From Mons To Ypres With General French; A Personal Narrative [Illustrated Edition]
From Mons To Ypres With General French; A Personal Narrative [Illustrated Edition]

Author: Frederic Abernethy Coleman

Publisher: Pickle Partners Publishing

Published: 2012-04-12

Total Pages: 420

ISBN-13: 1782890726

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When the British troops advanced into Belgium in 1914 to face the German foe, it was with a sure and steady confidence in the outcome. These same men trudged back, grumbling, along the same path toward France as the full weight of the German steamroller advanced toward the numerically small British Expeditionary Force. At Mons they turned at bay and gave the Germans a tough time, but little more than a check as two corps could not hold up two huge armies. As the static battlelines began to coalesce, from Switzerland to the English channel, the fierce fighting flared up for any advantageous town, and none more so than Ypres. The first battle of Ypres was a bitter, bloody affair which ended the German advance but at terrible cost to the last of the regular soldiers of the B.E.F. Along with these hardened professional soldiers went a handful of amateurs determined to help; these members of the Royal Automobile Club with their motor cars were attached to various headquarters to aid in transmission of orders. As the eyes and ears of the army, the two cavalry brigade were in need of the most help from the R.A.C. volunteers as they ranged far and wide. The author was attached to the cavalry during retreat from Mons to the first battle of Ypres; he admired and had grown fond of the men with whom he had shared much danger. His post enabled him to meet a great number of the high-ranking officers, and in his capacity as messenger would have been better informed than most. His book is excellently written and deserves reading and re-reading. Author — Frederic Abernethy Coleman 1876-1931 Text taken, whole and complete, from the edition published in New York, Dodd, Mead and company, 1916. Original Page Count – xvii and 381 pages. Illustrations – 50 illustrations.

Walking the Retreat
Walking the Retreat

Author: Terry Cudbird

Publisher: Andrews UK Limited

Published: 2015-01-05

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 1909930245

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The opening month of the Great War ending in the Battle of the Marne (6-9 September 1914) was a turning point in modern history. The French and British armies were forced into a long retreat from Belgium but subsequently regrouped to mount a successful counter-attack. However, the miracle of the Marne, as it was later called, ended in the stalemate of the trenches. The failure of the Imperial German Army to achieve a decisive victory led to thirty years of hostility, warfare and destruction, which cost millions of lives. During the retreat to the Marne over a million soldiers marched 20 miles a day carrying 60-lb packs in temperatures above 30 degrees. They were often short of food and only managed short snatches of rest. They fought a series of engagements over two weeks which ended in a battle from the plains of Lorraine to the gates of Paris. This march tested them to the limits of endurance and beyond. In this book Terry Cudbird recreates the experience of the infantry during their gruelling journey. He describes his own August walk from southern Belgium to the battlefield, which followed the exact route taken by a French Lieutenant in the Fifth Army. He draws on a wide range of personal reminiscences, not only French but also British and German. He takes us back to the landscapes of Northern France in 1914 and explains how they have changed since that August one hundred years ago. He also reflects on the soldiers' origins and training, and their morale as they set out. This is not another military history but a unique evocation of the powers of endurance of ordinary soldiers. It will appeal to those interested in the history of the Great War, including readers who want to explore the route of the retreat for themselves.

Ypres
Ypres

Author: Mark Connelly

Publisher:

Published: 2018

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0198713371

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The story of Ypres, the series of devastating battles at the heart of Britain and her Empire's experience of the First World War: how they were fought, how they have been remembered, and what they mean for us today.

Trial by Fire
Trial by Fire

Author: Nikolas Gardner

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2003-08-30

Total Pages: 280

ISBN-13: 0313052514

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While existing accounts of this period have elevated the exploits of the British soldiers on the battlefield to almost legendary status, the operations of the British Expeditionary Force in the dramatic opening campaign of the First World War remain poorly understood. Based on official unit war diaries, as well as personal papers and memoirs of numerous officers, this study sheds significant new light on the retreat from Mons in August 1914, the advance to the River Aisne in September, and the climactic First Battle of Ypres in October and November. In addition, Gardner provides important insights into the ideas and values of British officers in the initial stages of the war. Beyond explaining the conduct of the 1914 campaign, Gardner analyzes the initial stages of the learning curve experienced by British officers as they grappled with an unaccustomed type of warfare, including the unprecedented scale and intensity of the conflict as well as the advent of trench warfare. He also demonstrates the impact of rivalries among senior officers on the operations of the army. As a whole, the study adds depth to our understanding of command in European armies during the First World War.