A Popular History of The Great War/Volume 1/Page 262

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THE BRITISH RETREAT


transport for his ammunition columns, which left the wagons free for the conveyance of kits, baggage, and footsore men. The remaining few days of retirement can be passed over rapidly, for they contained no pitched battles and little harassing action on the part of the enemy. On the night of September 2 the line of the British army extended from Meaux north-west to Dammartin. General French gave orders that the Marne should be crossed next day (as did General Lanrezac to his 5th army), and between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. the ist division had crossed the Manie at Trilport, the 2nd and 3rd at Meaux, the 5th at Isles les Villenoy, the 4th at Lagny, and the cavalry division at Gournay. By nightfall they were in line between Jouarre west- wardtoNogent,havingblownupthebridgesbehindthem. At tills stage Sir John French had hoped to give his men a day's rest, for he had learnt that von Kluck was moving his army east- ward,andwouldnotseekbattleimmediately. Buttoconform to General Joffre's plan, which included a retirement over the Seine if necessary, he was obliged to order further movements to lake place next day. ^ The next stage of the retreat was to the Grand Morin, the ist corps marching southward upon Coulommiers, and at dawn ol September 5 the last stage was begun, which ended at nightfall with the British troops S.S.E. of Paris on a line from west of Rozoy to Brie Comte Robert, which was on the verge of the Paris defences. Strategically now the French armies, with the B.E.F., were in the position for which General JofTre had been manoeuvring, and General von Kluck was at last at a dis- advantage. Hewastopayforhismistakesandhesitationswhen the Allies took the counter-offensive at the battle of the Marne. Altogether the retreat from Mens occupied thirteen days, necessitatingmarchesamountingatleastto200miles. Thehard- ships and discomforts which the British troops endured have already been described, but they cannot be over-emphasised. Hunger and thirst, lack of sleep, laceration of the feet, unendur- able fatigue, forced marches under a pitiless sun, undertaken under circumstances where the element of surprise attack, of enfilade fire or of ambush was never absent, were the lot of the British army for close on a fortnight. Highly-trained and disciplined as the force w’^as, it had been mobilized with grcjat speed, regimental officers had had little opportunity of getting to know the reservists who had been drafted to their units, and even

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