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

Smith, William Douglas

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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

Diary of the War August 1914 There has not been any time since we left Gosport to write up a diary until now, where we are in comfortable billets at NOYELLES. I shall have to hark back a few days and commence to write of our doings from August 13th. 13 August 1914 The battalion did not entrain until the tenth day of mobilisation. We left in two trains one at 12.30pm & the other at 3pm. The first train took Head Quarters, A & B Companies & most of the transport. No idea of where we were going to embark until we actually arrived at Southampton at about 3pm. We detrained & went on board the "B...." a Patrick Henderson line boat. The 7th Fusiliers came in the same ship & our other half battalion had to follow in another, everyone wondering where we are to go. Other transports passed us during the afternoon loaded with troops outward bound, & our troops cheered each one as they went past.

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