The Retreat South
August 25th
Rear guard action at FUGNIES[1];
Battery stampeded enemies’ Supply Column – day of alarms—bivouacked.
By first light the column was ready for another day
of marching. The morning started out cool and Fred sat tall in his saddle while
the infantry marched at a good pace. But by midmorning the heat returned along
with the humidity. The infantry looked like wilting flowers, their arms dangled
from their shoulders and tired legs dragged boots along the dusty road.
Men began to shed any unnecessary equipment in an
effort to keep up. In order to lift spirits, one of the sergeants began signing
a lively tune and for awhile others joined in. But the choking dust soon took
its toll since most were without water.
August 26th
Marching from early morn to late at night through [the towns of
MARBAIX, GOHELLE, to OISY.
Riding beside George we seldom spoke for our mouths
were as dry as chalk. When we caught up with the limber Pudgie was driving all
we could do was exchange head nods.
Late in the afternoon it became cloudy, which
offered some relief from the baking rays of the sun. By evening we heard
thunder and lightning flashes mimicked bursting shrapnel shells.
The wind picked up and soon we were marching
through mud and faces looked skyward with mouths open to capture as much
rainfall as possible. Some took off their hats to catch the rain.
[It rained] all night, [but] no water for horses, [and marching in
the heat] am sorry for infantry, we give them a lift now and then on horses and
vehicles, am glad to stretch legs after long days in saddle.
The rain seemed to refresh the men, even though we
were soaked and it continued to rain most of the night.
By early morning the clouds were replaced by the
blazing sun, which quickly dried up any remaining remnants of last night’s
shower and turned it into unbearable humidity.
Just three days ago our uniforms were clean, boots
polished and a spark of determination in their eyes. From his saddle he looked
over the ragged men who looked like they were molded from mud. There were many
stragglers and we did the best we could to give them a lift on our wagons and
limbers.
The Germans were nipping on our heels so we had to
keep a steady pace.
August 27th
[We] marched via ETREUX, GUISE, to BERNOT [and] came into action
several times to cover our retirement.
Our battery dropped into action on several
occasions to keep the enemy at bay. He and George would drop back and setup a
temporary observation post to direct fire, then leave the wire and return to
the column before they were caught.
Every town they passed through was packed with
refugees trying to escape before the Germans arrived. The worst town was Guise.
He was deeply saddened by the look of horror and helplessness he saw on the
faces of the people. In their panic to escape the fast approaching enemy they
used whatever means of transportation they could find in order to take their
treasures and keepsakes with them.
Later in the day he told George “The look of panic
and horror on the faces of the refuges will haunt him the rest of his life.”
George responded, “I know what you mean, what
scared me was the look on the faces of the children.”
“George, I felt so helpless. I wanted to help but
there was nothing I could do.”
Was pitiful to see refugees at Guise, they were all horror
stricken. [They were] removing what they could carry on any kind of cart. All
rushing from the town, for the Germans came in the town as we went out.
Food and supply ordinance department
was trying their best to keep the moving column supplied with food. What made
their task more difficult was I and II Corps were on different paths.
They tried to predict the rate and
direction of travel so they could dump a load of supplies at a cross road hoping
they would be found. However, I Corps had missed the last supply stash and
rations were getting low.
The column stopped to water their horses when a
breeze carried the smell of freshly baked bread to his sensitive nose. He
mounted his charger and followed the sent to a small bakery. Using what French
he knew, he bartered with the baker and eventually walked out with a loaf of
bread. He did not dear return to the column with a whole loaf, so he eat half
of it and hid the remaining bread in his horse’s nose bag.
Long night march, was lucky to stop to water horse near a bakery
and managed to secure a loaf of bread. I was very hungry [for] food had been
very scarce for a few days [i]–
I needed no butter on the bread, and put the remainder in horse’s nosebag for
next day. – [We] bivouacked in field about midnight. [ii]
I Corps had passed through the town of
Bernot and they were marching towards Brissy. Around 4:30 in the morning the
battery was ordered to a position near the town of Brissy to perform rear guard
action to cover the Corps retirement.
Later they were ordered to cover Scots
Gray and infantry who were fighting their way across the Oise River.
The lack of food, sleep and long
marches began to take their toll. Some of the men had worn out their boots so
they wrapped their feet in rags to continue marching.
The combination of the August heat and exertion
slowed the marching pace. Men were so exhausted whenever the column stopped to
rest they fall asleep in any position.
Some soldiers would fall asleep and collapse to the
ground, while others dropped from exhaustion. Wagons tried to pick up the
stragglers and sometimes a comrade would wake them up and get them back on
their feet and started to sing in order to stay awake.
While riding his horse he often fell asleep in the
saddle while the horse followed the other horses. Even the horses were
exhausted and every so often he had to dismount and walk beside his horse to
give him a rest.
