Mons Battlefield Guide

Dear Visitor, As everyone knows, the First World War was incredibly bloody, and millions of lives were lost. Mons did not escape the devastation unscathed. Indeed, by sheer circumstance, Mons provided the setting for significant, and terribly tragic events. The "Battle of Mons" has a particular resonance, both mythical and real, on the other side of the Channel. Mythical because of the well-known "Legend of the Angels of Mons"; real because the British suffered major losses there, including the first and the last soldiers to die in battle. It was in Mons that Private Parr and Private Ellison were killed, becoming the very first and the very last British soldiers to die in the conflict and making Mons “the place of the first & the last”. In addition, Lieutenant Dease and Private Godley were awarded the first two Victoria Cross medals of the First World War for acts of bravery committed on our soil. These events explain the notoriety of the "Battle of Mons", and impose on each and every one of us a duty to remember. In 2014, the City of Mons will be gearing up to celebrate the centenary of the Battle in the presence of a number of different European officials. The City of Mons would therefore like to uphold the memories of the men and women who fought for their dreams and whose courage still resonates in our hearts and minds. From legend to reality, Mons will be organising a highly symbolic memorial tour, which includes a visit to the Saint-Symphorien Military Cemetery, a real haven of peace, where British and German graves are now united for eternity. Through this "Mons Battlefield Guide", you will be able to step back in time on a journey of discovery through which the horrors of war may make way for contemplative memories. We hope you enjoy reading it.

Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 1 getting to Mons Contents

By train By Air and / or Domestic Train

Mons is situated one hour south of Brussels by train. Brussels There are direct trains from both of the major Belgium airports Editorial...... p.1 is served by fast trains (TGV) coming from major French cities (Brussels International, in Brussels and Brussels South, in Char- Getting to Mons...... p.2 (Paris, Lille, Lyon, Marseille) as well as from elsewhere in Europe leroi). Mons is also accessible by train from any town or city in (Amsterdam, Aachen, Cologne, etc.) Once in Brussels, check the Belgium that has a station. Introduction...... p.3 train schedules for the next available train to Mons. There are The Legend of the Angels of Mons ...... p.8 several every hour. By car Time Line ...... p.9 Mons is located just off the Paris-Brussels Motorway (E42) at exit 24. Point 0: The Grand-Place of Mons ...... p.10

Point 1: The Road Bridge ...... p.10

Point 2: The Rail Bridge...... p.11

Point 3: Commemorative Plaque...... p.13

Point 4: Obourg Station...... p.14

Point 5: Mons Cemetery...... p.15

Point 6: Royal Irish Regiment Monument ...... p.16

Map ...... p.18

Point 7: Chateau Gendebien...... p.20

Point 8: Bois-là-Haut...... p.21

Point 9: At La Bascule Monument...... p.22

Point 10: Saint-Symphorien Cemetery...... p.24

The Losses...... p.26

Cemeteries around Mons where British Soldiers Lie...... p.28

Mons Memorial Museum ...... p.29

Tormented Civilians...... p.30

Order of the British Forces during the First Battle of Mons...... p.32

Brussels: 69 km Amsterdam: 275 km Charleroi: 48 km Berlin: 819 km Liège: 131 km Paris: 248 km Namur: 74 km Lille: 78 km Ghent: 119 km Maubeuge: 20 km Bruges: 132 km Valenciennes: 40 km Antwerp: 119 km Lens: 95 km Luxembourg: 231 km Reims: 205 km 2 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Cologne: 255 km Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 3 many bridges and locks to defend; the enemy would perforce try INTRODUCTION to use those obvious crossing-points. In addition, the range of fire accessible to both infantry and artillery was far too limited. It was also a bad choice because the surrounding villages, both on the canal Origins of the conflict The Battle of Mons and in the rear, were mazes of small streets and lanes where it was urope began boiling in 1904, when discord first erupted difficult to manoeuvre. Again, the spot was less than ideal because between the eastern and western blocks. On one side was The battle named after Mons occurred due to a combination the countryside was dotted with numerous slag heaps. Although Ethe Triple Alliance (Germany, Italy and Austria-Hungary) and of circumstances that were totally independent of the wishes any one of them might have made a good vantage point, they on the other the Triple Entente (France, Great Britain and Russia). of the two sides. Neither side wanted to meet in the area. overlooked one another. Last but not least, it was an awful position It was about the worst battlefield imaginable. because the configuration of the salient made it virtually impossible The whole continent was a powder keg, and the inevitable finally to defend. It required the deployment of too many men in an area happened on 28th June, 1914. Archduke Franz Ferdinand of that was exposed on all sides. Austria (nephew and heir to the Emperor of Austria) and his he British did not have time wife were assassinated in Sarajevo, the capital of Bosnia. The to fortify the sector sufficiently, It bears repeating, however, that Sir John French and his gen- assassins were Bosnian Serb members of a terrorist group that Tbut that had never been their erals had not chosen the site of their defence; extraneous factors, went by the name of "The Black Hand". intention anyway. Their position was circumstances, had imposed this position upon them. only meant to be a temporary base On 28th July, 1914, Austria issued an ultimatum which was rejec- before the big thrust in the planned The Germans’ position is even plainer to see. Neither the German ted by Belgrade, upon which Austria declared war on Serbia. offensive. Regrettably, the sudden General Staff nor the commanders of armies and corps were The inexorable march of the First World War had begun. and unexpected flight of the French aware of the British presence in Belgium. They knew that an expe- prise, but Russia mobilized troops. Germany and then France followed suit. Fifth Army obliged Field Marshal ditionary force had disembarked in the French ports (the neutral it was too Assassination of Archduqe Franz Ferdinand on 28th June, 1914. John French to hold the line, which and allied press had openly reported it), but they were unable to late to change From August 1st, 1914, events occurred in rapid succession. © All rights reserved he promised to do for 24 hours. This locate it. The most widespread theory was that it must be moving the troops’ marching Germany declared war on Russia (1st August), demanded safe Field Marshal French made it possible to break up the towards Antwerp or the Belgian coast in order to safeguard the orders. Now the Germans passage for its troops across Belgian lands (2nd August), decla- German advance and enabled French troops to loosen the enemy’s ports and buttress the Belgian Army that was struggling. It was knew that their opponents were nearby, but remained unable to red war on France (3rd August) and invaded neutral Belgium grip slightly and gain some breathing room. All the same, despite only on 22nd August, i.e., on the eve of battle, that the veil of determine their strength or number. The same uncertainty reigned (4th August). On tenterhooks throughout and outraged by these the long straight line formed by the Mons-Condé canal, which at ignorance was torn away. Two events revealed their presence: the in the British camp; while French and his staff knew what direction crimes, the British felt an obligation to uphold promises made the time would have proved a major obstacle for the enemy, that crash of a British aeroplane at Marcq and the charge at Casteau. the German advance was travelling, they had no idea how many and refused to regard the treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality position was a poor choice from a defensive point of view. It was they were in number. Intelligence provided by the French Army as a mere "scrap of paper". For the Germans, it was totally unexpected, a complete sur- a poor choice for several reasons. To begin with, there were too greatly underestimated the number One major setback struck Germany, of enemy divisions. however; Italy, considering that the Ger- man offensive against Serbia nullified its In fact, if the British Expeditionary commitment to that country as an ally, Force (BEF) was spared encircle- declared neutrality on 2nd August, 1914. ment and avoided annihilation, So it is that on 4th August, 1914, the enor- it was thanks to mistakes made mous German war machine crossed the by von Kluck and von Bülow. Von border into Belgium. Kluck’s orders were to march on Amiens before turning towards Paris. However, being fiercely independent and exceedingly overconfident, and wanting to be the first and fastest into the highly coveted jewel that was the French capital, he simply ignored his orders. As for von Bülow, he delayed crossing the Sambre River by one The whole continent day in order to regroup his army. Without that untimely halt, he could was a powder keg have caught French and his troops

