Well the short trip to the Great War battlefields of northern France and southern Belgium suffered a setback. For some weeks before the trip was due to start, Clive suffered a bout of intestinal problems. This wasn't the first time but the difference being that it wasn't clearing up.
Ten days or so before we were due to meet and set off, Clive was taken into hospital where he was poked, prodded, had things inserted into various orifices, stoked-up on steroids and even given some blood!
Even if he had been out in time for the departure he would not have been in a fit state to ride.
It was with some regret that the remaining threesome, Greg, Ryan and myself set off.
Greg and I had ridden up to Downton on Thursday 23rd August, after Greg had finished work. We were put up at short notice by Ryan's parents, my brother Paul and sister-in-law, Dee. Dee had also given us a mission to find Ryan's great-great-uncle's name on the Theipval memorial.
On Friday 24th we checked the bikes over before setting out.
Ryan's F650GS Dakar.
Greg's R1100GS (despite the DPM camouflage respirator cases doubling as tank-panniers, you can still see the bike!).
Lined up and ready for the 'off.'
We headed towards the M3 motorway to make the best time to the Channel Tunnel, planning to stop for breakfast and fuel at Fleet Services. Ryan's bike having the least fuel range (owing to tank size) would dictate how often we needed to stop.
Coffee, a toasted sandwich and a bun were taken al fresco where we could keep an eye on the bikes. The only downside was the attention of some wasps that were attracted by our breakfast.
Sticking to the motorway network meant that we made good time to the tunnel and we arrived in advance of our pre-booked departure. This was planned. We wanted to catch an earlier train to give us as much time as possible to reach our destination. That would allow us to take a slower, cross-country route and take in some places on the way.
The bookings allow for a two hour flexibility either way. I'm not sure if this extends to other vehicles but it does avoid the need to time your arrival to the second.
We were directed out of the line to be checked over. The main purpose it seemed was to search for items that could be used to cause an explosion or something. We were asked if we were carrying opened camping gas cylinders. Greg and Ryan both were, I was relying on my trusty MSR cooker and would be running it on unleaded as usual.
Our bikes were then subjected to a "swabbing" by hand with some kind of pads. I presume these would be like litmus paper and betray the presence of certain chemicals. I suppose they are triggered by traces of camping gas too, hence the question?
One of the "swabbers" couldn't resist a slightly sarcastic quip in my direction and asked if I would be staying in hotels as I hadn't apparently got the means to cook with me. I pointed to the panniers and my Ortleib bag strapped behind me and told him that the 'hotel' was packed in there. Plus I would be cooking on a petrol burner.
I did think it a bit odd that they were searching bikes with easily accessible fuel tanks for something that might be used to cause an explosion once in the tunnel! Maybe I was wrong and they were checking us for other contraband?
At least the weather was pleasant enough for queueing.
Once in the train, the usual procedure applied; park the bikes on either side of the central steel grating with the front wheel turned towards the low 'kerb,' on the side-prop and in gear. My ice-hokey puck modification made a huge difference and meant that the well laden bike didn't lean too far.
Thirty minutes later and the train began to slow for the arrival in France. Once the cars ahead started to move off, we followed and were soon on the outskirts of the tunnel complex where we pulled in to set the Navigator for our first destination, Wimereux.
A short stop.
Plus some Gallic style waving of arms by yours truly!
We were heading to Wimereux on behalf of Greg's neighbour Reg, who has an uncle buried in the CWGC cemetery there. The CWGC site is actually within the boundary of the local cemetery and tucked away in a residential suburb of the town. I missed the sign the first time but an about turn on a handy roundabout soon had us back on track.
There's sufficient room to park bikes outside the gates so we did just that and wandered through the main cemetery grounds to the War Graves.
The cemetery is unusual in that the headstones are laid flat.
On the left of the photo is where the cemetery register and visitor book is housed.
We made for that and looked up Reg's uncles grave.
