Thursday 7th November 1918
Today it became clear that the enemy is withdrawing once more. Despite the awful state of the roads The Canadian Corps and XXII Corps, south of Condé, we have learned have pressed him hard. Elsewhere the advance continues at a slower pace due to the state of the ground, but it does progress.
Wednesday 6th November 1918
The attack begun on 4th continued today. Opposition has been patchy but the weather has continued its relentless opposition, slowing things to a crawl at times. 1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, after its success at Jolimetz yesterday advanced to a village called la Poyquerie. herethe enemy artillery was their chief opponent. they were shelled out of the village this morning and as dusk was falling a couple of hours ago the same thing happened again. Thirteen casualties have been the result. The adjutant informed me that during operations they captured a six inch naval gun, the sort of thing one would expect to see on a light cruiser.
Source: X550/2/5
Tuesday 5th November 1918
The advance begun yesterday by our armies continued today. Progress has not been so fast as the top brass might like but this is not down to want of courage or industry by the soldiers. Those of us present last year during the latter stages of the Battle of Passchendaele are minded of conditions then. The roads are practically impassible by continuous, sheeting rain. This makes bringing up the artillery and supplies a very time consuming operation. the rain has also had its effect on the many small brooks in the area, turning them, at times, into veritable torrents. We understand things are as difficult for our American allies south of us, embedded with the French armies but, like our men, they continue to make progress. Rumour has it that the enemy are withdrawing along a line extending from the River Meuse to Condé.
1st Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 5th Division was in action today. near Jolimetz, a mile or two south-east of le Quesnoy where yesterday the New Zealanders returned, for a few hours, to the Middle Ages in storming this walled fortress town. Jolimetz is also on the north-west limits of the Forest of Mormal. The Bedfords seized their first objective without opposition but encountered machine gun fire in advancing towards their next objective which, despite casualties, they also took.
Source: X550/2/5
Monday 4th November 1918
The great allied offensive clicked into gear once again this morning. The aim has been to break enemy resistance south of the Condé Canal and undertaking an advance in the general direction of Avesnes, Maubeuge and the place it all began for the British Expeditionary Force - Mons.
Fourth Army has had to negotiate the Sambre Canal and also the Forest of Mormal. The canal is only about head-high but is seventy yards wide. Those of us who reported on the Battle of the Somme remember a vile litany of woods which needed to be taken at a high cost in men's lives - High Wood, Delville Wood, Trones Wood and others.
The canal was crossed at first light this morning on planks and pontoon bridges and it is testament to the increasingly feeble nature of our enemy that it was done almost without resistance. One cannot imagine such an undertaking against the German Army of 1916 or 1917. Only 2nd Division suffered significant losses as the enemy resistance here was very stiff indeed. Indeed the fighting was desperate and called for gallantry of a very high order(1).
In the action around the forest there was hard fighting at times over the ground leading up to the trees. However, our tanks worked their magic and an advance of four miles has been made. As part of the action here the indomitable New Zealanders took the walled town of le Quesnoy, scene of fighting two centuries ago during the ears of the Duke of Marlborough. The walls had to be breached and scaling ladders used in old-fashioned style and fighting through the town was hand-to-hand and vicious until the garrison surrendered. Tonight the army is just in front of the Forest of Mormal.
2nd Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment, part of 18th (Eastern) Division has been in action around the village of Preux-au-Bois south-west of Maubeuge. Three officers have been wounded and one, Second Lieutenant Abbott has been killed. Seven other ranks have been killed and 34 wounded, with three missing but the adjutant was able to inform be brusquely: "Operations entirely
successful"
Source: X550/3/wd
(1) Four Victoria Crosses were won here, two of them posthumously and it was here that the celebrated war poet Wilfred Owen lost his life.