Old Contemptibles The BEF disembarks on the Continent in a trap, from which it would have © All rights reserved © All rights reserved 4 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 5 been very difficult, not to say impossible, to escape. The British soldiers could not understand why they were ordered The Main Events to retreat, to turn their back on the foe when they had the upper Finally, one other factor worked in favour of the BEF. That was hand. Nowhere, save in the salient, was the front penetrated. The Legend of the Angels of Mons the untimely retreat of Lanrezac, which forced the British to halt Nowhere had the Germans got the better of them. The Tom- their advance. Without that retreat, the BEF would have rushed n the evening of 23rd August, the situation of the 8th Bri- mies were undefeated, but having got official orders, they had headlong into the thick of the Germans, with all the disastrous gade (made up of the 4th Middlesex, 2nd Royal Scots, 2nd to abandon the territory so dearly defended. Some regiments consequences that might have followed. ORoyal Irish and 1st Gordon Highlanders) was grave in the had not even fired a single shot. It was bewildering, but orders extreme. The Germans had overrun Mons to the east, occupying So this battle was imposed by circumstance. Neither side would were orders. the town and threatening the rear area as well as the line of British ever have chosen that time or that place. On the evening of 24th August, a page of history had been written retreat. At the same time, on the right, the British had to face the The two British corps had a very wide sector to defend; happily at Mons. Everyone there claimed some glory, everyone claim- 75th Bremen Regiment who held Spiennes. There was a risk of for them the German assault did not include the entire infantry ed victory, everyone wanted to put the name of Mons on their encirclement and retreat seemed impossible. at once, but as and when they arrived in the field. This was yet colours. But on that mournful day, once the guns had fallen silent Then, at around midnight, as legend has it, a group of Angels another fatal mistake. Some regiments engaged battle from and the combat had drifted elsewhere, the victors imposed a cur- armed as archers descended from above and stopped the Ger- 08.00 hours in the morning, while the last ones did not join the few on Mons and its inhabitants, on the coal-mining district called mans’ advance, thereby saving the British from certain annihila- fray until late afternoon. The Germans’ IV Reserve Corps did not Borinage and on northern France. And as the lights went out, so tion and allowing them to retreat to safety under cover of the night. Lieutenant Maurice James Dease V.C. even arrive on the battlefield until the following day. One can did hope. Four long years were to pass before either was relit. imagine the losses that the British would have had to take if the Saint-Symphorien Cemetery main body of German troops had attacked with the same force aint-Symphorien cemetery is a unique, historic place, loaded at the same moment. The attack would have been devastating, with memories, and it will play a huge role during the com- irresistible, overwhelming and, for all their bravery, the British Smemorations. This cemetery is unusual in two ways: would not have been able to resist for very long without risking • It was here that the first and the last British soldiers to die during a full-scale disaster. The imbalance in guns and men was too the First World War were buried. great, too unequal, too obvious. It is too easy, also, to rewrite history after the fact. • It contains as many graves of German soldiers as of British ones. Finally, it behoves us to pay homage to the bravery and Saint-Symphorien cemetery has also been awarded two stars steadfastness, to the boldness and self-sacrifice, of the in the Michelin guide as a significant site for heritage tourism. combatants in both camps. Nobody flinched; nobody faltered; nobody deserted despite the losses, despite the machine-gun fire, despite everything. Germans and Britons vied with each other with equal audacity and abnegation, comradeship and determination. The number of killed and wounded bears that out. Sidney Godley

It was bewildering but the orders were orders

BEF soldiers on Mons Grand-Place 23rd August, 1914. © City of Mons Collections Private John Parr’s Headstone Private George Ellison’s Headstone Final resting place of Maurice James Dease, V.C. © WBT - J-P REMY © WBT - J-P REMY © WBT - J-P REMY 6 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 7 1914

Time line Mons, The First & The Last of the first world war

The Highlights • The first and last Britons to be killed during the Great War (Private John Parr and Private G. Ellison, respectively) died • Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria • The Battle of Mons on 23rd August, 1914 is where the in Mons. 28th June • A ustria-Hungary declares war on Serbia first clash between German and British troops (British Expe- • The last man to die during the conflict (George Price, ditionary Force (BEF) ) took place. 1st a Canadian) was killed in Mons. • Germany declares war on Russia • The retreating BEF would start out from Mons, in the after- August math of the Battle of Mons, and continue on through Le 3rd • Germany declares war on France Cateau, France, to end up in Zonnebeke. August • The first two Victoria Cross medals to have been awarded • Germany violates Belgian neutrality during the First World War (to Lieutenant M. Maurice Dease 4th August • Great Britain enters the war and Private Sidney Godley) were granted for acts of valour committed on Mons soil. 7th • German troops take the city of Liège August

7th-12th • First British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) embark August

15th • Surrender of the last fort in Liège (Flémalle Fort) August Les Anges de Mons 16th • British Expeditionary Force (BEF) lands in France (Le Havre, Rouen and Painting by Marcel Gillis © City of Mons Collections August Boulogne) and gathers at Amiens

20th • German troops invade Brussels August • BEF reaches Maubeuge, France

• BEF crosses border into Belgium 21st • First British casualty of the First World War, Private John Parr August (4th Middlesex), aged 16, dies at Obourg

• T he BEF takes up position near Mons (on Mons–Condé Canal between Condé s/Escaut and Binche) • First exchange of fire between a British cavalry unit (4th Royal Irish 22nd Dragoon Guards) and German Hussars at Casteau August • Skirmishes between Germans and the 19th Hussars at Hautrage and Germans and the 2nd Dragoons (Royal Scots Greys) at Péronnes • Cavalry Division moves toward Dour

• German offensive to cross the Mons Canal (at Condé) and the Central Canal (at Nimy and Obourg) • T he Battle of the Mons Salient : German troops invade from two directions, through Obourg on one side (taking the station, the ceme- 23rd tery, the Bascule and the Chaussée de Beaumont) and Nimy on the August other (human shield, the town centre and Chaussée de Maubeuge) • Apparition of the Angels of Mons to accompany the British troops in their retreat • At 22.00 hours British troups (BEF) regroup at Nouvelles before retreating toward Le Cateau • Battles of Frameries, Saint-Ghilain, Wasmes and Audregnies 24th between BEF troops and the German First Army. August • Retreat in the direction of Le Cateau via the Mormal Forest

