wo German battalions. The cars helped to extricate the
French troops and covered their retirement to Douai. But the German
forces in this northern territory were being reinforced strongly, and
reconnaissance by road became difficult. When Wing Commander Samson, on
the day after the fight at Aniche, was required to make a reconnaissance
to Cantin, a village three or four miles to the south of Douai along the
Cambrai road, he started off in a Talbot touring car with Sub-Lieutenant
Lord Annesley and Lieutenant F. R. Samson. They had two rifles, ten
rounds of ammunition, and three automatic pistols. 'It appeared
perfectly evident', he says, 'that between us and Cantin there were not
only the German guns, but plenty of German infantry. I must confess that
the three of us did not at all relish the idea of ambling into the whole
German Army and the local von Kluck in a touring car, but the job had to
be carried out to keep up our good name and the reputation of the
R.N.A.S.'

The Germans were in force, as he expected, and after a brisk engagement
he returned to Douai. The Douai operations, which were to have been an
attack on the German lines of communication, now became a defence of
Douai against the Germans. By the 29th of September Douai was virtually
in a state of siege, and it became a question whether the French troops
could be extricated. On the afternoon of the 1st of October the end
came. By that time the Germans had got into the town and were firing at
the Hotel de Ville from the housetops. 'A shouting mob of cyclists and
infantry', says Air Commodore Samson, 'rushed into the courtyard of the
Hotel de Ville, yelling out that we were surrounded, and the Germans had
taken the Pont d'Esquerchin. I went to General Plantey and said that
the only thing to do was to recapture the bridge and drive the Germans
away from that sector. He agreed, and said that if I would lead the way
with my cars he would follow with what of the troops he could get to
fight. There was no doubt that if we did not do something a wholesale
surrender was certain. I strongly objected to being mixed up in that. I
felt certain that if we could only start a fight the morale would
improve and that we would have every chance of extricating the whole
force from its predicament. I led out our cars therefore from the Hotel
de Ville, and forcing our way through crowds of infantry and civilians
we reached a corner where I found about four hundred Infantry. I
i