22/08/2024
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The Battle of Mons, 23 August 1914, the first major engagement between British and German forces during World War I, became a crucible of bravery, sacrifice, and myth. As the guns thundered and men fought fiercely for survival, stories of extraordinary courage and divine intervention would emerge, forever etching this battle into the annals of history.
Walter Bloehm, a reserve officer in the German 12th Brandenburg Grenadier Regiment, had approached the battlefield with confidence. The German Army had swept through Belgium, and now, they faced the British Expeditionary Force. Like many of his comrades, Bloehm had underestimated the British soldiers. But as the regiment engaged the 1st Royal West Kent Regiment near St. Ghislain, their hubris was shattered. The fighting was brutal, with heavy losses on both sides, and the Germans were forced to retreat. In his memoir, Vormarsch, Bloehm later reflected on the shock of that day:
“Our first battle is a heavy, unheard of heavy defeat, and against the English, the English we had laughed at.”
This realization marked a sobering moment for the German forces, a stark reminder of the formidable enemy they faced.
Amid the chaos of battle, another story was taking shape, one that would capture the imagination of the entire British Empire. In September 1914, a month after the battle, a journalist named Arthur Machen published a short story in the Evening Standard titled The Bowmen. The story told of ghostly archers from the Battle of Agincourt appearing in the skies above Mons, their arrows felling German soldiers and saving the British troops from certain annihilation. Machen had intended it as fiction, but the tale spread like wildfire, reprinted in parish magazines and discussed in churches and homes across Britain. Soon, the legend evolved: instead of archers, it was said that angels themselves had intervened on behalf of the British. This divine intervention, known as the “Angel of Mons,” became widely accepted as truth, a powerful symbol of hope and faith for soldiers and civilians alike.
While legends like the Angel of Mons provided comfort, the real heroism of the battle was displayed by men like Lieutenant Maurice Dease and Private Sidney Godley of the 4th Royal Fusiliers. On August 23, 1914, as German forces pressed their attack on the Nimy bridges over the Mons Canal, Dease commanded a machine gun section that played a crucial role in holding back the enemy. Despite being repeatedly wounded, Dease refused to leave his post, ensuring the machine guns remained operational. He continued to direct the defense until he could no longer fight, eventually succumbing to his injuries being buried at St. Symphorien Military Cemetery. For his extraordinary bravery, he was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.
Private Sidney Godley, one of Dease’s gunners, also demonstrated remarkable courage. After Dease fell, Godley took over the machine gun, continuing to fire on the advancing Germans even after sustaining multiple wounds. As his battalion was ordered to retreat, Godley stayed behind, covering their withdrawal. When he could no longer hold out, local civilians took him to a hospital where he was captured by German forces. Godley’s actions were nothing short of heroic, and after enduring years in a prison camp, he was awarded the Victoria Cross by King George V in 1919.
As the battle raged, another struggle was unfolding behind the lines. Captain Theodore Wright of the Royal Engineers had been tasked with a critical mission: to destroy the bridges across the Mons Canal to slow the German advance. Wright and his men, the 56th and 57th Field Companies, faced overwhelming odds. Under intense enemy fire, they attempted to demolish ten to twelve bridges. However, the proximity of German troops made the task nearly impossible. Only one bridge, at Jemappes, was successfully destroyed, thanks to the efforts of Lance Corporal Charles Jarvis, who was later awarded the Victoria Cross for his bravery.
Captain Wright’s own attempts to destroy another bridge at Mariette were thwarted, but his determination did not waver. He repeatedly returned to the bridge, trying to complete the mission despite heavy enemy fire. Tragically, Wright was severely wounded during the battle of the Aisne on September 14, 1914, and died from his injuries. Theodore was buried at Vailly British Cemetery. His posthumous Victoria Cross was a testament to his courage and dedication.
The Battle of Mons was a moment of profound significance in the early days of World War I. It was a battle that revealed the strength and tenacity of the British forces, despite their numerical inferiority. The stories of bravery, like those of Dease, Godley, Wright, and Jarvis, stood as enduring symbols of the human spirit's resilience in the face of overwhelming adversity.
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