This was another day of pouring rain, and the ammunition supply was critical. The enemy, who was apparently using up his ammunition, shelled the whole area. D/91 Battery lost twelve horses during a very heavy bombardment of the 91st Brigade horse lines at Bry.
After a further retirement by the enemy during the night, the infantry advanced at 6 A.M. on the 7th behind an artillery barrage, drove in the German rearguard, occupied the high ground east of the Hagneau river, and finally pushed on to the north of Bavai. Both artillery brigades of the 20th Division moved at mid-day to the neighbourhood of Breaugies, about a mile north-east of St Waast. The 91st Brigade had difficulty at St Waast, as the bridge broke down, leaving C/91 and D/91 Batteries stranded there for three hours. Divisional Artillery Headquarters moved to Bettrechies, but having been shelled out, went a mile back to La Flamengrie. During the night the enemy shelling was again heavy; Lieut. Vincent, C/91 Battery, and a driver were killed, and several dumps of ammunition were blown up.
As the 19th Division had advanced more rapidly than the 11th Division on its left, the left flank of the 19th had become uncovered. Owing, however, to the situation on other parts of the front, the 19th Division was ordered to push on at all costs regardless of the exposed left flank.
On the 8th the 91st Field Artillery Brigade moved to positions of readiness north-east of Bavai, an advance of about twenty-eight miles from Cambrai; the 92nd went to Houdain, north of Bavai, to guard the left flank. Divisional Artillery Headquarters moved up to Breaugies, and later to a point about a mile east of Bavai. On the 9th both brigades advanced a further five miles to the north and north-east of Feignies.
The 20th Division meanwhile had been moving up behind the leading troops. Starting from Cambrai on the 3rd of November, the Division spent three days in the Avesnes area and two days round Vendegies. On the 8th, Divisional Headquarters was at Wargnies le Grand, with the brigades at Jenlain, Bry and Wargnies le Petit; on the 9th, Divisional Headquarters moved to Bavai.
Owing to the amount of traffic on the road, battalions frequently advanced across country. Heavy rain fell during the week, making the march a very trying one. The billets occupied by the troops, having been lately in the possession of the Germans, were filthy, and a great deal of time had to be spent in cleaning them up.
Those civilians who had been left in the villages welcomed the troops with enthusiasm. Much destruction had been done by the Germans in some of these places. The 11th K.R.R.C. found Vendegies unoccupied on the 7th, and badly damaged. When the 7th D.C.L.I. arrived at Wargnies on the 8th there were many obvious cases of wanton destruction, particularly in the church. The inhabitants here complained of harsh treatment, and in some cases of cruelty, at the hands of the Germans. From the 7th the Division became responsible for rationing the civilians in the reoccupied villages in its area. The rationing of each village was to have been taken over by the French Government after four days, but as the French were unable to do this, the Division, with the help of supplies left by a Neutral Relief Committee, carried on until other arrangements could be made. A difficulty arose owing to large numbers of civilian refugees from the area further east continually passing through the Divisional area. It was found possible, however, to maintain a soup kitchen and provide a meal for these people before sending them by lorries to concentration camps in rear.
By the 10th of November the enemy was in full retreat. That day at 11 A.M., VIth Corps took over the Third Army front, and formed an advanced guard to keep touch with the enemy. The 60th Brigade passed to the command of the 24th Division at 3 P.M., relieving the 72nd and 73rd Brigades, which were then holding the front line. The main line of resistance was the high ground immediately east of the Mons—Maubeuge road.
The 12th K.R.R.C. and the 12th R.B. took over the front line; the 6th K.S.L.I. and the 60th L.T.M.B. were in reserve. Brigade Headquarters was at La Grisoelle. The 20th Battalion M.G.C. covered the line with “C” and “D” Companies, disposed by sections along the front so that they might co-operate effectively with the infantry and cover important points. As the 12th K.R.R.C. were moving up, hostile guns heavily shelled the Mons—Maubeuge road. Regimental Sergeant-Major Rawson, who had come out with the battalion and had served with it the whole time it had been in France, was mortally wounded. He died that evening.
The command of the 20th Divisional Artillery had passed to the C.R.A. 24th Division on the 9th; on the 10th Brig.-General Christie, the C.R.A. 20th Division, took over command of the 61st, 19th and 24th Divisional Artilleries and two brigades R.G.A.