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THE Grand-Place of mons 50.454594,3.951834 The rail bridge n the porch of the town hall, you will find two bronze plaques. 50.475318,3.945437 One is dedicated to the 5th Royal Irish Lancers who took part in t the rail bridge (follow directions below), Lieutenant Maurice toward the place called Ithe two battles for Mons in 1914 and in 1918 (during the fighting for James Dease was the only one left from his machine-gun La Bascule. This meant liberation). The other plaque is dedicated to the 3rd Canadian Division Asection, and had to man the weapon himself. He was that the 4th Royal Fusiliers that took part in the fighting of November, 1918. wounded five times and was finally evacuated to the ambulance, faced being surrounded. where he died. Private Sydney Frank Godley went forward volun- From the main square in Mons, follow the directions for Nimy, take The British retreated to- tarily, took the gun and remaining alone, ensured that his comrades the Chaussée de Bruxelles (N6) to the Avenue de la Joyeuse Entree. wards Mons, along the could withdraw. Having been wounded, he destroyed the weapon Turn left onto Nimy’s main square and park. On foot, go onto the Chaussée de Bruxelles, and threw it in the canal. He was then captured. viaduct and stand in the centre of the bridge. You will have a view and up the rue de of the entire area. On the left, you will see the railway bridge. To the In recognition of their valour, Dease and Godley were awarded Nimy to the Mons town right, the canal turns. the Victoria Cross, the first two of the war. Godley died shortly after square (Grand-Place); the Second World War. Maurice Dease, killed at the age of 24, and (the reverse of the itine- Lieutenant Mead lie in the military cemetery at Saint-Symphorien. rary that brought you here.) As they fell back, At the swivel bridge (Point 1), the battle was just as bloody, and they took advantage point it took the heroic action of the German soldier Niemeyer to open 1 of telegraph poles and the way for his comrades by jumping into the water under British © City of Mons Collections recessed doorways to fire and activating the bridge’s mechanism. In doing so, Niemeyer fire back. was killed. A small group of some 20 men dug in at the bottom of the rue de © WBT - J-P REMY At 13.10 hours, the first order to withdraw was given to the entire bat- Nimy and awaited the Germans. But faced with the spectacle of the talion; the order was only carried out at 13.40 hours, because the Ger- the road bridge Germans advancing behind a group of hostages, they withdrew 50.477585,3.952658 mans had forced their way through the Wartons and were advancing without daring to fire. ou are on the left side of the salient for- and by two machine-guns under the orders med by the bend in the canal. It was of Lieutenant Maurice Dease. The draw- According to the official report, the 4th Ydefended by the 4th battalion of the bridge and the road-bridge at the park gate Royal Fusiliers lost seven officers and 105 Royal Fusiliers. were defended by Captain Byng’s company, other men (killed, wounded and mis- supported by the 107th battery of the Royal sing). The majority of the wounded had As part of the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division Field Artillery. On 23rd August, starting at to be left in enemy hands so as not to of the II Army Corps, they defended all the 08.30 hours, the 84th Infantry Regiment of delay the retreat. positions between the road bridge at Nimy Schleswig-Holstein approached the bridges, (Point 1) and Mons station, including four following an artillery bombardment. That was bridges: the beginning of a battle that was to last until • the road-bridge from the park gate 14.00 hours. • the drawbridge at lock No 6 • the railway bridge on the Paris-Brussels The initial German attacks were repelled, but line (Point 2) at 11.00 hours the Germans attacked in force. faced with • the road-bridge on the Chaussée de The British replied with rapid and accurate the spectacle of the Bruxelles (Point 1) fire. British soldiers of the Regular Army were Germans advancing English Lee Enfield rifle capable of firing, on average, 15 rounds a The British were dug in behind barricades © All rights reserved minute and certain crack shots could even achieve 20 rounds, behind a group made up of sandbags and all kinds of other materials. They this being known as "the mad minute".The Germans suffered of hostages, had been alerted to the advance of the German forces, by very heavy losses and called in their artillery. The British then telephone, from the halt at Nimy-Maisieres, allowing them began to feel the effects of the attack; their losses increased. they withdrew to get into position for action. (The halt at Nimy-Maisieres still Second-Lieutenant MEAD, sent in with some men to reinforce without daring to fire exists, and can be found on the other side of the canal after the position, was immediately wounded in the head, and after the railway bridge.) having it dressed, went straight back to his post only to be killed The road bridge (Point 1) and the railway bridge (Point 2) were almost at once. Captain ASHBURNER was himself wounded, and defended by a company commanded by Captain ASHBURNER so was Captain FORSTER on his right. © All rights reserved

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Commemorative Plaque 50.505177,3.99797 Following the British retreat, the Germans crossed the canal, set fire ajor-General Allenby’s cavalry division, five brigades (15 Hornby pursued the enemy as far as Soignies where they were to 108 houses along the Chaussée de Bruxelles, and massacred regiments) strong had entered Belgium on 21st August, overtaken, causing a skirmish. In the meantime, the Germans had 22 civilians. They took hostages from the village and pushed them M1914. Its mission was to make contact with the French army received reinforcements, notably a company of cyclists. At the spot out in front of them, using them as a human shield as they mar- and to assess the strength of the enemy by identifying the fighting called Reine de Hongrie (Queen of Hungary) where the chase ended, ched up the Chaussée de Bruxelles and the rue de Nimy. When units. It was not possible, during the day on the 21st, to make contact the Germans had lost several men; not only had the British suffered they got to the Mons Grand-Place, they added the mayor, Jean with the enemy, close as they were. no losses, they even returned with 5 prisoners. Lescarts, to the group of hostages and the advance continued Major Tom Bridges who commanded C Squadron of the 4th Royal The cavalry division drew back during the night, to the area of Quié- along the high street. Arriving at Trou Oudart, they came under fire Irish Dragoon Guards (2nd Brigade, under Brigadier De Lisle) decided vrain, in order to strengthen the left flank of the army. from elements of the 1st Lincolnshire. In the panic and the gunfire to send some men on reconnaissance along the road between that ensued, four hostages were killed on the spot and two others Corporal E. Thomas was a regular soldier, having signed on at the Mons and Brussels and got into position at dawn on the 22nd on were wounded and died later. age of 14 and served in India. He disembarked at Boulogne on 15th the high ground of Brisée de Saint Denis. From the former town hall, follow the road that leads to the canal, August, 1914. He transferred in 1916 to the Machine-Gun Corps and go along the towpath to the railway bridge (Point 2). Beneath its Towards 07.00 hours, at the boundary between Maisières and Cas- ended the war without being wounded but suffering from the effects arch is a plaque with the following inscription: teau, an advanced guard of four enemy cavalrymen (from the 2nd of gas. He was awarded the Military Medal for his bravery and was "To the glorious memory of the Officers, NCO and men of the 4th BN Cuirassiers) emerged from Casteau. They were immediately spotted demobilised in 1923, becoming a doorman at a cinema in Brighton, Royal Fusiliers who held this sector of the British Front in the defense by the British, hidden in the undergrowth. The enemy hesitated and his birthplace. He died on 10th February, 1939. then turned tail and ran, pursued by the 1st Platoon commanded by of the town of Mons. August 23rd 1914. This memorial marks the Return to your car and drive back the way you came. At the large Captain Hornby, followed by the 4th Platoon which included Thomas. M.G. position where the first V.C.s awarded during the war 1914-18 crossroads turn left, in the direction of Obourg (rue de la Brisée), were gained by Lt M.J. Dease, V.C. and Pte S.F. Godley V.C." The men of 4th Platoon dismounted near the Château de Ghislain. then turn right at the rue du Camp, left into the rue Taille Coleau, Head back to Nimy’s main square, get into your car and take the The Germans opened fire. Thomas was the first to aim and fire, and right on the rue Saint Denis, which will become the rue des and a German rider went down. Whether he had wounded him or Ecossais (Scots Road). From the rue des Ecossais, turn left into the Chaussée de Bruxelles (N6) north. You will pass SHAPE head- Road from Nimy to Mons quarters on your left and a short time later arrive in Casteau. On © City of Mons Collections not, he never found out. What is certain is that the British had not rue des Anglais (English Road), turn to the right at the roundabout the verge, on the left-hand side as you travel north, you will find a fired a shot on the Continent since Waterloo, so it was Thomas who and go over the bridge that spans the canal. At the bottom, turn left monument inscribed as follows: "It was here, on 22 August 1914, Following the British had the honour of firing the very first British round of the Great War. and you are at Obourg station. at seven o’clock in the morning that the British Expeditionary Force retreat, the Germans (BEF) and Germany’s First Army made their first contact. Corporal crossed the canal and E. Thomas of C Squadron of the 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards fired the first shot, and Captain C.D. Hornby led the first charge that set fire to 108 houses drove the enemy scouts back to the northern edge of Casteau." The monument is not actually on the spot where that first, famous shot was fired but at the starting-point for the charge. Opposite this monument, on the house on the other side of the road, you can see the plaque commemorating where the Canadian troops were at the time of the armistice on 11 November, 1918. This is also the place where the First World War both began and ended for Commonwealth troops.