Before setting off this time, I bought a number of Royal British Legion crosses. One of these, Greg dedicated on behalf of Reg and made an entry in the visitors book.
We then made our way over to where Reg's uncle Louis was buried.
It was good to make the visit on behalf of Reg who is unlikely now to be able to do so himself. We took plenty of photo's for him and I recorded a short section of video. These will be put onto a DVD for him so that he can see the place as often as he feels the need.
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I'm always keen to find proof that the French are not all sophisticates with that renowned Gallic flair, so spotting this memorial inspired by a Mitsubishi Shogun just had to be photographed!
It's not just the British who can lapse into questionable taste!
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Our destination was Boiry Notre Dame, just East of Arras and where Clive and I had stopped for two nights last year. If on the way we spotted another campsite we could always stop for a look and see if it was a better option.
With the route preferences set low on the Navigator, we set off from Wimereux and were rewarded with some great little rural D roads, lovely views of northern France that are usually missed by people thundering along the Routes National or Peage's in pursuit of faster travelling times.
Northern France isn't exactly renowned for it's beauty seen as it is by people as somewhere to get away from and put as much distance between themselves and the Channel ports as quickly as possible. True, the area immediately around Calais is pretty uninspiring. It is after-all a busy working port but get off the main roads and you will see rural France at it's best. It is different to other regions but no less pleasant for that.
Apart from a stop for fuel and a stretch, oh and one slight diversion caused by me not paying attention to the Navigator that nearly committed us to a Peage section of Autoroute, we kept on our easterly heading through Armentieres and arrived at the campsite in good time not having spotted any likely alternatives.
We committed ourselves to three nights, paid (not as cheap as municipal sites but still a damned sight cheaper than camping in the UK) and set about finding a spot suitable to our needs; three tents, two tarps, near enough to the facilities but not so close as to be on the path of everyone heading to the showers etc.
The site has two distinct areas. One is set within trees and hedges, the other is an open area to the east and obviously was once just a field. The former may offer seclusion but it's where most families pitch. Families equal children, children equal noise! The latter is on a slight slope to the south but has been gently terraced so the pitches are level.
I noticed that the spot we used last year has had the hedge removed between the field and the showers, plus a new additional structure housing washing machines was in evidence now.
First job was to work out the positioning of the tents to maximise the cover of the tarps and to work out if mine and Ryan's tarps could be linked in some way (they are different makes and sizes. Mine is rectangular, his square and just a little smaller). We managed to rig them so that they were almost attached but it meant that mine wasn't as taut as I'd have liked. The heavy dews we experienced meant that mine collected quite a few litres of water in the sag over-night.
We used the groundsheet to provide a clean area in front of the openings.
Greg was taken by Ryan's camp set-up and how organised it was. What on earth was he expecting? Some things are in the blood!
After showers all round we headed to the campsite restaurant, arriving in time to order just before nine. Three large schooners of Leffe were quaffed as we pondered the choices. The restaurant is semi self-service. You order the starter and main course from the waitress and then help yourself to vegetables from a hot counter.
The food was good. Not Haute Cuisine but good, fresh ingredients in satisfying quantities.
It was nice to relax over dinner. We had arrived at our intended destination in good time, the camp was set-up and we opted to return to the tents and make our own coffee.
With the coffee pots bubbling away (except Greg's newly purchased one that spat coffee coloured water out of the side!), we settled into our deck chairs and briefly discussed the agenda for the following day before turning in.
Saturday dawned overcast and with a heavy dew.
I'd woken a couple of times in the night. The cause was a camper van some distance away with a very noisy aircon unit on the roof!
After a wash and a coffee we were pretty soon ready to hit the road. We need to head further east for our first destination and stop along the way for breakfast.
