Twice an enemy officer rallied some dozen or so men and rushed a house that we had already cleared. Here again a 6-pounder through the window disposed of any of the enemy remaining in the buildings.
In regard to the machine-guns in the wood, we could only locate them by little puffs of smoke at which we fired our 6-pounders. We did not take our departure until these puffs had disappeared, and there was in consequence reasonable ground to suppose that the guns had been knocked out. Finally our infantry reached the village. Apparently there was no officer commanding our infantry in this part of the line.
I then moved towards Rœux wood and learnt of a sniper still left in Mount Pleasant wood and a machine-gun, which was causing great trouble, on the railway embankment, and I then made my way back to the railway arch with a view to running parallel with the embankment towards the station, but unfortunately my car bellied in the very marshy ground by the canal.
With regard to casualties, it is my opinion that I was in the district sufficiently long enough, some three hours, to enable the enemy to send for a supply of armour-piercing bullets. All four of my crew were hit whilst in the car.
The Lewis-gun mountings were bad, many targets were lost owing to the time it took to mount the gun, and finally we mounted the gun through the front flaps. The flap of the present mounting does not rise high enough to clear the foresight.
Both the 6-pounder guns worked splendidly, only giving one misfire the whole time. There was no hostile shelling of any kind in the village of Rœux or immediately in the district where I was operating, but the enemy barrage falling round the railway was of a very severe nature. When I found that it was impossible for me to proceed towards the railway station, I sent off a pigeon message at the request of an O.C. requesting that one of the cars operating in the Chemical Works district should be detailed to deal with the machine-gun on the embankment.
I cannot speak too highly of the efficiency and general work of the crew.
I have handed two German diaries, which came into my possession, to the Company Intelligence Officer.
(Signed) H----, 2nd Lieut., O.C. Tank No. 716.