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Obourg station Mons Cemetery 50.470111,4.011015 50.460919, 3.978546 his is the sector that was defended by the 4th Battalion of the the dead and dying, he 4th Middlesex retired in good order, both from Obourg The situation was Middlesex Regiment. perched on the station station and from the Wartons lock (which is to the left of the becoming des- roof, he resisted the station in the extension of the Chemin des Wartons). They perate, for the TOn 21st August, this battalion had sent a patrol of cyclists towards T Germans. They man- took up position all along the wall that lines the road, alongside enemy was Casteau-Maisieres, and it came across a German patrol. During an aged to wound him at two companies of the 2nd Royal Irish at around 12.40 hours. attacking on exchange of fire, Private J. Parr (serial number L/14.196) was killed. He last, and forced their both flanks was the first of what would, alas, become a very long list of victims A and C Companies as well as two platoons of B Company of way through taking care and the Ger- indeed. He was laid to rest in the Saint-Symphorien Military Cemetery. the 2nd Royal Irish took up their position, under the command of to finish him off before man artillery Major Saint Leger, in a quarry to the north-east of the cemetery (it On 23rd August, 1914, beginning at eight in the morning, shots were moving on. rained down no longer exists today, but was located in what is now the street exchanged on both sides of the canal. The Germans were about to from above. There is a plaque on named after the 4th Middlesex) and towards the right under the launch an attack. The fighting started to the west of the station and the wall of the station, cover of a sunken road. D Company, under Captain Elliot, was Colonel Hull spread to the canal bridge, held by D Company (under the command bearing this inscription: to the north of the road with, on its right, the last platoon of B and Major of Captain Glass who was wounded during the assault). "On 23rd August, 1914, Company. Finally, two sections of B Company, led by Lieutenant Saint Leger de- At the railway station, B Company had been put under Lieutenant at eight o’clock in the Ferguson, in a field to the south-west of the cemetery covered cided therefore Wilmot Aliston who gained the unhappy privilege of becoming the morning, near this spot, the road’s exit between the asylum and the cemetery. to withdraw to a © S. Santarelli first British prisoner of the war. The soldiers had taken cover on the the 4th battalion of the more favourable The remainder of the 2nd Royal Irish took up position at Faubourg platform of the annex, well concealed behind sacks of cement. Thanks Middlesex Regiment fired the first shots in the Battle of Mons. On position. Gathering all Barthelemy as far as the intersection of the Mons-Binche and Psychiatric hospital for to this protection, they cut down any enemy that tried to approach. the roof of this station, a British soldier, who has not been identified, the men that they could, Mons-Givry roads (the place called La Bascule) in order to cover women burnt by Ger- The German soldiers were from the 31st Infantry Regiment. remained alone, laying down his life to safeguard the retreat of his Hull and Saint Leger retrea- mans from the 85th the Gordon Highlanders. Infantry Regiment. It was a hard-fought battle all along the canal held by the 4th Middle- comrades." ted, covered by Major Panter © City of Mons The companies of the 4th Middlesex prepared for battle to the Downes and Lieutenant Phillips, who Collections sex and, thanks to their accuracy and rapidity of their fire, the British The fighting shifted towards the cemetery and the asylum. right of the the 2nd Royal Irish, spread from the end of the Rue inflicted heavy losses on the German 85th I.R. and 86th F.R. was wounded. Follow the Chemin de Beauval, turn right and take the Vieux Chemin du Chêne aux haies as far as the Chaussée de Binche (slightly Go down the rue du Chêne aux haies, turn left on the Chemin Towards midday, the English began to be overwhelmed by numbers de Binche; turn left at the Chemin de l’Oasis and then left again into the above the crossing), thus forming an arc. de la Procession and left again into the Chaussée du Roeulx. and had to give ground, their losses mounting. The battalion sent an Chemin du Chêne aux haies. On the right is the wall of the cemetery; The German artillery heavily bombarded the sector, especially Turn right and take the Chemin des Mourdreux to the crossroads urgent message to Colonel Cox (commanding the 2nd Royal Irish), on the left are the buildings of the psychiatric hospital. with incendiary shells. The buildings of the asylum started to requesting assistance and adding that they were forced to fall back known as La Bascule (Tipping Point). The cemetery at Mons includes a military section where British and burn and the 600 inmates, terrified, fled into the open. Several to the edge of the cemetery. German soldiers, killed during the two world wars lie. A cenotaph were killed. Two companies of the 2nd Royal Irish were sent in rescue towards stands guard over the graves that surround it. There are 390 British The companies of the 2nd Royal Irish the cemetery where the leader of 1st Company, Captain Mellor, was soldiers interred there. had to scatter under the heavy fire from immediately killed by an exploding shell. artillery and machine-guns. The troops’ At the station in Obourg, a heroic British soldier whose name is un- movements must have been seen by a known sacrificed himself to allow his comrades to retreat. Alone among spotter aircraft that overflew the sector © All rights reserved and informed the artillery. Because the bombing became too in- tense and his men’s range too limited, Major Saint Leger was forced to move his troops to a new position. The British losses, especially of officers, were in- creasing.

