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

Smith, William Douglas

Information & Metadata

Volume

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 document continued: a general retirement was ordered, and rejoined the Battalion next day, the 27th at VERMAND. During the retirement a number of men of 'A' company under Lieutenant Roche became separated from the company & were eventually sent back to the base from which they subsequently re-joined. A M Forbes, Major 1st Royal Scots Fusiliers] 25 August 1914 Left bivouac at 5am and marched to INCHY [ ] miles and left 26 August 1914 again at daylight. I rode out with General Shaw to take a section of the defensive line to the south of Inchy. The 3rd Division occupied the centre, with the 4th Division on our left and the 5th Division and 1st Division on our right. We had just one hour in which to entrench. B Company occupied front trenches with D forming part of general reserve with the Royal Fusiliers. A & C Companies under Major Forbes forming the rearguard on 24th did not arrive in camp & had strayed to 5th Division where they held trenches with the Welsh Fusiliers on the 25th firing opened at about 7am but chiefly on our Artillery. The Germans pressed the 5th Division moved masses of troops to our right eventually at about 3.30pm the [Pencilled note in margin: Smith Dorrien decides to delay the advance of the enemy & a defensive position is occupied to allow transport etc to get away]

Object: King's College London Council minutes, 1836-1842 (volume)

Volume

Downloads, Alternative views & Citations

Volume

Image

Image fragment

Citation links