Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales

Corporal A.H. Edwards’ statement of the Battle of Mont St Quentin, 25 February 1919
MLMSS 1536/Box 3/6

[Transcriber’s note: Private Francis Joseph Brewer has taken down in shorthand the statement of Corporal Alfred Henry Edwards concerning the Battle of Mont St. Quentin. Corporal Edwards, born in Wales, was 19 years old when he enlisted on 1 November 1915 and embarked for overseas on 20 January 1916. He joined the 17th Battalion A.I.F. from Reinforcements on 15 June 1916. He arrived in France on 30 March 1917 where he spent most of the war and was wounded in action on 31 August 1918.]

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Appendix 6

Battle of
Mont St. Quentin
Corporal A.H. Edwards’ Statement of the battle.

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[Page not transcribed]

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Battle of Mont St. Quentin

Statement made by Corporal A.H. Edwards of "B" Company, 17th Battalion, 5th Brigade, A.I.F. to Private F.J. Brewer who took same down in Shorthand (original notes attached). The statement was made on 25th February, 1919, on the "City of York", on which transport, narrator and recorder were returning to Australia. The latter hearing that Private Brewer was collecting information about the battle of Mont St. Quentin, volunteered the following:-

"We started from the road about midnight. After that we went over the Canal du Nord. Fritz was shelling the road. We went along the road, and rested on the road. Fritzes were then running across the road – about 3 a.m. on 31st (August). They sent up Verey lights all round. We then broke off the road, "C" and "D" Companies (17th Battalion) breaking off to the right of the road, extending down across the railway and towards the Somme. "B" Company (17th) broke off to the right, and following up in single file, followed up the railway. All the 17th Battalion broke off to side of road. "C" and "D" Companies broke well out to the right and right down to the Somme, and joined up with the 7th Brigade, and "B" filled in the gap that

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"C" and "D" had made. "A" Company joined up with the 20th Battalion on our left."

"The enemy was shelling us spasmodically with 5.9 and 4.2. We met no opposition from the enemy until we reached the railroad, and then woke up, had "Jerried"(a) to the fact that we were attacking."

"On our left the 20th Battalion were hauling in prisoners wholesale. The 17th Battalion missed his(b), the eneme front line, and got eventually into his supports, and thus cutting in on his right flank, and this enabled the 20th to haul in the prisoners. Machine gun fire pretty heavy, with some casualties. The Lewis gunners then went out in front and sprayed the enemy as they were coming up.

"At this period the 19th Battalion came on the scene – about 7 a.m. The enemy started raining machine gun fire thick and heavy, and sniping at us.

"We then struck the fringe of the village, and a terrible lot of wire here. Fritz seemed to be enfilading us with machine guns. Casualties very heavy, especially among the Lewis gunners.

"At this period I looked round

(a) viz. They realized the situation.
(b) The enemy’s.

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and examined the position. He(a) was shelling heavily, about 7.30 a.m. The 20th still progressed, and the Third Division got on well.

"The 19th Battalion was well mixed up with us, and we were losing heavily. (The 19th really reinforced us.)

"We met the enemy here, and he made a bit of a stand (half-hearted) in a machine gun post, and used "potato mashers", and then surrendered (50 prisoners). We worked up to the centre of the village. Machine gun fire very severe again. On entering the wire I got knicked and wounded. I here saw the Fritzes generally retreating out of the village by 8.30 a.m. The enemy sniped the wounded(b) with machine guns as they were going out, and stretcher-bearers. The enemy shelled the R.A.P.(c) of the 17th Battalion very heavily, and inflicted casualties on his own men. When going down wounded, I met on 31st August, at midday the 6th Brigade moving up. The enemy sighted them somewhere down the Canal and shelled them heavily, and gave them a barrage all the way up.

"The 19th and 20th org originally intended to take the bridges(d), and form a bridge head, and the 17th

(a) The enemy.
(b) Our wounded.
(c) Regimental Aid Post
(d) Across the Somme at Clery.

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and 18th were to go and advance on to Mont St. Quentin - aubandoned because bridges were blown up."

"There was no barrage for us. It was a surprize attack. A Corporal, a very intelligent Fritz, a University Student, said he was in the Alexander Regiment, and had never met the Australians before(a) … He said the 5th Brigade ran in to them when they were preparing to attack with Cleary Clery as the objective(b), and flanked them him (the enemy) and this explains the big haul of prisoners who were very downcast.

"This Alexander Guard was one of the finest regiments we had been against – all big men, six feet, and very neatly dressed, officers very haughty in manner, and could never understand how defeat took place.

"The 5th Brigade was about 1000 strong at the time. There were then (when narrator was wounded) about 500 German dead lying round Mont St. Quentin (9 a.m.)."

"Major Fussel was in charge of the 17th Battalion.

"Mont St. Quentin was the finest victory of the war, the finest strategical point in the Country, the finest offensive battle fought by the 5th Brigade.

(a) The statement of this German prisoner, as told to me by Edwards, and forms a state separate statement. See Statement comprising Appendix 8.
(b) See Statement, Appendix 8.

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Colonel Forbes(a), I understand, was in charge of the 5th Brigade, as acting Brigadier-General.

F.J. Brewer

Address of Deponent
Corporal A.H. Edwards
14 Manchester St.
Auburn, Sydney, N.S.W.

(a) C.O. 20th Battalion.

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Shorthand notes are located at Item 6b

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F.J.C. Brewer
Shorthand notes extracted from Item 6a 1918

[Pages 10 to 19 contain the shorthand notes made by Private Brewer and which are transcribed by him on Pages 3 to 7.]

[Transcribed by Judy Gimbert for the State Library of New South Wales]