"B" Company - 4th bataillon Middlesex Regiment © City of Mons Collections

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royal irish Regiment

Mon50.452422,3.97979ument boxes of ammunition. Sergeant Redmont managed to repair the From La Bascule, turn in the weapon, which aided their defence considerably. There were direction of Mons, and al- he British soldiers got into position at the crossroads exten- He impressed already 11 dead among the Irish and three among the Gordons. most 100 yards to the left, ding out as far as the Barthelemy suburb. The terrain pro- upon his men you will find the Château vided good shelter from rifle fire, but was swept by cannon not to open fire The Germans bombarded the sector and the shells reached the T Gendebien (today a and machine-guns. until the enemy houses. Some civilians who had taken shelter in cellars were restaurant called Chez were less than killed. A section of artillery, placed to the left of the battalion, tried va- Léon). 200 yards away. liantly to counter the fire of the German artillery, but drew such The Germans tried one more charge, but Redmont’s machine-gun a deluge of shells that it was forced to withdraw. When the ele- made ominous gaps in their ranks. The fighting moved towards ments of the the positions of the Gordon Highlanders and the Royal Scots. Fitz- Once again their position became untenable. The battalion 85th Infantry patrick and the others who survived were able to get some rest. regrouped and started to retreat. The 2nd Royal Irish (except B Regiment (on Company) went down the rue Leon Save. B Company withdrew Night fell at last. The losses were 15 dead and four gravely wounded. the right) and through a wood behind the hospital. The 4th Middlesex followed. the 31st Infantry A memorial in the form of a Celtic cross was erected at this cross- The losses of the 4th Middlesex reached 15 officers and 467 Regiment (on roads in 1923 and inaugurated on 11th November of the same year other ranks. the left) appear- by Lord French the Earl of Ypres, to commemorate the participation of the Irish unit and its glorious defence of this place. Following the British retreat from the cemetery, the Germans ed, they were Sergeant Fitzpatrick, RQMS © WBT - J-P REMY reconstituted their front and spread out between the edge of received with © City of Mons Collections Opposite this memorial, on the other side of the highway, is a Mons and La Bascule. They wanted to seize the crossroads and sustained fire. monument dedicated to the two battles of Mons that was unveiled block the retreat of the British forces. They poured across fields After two conventional mass attacks, the Germans changed their on 23rd August, 1986. Initially, this monument was originally erected and followed the Chemin des Mourdreux. tactics. They attacked in penny-packets in loose order. in 1952 in Castle Park, not far from the Belfry. It was inaugurated Night fell at last by Field-Marshal Lord Alexander of Tunis. It bears the following The losses were 15 dead Regimental Quarter-Master Sergeant Fitzpatrick had been ordered At about 15.00 hours, Major Simpson (of the 2nd Gordon Highland- inscription: by Lieutenant R.E.G. Phillips, at around 12.30 hours to stay put and ers) whose defences were to the right, arrived at the Bascule. and four gravely wounded "Here the forces of the British Empire fought their first and await orders. At that time, the regiment was at the Segard public He was astonished to find so few men at such an important point. last battles in the 1914-1918 war ". house where they had just been served beer. Fitzpatrick and his He came back shortly with a dozen men. Sadly, Major Simpson On the 23rd and 24th August, 1914, the British Expeditionary men were preparing a meal when he saw that his battalion was was wounded, but he was able to leave the scene on his horse. in trouble and that some men were starting to retreat. He got Force commanded by Sir John French with supreme courage During a lull, Fitzpatrick, accompanied by volunteers, fetched an together 40 men, a mixture of cooks, batmen, storemen, drivers, held the advance of overwhelmingly superior German Forces. abandoned and damaged machine-gun together with some etc. and manned the trenches on the other side of the crossroads. On Armistice Day 1918, after 60 hours of heavy fighting, Cana- dian divisions entered Mons. British and Canadian Regiments have erected this tablet to the Glory of God and Commemorate these events."

16 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 17 map legend

3 Commemorative Plaque Point 0 - The Grand-place of mons page 10

Point 1 - The road bridge page 10

Point 2 - the rail bridge Rue Grande page 11-12

E42 E19 Point 3 - Commemorative plaque page 13

Point 4 - obourg station 1 Road Bridge page 14 2 Rail Bridge Point 5 - mons cemetery page 15 Le Grand Large Canal du Centre N6 Chaussée de Bruxelles 4 royal irish regiment Monument Obourg Station Point 6 - page 16-17

Chemin E19 de la Procession Point 7 - Chateau gendebien Route d’ Obourg 5 Mons Cemetery Chaussée de Roeulx page 20 N538 N539 Point 8 - Bois-là-haut

0 page 21

Grand-Place 6 Monument 7 Point 9 - bascule monument Chateau Gendebien page 22-23 9 Bascule Chemin saint-symphorien cemetery d’ adresse Point 10 - page 24-25 N90 Chaussée de Binche

N6 Bois-Là-Haut 8

Chemin de Bethléem 10

Saint-Symphorien Cemetery

18 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 19 point 7 point 8

Chateau Gendebien Bois-là-Haut 50.452668,3.972756 50.440466,3.983141 he Chateau Gendebien was hit in the afternoon by incen- he 40th Brigade of the Royal Field Artillery, i.e., No 6, No 23 With superhuman determination the gunners managed to free the diary shells and caught fire. Situated on the Chaussée de and No 29 batteries, took up position on the high ground transport, uncouple it by hand and reassemble it at the foot of the TBinche, the château served as a relief hospital. It had been Tin a field overlooking the Chaussée de Binche. The horses hill. The surviving horses were redistributed among the teams on placed under the command of Major Long, the medical officer of were sheltered in a wood. the Chemin de Bethleem. the 2nd Royal Irish Fusiliers. The windows were hung with the Red During the daytime on 23rd August, this gunnery brigade had no The convoy caught up with the rest of the retreating troops at Cross flag, while a similar flag had been hoisted above the roof. interference at all from the German infantry, but was subjected 23.30 hours and fell back towards Nouvelles. As a result of the fire, all the wounded were evacuated to the to artillery shelling that caused three fatalities. Go back along the Chemin de Bethléem and back up the Chaus- surrounding prairie and to the Château Hardenpont (which has The British artillery was in a commanding position that covered sée de Beaumont toward La Bascule. You are now on the Route since been re-named Château Gendebien). Unfortunately, two the entire battlefield and its guns cut gaping holes in the ranks de Binche, where the 1st Gordon Highlanders and the 2nd Royal men didn’t make it out: Major J.S. Maidlow (49th Battery, Royal of the German attackers. Scots were positioned. Field Artillery) and an unidentified private. At 17.15 hours, the gunners received the order to withdraw, doing N.B. The present-day Château Gende- so at 17.30, escorted by the 12th Platoon of the Gordon Highland- bien is where the general who is Com- ers and under fire from German guns positioned at Hyon. mander-in-chief of the NATO troops The convoy turned into the sunken road that was very narrow, stationed at SHAPE resides. Private CARTER © City of Mons Collections extremely steep and bounded by high banks. Under the German fire, several horses were killed or injured. The men of the 1st Gordon The sector had become quiet again. Fires began to be lit in the Highlanders were even forced to charge a German road-block German camp. put across the road leading to Hyon with bayonets. At 17.15 hours, the gunners Among the hospital’s wounded were Lieutenant Phillips who On the way down, an ammunition wagon overturned killing two was unconscious, which meant he could no longer give orders drivers and the horses. The road was blocked. The line of retreat received the order to withdraw, to Fitzpatrick. seemed to be cut too, because the Germans had dug in at Hyon. Doing so at 17.30. So the latter decided to retreat and rejoin the battalion. Having Major Ingham, command- buried their dead, his group destroyed the machine-gun as well ing the 23rd Battery, went as any weapons that could not be carried. At midnight, they stole on reconnaissance while the away. In silence and darkness, the 18 survivors, each carrying work of clearing the obstacle two rifles, crossed gardens, yards and fields and reached the began. A defensive position slopes of Bois-la-Haut. They crossed the Trouille and took two was taken up. hours of sleep. They rejoined the rest of the battalion on the afternoon of the 24th. At last, the body of the wagon was lifted to the bank of the Fitzpatrick was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal (DCM) road, the gun was brought for his action. He died on 25th March, 1965. down by hand and dragged Return to your car and drive along the Chaussée de Beaumont, towards the highway. turn right into the Chemin d’Adresse. Because the road is not in very good condition, we suggest you park your car here and go to Bois-la-Haut on foot.