We arrived in the centre of Cambrai and on the Place Aristide Briande, parked on the corner of the central square, crossed the road to Le Pelican and ordered coffee, croissant and pan au chocolate. We sat and breakfasted al fresco this time with a pleasant view of the local architecture as opposed to the car park of Fleet Services! The comparative quality of the coffee and the croissants compared to yesterday's breakfast wasn't lost on us.
Saturday mornings seem quite a busy time in Cambrai and it took us a little time to pick our way out of the town and back on the road to Le Cateau.
At Le Cateau, it had been my intention to visit the château that now houses the Matisse museum (he was a son of the town) and was the HQ of Sir John French, commander of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in August 1914. However there was a diversion in place and rather than waste valuable time picking a way through, we turned about and headed north towards Mons on the route taken by the two BEF army Corps.
I find it strange that in the days of limited communications, the BEF HQ was positioned some 30 miles away from the fighting formations. If telephone communications failed (quite likely) then despatch riders would be the only means of contact and that on roads likely to be clogged with fleeing populations as well as troops and supplies.
Heading north on the D932 towards Mons, we followed the same route taken by the BEF 93 years before. This road takes you through the small town of Malplaquet, scene of a very bloody battle in 1709, (deemed to be a victory for Marlborough), in the War of Spanish Succession. There is a photograph of BEF officers standing beside the monument in August 1914, on their way north to Mons.
The memorial is to "All Combatants" - a fine sentiment.
We pushed on through Mons and on to the road to Soignies, heading for Casteau. Here opposite what is now the Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE), is the place where British and German cavalry first clashed as each side was sending out patrols, probing to find the enemy. The clash was short and sharp and it is recorded as the first real engagement. Up until this time, the Germans had no idea that the BEF had moved from their landing ports on the Channel coast.
The BEF was made up by two Corps, I & II and the Cavalry Division. It should have been four but the two other Corps had been left in the UK to provide defence while mobilisation of the Territorial Force (whose job home defence was) took place. One of the remaining Corps was being transferred to France but it wasn't yet there in full strength.
The BEF formations were Regular, professional soldiers. Some were Reservists, men who had recently left the army and were recalled to the Colours. Such troops had probably seen service in Britain's colonial wars, many would certainly have seen action in the last Boer War and other colonial actions. They were encouraged in their marksmanship by additional pay and could fire their Lee Enfield rifles at a rate of twenty, well aimed, rounds per minute at ranges of 1000 yards (900 metres).
I Corps, under the command of Sir Douglas Haig, took up position to the south and east of Mons.
II Corps, commanded by Sir Horace Smith-Dorien, was in Mons and strung out to the west along the Mons-Conde canal.
The BEF had been sent north to support and protect the French 5th Army left flank as they in turn had advanced north to counter the German advance through Belgium.
The BEF commanders did not know at that time that the French were being forced backwards by superior German forces and that these forces were about to fall upon them. Not only that but the French retirement was leaving the BEF flanks unprotected.
Smith-Dorien had no certain idea of the strength of the German forces heading towards his Corps.
When the clash came on 23rd August 1914, it fell mainly upon the two right-hand Brigades of 3rd Division (3 Div), 8th and 9th Brigades, around the railway station at Obourg, the canal bridges at Nimy and the Conde canal to the west.
We followed Quai des Anglais, from Nimy (now a northern suburb of Mons), to the position of the original rail bridge defended by the (two) machine guns of 4th Royal Fusiliers.
This modern bridge replaces the original but is similar in structure and design.
Here, looking north in the direction of the German advance, the two machine guns were positioned under the command of Lt. Maurice Dease.
The elevated railway embankment would have maximised the field of fire for the two Vickers .303 machine guns.
They would in turn have been easy to pinpoint by enemy artillery observers directing their batteries.
Under the bridge is a plaque informing passers-by that here the first real battle of the Great War took place.
We were a couple of days too late to mark the 93rd anniversary but it had not passed unnoticed.
The wreaths were laid on behalf of SHAPE and it was nice to see that the events of nearly one hundred years ago still command such respect.
