The First Seven Divisions

The 4th Division arrived in time to prolong the battle-front at Le Cateau, but it missed the terrible stress of the first few days, and can therefore hardly claim to rank as part of the 1st Expeditionary Force in the strict sense. The 6th Division did not join till the battle of the Aisne. These two divisions then formed the 3rd A.C.

In the following pages the doings of the 3rd A.C. are only very lightly touched upon, not because they are less worthy of record than those of the 1st and 2nd A.C., but simply because they do not happen to have come within the field of vision of the narrator.

The 7th Division's doings are dealt with because these were inextricably mixed up with the operations of the 1st A.C. east of Ypres. The 3rd A.C., on the other hand, acted throughout as an independent unit, and had no part in the Ypres and La Bassée fighting with which these pages are attempting to deal.

The main point aimed at is accuracy; no attempt is made to magnify achievements, or to minimise failures.

It must, however, be clearly understood that the mention from time to time of certain battalions as having been driven from their trenches does not in the smallest degree suggest inefficiency on the part of such battalions. It is probable that every battalion in the British Force has at some time or another during the past twelve months been forced to abandon its trenches. A battalion is driven from its trenches as often as not owing to insupportable shell-fire concentrated on a particular area. Such trenches may be afterwards retaken by another battalion under entirely different circumstances, and in any case in the absence of shell-fire. That goes without saying. It may, therefore, quite easily happen that lost trenches may be retaken by a battalion which is inferior in all military essentials to the battalion which was driven out of the same trenches the day before, or earlier in the same day, as the case may be.

I wish to take this opportunity of expressing the great obligations under which I lie to the many officers who have so kindly assisted me in the compilation of this work.

CONTENTS

PAGE

PREFACE v

BEFORE MONS 1

THE BATTLE OF MONS 12

THE RETREAT FROM MONS (LANDRECIES AND MAROILLES) 33

THE LE CATEAU PROBLEM 50

LE CATEAU 55

THE RETREAT FROM LE CATEAU (VILLERS-COTTERÊTS AND NÉRY) 66

THE ADVANCE TO THE AISNE 84

THE PASSAGE OF THE AISNE 96

TROYON (VERNEUIL AND SOUPIR) 103

THE AISNE 120

MANUVRING WESTWARD 141

FROM ATTACK TO DEFENCE 159

THE BIRTH OF THE YPRES SALIENT 162

THE STAND OF THE FIFTH DIVISION 180

NEUVE CHAPELLE 192

PILKEM 203

THE SECOND ADVANCE 209

THE FIGHTING AT KRUISEIK 218

THE LAST OF KRUISEIK 230

ZANDVOORDE 249

GHELUVELT 257

MESSINES AND WYTSCHATE 265

KLEIN ZILLEBEKE 278

THE RELIEF OF THE SEVENTH DIVISION 285

ZWARTELEN 294

THE PRUSSIAN GUARD ATTACK 303

EPITAPH 310

The following abbreviations are used:--

The C. in C. = Field Marshal Sir John French A.C. = Army Corps C.B. = Cavalry Brigade K.O.S.B. = King's Own Scottish Borderers K.O.Y.L.I. = King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry K.R.R. = King's Royal Rifles (60th)

LIST OF MAPS

Showing the first seven days of the Facing Title Page retreat from Mons, with the routes followed by each division.

Showing disposition of troops at Facing page 12 the battle of Mons.