Mons 23rd August 1914

Today I travelled from Ypres to Mons in Belgium where the B.E.F. (British Expeditionary Force) clashed with the German army for the first time in World War One.

The British were advancing north and already exhausted due to the constant marching from the ports. The Germans were moving south and felt that the British were still unloading back at the coast. Therefore, it was a surprise to both sides that they met in Mons. The BEF numbered around 80,000 while the German First army numbered around 150,000.

The first engagement was an unintentional cavalry on cavalry. When a detachment of the 4th Irish Dragoon guards came across a patrol of German Uhlans (Lancers). I visited a memorial which marked the general area where this first engagement took place. 

This clash also resulted in the first German death at the hands of the British in World War One. A German Uhlan was supposedly hacked to death by the sword of one of the officers of the 4th Irish Dragoons. The story goes that the officer would not clean the blood off his sword until demanded to due to his pride in his achievement. Also, this small engagement had the first British shot of World War One, fired by Corporal Edward Thomas MM of the 4th Irish Dragoons. Now, there was no doubt between both sides that the “Little Contemptable Army” was about to face the full force of the mighty German Army. A conflict which would last until the 11^th November 1918.

Amazingly, on the opposites side of the road from this monument, only thirty-six paces north of the memorial to the first action in 1914 is a plaque, which marks the position of the British Empire forces when the armistice came into force on the 11^th November 1918. In a simplistic way, four years of war, millions of deaths, and massive devastation for a gain of thirty-six paces.

There was a plan set between Lanrezac (Commander of French Fifth Amy) and Sir John French (Commander of the BEF) to cover the retreat of the French fifth army. This would leave the British surrounded in a sort of peninsular and they would receive enfilading fire from all sides.

To make the matter worse, men of the Royal Field Artillery had problems firing at the Germans as they were close to the buildings within Mons A struggle that was experienced by my Great Great Grandad who at the time was in the 52nd battery of the RFA within the  5th division. Much of the defence was by the 8th Brigade which comprised the 4th Middlesex (the diehards) and the 2nd RIR (Royal Irish). Also within the 9^th Brigade was the 4^th Royal Fusiliers who were the first to win a Victoria Cross in World War One. They actually won two that day.

The Victoria crosses were won at the Nimy rail bridge. The 4th Royal Fusiliers had two machine guns positioned on the southern side of the railway bridge. Some say they were Vickers, and some say they were Boer War Maxims, so for the sake of the story I will refer to them as just machine guns. One of the machine guns were stationed on the rail track and the other just to the side. 

Lieutenant Maurice Dease and Private Sidney Godley were stationed on one of the machine guns but more specifically the one directly on the track as one was just to the left of them. A few hours after the 4th’s were given the order to dig in, two local children approached Godley and offered him coffee and bread. As Godley and some other men were enjoying this small delight, German artillery fire began to rain down on the 4^th’s positions. This was a sign of an immediate German infantry attack. The Germans came in hordes across the bridge. The gun crews were getting knocked out so fast that the bodies were just thrown out the way a replaced.

The companies at the front were suffering and needed support so Second Lt Joseph Mead leads his men to support the pinned down companies at the front. His men are getting killed left, right and centre. While he is leading them, he is shot in the head. Luckily, it was a grazing shot, and he continues pushing forwards only to be shot again in the head but this time he was not so lucky and slumps to the ground lifeless. At this time Dease sees that the gunner on the machine gun directly next to them is wounded and is in clear view of the enemy. Dease rushes to his aid pulls him up and rolls him down the small railway embankment.

Suddenly he feels a searing sharp pain in his thigh he has been shot. He crawls back to his post to continues firing his machine gun. He refused to leave his position as the 4ths were ordered to fall back. They were running dangerously low on ammunition and could be overwhelmed quickly. Captain Boden Smith and Lt Everard Smith bring up reinforcements and ammunition. As they approach the forward positions, they are both wounded. Then while manning the gun Lt Dease is shot in the chest and head before slumping back fatally wounded. Private Sidney Godley volunteered to man the machine gun and cover the retreat of the remaining Fusiliers. He was wounded and under very heavy fire, but he managed to hold the bridge for two hours. He then broke up the machine gun and tossed it into the canal to avoid it falling into enemy hands. Although shot in the head, Godley survived the war and died aged 67 in East Grinstead in Sussex. Lt Dease died from his wounds aged only 24. These were the first Victoria Crosses awarded in World War One. Another three Victoria Crosses were awarded at Mons.

I then travelled to St Symphorien Military Cemetery just outside the centre of Mons. I must say that this is one of the most amazing CWGC Cemeteries in Belgium. It is mixed between German and British Empire soldiers and is on multiple levels.

The German Army established it. Mons was occupied by the Germans for the whole of the war. Maurice Dease is buried here. Also, Pte John Parr, who was killed on the 21^st August 1914. He is listed as the first British Soldier to be killed in World War One. He was doing reconnaissance on a bicycle when he and a fellow soldier ran into a German Uhlan patrol doing the same job. He was killed while his comrade reported back to British lines.

Amazingly his grave is opposite George Ellison who was the last British soldier to have been killed during World War One on the 11^th November 1918.

Also in the Cemetery is the grave of Pte George Price who was killed by a German sniper just minutes before the 11am deadline of the Armistice on the 11^th November 1918. As George was Canadian, he was the last Commonwealth soldier killed during World War one.

All these graves in one small quiet cemetery. I took some time to pay respect to their sacrifices and all that suffered during the great war.