The British Armies in France and Flanders, 1914-1918/Phase I: The German Invasion, 1914

The following is a transcription from: A Record of the Battles and Engagements of the British Armies in France and Flanders, 1914-1918.

The number of British troops engaged in the operations of this Phase was relatively small compared with the subsequent Phases and, consequently, many of the actions are of greater importance than they would have been had they taken place in later years. For example, during the Retreat from Mons, battalion fights are mentioned, while an attack carried out north of Passchendaele on 2 December, 1917, by two divisions, 8th and 32nd, is not mentioned in the report. To preserve a similar balance in the list of troops engaged in this phase frequent mention is made of individual Regiments and Battalions and the division to which they belonged is shown in brackets. Corps are not given for the Actions of this Phase.

Operations. The Retreat from Mons (23rd August–5th September, 1914)

BATTLE OF MONS, 23rd–24th August.

Cavalry Division.^[1]
I Corps: 1st and 2nd Divisions.
II Corps: 3rd and 5th Divisions.
5th Cavalry Brigade.
19th Infantry Brigade.^[2]

With subsidiary—
Action of Élouges, 24th August.

1st and 3rd Cavalry Brigades.
1st Norfolk Regiment and 1st Cheshire Regiment (5th Division).

Rearguard Action of Solesmes, 25th August.

Cavalry Division.
7th Infantry Brigade (3rd Division).
19th Infantry Brigade.

Affair of Landrecies, 25th August.

4th (Guards) Brigade and (2nd Division).

BATTLE OF LE CATEAU, 26th August.

Cavalry Division.
II Corps: 3rd and 5th Divisions.
4th Division.
19th Infantry Brigade.

Rearguard Affair of Le Grand Fayt, 26th August.

2nd Connaught Rangers (5th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Division).

Rearguard Affair of Étreux, 27th August.

15th Hussars (2nd troops) (1st Division).
2nd Royal Munster Fusiliers (1st (Guards) Brigade, 1st Division).

In the immediate vicinity.

Remainder of 1st (Guards) Brigade (1st Division).
2nd Welch Regiment (3rd Infantry Brigade, 1st Division).

Affair at Cérizy, 28th August.

5th Cavalry Brigade.

Affair of Néry, 1st September.

1st Cavalry Brigade.

Troops who arrived and were engaged.

1st Middlesex Regiment (19th Infantry Brigade).

Troops who arrived at Néry after the engagement and troops who were in the immediate vicinity.

4th Cavalry Brigade.
Remainder of 19th Infantry Brigade.
4th Division.

Rearguard Action of Crépy en Valois, 1st September.

13th Infantry Brigade (5th Division).

Rearguard Actions of Villers Cottéréts, 1st September.

3rd Cavalry Brigade.
4th (Guards) and 6th Infantry Brigades (2nd Division).

Operations. The Advance to the Aisne (6th September–1st October, 1914)

BATTLE OF THE MARNE, 7th–10th September.

Cavalry Division.^[1]
Gough's Command.^[1]
I Corps: 1st and 2nd Divisions.
II Corps: 3rd and 5th Divisions.
III Corps: 4th Division and 19th Infantry Brigade.

Tactical Incidents:

Passage of the Petit Morin: The list of troops engaged Passage, of the Maine : for these two Tactical

Incidents is exactly the same as that given above for the Battle of the Marne, 1914.

BATTLE OF THE AISNE, 1914, 12th–15th September.

Cavalry Division.^[1]
Gough's Command.^[1]
I Corps : 1st and 2nd Divisions.
II Corps: 3rd and 5th Divisions.
III Corps : 4th Division and 19th Infantry Brigade.

Tactical Incidents:

Passage of the Aisne and Capture of the Aisne Heights, including the Chemin des Dames.

The list of troops engaged in these Incidents is exactly the same as that given for the Battle of the Aisne, 1914.

With subsequent—

(i) Actions on the Aisne Heights, 20th September.

2nd Cavalry Brigade.
I Corps: 1st Division (plus 18th Infantry Brigade attached from 6th Division) and 2nd Division.
II Corps: 3rd Division.

(ii) Action of Chivy, 26th September

I Corps: 1st Division.

Operations. The Defence of Antwerp (4th–10th October, 1914)

Royal Naval Division.
The IV Corps was indirectly concerned with these operations, as the 7th Division (less 21st Infantry Brigade) reached Ghent on 9th October and the 3rd Cavalry Division and 21st Infantry Brigade, 7th Division, arrived at Bruges on the same day.

Operations. Operations in Flanders, 1914 (10th October–22nd November).

BATTLE OF LA BASSÉE, 1914, 10th October—2nd November.

2nd Cavalry Brigade.
II Corps: 3rd and 5th Divisions.
Indian Corps: Lahore (less Sirhind Brigade) and Meerut

Divisions and Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade.

