THE YPRES TIMES
203
Reminiscence of the Retreat from Mons, and Following Month of 1914.
I HAVE been asked to write from a 5th Lancer point of view, and also to explain
how I managed to get with the Regiment at my ripe age. I had determined
to do so, as I felt a dug out" with war experience might be useful until
Kitchener's Army was ready. I had retired from the Army after twelve years'
service, on a gratuity in 1889, and rejoined as a dug out" for the South African
War; therefore, in 1914, I had been on the Reserve for twenty-five years.
When war broke out, an old hunting friend of mine, General Hubert Gough,
was commanding the 3rd Cavalry Brigade at the Curragh, and I expressed my
great desire to go out with his command. He asked me, in addition to my war
experiences, knowledge of horsemanship and riding, what I could do, and when I
replied that I could speak French and German, had been through the veterinary
course, and had a rough knowledge of most religions, he immediately applied to
the War Office for me. No reply was received for or against up to the time of
embarkation, and I succeeded in going out unofficially in veterinary charge of the
South Irish Horse, more or less as a stowaway in mufti, and landed at Havre in
time to entrain with the rear squadron D of the 5th Lancers, to which I was
subsequently attached and put on appro."
I was allowed to remain as a serving officer, as second-in-command of a
squadron, and later commanded the regiment before going to the 55th Divisional
Staff in 1916.
Published accounts of wars and battles are not very reliable, for they are
mostly written after the results are known, and the criticisms published, and are
also generally compiled by those responsible.
The Regiment embarked at Dublin for Havre on August 15th, 1914, and on
arrival entrained for Belgium and detrained at Jeumont on the 20th, and marched
five miles to Cousolre and billeted.
On August 21st, the 3rd Cavalry Brigade reached Bray, and came in touch
with the enemy, where some fighting took place during the following day, and a
night march followed to Eluge, but, at 4.30 on the following morning, we were
sent out to cover our retreating infantry and had a sharp fight at Marchiport. with
a good many casualties, including, unfortunately, Col. Parker, commanding the
Regiment. A curious incident was experienced by Tpr. X., as a German shell
landed on the back of his horse, behind the saddle, and exploded, blowing off the
hind quarters of the horse, without damaging the rider.
Major J. B. Jardine (afterwards Brig.-General Jardine) was now in command.
We bivouacked in the open and marched the following day witli Valenciennes
on our right, and had a sharp fight that afternoon at Angre, where we were joined
by a lot of French reservists who had arrived in charabancs, but suffered heavy
losses, and, in retirement, our brigade had to cross the enemy's front over some
open fields under heavy shell fire at close range. There was a railway gate to get
through, and this becoming congested, D Squadron of the 5th Lancers right-
wheeled, landed onto the railway, and also jumped the ditch and wire off it without a
horse falling. That evening, viz., 25th August, we reached Le Cateau. The missing
included one whole troop under Lieut. Wordsworth, but two troops of the
3rd Hussars, some 9th Lancers and some Scots Greys were with us. Sharp