bascule monument 50.451001,3.988023 he 1st Gordon Highlanders had been in their trenches from It was not until around 16.00 hours that the battalion was hit At 21.10 hours, the 2nd Royal Scots received a message from eight o’clock in the morning. Their positions started at La by violent artillery shelling that progressively ranged across the HQ ordering the companies to be ready to withdraw at 22.30. TBascule, ran the length of the Mons-Binche and Mons-Givry whole line of defence. It was only with darkness that this shelling C Company of the Royal Irish Rifles, interspersed among the roads and up the side of Mont Panisel that faced the road. ceased. 2nd Royal Scots, were ordered to place themselves under the authority of the battalion. In their continuation of the Gordons’ line, the 2nd Royal Scots The infantry fighting, compared to that in other sectors, was moved into the trenches that the soldiers had dug under the not much more than skirmishes. The worst fighting took place At 22.30 hours, the companies, starting from the right, disengag- bushes along the Route de Beaumont on the other side of the around a café called the Crèmerie. The Gordons had set up a ed in good order and formed into columns. Malplaquet crossroads. machine-gun on that spot, well hidden behind a hedge. It caused The withdrawal was completed without incident. the attackers heavy losses. Since the Royal Scots were spread thinly, a company of the South When you arrive at Saint-Symphorien, follow the signs for Staffordshires arrived at about 14.30 hours to fill a gap in the Under cover of darkness, the Irish Guards moved in to reinforce "St-Symphorien Military Cemetery". middle of the positions. At 16.00 hours, they were further rein- the positions digging in just out of sight from the Mons-Givry forced by two companies of the Royal Irish Rifles. highway. They disengaged at around 21.00 hours. You have arrived at: Point 10 St-Symphorien Cemetery. At 14.30 hours, the Germans launched a tentative, probing attack – a simple contact with the enemy.

the fighting stopped at about 20.00 hours, the quiet being interrupted only by some sporadic shots. © C.Rousman La Bascule Monument © City of Mons Collections

22 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 23 point 10

Saint-Symphorien Cemetery 50.434985,4.00948

his cemetery, probably one of the finest in Bel- gium, is in a very quiet, rural spot. Surrounded Tby fields and trees, it has a peacefulness that sometimes makes one feel anguished. There are two areas: one with German graves, the other with British ones. © WBT - J-P REMY This cemetery is administered by the Com- monwealth War Graves Commission; they main- tain it with great care. It is a very poignant place that invites profound reflection and strong emotions. The majority of the soldiers killed during the Battle of Mons lie there. This cemetery is one of The largest number of graves are those of the 4th the finest in Belgium Middlesex. Here you will also see those of soldiers who died liberating the city of Mons in November, 1918. © WBT - J-P REMY

It is a very poignant place that invites profound reflection and strong emotions

he cost of the two days of fighting has never been estab- were written with the same black ink: heavy losses … hellfire from the Belgians. This explains why eyewitnesses stated, and it lished precisely, not by the British and certainly not by the … bloody combat … the regiment has been wiped out … They was confirmed in certain German accounts, that during the evening TGermans. In fact, Germany always refrained from publishing all concurred. And these rumours worried the High Command of 23rd August the bodies of many dead were taken to the rear in official figures, both during the war and afterwards. whom Lord Kitchener had urged to avoid the spilling of British covered wagons. The German losses can be reasonably estimated blood by all possible means. Certainly, some losses had been at 2,700 men. On the British side, the most realistic figure for losses and the expected, but this experience was cruel and uncovered the most likely, is in the region of 4,200. That figure can be broken On their side too, the same pessimism dominated reports and ac- horrible face of this modern war where artillery ruled supreme down as follows: counts: hecatomb, enormous losses, bloody battlefield, hostile and and foot-soldiers became canon-fodder. It was a far cry from deadly fire … Thus, the 12th Brandenburg Grenadiers (5th Division) Losses on 23rd August: 1,600 men, of whom 40 were in I the exciting childhood images of war dreamt of by boys at play. declared that they had lost 25 officers and more than 500 men. Corps, all the others belonging to II Corps. More than half were This lesson was to serve Field Marshal French well during the Worse, the 75th Bremen Regiment (17th Division) lost five officers and from the two battalions of the 8th Brigade that underwent weeks to come; he refrained from committing his troops to action 376 men in a single attack! repeated assaults in the salient: the Royal Irish (300 men) that he considered risky. The commanders of the French allied and the 4th Middlesex (15 officers and 353 men); as for the The final result of those two days of fighting was heavy. Yet some forces would have difficulty convincing him to take part in the 4th Royal Fusiliers, they lost 250 men. correction must be made in reckoning the figures. In reality, when Battle of the Marne. one speaks of losses among the British, the figure includes not Losses of 24th August: The losses reported for this day are On the German side, the losses are impossible to establish with only killed, wounded and missing but also prisoners. With the even higher than those of the previous. The total reached any certainty. What is sure, without fear of contradiction, is that they Germans, though, the number of their captured was minimal. The 2,590 men, being broken down into: were higher than those of the British. This is due, above all, to the British, surrounded, took few prisoners; being on the defensive, Cavalry: 250 fact that attacks were made in close ranks under the unceasing, they did not have much opportunity to do so. The few Germans I Corps: 100 accurate fire of their opponents. The Germans did not publish the that they did capture were turned over to the guard who treated II Corps: 0 figures and statistics resulting from these battles and those of the their wounded. 3rd Division: 550 following weeks for fear of undermining the morale of their troops © All rights reserved 5th Division: 1.650 and the civilian population. They even tried to hide their casualties 19th Brigade: 40 Among the units most sorely tried were the Cheshires, who lost I Corps was not attacked until early afternoon. In addition, II Corps 800 men (the unit was annihilated), the Norfolks, who were minus also screened the BEF’s retreat taking even more fire. 250 men, and the 119th Battery, who lost 30. For the British, these first two days of war were frightful and Reading these figures, it is possible to ascertain that it was II Corps are indelibly engraved on the collective memory as such. Of that suffered most during the two days of battle. That is quite under- course, compared to the fighting that unfolded on the Somme, standable, as it was the first to come under the Germans’ repeated, at Ypres and in Flanders, these losses were relatively minor. Yet, frenzied attacks and sustained aggression from the start to the finish. at the beginning of that August, at the start of the war, all reports