BATTLE OF MESSINES, 1914, 12th October–2nd November.

Cavalry Corps: 1st Cavalry and 2nd Cavalry Divisions.

Ferozepore (7th Indian Infantry) Brigade from

Lahore Division.

1st Northumberland Fusiliers, 1st Lincoln Regiment (3rd Division).

2nd K.O.S.B., 2nd K.O.Y.L.I. (5th Division).

Queen's Own Oxfordshire Hussars.

London Scottish (14th London Regiment).

2nd Essex Regiment, 2nd Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers (4th Division).

BATTLE OF ARMENTIÈRES, 1914, 13th October—2nd November.

III Corps: 4th and 6th Divisions (19th Infantry Brigade in 6th), 3rd Worcester Regiment (3rd Division), 1st Dorset Regiment (5th Division).

Tactical Incidents:

Capture of Meteren, 4th Division.

THE BATTLES OF YPRES, 1914, 19th October—22nd November.

Corps: I and IV.
Divisions : 3rd Cavalry (3), 1st (3), 2nd (3), 3rd (1), 7th (2), 7th Infantry Brigade^[3] (less 3rd Worcester Regiment) and 9th Infantry Brigade1 of 3rd Division (1), 15th Infantry Brigade1 (less 1st Norfolk Regiment and 1st Dorset Regiment) of 5th Division (1), 2nd K.O.S.B. and 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment of 5th Division (1) and London Scottish (14th London Regiment) (1).
Also 1st Cavalry Division went into line on 12th November but did not participate in a Battle.

(i) BATTLE OF LANGEMARCK, 1914, 21st—24th October.

I Corps: 1st and 2nd Divisions.
IV Corps: 3rd Cavalry and 7th Divisions.

(ii) BATTLE OF GHELUVELT, 29th—31st October.

I Corps: 3rd Cavalry, 1st, 2nd and 7th Divisions.

(iii) BATTLE OF NONNE BOSSCHEN, 11th November.

I Corps: 3rd Cavalry, 1st, 2nd and 3rd Divisions.

7th Infantry Brigade (less 3/Worcester Regiment) and 9th Infantry Brigade of 3rd Division.

15th Infantry Brigade (less i/Norfolk Regiment and 1st Dorset Regiment) of 5th Division,

2nd K.O.S.B. and 2nd Duke of Wellington's Regiment of 5th Division.

London Scottish (14th London Regiment).

References/notes

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 The cavalry of the B.E.F. was originally organised as the Cavalry Division, composed of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Cavalry Brigades with Divisional Troops, and one independent brigade, the 5th Cavalry Brigade. On 5th September, 1914, the 3rd and 5th Cavalry Brigades were placed under the orders of Brigadier-General H. Gough. On 16th September, 1914, this force was numbered the 2nd Cavalry Division and the 1st, 2nd and 4th Cavalry Brigades became the 1st Cavalry Division. For full details of the organisation of the B.E.F. in August and September, 1914, see Order of Battle, Appendix I, "History of the Great War, Military Operations," Volume I.
↑ The 19th Infantry Brigade began the war as an independent formation. On 31st August, 1914, the 4th Division and this brigade formed the III Corps. On 11th October, 1914, the 19th Infantry Brigade joined the 6th Division. It served with this Division and with the 27th Division for some time and was finally incorporated in the 2nd Division, where it replaced the 4th (Guards) Brigade, which had gone to the newly formed Guards Division in August, 1915.
↑ The 7th, 9th and 15th Infantry Brigades formed the 3rd Division for this fighting.

[cavalry-1] 1.0 ^1.1 ^1.2 ^1.3 ^1.4 The cavalry of the B.E.F. was originally organised as the Cavalry Division, composed of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Cavalry Brigades with Divisional Troops, and one independent brigade, the 5th Cavalry Brigade. On 5th September, 1914, the 3rd and 5th Cavalry Brigades were placed under the orders of Brigadier-General H. Gough. On 16th September, 1914, this force was numbered the 2nd Cavalry Division and the 1st, 2nd and 4th Cavalry Brigades became the 1st Cavalry Division. For full details of the organisation of the B.E.F. in August and September, 1914, see Order of Battle, Appendix I, "History of the Great War, Military Operations," Volume I.

[2] The 19th Infantry Brigade began the war as an independent formation. On 31st August, 1914, the 4th Division and this brigade formed the III Corps. On 11th October, 1914, the 19th Infantry Brigade joined the 6th Division. It served with this Division and with the 27th Division for some time and was finally incorporated in the 2nd Division, where it replaced the 4th (Guards) Brigade, which had gone to the newly formed Guards Division in August, 1915.

[3] The 7th, 9th and 15th Infantry Brigades formed the 3rd Division for this fighting.

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