On the road to Casteau, a few kilometres outside Mons, are two plaques, less than 50 metres apart.  One is to commemorate the first shot fired by the British in the Great War.  The second on the other side of the road, marks the furthest point reached by the 116^th Battalion CEF on the 11^th November 1918.  

Similarly at Mons , in St Symphorien Cemetery, one can visit the first and last British fatalities in action.  Private Parr of the Middlesex (21^st August 1914) and Private Ellison of the 5^th Lancers (11^th November 1918) are buried only 5 metres apart.  

The battle for Mons lasted only two days and remarkably only Smith Dorien’s II Corps was actually engaged, yet this is a very important battle to study.  

The BEF of 1914 was a highly trained force experienced in open warfare.  Against them were thrown the masses of the Imperial German Army, still using many of the tactics of the Franco – Prussian War of 1870.  The battle for Mons thus became a series of holding actions along the canal systems ringing Mons .  

In most cases the battlefield has changed considerably, however there are still traces of 1914 to be found.

Our tour visited the sites of the most important of these actions.  These included the Middlesex at Obourg, the Royal Fusiliers at Nimy, The DCLI at Ville Pommereuil and the West Kents at St Ghislain / Tertre.  

Memorial plaque to the defence of Obourg railway station by the 4th Middlesex

As the withdrawal of the BEF commenced under overwhelming German pressure and the realisation that the French on both flanks had already departed, a series of further rearguard actions took place on the left flank.  At Audrignes / Elouges, the Norfolks and the Cheshires made a stand and the cavalry of the 4^th Dragoon Guards and the 9^th Lancers made their famous charge.  

Covering typically 20 miles a day the BEF withdrew in the direction of St Quentin, Haig’s I Corp to the east of the Foret De Mormal, and Smith Dorien’s II Corps to the West.  

On reaching Le Cateau on the night of the 25^th August, Smith Dorien decided that he had no option other than to stand and fight.  In the early hours of the 26^th August the BEF commenced a battle in which, for the last time in history, the artillery were fought Napoleonic style, with the guns amongst the infantry.

The ferocity of the defence stopped the Germans in their tracks and therefore II Corps was able to continue its withdrawal towards the Marne largely unmolested.  

Le Cateau, like Mons gave rise to many stories of heroism, in particular the saving of the guns.  

Memorial to the 13th Infantry Brigade - Close to this spot Captain Reynolds and Drivers Luke and Drain won VCs for the saving of one of the guns of the 37th Howitzer Battery

To the East I Corps too started to become involved in the short sharp rearguard actions.  The most significant of these were the “Affair” at Landrecies and the action of the Munsters at Etreux.  

Over the three days we visited many of these sites to provide a flavour of the men and actions of the BEF of 1914.  

"International Cemetery" at Le Cateau, containing British, German and French graves, albeit many from when the war returned in October 1918!

Our tour will of necessity constrained itself to the initial week or so of the Retreat, however the BEF continued withdrawing to the Marne, then was able to advance again Northwards to the Aisne.

For logistic reasons the BEF moved Northward to Flanders in the middle of October 1914.  It therefore became involved in what became known as the Race For The Sea.  

Thus by the  3^rd week of October 1914 elements of I Corps (present at Mons, but not engaged) and the newly arrived 7^th Division, originally destined to support the Belgians in the abortive attempt to defend Antwerp, arrived in the Ypres area in time to meet the German 26^th Reserve Corps at Kruiseke Crossroads.  This became the 1^st Battle Of Ypres.  

Our starting point was the Casteau Road, site of the first engagement between the British and the German Army.   Once the cavalry screen had withdrawn, the infantry line along the canal formed the main defence.

We visited the bridge at Nimy where the first two VCs of the war were won.  Here, the 4^th Royal Fusiliers were holding the railway bridge.

The modern replacement for the bridge defended by Dease & Godley

Despite being in danger of being outflanked by Germans who had crossed the canal by an un-blown bridge at the lock several hundred metres to the east Lt Dease and Private Godley kept their Maxim gun in action until both were wounded and the gun too damaged to fire.

From Nimy we moved to the East, the section of front held by the 4^th Middlesex.  Here at Obourg, the Middlesex held the railway station until forced to retire.  Major Abel’s “D” Company made a fighting withdrawal to the high ground, (now the Rue 4^th Middlesex).

The canal at Obourg

We walked the track that marked the centre of his retirement, then moved steadily southward past the Asylum to the crossroads defended by the reserve battalion, the 2^nd Royal Irish.  Their memorial marks this crossroads.

St Symphorien cemetery was the next stop.  This cemetery is unique in many respects, containing German graves in regimental plots and several notable British burials including Maurice Dease VC.

St Symphorien Cemetery

We then moved to the 5^th Division’s sector along the Mons Conde canal.  Here we presented the action of the 1^st Royal West Kents and as a final visit of the day, went to the bridgehead over the canal held by 1^st DCLI, the extreme left flank of the battle.

The final day on the battlefield was spent at Le Cateau.  

Via a photostop at the memorial to the battle of Malplaquet (1709) we headed for Bavay.  There are stories of the BEF marching past the Malplaquet memorial in 1914 and camping by it in 1918!  

Memorial to the Battle of Malplaquet (1709) - on the road from Mons to Bavay

From Bavay II Corps  continued its retirement to Solesmes where  the paths of the 3^rd and 5^th Divisions crossed and General Fergusson of the 5^th Division ended up doing traffic control.

Continuing to the south we will arrive at Le Cateau, where Smith Dorien gambled on halting the Germans for long enough to disengage his Corps.  

We visited first the right flank.  Here the 1^st DCLI entered billets during the night of 25^th / 26^th August only to find themselves being outflanked in the early hours of the morning.  1^st DCLI and the 1^st East Surreys held a defensive flank before eventually escaping to safety.  

Closer into the town the 5^th Divisional Signal Company by the railway bridge were similarly surprised and at the western end of the town the 15^th Brigade came close to being surrounded.  Their memorial now marks the spot.

The main part of the Le Cateau battlefield is a slightly forward facing slope.  Here the infantry of the 5^th Division and the 18 pounders of 122^nd battery RFA faced the oncoming Germans.  We walked the sunken road that runs from Le Cateau to Troisville and present the infantry and artillery stories.  This sunken road became the main evacuation route for the wounded and the main supply route for ammunition.  Part way along this track is the famous round tree.  The REs were in the process of chopping it down when it was realised that the wind had changed and that when it fell it would block the sunken road – change of plan!  

We finally arrived at the left flank at Caudry, held by the newly arrived 4^th Division.  Here the German attack petered out.