August 28th
[We] marched at 4:30 a.m. and came in action near BRISSY[2]
to cover retirement, and later to support Scots Greys and infantry fighting
[their] way across [a] river.
[We] continued retirement, [and] everybody, men and horses, [were]
dead beat – weather very hot.
August 29th
Slowed up, had rather easy day, and much needed short rest. [I
had] a wash [and] overhauled telephones etc: - [At] ST GOBAIN [we] heard [the]
news of 600 Manchester Fusiliers and section of the 118th Btty getting wiped
out.
Soldiers of the 118th
Battery, 26th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery were killed or
wounded in action at Etreux on the 29th August 1914. Etreux is a
village and commune in the Department of the Aisne 32 kilometers NE of St.
Quentin and 20 Kilometers W of La Capelle. In the same action 600 Manchester
Fusiliers were either killed or wounded.
August 30th
Marched to PINON, [a] long, [and] very hot march. [We] bivouacked
in the grounds of lovely chateau, [where I] had a dip in [a] lake[3].
The address
of the chateau is 6 Rue des Etangs and it lies southeast of the city of Pinon.
The manner house has water on three sides and a large square body of water some
distance behind the house. Rolling meadows surround the house and they
eventually fade into forest.
August 31st
Marched at 3:30 a.m. [It was a] long, hard, hot march. [The]
infantry [were] falling exhausted, at every halt. Men [would] go to sleep,
sitting, standing, lying, all seem near knocked up – [We] marched till late at
night, I slept for hours on and off in the saddle.
We were awakened
around 1 a.m. and without a light we hitched up the horses and began our days
march at 3:30 a.m. Not sure why they woke us up so early, perhaps to get a jump
ahead of the Germans. With the nights being uncomfortably warm and humid the
only benefit from getting an early start is that you don’t have to deal with
sun.
By noon everything
left exposed to the sun was too hot to touch. Bobby commented, “I bet if we sat
a fry pan out in the sun for fifteen minutes we could fry an egg.” Pudgie was
quick to respond, “That might be true if we had eggs.”
No longer do we
march in column formation, the men stagger about the road like drunken sailors.
They march until they drop and somehow force themselves to get-up and continue
marching.
Uniforms tattered,
a few are wounded and some march with their feet wrapped in their puttees,
while others wear blood stained socks.
There seems no
end to this constant marching or the heat. Water is in short supply and we are
rationed only one pint for the day. We are not allowed to drink the local water
for it may have been poisoned.
Everyone is so
put-out from the lack of food, sleep and water, some of the men fall asleep
while marching and fall over. Details are sent out nightly to find stragglers
before the Germans do.
It was around 2
or 3 a.m. when we were called to formation. We started the days march at 5:30
a.m. in order to reach the Marolle Bridge before dark. Usually we stopped to
rest after an hour or two, but today we continued marching for five hours. We were
told we had to cross the bridge over the Aisne River before it was blown up.
Men were dropping
like leaves in the fall and those that followed were unable to lift their legs
to step over the fall so they walked around the bodies.
September 1st
[We] marched at 5:30 a.m. and [it was a] long march to MAROLLE
Bridge. [iii]
[We passed] COMPIEGNE [and found out later that] about a mile in
our rear was attacked at dawn, L Battery H [indecipherable] getting knocked
out. We moved just in time, but did not know how near we were to be out up,
until later.
[Arrived] at 6:30 p.m. and I went to sleep by my saddle, [later]
we were aroused by alarm at 11:30 p.m.
[We were asked] to move, for [the] Engineers were waiting to blow
up the bridge. We got across, just in time and up went the bridge.
[The] German Cavalry were very close, [so] we marched through the
night and halted on the roadside about 3:00 a.m. In less than a minute I was
sound asleep on a friendly heap of stones.
Up again, marching again, how I longed for a sleep —anywhere.
Continued retirement reached MEAUX at 5:30 a.m.
September 2nd
Marched via VARREDDES, GERMINGNY[4],
and bivouacked near JOUARRE, [it was a] long and weary march - very hot.
September 3rd
Halted nearly all day east of SAMMERON [where] the rear guard was
slightly engaged – weather hot.
September 4th
Marched to COULOMMIERS, [and] bivouacked early. [I was able to] washed my underclothing. [iv]
[I] thought we were going to have a day’s rest, but had to move
quickly in the morning, and take up position SW of COULOMMIERS. We dug in and
remained in action all night, leaving position at dawn; marched with Division
to ROZNY[5].
September 5th
In position at ROZNY, [but] no contact with enemy.
We hear that the retreat is over, with the French we are to
advance, how glad we were - anything but that continual marching[v]
The soldiers of I Corps
covered 250 miles and ten days and with little rest they fight their first
offensive battle of the war.
[v] Ibid