Lt. Dease, with one company of 4th Royal Fusiliers and the battalion's two machine guns held this bridge. It soon attracted the attention of German artillery. Unfortunately the British artillery were away to the west, where, with the cavalry of II Corps, they were protecting its exposed left flank. This meant that the German artillery directed upon the BEF defenders of the canal went unanswered.
As devastating as the disciplined rifle and machine gun fire of the British was and the rifle fire was so effective that the Germans were convinced, not for the first time, that the British had large numbers of machine guns, not the standard British issue of two per battalion, the unanswered artillery fire had its effect.
Lt. Dease was wounded four times as he commanded and serviced his machine guns. When all the gunners had been killed or wounded, he was joined by Private (Pte) Sid Godley who took over one of the guns, receiving several wounds himself.
Pte. Godley and Lt. Dease.
Maurice Dease was wounded for the fifth time and carried away. He died where he was laid.
Sid Godley continued firing the Vickers until he was overcome by loss of blood from his wounds. Before leaving the position, he smashed the machine gun against a bridge stanchion and then threw it into the canal.
Godley was able to make it to a Regimental Aid Post where he received treatment for his wounds. When the German advance broke through, Godley was taken prisoner.
Both Maurice Dease and Sid Godley were awarded the Victoria Cross (VC) for their valour that day. The first VC's awarded in the Great War.
The plaque under the bridge that commemorates that day's action.
There are few places on the Western Front that can be visited today where detailed events can be followed so precisely. The actions in and around Mons were the opening moves that still followed the notions of warfare before the stalemate set in. Later the battlefields became a morass of shell holes and massed artillery bombardments obliterated physical features where men fought, suffered, died or survived, seemingly at the fickle hand of fate.
It should not be thought that the actions of Dease and Godley were in any way unique on this or any other day of the next four years and three months.
Only a short distance away at the Obourg railway station, men of the Middlesex Regiment were given covering fire as they were withdrawing by an unknown member of their regiment. The Middlesex soldier was laying on the roof of a railway building, firing his rifle and calling to his comrades to retire as he provided cover. This unknown soldier continued to provide cover as the building burned. He was still providing cover to his fellows when the roof collapsed and he was engulfed. No-one knows who he was, or ever will.
Later when looking at the graves of unknown soldiers, I was conscious of this deed. Any one of these dead men could have been that Middlesex Regiment soldier, or any one of so many unidentified hero's.
The three of us stood on the bridge parapet and tried to imagine what that day must have been like. The outlook has hardly changed in the intervening years.
Looking left and right along the Conde canal and trying to imagine what it must have been like was certainly beyond me.
I have been shot at in my time but I cannot imagine what it was like for those soldiers.
We also remembered that these events did not affect the fighting troops alone. The people of Mons and the surrounding area who found themselves in the centre of events over which they had no control and little understanding must be remembered too.
Mons was locally the centre of the conflict between nations. The inhabitants of the town and the outlying area found themselves in the middle of events.
It's hard for us in our comfortable, insured and to some degree assured lives with all the safety features of modern welfare systems etc. to imagine what it must have been like to have everything you possess destroyed or to have to leave it behind. Walking off into an unknown future with whatever you could physically carry is beyond my comprehension. Few people had either the need or the opportunity to have their money in banks. For most, family wealth was their little piece of land, a house and perhaps some family silver. Families were not spread over countries the way they are today. It was very likely that if the events affected you, they afflicted your whole family who lived in the locality too. Any support from family was unlikely.
Standing there on the railway embankment, looking over the tranquil, modern day Mons, it was a sobering thought.
With this in mind we made our way back into Nimy and followed the Navigator towards St. Symphorien. En route we came across a diversion and had to re-route back through Mons itself. On the course we took, we had our progress interrupted by a convoy of WWII vehicles, Jeeps, Dodges and White half-tracks, complete with re-enactment types all in period US Army clothing and armed to the teeth. Their "MP" out-riders were busy stopping traffic and shepherding the convoy. Greg was curious to know what powers these "MP's" had to stop and direct traffic. I had to remind him that we were no longer in the UK and the Road Traffic Act probably doesn't apply in Belgium!
