Bedfordshire Archives Service Catalogue
  • Reference
    X550/2/5/1409
  • Title
    War Diary for September 1914 1 Sep 1914 - Nanteuil-le-Haudoin Rearguard action. Several enemy's guns captured. Major Allason & Lt.West of N.Irish Horse, captured German officr & trooper. Retired to Nanteuil. 2 Sep 1914 - Vinantes Retired to Vinantes. Billeted in very comfortable farm (deserted) 3 Sep 1914 - Mont Pichet Retired to Mont Pichet; all bridges blown up over river & canal after we crossed. 4 Sep 1914 - Gagny Retired to Gangy [sic] through Tournan, marching at night. Remained there on 5th Sept. Joined by draft of 90 men under Capt. Orlebar. 6 Sep 1914 - Chelles Advanced through Villeneuve & Mortcerf to La Celle [sic]. Germans (6 Corps) retiring in disorder N. & N.E. 7 Sep 1914 - Boissy-le-Chatel Advanced to Boissy-le-Chatel at head of main body 8 Sep 1914 - River Marne Battn in advanced guard, sent on to cover left of 13th Brigade, with them attacked St.Cyr & St.Owen [sic], & reached banks of R.Marne. Captured about 200 prisoners (Division), but our own guns fired on both alike, causing most of prisoners to escape. Eventually recaptured by other units. 9 Sep 1914 - Bezu-le-Guery Crossed river Marne at Saacy & moved to Bezu. Shelled by enemy, & 'B' Co. under Major Thorpe came under machine gun fire in wood: put enemy's machine gun out of action. Enemy's rear guard made good stand: but had to leave several guns eventually. Battn lost about 10 men. 10 Sep 1914 - St.Quentin, Bois de Bourneville Advanced before dawn, pursuing enemy all day. Enemy apparently demoralized; country strewn with wagons, motors, bicycles, stores, hundreds of great coats, dead & wounded horses, Germans etc. Convoy captured, also considerable number of prisoners. Bivouacked at St.Quentin, a small hamlet in Bois de Bournville [sic]. Our artillery apparently did great damage & our aeroplanes much to the fore. Reinforcements 2 subalterns & about 90 men joined Battn in the evening. 11 Sep 1914 - St-Remy-Blanzy Advanced. Weather abominable: drenched by torrents of rain. Billeted at St.REMY. 12 Sep 1914 - River Aisne Advanced. Weather again very bad. Roads a sea of mud. 1/2 Battn went on to R.Aisne to protect guns: remainder billeted in farm. 13-14 Sep 1914 - Missy-sur-Aisne Germans holding line of R.Aisne in force. Artillery duel all day. Some big shells dropped near Battn which was in quarter column behind guns. Had to move further to flank & rear eventually. Moved at 9 pm (13th) with remainder of Brigade to bank of river via Jury, with view to crossing. Crossed by pontoon & raft attacked Missy: heavily shelled: McCloughin killed, Mayne & Edmunds wounded: about 40 casualties. 15 Sep 1914 Battn in support in village of MISSY. Heavily shelled with high explosive shell about midday also under Rifle fire. Capt Ker killed, Major Onslow & Lt.Courtenay wounded. Also about 35 casualties in other ranks. 16 Sep 1914 - Montgard Mill, near Jury Relieved by 14th Brigade in evening. Heavy firing as Battalion returned, fortunately passed over head when Battn lay down. Few casualties. Horrible night march through very muddy track. Pitch dark under trees, mud up to mens knees frequently & pouring rain. Recrossed river Aisne by pontoon bridge recently completed & billeted at Montgard Mill near Jury 17-23 Sep 1914 Remained in billets. Companies employed alternately on outposts & in digging entrenchments. Restful time for the Battalion, on the whole 24-30 Sep 1914 - front line near Chivres-Val Battn recrossed to N. bank of R.AISNE & took over section of line close to CHIVRES in a marshy wood. Impossible to dig deep trenches as a rule owing to nature of ground. Part of forward line held was a bank, or drop fence where surrounding country was higher. In other places supports were placed in shallow ditches with fascines of brushwood at bottom & raised parapets in front, cover from view owing to trees. A few casualties from snipers! Battn relieved in trenches by units of another Brigade at dusk
  • Date free text
    1-30 Sep 1914
  • Production date
    From: 1914 To: 1914
  • Level of description
    item
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