II Corps suffered the most during the two days of battle

lace for reflection, space for questioning, museum — the this first conflict in which Mons played a central role, both as a mons where british soldiers lie Mons Memorial Museum can define itself by so many combat zone and occupied territory. In addition to being a theater names. This new museum space aspires to be, above of the first confrontation between the British and German armies Angre Elouges Harveng Quiévrain P all, a meeting place in the heart of a region steeped in memory at the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, Mons was also the Rue d’Angre Rue du commerce Place d’Harveng Place du centenaire, 3 and marked by two world wars that marked twentieth-century place where the Allied armies rested on November 11, 1918, after 7380 Angre (Honnelles) (behind the church) 7022 Harveng (Mons) 7382 Quiévrain society. The Mons Memorial Museum invites visitors of all ages their victorious offensive. The people of Mons would be subjec- 7370 Elouges (Dour) Angreau Hautrage Quévy-le-Petit to reflect on the multiple and complex realities of wartime events. ted to four years of occupation before liberation finally arrived. Rue du Quesnoy, 35 Estinnes-au-Mont Grand route de Mons Rue Saint-Eloi Accounts of the lives of men and women who witnessed the Restrictions of all types, constant checks, and humiliation would (Militery Cemetery) 178-200 7040 Quévy-le-Petit 7387 Honnelles At the crossroad of conflict immerse visitors in the daily experiences of soldiers and become the daily lot of the civilians who, for the most part, strove Rue de Villerot, 1-15 civilians in periods of peace, war, and occupation. to live as normally as possible. The fate of soldiers, confined to Chemin de Roisin Audregnies 7334 Hautrage the wet and muddy trenches of the Western Front, is also largely Maubeuge et chemin Rue du Point du Jour Chosen from among the 5000 items that constitute the military Rue de la Ville, 2-78 evoked in the exhibit. Their war logs and letters to their loved ones de la Sainte Havay 7387 Roisin history collections of the City of Mons, the objects presented 7382 Audregnies (Quiévrain) speak of their links to the families they left behind, their reactions Crossroad of rue du Dépôt, inspire deep reflection on the relations between the civilian and 7120 Estinnes-au-mont Saint-Symphorien when thrown into confrontation with newly invented weapons, rue des Villers et rue Bonnet military populations. This reflection takes form in a journey from Asquillies Avenue de la Shangri and their trouble looking death in the face. For the visitor, these Erquelinnes 7041 Havay the Middle Ages through the Ancien Régime up until the two Rue du charbonnage, 2 7032 Saint-Symphorien previously unseen, first-hand accounts link historic events and Rue Madame, 7 world wars. 7040 Asquillies Hantes-Wihéries 6560 Erquelinnes Spiennes imbue them with palpable emotion. Chemin des Chapelles A large segment of the Mons Memorial Museum’s permanent col- Blaugies Rue du Petit Spiennes Erquennes 6560 Hantes-Wihéries lection is dedicated to World War I: 40% of the museum concerns At the angle of 7032 Spiennes Rue Derrière l’Eglise (Erquelinnes) Le MMM in numbers Rue de la frontière, 30 Villerot (At the crossroad of • A 3000 m² museum space 7370 Blaugies (Dour) Harchies Rue des Croix, 12-18 rue longue) Rue Buissonnet, 39-47 A place to reflect on the • A 1200 m² permanent exposition hall 7384 Villerot (saint-ghislain) •A 350 m² temporary exposition hall Bougnies 7387 Erquennes 7321 Harchies (Bernissart) multiple and complex realities Rue d’Asquillies Warquignies • 2 mediation rooms for school groups Flénu Jemappes 7040 Bougnies Le sentier de Lamina of wartime events. • 1 projection room Close to Rue de Allée du Cimetière 7340 Colfontaine • 1 conference room Boussu-Bois Quaregnon, 36 7012 Jemappes • 1 cafeteria et 1 boutique Wihéries Rue de Dour, 7012 Flénu Mons Route de Quiévrain, 1-7 At the angle of 234 Frameries Chemin du Chêne aux Haies 7370 Wihéries (Dour) 7300 Boussu 7000 Mons Rue Donaire Boussu 7080 Frameries Herchies * Non-exhaustive list Rue Delmée et Renard Route de Lens Ghlin 7300 Boussu 7050 Herchies (Jurbise) Next to Rue de Ciply Tournai, 29 Masnuy-Saint-Pierre Rue Lieutenant de Rue Brunehaut, 235 7011 Ghlin Saint-Martin, 2-6 7024 Ciply Givry 7050 Masnuy-Saint-Pierre Next to Rue de Cuesmes Montignies-sur-Roc Harmenpont, 8 In front of Bas des Rocs / Rue de l’Eglise Rue de Framaeries,97 7041 Givry 7387 Montignies-sur-Roc 7033 Cuesmes Grand-Reng 6470 Montbliart Sivry-Rance Dour Rue du cimetière Nouvelles Avenue Victor Regnart, 2 6560 Grand-Reng Rue Briffaut, 2-8 7370 Dour (Erquelinnes) 7022 Nouvelles opening in 2015 boulevard dolez 28 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 29 Monument to the Dead on the Place du Parc : and a ceremony met them. In 1921, the square where Charles Tormented civilians Simonet lived at the time of his arrest was given his name. On hroughout the war, the City of Mons was occupied by Ger- May 6, 1922, he was decorated with the posthumous title of the man troops. While civilians lost their lives in the fighting Croix de chevalier de l’Ordre de Léopold. On August 26, 1923, Tduring invasion or liberation or in deportation, soldiers his remains were again transferred, this time to a mausoleum from Mons died on the front. They distinguished themselves in within the communal cemetery. The monument, a creation of a number of battles on the Western Front from the time of their Léon Parys and Gustave Jacobs, was inaugurated on July 10, mobilization on July 31, 1914. 1927, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth. It depicts a feminine espite being a military affair, this war did not spare civilian Inaugurated on May 28, 1922, during Allied patriotic celebrations, figure raising its right arm, symbolizing Charles Simonet’s freely society. Many monuments and plaques remind passersby the monument on the Place du Parc is the creation of sculptor given sacrifice. of the fate of civilians during the Great War. Léon Gobert and architect Edmond Bertiaux. On the day of its D The plaque given by the city of Douai to the inauguration, a procession of wounded war veterans, deportees, schoolchildren, and people from all segments of society streamed City of Mons in the Town Hall’s entryway Commemorative plaque at the Place des toward the Place du Parc where we now find ourselves. Military rom 2nd to 4th September, 1918, during the retreat of the Martyrs : music and patriotic song followed the participants along their German army after is defeat in the 2nd Battle of the Marne, entire course as the peal of bells from the belfry’s carillon and the people of Douai were forced to evacuate their town. The etween the months of August and October 1914, 6000 positioned along F every church filled the air. In front of the monument, the Mayor German troops worried that the French civilians would be used civilians in Belgium and northern France were killed by the the Mons-Condé canal Jean Lescarts began to speak. His speech conjured the memory against them by the British. The people of Douai walked 20 km German army. While the Germans considered these actions in this town. Three corps of B of the 133 soldiers and 30 civilian victims from Mons who died for per day until they reached Mons, where they were housed in as legitimate retaliation, they were deemed "German atrocities" the German army came to meet their nation and whose names were engraved in this stone. These requisitioned homes and buildings. By October 9, 1918, nearly by the Belgian, French, and British people and governments. them. The British Expeditionary Corps men and women, however, only represent part of the military 5000 refugees from northern France would be relocated to Mons. This violent outburst was in part due to the Germans’ belief in a responded with fierce resistance, but its position became unten- and civilian victims in the Mons region. The 2.3 m bronze figure After the War, the City of Douai took it upon itself to recognize massive presence of irregular soldiers within the civilian popula- able. The German bombarding intensified. The command came symbolizes victory and glory. After World War II, the names of the the City of Mons. It gave it a plaque to offer thanks for the warm tions. This fear of having to fight an urban guerilla force without for retreat at 10:30am., and around 1:00pm. the British folded victims of that conflict were added to the monument. welcome given to the displaced people of Douai. any recognizable uniform was a legacy of the Franco-Prussian back toward Mons. The soldiers of the German army crossed the War of 1870-1871. canal in pursuit. Arriving in the center of the village, the German The Charles Simonet Monument on the Place troops wreaked terror, burning 108 houses and massacring civi- On August 23, 1914, the villages around Mons became a slaugh- Charles Simonet : lians. The soldiers then took residents as hostages and pushed ter ground for their civilian populations. Exhausted by forced them in front of their lines as a human shield. The few British From the outbreak of the war, men and women risked their lives marches, shocked by the resistance mounted by Liège forts, soldiers who had remained behind to meet the enemy vanguards by enlisting in resistance, information, or escape networks. Such and nervous at the idea of not being able to follow the Schlieffen gave up the combat. The Germans continued all the way to was the case for Charles Simonet. Born in Mons on September Plan’s invasion strategy, German soldiers seized the opportunity Mons’s Grand-Place. There, the Mayor Jean Lescarts, was put at 4, 1872, he began working for the British information services in to avenge their losses in the Battle of Mons. British and sometimes the front of the hostages. The column of civilians crossed the city October, 1914. His mission consisted of collecting information and "friendly" fire provoked bloody retaliation. 22 civilians were killed and arrived at the square that would soon earn its name as the transferring it to an agent who would then pass it on across the in Nimy. Quaregnon (66 civilians killed), Ville-Pommeroueul (14), Place des Martyrs. Here the group found themselves caught in border. Simonet was betrayed; on June 20, 1915, he was arrested Flénu (12), et Jemappes (11) were not spared either. In addition the fire from the 1st Lincolnshire Battalion. The hostages attempted by the German police. At the same time, Joseph Delsaut, Jules to these killings, the German troops set fire to dozens of houses. to flee and take shelter, the German soldiers fired on them in and Arthur Legay were imprisoned for collaborating in the same After the war and a number of investigations, one thing became turn, and the square dissolved into a chaotic mess of panic and service. Sentenced to death on November 2, 1915, along with Del- certain: there was no organized civil resistance during the first confusion. Four people were killed on the spot, and two others saut and Jules Legay, Simonet was executed November 6, 1915, two months of the conflict. would succumb to their wounds. In total, 22 inhabitants of Nimy at the Tir National of Brussels. While Delsaut’s family reclaimed The commemorative plaque in the Place des Martyrs, like the perished on the 23rd and 24th of August, 1914. his body in November 1915, those of Legay and Simonet were name of the square itself, refers to the atrocities that took place repatriated after the war. On May 25, 1919, their bodies were in Nimy on August 23, 1914. Two corps of the British army were exhumed from the grounds of the Tir National. Simonet was still tied up. The two coffins traveled back to Mons by railway,

