lume of fire, so we stopped at the corner, where we got some shelter
from a cottage, and opened fire with the machine-guns from the two
armoured cars, whilst the rest of us lay down on the road and kept up a
hot fire with rifles.

'We held out at the corner for nearly fifteen minutes until the Germans
opened fire with field guns from Le Polygone; the situation then got too
hot, as shrapnel was bursting all round us, and the cottage was quickly
demolished by high explosives. I therefore gave the order to retire, and
we jumped on board the cars and went along the Cuincy-Esquerchin road.
After we had put a mile between us and the corner I halted to see how we
had fared. Our casualties now consisted of eight men wounded. All the
cars had many bullet-marks, but no serious damage had been done to them,
except one of the armoured cars had a bullet through its radiator,
causing it to lose practically all its water. We only had about 200
rounds of ammunition left, and were running pretty short of petrol,
otherwise all was well with us.... I considered that we had done
everything we could to open a line of retreat for the infantry, and that
we had held out at the corner as long as was possible. As it happened we
had cleared the way for the French, as the general got 2,500 infantry
out of the town across the Pont d'Esquerchin and keeping close to the
canal bank he had got them well clear of the Huns without firing a shot,
whilst we were fighting them at the corner. I am afraid that a good
number remained in the town and were captured. General Plantey was kind
enough to write to say that if it had not been for the English cars who
had opened the door he could not have extricated his force.

'Just short of Beaumont I came across the cavalry division. I went up to
the General, who was a fine martial figure surrounded by an escort of
Cuirassiers with steel breast-plates. After I had told him what had
happened, I said that there was every probability of the Douai Force
having surrendered, but there was a chance of them having got out whilst
we were holding the cross-roads. He was complimentary about our
performance and said we had done all we could. He recommended that I
should return to Morbecque and report to General Aston. He said that he
was not pushing on any farther, but was going to retire to Beaumont. I
therefore went through Beaumont to Bethune and back to Morbecque, where
we were received as if we had risen from the dead. Bri