We passed the convoy (benefits of motorcycle travel) and pulled-up in the sleepy little suburb that is St. Symphorien (in 1914 it was a distinct and separate town from Mons but now there is virtually no separation).
The cemetery that we were visiting, is to the south of the town and access is through a residential area.
The cemetery stands on a small hillock overlooking the agricultural lands that surround the town. It's a lovely setting.
It is unusual amongst Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) cemeteries. The architecture is both the usual pale Portland stone and grey Germanic granite.
The reason for this is that it is both a CWGC cemetery and a German one.
It started out as a cemetery for German dead but they thought it appropriate to bury the enemy dead here too. Something that they did with a considerable sense of honour, witnessed by the fact that on one column they raised, the Germans titled the Middlesex Regiment, 'Royal' (not all British infantry regiments are entitled to the 'Royal' prefix). This 'error' has been allowed to stand in this place and the men of the Middlesex regiment are grouped around the column in a circle.
Here in this quite corner of Belgium, the futility of war is displayed with a poignancy that is palpable.
Former enemies lay in the same cemetery, Mons not only witnessed the early engagements of the Great War but it also saw some of the very last.
After four years of flowing back and forth over the the land between here and the Marne, leaving behind utter devastation of the countryside and countless lives lost or devastated by injuries, those of the soldiers, the hapless populations across whose land the battles raged and those of families across the globe whose personal loses left a whole generation with empty places, the conflict came full circle back to Mons in November 1918.
In this cemetery you will find German and Allied dead.
Here you will find Pte. Parr of the Middlesex Regiment who was killed on 21st August 1914. He is the earliest recorded British fatality of the Great War.
Across the beautifully kept lawn lies Pte. Ellison, 5th Lancers, the last British soldier to be killed by enemy action. He died on the day the Armistice was signed, 11th November 1918.
Here too you can see the grave of Pte. Price, the last Canadian soldier killed in action. He too died on Armistice day.
Someone had to be the last but to die on the very day that the war ended is irony personified.
Just across from Pte. Price is the grave of Lt. Maurice Dease VC.
I have been here before but this time I wanted to leave a marker of my own, 'from a Fusilier of a later generation'.
The large Poppy wreath was recently laid (by SHAPE again).
St. Symphorien does not conform to the usual CWGC layout. As it is on a small hillock, there are distinct, small areas where the graves have been grouped. The Cross of Sacrifice stands on the highest point.
Some of the RBL wooden crosses I had with me, I had decided should be placed on the graves of unidentified soldiers. As I said earlier, any one of them could have been a hero. To me they all were, no matter how they died and I felt guilty at the thought of singling out the known or family members when these graves that have no name usually have no personal message left by visitors.
Again, the proximity to the anniversary of the Battle of Mons meant that new wreaths had been laid here.
Whatever your thoughts about the Great War, this little place cannot but affect you. As we left, we were all unusually quiet and in reflective mood. It has that effect, it is a moving place, probably more so for us because we had earlier visited the very places where some of these young men's lives had ended far too soon.
Perhaps it's an effect of ageing? The more years I carry on living, the more years I have seen, the more I recognise what these men lost. The ages have more significance for me the further away from that age I increasingly grow.
We swung out onto the main road back towards Mons. Ryan re-fuelled and Greg attempted to do the same but for some reason the pump wasn't initiated and he gave up (this was to have some significance upon events later in the day).
WE headed back through Mons to the main N30 road that runs west, south west from the town and then followed some tiny tracks to Eloges. Our purpose was to find another of those physical points on the ground that are hard to define once the war became one of trenches and massed artillery bombardments.
