" There was a good deal of peace-talk flying about.
German prisoners had admitted that they could not go on much longer,
while rumours about conferences were very prevalent. Still, until we got
orders to stop fighting, this job had to continue, and that was the
chief consideration for us, although the order to cease fire would have
been keenly appreciated.
Early morning found us on trek in a steady downpour of rain which made
our already wet clothes more and more sodden. In this doleful fashion we
splashed along over the muddy forest tracks to get close to the East
Lancs. who were carrying out an attack. The 8th Manchesters had a
particularly stern time, encountering nests of machine guns which had
not been cleared from their exposed flanks, so that they lost very
heavily. Nevertheless, the attack was eventually pushed home, and the
Huns were dislodged. Subsequent events revealed that from this moment
the German retirement became a scurry of a disorganised rabble. The
roads were blocked by their hurrying transport, and personnel simply
made the best use of their legs, scampering across country where it was
impossible to march on the roads. The civilians told us that utter
confusion reigned everywhere. Our foremost troops undoubtedly met
determined resistance from the machine gunners, but they were probably
blissfully ignorant of what was taking place behind them.
As far as the 7th was concerned November 6th was one of the most
miserable and trying days ever experienced.
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