Diary of service on the Western Front, 1914, World War One

Smith, William Douglas

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Title:: Diary of service on the Western Front, 1914, World War One

Collection:: SMITH, Maj Gen Sir William Douglas (1865-1939)

Archive reference:: SMITH, WD 2/1

Catalogue record URL (AtoM):: https://archives.kingscollections.org/index.php/smith-wd-2-1

Level of description:: Item

Date of material:: 13 Aug - 30 Oct 1914

Creator:: Smith, William Douglas

Source collection title:: SMITH, Major General Sir William Douglas (1865-1939)

Extent:: 1 volume

Description (scope):: Manuscript copy diary relating to Smith's command of 1 Battalion, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Aug-Oct 1914, including: their arrival in France, 13 Aug 1914; the Battle of Mons, 23 Aug 1914; the retreat from Mons to the River Marne, Aug-Sep 1914; the Battle of Le Cateau, 26 Aug 1914; his high opinion of German infantry tactics, and the German use of aerial reconnaissance (5 Sep 1914); the First Battle of the Marne, 5-12 Sep 1914; the First Battle of the Aisne, 13-28 Sep 1914; the death of Major General Sir Hubert Ion Wetherall Hamilton, 14 Oct 1914; the Battle of La Bassee, 18-29 Oct 1914. Volume also includes: printed messages from King George V and Field Marshal Sir John French; a printed translated extract from an alleged order by Emperor Wilhelm II of Germany for the destruction of 'General French's contemptible little army', 9 Aug 1914; instructions, 22 and 23 Aug 1914, for an anticipated attack, including instructions by Captain R Stevens, 9 Infantry Brigade [Captain Reginald Walter Morton Stevens, died 28 Aug 1914]; a report on 'A' and 'C' companies, 1 Royal Scots Fusiliers, 25-27 Aug 1914, at Vendegies-sur-Ecaillon and Le Cateau, by Major Athel Murray Hay Forbes.

Copyright:: Copies, subject to the condition of the original, may be supplied from open material for research purposes only. Requests to publish original material should be submitted to the Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, via the Archives.; King's College London Archives

Full text

[Inserted one page signal: TO CAPTAIN TULLIS Attack in force expected early tomorrow 9th Brigade to be Reserve near CIPLY when outposts are relieved by Cavalry or Cyclists. Be prepared to move at 4.15am or onwards at 15 mins notice by road running south east of your bridge to join me in JEMAPPES From CMG [Commanding/Commander] SCOTS FUSILIERS JEMAPPES 12.35am] orders to retire over the canal & defend the passages from the bridge near MONS westward. I placed one company at each bridge with about one platoon in general reserve. Rose and Innes with C & B were on the right. Tullis with D on the left and Briggs with A in the centre with general reserve. Houses were fortified & barricades erected. My head quarters were on the bridge leading into Jemappes station. Nothing occurred that night. 23 August 1914 The defences of the different posts were improved & everything made ready for an attack; six large barges were sunk & other boats brought to our side. A German cavalry patrol appeared at about 7am. Two were wounded (one died) & one horse killed. The Maxim guns were responsible I think for this. We had the body brought in and handed over to the Roman Catholic

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