Smith-Dorien now understood the disparity in numbers between the BEF and Von Kluck's armies facing him. Word had also arrived that the French 5th Army was falling back. This had the obvious danger of encirclement for the British.
Sir John French gave the order to his Corps commanders to retire. Haig's I Corps (just to the south east of St. Symphorien) had not had much action and were able to begin their withdrawal comparatively easily.
Things were not so easy for II Corps heavily engaged in and around Mons. Smith-Dorien correctly prepared a secondary defensive line behind those where the fighting was taking place but to break off contact with an enemy always runs the risk of a swift pursuit. Any subsequent contact would then occur in conditions favourable to the pursuing enemy. With his forces strung out down the roads it would be impossible to present any defence on a broad front. This would risk piecemeal encirclement of the rearmost formations.
It isn't just a case of getting the fighting formations to turn around and head back either. All the paraphernalia used by the supporting corps, engineers, transport, cooks etc. would have to be cleared and sent on their way first. The presence of refugees flooding down the very same roads has to be accounted for too.
Smith-Dorien was concerned about his left flank during the preparations to disengage. There was a very real danger that the Germans who were probing, trying to feel-out the flank, would succeed in getting behind his by now very tired infantry as they broke-off contact.
He instructed Fergusson (commander 5 Div) to screen the flank near Eloges. For this Fergusson allocated 1st Norfolks and 1st Cheshires to take up position between Eloges and Audregnies to cover the flank. Allenby, commander of the Cavalry Division, supplied 4th Dragoon Guards (4/DG) and 9th Lancers (9/L) to assist.
(Click on any image to enlarge, then use the 'back' button to return).
There is a ridge running across the farm land between Eloges and Audregnies, the Norfolks and Cheshires took up position along the ridge and dug shallow scrapes. The cavalry meanwhile was in a shallow depression to their rear and south west. 119th Battery Royal Field Artillery (119 RFA) were on the higher ground to the rear.
Facing this little force were two German infantry Divisions, each of four three-battalion infantry regiments (equivalent to a British Brigade) and supported by nine artillery batteries. The German guns took-up position along what is now the N30.
The Norfolks and Cheshires were exposed to murderous artillery and small-arms fire. Captain Dugmore of the Cheshires, in the open with shrapnel bursting around him wrote to his wife, "the fire was so heavy as to defy description."
119 RFA gunners engaged their opposite numbers and they were joined by the gunners of L Battery Royal Horse Artillery who were seen by 4/DG to be serving their guns "as steadily as though they were on the ranges at Okehampton."
The Germans advance faltered and the British cavalry, who had dismounted and joined the fire-fight, remounted and charged. Their charge was halted by a wire fence near what was then a sugar factory, a foretaste of what would become an obstacle for all the forces in this war.
The action had done what was intended, it had stopped the German attempt to outflank II Corps and the order to withdraw was given.
Unfortunately the Cheshires never received this order and at 6:00 pm, when they were forced to surrender, of 1,000 officers and men who had gone into battle, only two officers and two hundred men answered the roll. There is a small joint local and CWGC cemetery just on the outskirts of Audregnies. We stopped and sure enough, most of the graves mark the last resting place of men from 1st Battalion Cheshire Regiment.
The line of the Norfolks and Cheshires is now a very rough farm track. After the rains of this wet summer it was deeply rutted and the mud churned-up with deep puddles. Nevertheless it was worth the ride along it to cover the same ground where the fighting took place. Ryan had a harder time than Greg and me because his tyres were not as aggressive. We stopped at the farm that sits at the end of the track and watched Ryan as his bike slithered and slid through the deeper sections. We were both prepared to dismount and go and help him but no help was needed, he managed to plough his way out successfully.
Now we set off back to Le Cateau. The first part of the route was via more minor roads, roads undoubtedly used by the British and the pursuing German forces. We then joined the D932 that runs for some distance with the Forest of Mormal alongside.
This large, dark forest split the two BEF Corps, I Corps taking the eastern road and II Corps the D932.
