* (P.S.- See Official History, A.I.F.)

The first line of trenches were thus taken rather easily with very slight loss to the attackers. But in moving on towards the village of Beaurevoir, the direction led over a hillside which was in a position to be severely swept by machine gun fire, from a farm known as Farm, on our immediate right. Here the men of the 19th and 20th who were obliged to pass that way, suffered very heavy casualties both from the heavy and direct enemy machine gun fire, and from a battery of field guns situated on the heights ahead and to the right of Beaurevoir about 900 yards distant.

Being situated on the extreme left of our company my direction with No. 8 platoon led more around the slope of the hill before mentioned and until we gained the summit we were not impeded in our progress to any great extent. However, we were suddenly confronted by some rifle fire from a German post slightly to our right but this was effectually silenced by a party of 19th and 20th men who soon bombed and despatched the garrison.