From Mons To The First Battle Of Ypres [Illustrated Edition]

By Captain James G. W. Hyndson M.C.

Includes The First World War On The Western Front 1914-1915 Illustrations Pack with 101 maps, plans, and photos.


An exceptional and vivid account of the opening battles of the First World War with the B.E.F.. Captain Hyndson was with the Loyal North Lancashire Regiment during the retreat from Mons until the First Battle of Ypres during which he was wounded and invalided back to Blighty. In recognition of his bravery he was awarded the Military Medal in 1915.


"As there has as yet been published no connected account of the first phase of the Great War from a Regimental Officer's point of view, I have been persuaded to put into book form the diary which I began on the first day of mobilization and kept up until I was invalided home from the French Front in 1915. As far as I am aware, there are only three or four platoon and company commanders still living who went through the Battle of, and Retreat from, Mons, as well as the Battles of the Marne, the Aisne and Ypres. This fact has emboldened me to add one more book to the already enormous bulk of war literature.


It is also my desire to place on record the wonderful devotion to duty and the sterling fighting qualities of the men of Lancashire Nulli Secundus."- The Author.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Lucknow Books
• Release date: Nov 6, 2015
• ISBN: 9781786255419

Captain James G. W. Hyndson M.C.

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Text originally published in 1933 under the same title.

© Pickle Partners Publishing 2015, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted by any means, electrical, mechanical or otherwise without the written permission of the copyright holder.

Publisher’s Note

Although in most cases we have retained the Author’s original spelling and grammar to authentically reproduce the work of the Author and the original intent of such material, some additional notes and clarifications have been added for the modern reader’s benefit.

We have also made every effort to include all maps and illustrations of the original edition the limitations of formatting do not allow of including larger maps, we will upload as many of these maps as possible.

FROM MONS TO THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES

by

J. G. W. HYNDSON, M.C.

(Captain—Late The Loyal Regiment)

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents

TABLE OF CONTENTS 5

DEDICATION 6

FOREWORD 7

PREFACE 8

CHAPTER I — MOBILIZATION AND MOVE TO CONCENTRATION AREA 9

CHAPTER II — THE BATTLE OF MONS 14

CHAPTER III — THE BATTLE OF THE MARNE 21

CHAPTER IV — THE BATTLE OF THE AISNE 25

CHAPTER V — TRENCH WARFARE ON THE AISNE 30

CHAPTER VI — THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES 36

CHAPTER VII — THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES (continued) 42

CHAPTER VIII — THE FIRST BATTLE OF YPRES (continued) 48

CHAPTER IX — RESTING BEHIND THE BATTLE FRONT 55

CHAPTER X—NIGHT ATTACK ON THE ORCHARD NEUVE EGLISE 59

REQUEST FROM THE PUBLISHER 63

The First World War On The Western Front 1914-1915 - Illustrations 64

The First World War On The Western Front 1914-1915 - Maps 152

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my great friend, CAPTAIN G. W. HAY, 1st Battalion The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, killed at Festubert, 9th May, 1915, at the head of his Company, whilst gallantly leading them against the Germans, and to THE IST BATTALION THE LOYAL NORTH LANCASHIRE REGIMENT

FOREWORD

BY GENERAL SIR EDWARD S. BULFIN, K.C.B., C.V.O,

SINCE the Great War we have been inundated with a flood of literature dealing with the numerous impressions, experiences and mistakes of the Higher Command. These outpourings are inflicted on the long-suffering public by Generals, Staff Officers, Chaplains and Press Correspondents, but remarkably few from that splendid product of the British Army—the Regimental Officer. I suppose he instinctively abhors publicity; by training silent, he leaves it to others to do the talking. The books dealing with the late War are

Thick as autumnal leaves that strew the brooks in Vallombrosa.

Captain J. G. W. Hyndson, late of the 1st Battalion of The Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, which I was fortunate in having under my command in the 2nd Infantry Brigade in the Aldershot Command, and which landed with me in Havre on the 13th August, 1914, gives us his impressions and experiences from the Regimental Officer’s point of view—his mental horizon is naturally restricted, more so from being a dismounted officer, but his descriptions are truthful and very vivid, and call up scenes and incidences almost forgotten and growing blurred.

I am glad to read this junior officer’s descriptions and appreciate very fully the compliment he has paid me in asking me to write the Foreword to his modest but most interesting book.

(Sgnd.) EDWARD S. BULFIN,

Boscombe.

13th October, 1932.

