Adam and I visited Mons on the centenary of the battle. The Saint Symphorien Military Cemetery is a profoundly moving place. It was created by the Germans after the battle, and is unusual in that German and British fatalities are there together.
We explored the Mons Conde canal, and the areas on the west side and in the town where some of the most heroic and stubborn rearguards were fought by the 2 Corps soldiers.
It seems that the Germans were not expecting to encounter the British at Mons, and the BEF certainly had no inkling of the size of the German right wing, that would threaten to engulf them over the next three weeks.
The German First (von Kluck) and Second (von Bulow) armies were ploughing their way through Belgium and into France, as per Schlieffen, with around half a million men plodding doggedly southwards towards the French frontier.
 |
| Headstones, German with British beyond at St. Symphorien |
We explored the Mons Conde canal, and the areas on the west side and in the town where some of the most heroic and stubborn rearguards were fought by the 2 Corps soldiers.
It seems that the Germans were not expecting to encounter the British at Mons, and the BEF certainly had no inkling of the size of the German right wing, that would threaten to engulf them over the next three weeks.
The German First (von Kluck) and Second (von Bulow) armies were ploughing their way through Belgium and into France, as per Schlieffen, with around half a million men plodding doggedly southwards towards the French frontier.
The BEF’s Commander in Chief, Sir John French, had agreed to
halt his force at the Mons–Condé canal just inside Belgium, where it would
protect Lanrezac’s left, with French cavalry filling any intervening gap (a very large gap as it turned out).
Kluck joined battle at Mons, ill informed
as to his enemy’s position, and not very happy with his communications with
Bulow. He was surprised by the appearance of the British at the Conde canal on
the 23rd believing the whole country to be clear for fifty miles
ahead.
The BEF’s 1 Corps commanded by Haig was on the
BEF’s right, and 2 Corps commanded by Smith-Dorrien was on the left. The first British shots of the war were
fired by an exploratory patrol on the morning of the 22nd, about three miles north of the Mons–Condé
canal.
 |
| Mons-Conde canal on 23/8/14 |
Just before dawn on Augst 23rd, French conferred
briefly with his two corps commanders at Smith-Dorrien’s headquarters in the
Château de Sars, and promptly left the front to travel south to his HQ, a strange decision considering this was the first serious action for his army.
The full rage of the Battle for Mons continued
throughout that day. North-east of Mons the canal bent back into a
half-loop, creating a dangerous salient for the companies of Royal Fusiliers
and Middlesex holding that sector, and they saw some of the hardest fighting.
Late in the days Smith-Dorrien’s 2 corps
plus Cavalry fell back from the canal five miles to the South, and held a line
from Frameries to the cornfields west of Audregnies, and beat off the advances
of the Germans from there.
Early on the following morning, 24th, the
Germans were advancing again, although cautiously, given the severity of their
losses the day before.
When news came that the BEF right was under
pressure of being turned, the cavalry was sent across to support them, leaving
S-D outnumbered by 4 to 1, and within a short time he had to fall back further.
By this time Haig had already pulled the I Corps back much further. By early in
the afternoon the whole British force had linked up on the
Maubeuge position.
But whilst attention was focused on the
fighting to the north a far greater danger was approaching from the west.
German forces had discovered the BEF’s exposed left flank and tried to exploit
the gap to get behind 5th Division and cut its line of retreat.
The losses of the Cheshires
Aware of this looming threat, 5th Division’s commander, General Sir Charles Fergusson, detached the 1st Cheshires and 1st Norfolks to cover the vulnerable flank. The infantry were supported by the horsemen of 2nd Cavalry Brigade. It was vital that this rearguard held long enough for 5th Division to get away. The seeds of the coming tragedy were sown in the rearguard’s orders. Its commander, Lieutenant Colonel C.R. Ballard of the Norfolks, had initially been told to hold on at all costs. But this was later amended by written orders that gave him permission to withdraw when necessary. Ballard assumed that his co-commander, Lieutenant Colonel D.C. Boger of the Cheshires, had also received these instructions. But Boger had not been informed of the change and still believed that the rearguard was to fight to the last man. The small force made its stand near the village of Audregnies at midday.
The losses of the Cheshires
Aware of this looming threat, 5th Division’s commander, General Sir Charles Fergusson, detached the 1st Cheshires and 1st Norfolks to cover the vulnerable flank. The infantry were supported by the horsemen of 2nd Cavalry Brigade. It was vital that this rearguard held long enough for 5th Division to get away. The seeds of the coming tragedy were sown in the rearguard’s orders. Its commander, Lieutenant Colonel C.R. Ballard of the Norfolks, had initially been told to hold on at all costs. But this was later amended by written orders that gave him permission to withdraw when necessary. Ballard assumed that his co-commander, Lieutenant Colonel D.C. Boger of the Cheshires, had also received these instructions. But Boger had not been informed of the change and still believed that the rearguard was to fight to the last man. The small force made its stand near the village of Audregnies at midday.
The Cheshires had mustered 959 officers and
men at the beginning of the day; 788 were killed or captured at Audregnies.
No comments:
Post a Comment