The Retreat from Mons was a hot, dusty and thirsty, two day march for the BEF in that August of 1914. For us it was a short and pleasant ride but then we were not conducting a fighting withdrawal!
On reaching Le Cateau, Smith-Dorien found that Sir John French had moved his HQ south to St. Quentin. He believed that Haig's I Corps was involved in heavy fighting at Landrecies, to the east.
With some diffidence, Sir John French gave Smith-Dorien permission to make a stand at Le Cateau. The newly arrived 4 Div agreed to fight under his command, so he prepared positions for his own 3rd and 5th Divisions and 4 Div, from Le Cateau, along the Cambrai road.
A French cavalry Division under Le Sordet covered his left flank.
A sunken road runs west from the Le Cateau to St Quentin road to Troisvilles. The majority of the weight of the German advance fell upon the 5th Division centred to the west of Le Cateau and in front of the sunken road.
The sunken road today. In some places it is not very "sunken," in others it is quite deep.
Looking at the area today, it can easily be seen that the ground was perfect for Smith-Dorien's purpose. The ground slopes down from the direction of Mons to the Cambrai road. This would expose advancing troops to artillery and small-arms fire.
Two-thirds of the way along the sunken road is a distinctive, lone tree. This was considered to be too much of a target identification feature for the enemy gunners so an attempt was made to fell it. Unfortunately it threatened to fall into the lane and would have blocked it completely to horse drawn traffic, so it was tied in place!
The tree that stands here today is obviously not the original one.
The sunken road is quite deep here.
We clambered up the bank in the shade of the tree and looked out over the field of battle.
This is another of those rare places on the Western Front when warfare was still mobile and the ground is very much the same as it was at the time of the events.
Here it was Smith-Dorien's intention to deliver a "stopping blow" to the German pursuit.
As at Mons, the German's were stunned by the accuracy and speed of the British rifle-fire.
The enemy was so close that the RHA gunners, like their counterparts of a hundred years previously in another engagement, just 50 or so miles north from here, at Waterloo, fired by sighting the guns along their barrels!
Some 5th Division batteries were so far forward that there was a danger of being over-run. The teams limbered-up their guns and tore back across the sunken road at the gallop. So stirring was the sight and so effective had their support been that the infantry stood and cheered them as they passed through.
An Aside. If you have ever seen the Kings Troop Royal Horse Artillery on ceremonial duties, the six horse team, limber and 18 pounder guns are the same as used by the RHA through the Great War.
Apart from the levels of 'spit & polish' and of course the gunners would have been wearing khaki and not their ceremonial uniforms, if you see their displays when the teams ride at the gallop, there is few sights more stirring. Their displays are not just for show but are an invocation of events such as those at Le Cateau.
The stand at Le Cateau was a success. The Germans did receive a blow that slowed their pursuit. From here to the Marne, where the retreat was finally stopped. The pursuit was never as 'hot' as it had been in those first few days after Mons.
Smith-Dorien's action received grudging ex-post-facto support from Sir John French but their relationship was strained from here on (we will encounter Smith-Dorien again when we move north to Ypres).
We continued along the sunken road and then turned north back onto the Cambrai to Arras road.
It had been a long day and we intended buying some food for an evening of self-catering. Just outside Cambrai we found a super-market, parked and did some food shopping.
Greg needed fuel, so we all trooped around to the filling station where, as it was now one minute past eight, the attendant had locked-up the kiosk and fuel was only delivered from the automated pumps that use a debit/credit card.
These pumps can be a problem for non-French bank account holders because of the different systems used. In this case we were disappointed. Ryan and I both tried our cards and they were refused.
Greg had found a filling station the evening before, on the same road, so as he had been riding for some time with his fuel warning light showing, he set the pace and led us to the location.
It was of course shut too!
Clive and I had used fuel stations in Arras on previous occasions, I therefore suggested that our best hope would be there.