PREFACE

As there has as yet been published no connected account of the first phase of the Great War from a Regimental Officer’s point of view, I have been persuaded to put into book form the diary which I began on the first day of mobilization and kept up until I was invalided home from the French Front in 1915. As far as I am aware, there are only three or four platoon and company commanders still living who went through the Battle of, and Retreat from, Mons, as well as the Battles of the Marne, the Aisne and Ypres. This fact has emboldened me to add one more book to the already enormous bulk of war literature.

It is also my desire to place on record the wonderful devotion to duty and the sterling fighting qualities of the men of Lancashire Nulli Secundus.

J. G. W. HYNDSON.

42, Royal Oak Place,

London, S.W.1.

October 7 1932.

CHAPTER I — MOBILIZATION AND MOVE TO CONCENTRATION AREA

1ST AUGUST.—War, which will involve several of the European nations, appears to be inevitable, and it does not seem possible for Great Britain to escape being drawn into the conflict.

4th August.—An ultimatum, which expires at midnight, has been despatched to Germany and the British Navy mobilized. The general opinion is that there is no hope of the Germans climbing down, so we shall be at war with Germany as from midnight today.

5th August.—Mobilization orders are issued to the Army and war is an accomplished fact. During the month previous to the outbreak of hostilities, I was doing duty with the 1st Battalion The King’s Regiment at Salamanca Barracks, Aldershot, and therefore, when I received my orders I was able to report myself, without delay, to Tournay Barracks, North Camp, to join the 1st Loyal North Lancashire Regiment, commanded by one of the finest soldiers in the Army, Lt.-Col. G. C. Knight. We form part of the 2nd Brigade of the 1st Division, B.E.F., and the remaining regiments in the Brigade are the 2nd Battalion, King’s Royal Rifle Corps, 1st Battalion The Royal Sussex Regiment, and the 1st Battalion The Northamptonshire Regiment. The Brigade Commander is Brigadier-General E. S. Bulfin, C.V.O., C.B.

I am posted to C Company, commanded by Captain L. T. Allason, a cheerful soldier, who is never to be hurried in making a decision but who inspires confidence, and with fifteen years’ service in the Army behind him, is well qualified to command men. He is well supported by the second in command, Captain B. J. Wakley, while my brother subalterns are Lieuts. G. H. Goldie and H. R. Loomes. Goldie, who has only recently married, is anything but happy at the thought of going to war and leaving his wife behind, but Loomes has all along been looking forward to seeing active service and is agog with suppressed excitement.

From the very first the officers and men in the company work together in perfect harmony, and we are keen to take a share in the defence of our country against aggression but are under no delusions as to the trials and hardships which lie in front of us.

We at once commence the serious business of mobilizing and, from the moment I join, I am kept very busy checking kit, filling in documents and doing the hundred and one things that are necessary before a regiment can proceed on active service.

6th August.—The reservists begin to arrive in batches of 100 to 300 men. They have to be sorted out and posted to companies, and I have never seen a finer looking lot of men in my life.

7th August.—Several route marches are being arranged to harden the men, who have grown soft during the time they have been working as civilians, and, in addition, during the few days left to us, we are to practise firing on the range and manoeuvring on the training areas, in order that the men may get accustomed to working together.

10th August.—The last few days have been just the same, and I have been too busy and tired to write them up. The men’s bayonets have been sharpened; so has my sword. Who knows? It may come in handy for carving the sausages!

11th August.—His Majesty the King motors down to Aldershot to inspect us and bid us farewell. The regiment is formed up in close column on the barrack square, and His Majesty walks slowly down the lines, stopping here and there to talk to a man. He is grave and pre-occupied, and is obviously affected by the thought that so many of the men paraded in front of him, on that brilliant summer day, will never return. He then addresses a few stirring words to the troops, and at the completion of the speech, the Colonel calls for cheers for His Majesty, and the whole barracks shakes and re-echoes with the enthusiastic response given by the men, many of whom are visibly affected and impressed by the solemnity of the moment. The King then climbs into his car again and drives off, to pay farewell visits to other regiments in the Division, and we are dismissed.

12th August.—We form up for the last time on the barracks square, to proceed to South Farnborough Station for entrainment. I am detailed with my platoon as baggage party, and proudly head the regiment on the road to the station. The route is lined by cheering crowds, and I notice many women crying.

We arrive at the station, where two long trains are drawn up at the siding in readiness to take the regiment with its transport. Groups of men hurry here and there, loading transport on to the trucks and transferring kit from the lorries to the carriages. The men are very willing workers and in record time the trains are ready to leave