The Retreat from Mons 1914 revisited?

TheBoyBilly

I am thinking about tracing the route of the Retreat from Mons by the BEF in the summer of 1914. I have Prof. Richard Holmes excellent book for reference where he describes doing this trip on horseback with friends back in the 1990's. I realise that the Mons area itself is a pretty bleak place but the journey back towards Le Cateau should be interesting. Any tips would be very appreciated, even on cycling in France generally as I've never done this. I shall probably be camping too. Oh, I would also appreciate any information on taking my bike on Eurostar and SCNF trains. Thank you in advance.

Bill

TheBoyBilly

Oops, sorry I know Mons is in Belgium but most of my journey would be in France. Doh!
Thanks again.
Bill

Gotte

Great idea. I wanted to do a similar themed route, following my grandfather's route round Flanders in WW1.
Your route would be great to do, though. I love the idea of seeing the bridge where the course of history was (arguably) changed by (from memory) two British soldiers who held up the advancing Germans with a vickers gun on a bridge in the middle of nowhere, thus allowing the British to escape and eventualy regroup. My memory is a little hazy, but seem to remember that the first cavalry charge of the war was nearby (or was it the first British or German casualty resuling from a cavalry charge). Either way, places of great interest and import.
I don;t really have any advice other than learn some of the language (well for France, any way), build up your milage so you don;t kill yourself the first few days, and enjoy it. Oh, do your research beforehand so you see all the things you want to. It's really frustrating getting home then finding there's stuff you were really close to but never saw.
Best of luck.

pneumatic

Do it.

We rode through Le Cateau on the way from Zeebrugge to Santiago de Compostela. I recall seeing a sign on the road marked "La Desolation" as we got up onto the plain and I will not forget the neat little cemetaries full of Canadians, Highlanders and others. I wished I'd had a guide book as I am sure that it helps you to understand the experience better.

As for tips on riding in France and Belgium, it is a pleasure. You get respect on the road, properly thought-out cycle paths where you need them and a much lower density of traffic than on the other side of the channel. We even got applause from some pensioners sitting outside their houses at Valenciennes. Just remember to ride on the right!

Somewhere on my journey through that closed theatre of destruction, I will have passed over the line of my own father's progress from the Normandy beaches to the Rhine in WWII. However, since he went to his grave without talking much about it, I never knew where our paths crossed.

Gotte

pneumatic wrote:

Do it.


Somewhere on my journey through that closed theatre of destruction, I will have passed over the line of my own father's progress from the Normandy beaches to the Rhine in WWII. However, since he went to his grave without talking much about it, I never new where our paths crossed.

That's a shame. But I think it's pretty common for men of that generation and those experiences not to talk about it.
Luckily for me, my grandfather noted down in his diary all the places he went and some of the experiences he encountered. He didn;t talk about it much, but from reading his diary long after his death I have nothing but respect for him and those like him.

pneumatic

Gotte wrote:

pneumatic wrote:

Do it.
However, since he went to his grave without talking much about it, I never knew where our paths crossed.

That's a shame. But I think it's pretty common for men of that generation and those experiences not to talk about it.

Yeah, some of them suffered a lot psychologically and decided just to shut the door on the whole experience and move on. My old man was very practical about it. Despite my mother's blitz spirit, he welcomed German kids into his house when we were young and always encouraged me to be international in my outlook. He saw it all as a failure of humanity itself, not any particular tribe within it.

I think I would have kept a diary. But you don't know until it happens.

ut_och_cykla

Yes - do it, wellresearched is best but just the bleakness and burial sites are enough to make you sob. take a number of hankies. I 've done the Somme area by car and Verdun by bike. Truelly awful but compulsory experience. If you're interested in your Dad's war time trek and know his military number you can get his military record (which shows all the places he was posted to, injured and other important events) from teh veterans Association/MOD and combined with his units' War Diary (from National Archives) can then form an impression of what he expereinced. My Dad was in Burma but never spoke to me about it. Reading the war diaries, with atrocities, stupid accidents and air dropped rum rations that broke was fascinating.
As for cycling in Fance - marvellous! And if you speak just some French an even better experience.

TheBoyBilly

Thanks for the replies, much appreciated.
Gotte, there were two machine guns doing sterling work holding up the German advance from the bridge over the Conde-Mons canal. Various crews were sent to operate these guns but kept being knocked out. Dease and Godley were awarded VC's for their part in the action. Dease died while being helped back to his lines while Godley saw out the war as a POW after running out of ammunition. The first cavalry charge was indeed close by, one of the officers taking great pride in showing off his sabre with 6" of German blood along the blade. Other places to visit include Obourg, Nimey, Landrecies, Dour, Le Cateau of course, and Nery where the RHA ("L" Battery) fought to the last man and held off an entire German Cavalry Brigade. It humbles me what these fellows did.

Pneumatic, Valenciennes sounds great.

Gotte

Thanks for that. Wow, I;d like to see those places. Do me a favour, and when you get there, take a load of photos and post them for us.

All the best.

Phil

niblue

I've been through much of that area (although more in Belgium than France) - I was in a car however given the flat terrain and generally quiet roads I'd have thought cycling would be a very decent option.