30 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide 31 The boutique at The Mons Tourist Office carries a selection of souvenirs and other items commemorating Mons and the role it played in the Great War.

during the first battle of Mons Open Monday

Ist DIVISION (général major S. LOMAX) • obusiers : groupe 44 (nos 47.56.60) 15e brigade : - Saturday 10:00am 1ère brigade : • lourde : 35e batterie. • 1er Norfolk • 1er Coldstream Guards • 1er Bedfordshire - 6:00pm; Sundays and • 1er Scots Guards TRAIN : 2e division. • 1er Cheshire holidays 11:00am - 5:00pm. • 1er Royal Highlanders • 1er Dorsetshire. • 2e Royal Munster Fusiliers ROYAL ENGINEERS : Closed 1st & 2nd January, 1st 2e brigade : 5e et 11e Field Cie - 2e signal Cie MOUNTED TROOPS: e e • 2e Royal Sussex escadron A du 19 Hussard - 5 Cie cycliste. November and 25th & 26th • 1er North Lancashire R.A.M.C. : 4e, 5e et 6e Field ambulances. • 1er Northamptonshire ARTILLERY: December. e • de campagne : brigade 15 (nos 11.52.80) ; • 2 King’s Royal Rifles corps 3rd DIVISION (général major H. HAMILTON) 27 (nos 119.120.121) et 28 (nos 122.123.124) 3e brigade : e 7 brigade : • obusiers : groupe 8 (nos 37.61 et 65) er e • 1 Queen’s Royal West Surrey • 3 Worcestershire e er • lourde : 108 batterie. • 1 South Wales Borderers • 2e South Lancashire er • 1 Gloucestershire • 1er Wiltshire e e TRAIN : 5 division. • 2 Welsh. • 2e Royal Irish Rifles 8e brigade : ROYAL ENGINEERS : 17e et 59e Field Cie MOUNTED TROOPS: • 2e Royal Scots e er Escadron C du 15 Hussard - 1 Cie cycliste. • 2e Royal Irish R.A.M.C. : 13e, 14e et 15e Field ambulances. • 4e Middlesex 19e brigade ARTILLERY: • 1er Gordon Highlanders. (brigadier général L.G. DRUMMOND) • de campagnes : groupes 25 (nos 113, • 2e Royal Welsh Fusiliers 114, 115) ; 26 (nos 116, 117, 118) ; 39 (nos er 9e BRIGADE : • 1 Scottish Rifles 46.51.54). er • 1er Northumberland Fusiliers • 1 Middlesex • obusiers : groupe 43 (nos 30.40.57) e • 4e Royal Fusiliers • 2 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders • lourde : 26e batterie RGA. e • 1er Lincolnshire + la 19 Field Ambulance. • 1er Royal Scots Fusiliers. 1ère div. du train. CAVALRY DIVISION (Edmund ALLENBY) 1e brigade : MOUNTED TROOPS : ROYAL ENGINEERS : • 2e Dragoon Guards escadron A du 15e Hussard - 3e Cie cycliste. 23e et 26e Cie de campagne - 1er signal Cie • 5e Dragoon Guards • 11e Hussards ARTILLERY : e R.A.M.C. : 1e, 2e et 3e Field Ambulances. 2 brigade : • de campagne : groupes 23 (nos • 4e Dragoon Guards 107.108.109) ; 40 (nos 6.23.49) et 42 (nos e 2nd DIVISION (général major C. MONRO) • 9 Lanciers e 4e brigade : 29.41.45). • 18 Hussars (Queen Mary’s Own) e • 2e Grenadier Guards • obusiers : groups 30 (nos 128.129.130). 3 brigade : e e • 2e Coldstream Guards • lourde : 48 batterie. • 4 Hussards e • 3e Coldstream Guards • 5 Lanciers e e • 1er Irish Guards. TRAIN : 3 division. • 16 Lanciers 4e brigade : 5e brigade : • Household cavalry • 2e Worcester ROYAL ENGINEERS : e e e e e 6 et 57 Field Cie - 3 signal Cie • 6 Dragoon Guards • 2 Oxford and Buckingham Light Infantry e e • 3 Hussards • 2 Highland Light Infantry e e e e 5 brigade : • 2e Connaught Rangers R.A.M.C. : 7 , 8 et 9 Field ambulances. • 12e Lanciers e 6 brigade : • 20e Hussards er 5th DIVISION (Général major SIR C. FERGUSSON) • 1 Liverpool (th King’s regiment) • 2e Dragoons (Scots Grey) • 2e South Staffordshire 13e brigade : er • 2e King’s Own Scottisch Borderers • 1 Royal Berkshire HORSE ARTILLERY : Batteries D.E.J.I.L. • 1er King’s Royal Rifle Corps. • 2e Duke of Wellington’s West Riding • 1er Royal West Kent ROYAL ENGINEERS : 1er Field squadron. MOUNTED TROOPS : • 2e King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry e escadron B du 15e Hussard - 2e Cie cycliste. 14 bridge : ROYAL FLYING CORPS : (Brigadier général sir David • 2e Suffolk HENDERSON) ARTILLERY: • 1er East Surrey er follow us on: • de campagne : groupes 34 (nos 25.50.70) ; • 1 Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry SQUADRONS: nos 2.3.4 et 5. 36 (nos 15.48.71) et 41 (nos 5.16.17) • 2e Manchester. D. 1987 - 0100 - 022 32 Mons 14-18 Mons Battlefield Guide www.visitmons.be opening in2015•boulevard dolez•www .monsmemorialmuseummonsbe

Responsible publisher: Mons Tourist Office. Textes: Yves BOURDON