Greg was getting concerned that he was about to run dry. I had about a quarter of a tank left and a syphoning pipe in my top-box, plus I had a litre in my spare MSR fuel bottle, so my concern wasn't that he'd run out, rather that we'd have difficulty getting fuel for the next day, Sunday.
In Beaurains, we decided that Greg and Ryan park up while I try and find somewhere that we could re-fill our tanks. In Arras, I quickly found the Leclerc super market that I'd used previously. There was no-one in the kiosk so I tried my card again. This time it was accepted. I'd heard that these pumps were now starting to accept non-French cards but hadn't put much faith in the reports (up to now).
The difference seemed to be that at the first place, when the card was inserted, there was no English language option, this time there was and was because the card was recognised.
I slapped in enough fuel to last tomorrow and headed back to the others. When I was nearly there, I was surprised to see Greg on foot with a middle-aged couple. I stopped and Greg explained that they'd been walking past and offered to get a jerry-can, take him and it to a filling station, get fuel and then return! They were all three at that time en route to the couple's home to get their car.
Greg thanked them for their efforts and explained that I'd found somewhere and I took him back to his bike. We then set off together for fuel, then it was back to the campsite where Ryan cooked-up an excellent meal with our purchases.
We were all touched by this unknown French couple's unsolicited efforts to help some English motorcyclists on a dark Saturday evening. Don't ever say that French people are unfriendly or unhelpful. I doubt that the same thing would have happened at home!
Today had been the longest in terms of mileage that we'd do in this area, tomorrow we'd stay in the Arras area and cover the 1917 battles here but that will be the next entry.
We'd had a good day and visited all the places I'd planned. We stopped and discussed the events on the ground where they happened. At times we lapsed into conjecture over what it must have been like for the troops and locals. We'd visited cemeteries and paid our respects to the dead.
The only fly in the ointment was the problem with the video recording. Consequently I had fewer stills than I'd have liked because I thought I'd been recording movie footage. Now I had a useless camcorder that I couldn't recharge (I know what happened and will detail the problem when I make some alterations to the set-up at a later date).
With an excellent dinner and a couple of bottles of wine inside us, we settled back in our chairs under the tarps and mused over the day's activities before bed.
All in all, despite the camcorder failure and the fuel hunt, it had been a good start.
What a superb write up, Mike. I'm hoping to do the same trip next year with the same two colleagues who did the Normandy beaches earlier in the autumn. You've really set the scene for us - thank you!
Mark
Posted by: Mark McArthur-Christie | November 06, 2007 at 07:56 AM
Thank you for sharing this Mike, it’s like being with you on your journey. You are truly gifted.
Dave...
Posted by: Dave Midcalf | September 30, 2007 at 03:46 PM
Brilliant stuff Mike,informative and interesting, keep it going.
Regards Pete.
Posted by: Pete Short | September 30, 2007 at 03:17 PM
Well written Mike and very informative. The 'Old Contemptibles'of the Regular Army gave a very good account of themselves. At that stage nobody realised what was to come.
Posted by: Sandy Henderson | September 23, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Thanks for that Mike...very well written and informative.
Regards
Hammy
Posted by: Laurie (Hammy) Hamilton | September 23, 2007 at 08:51 PM
Accurate and informative. In the early days of the war as described, our troops were fighting in normal issue headress; steel helmets had not been issued. The description of British rate and accuracy of rifle fire being well documented.
I had an uncle, 1st Bn West Yorks(Regular) involved in this campaign he was recorded as "died", 2 days after his 19th birthday 13 Oct 1914 he is buried at Bailleul Communal cemetery.
Posted by: Ray Ironmonger | September 23, 2007 at 05:51 PM
Nice stuff Mike.
Posted by: Dave Wilson | September 23, 2007 at 04:20 PM
Mike,
A terrific write up and photo's.
Posted by: Tony Martin | September 23, 2007 at 02:34 PM