Battle of Mons Photograph. Is the caption wrong?

Troops of A Company 4th Batt. Royal Fusiliers (7th Brigade, 3rd Division), resting in the Grand Place, Mons. The following day the Battalion won two Victoria Crosses (Lieutenant Maurice Dease and Private Sydney Godley) on the Canal bridge at Nimi 2 miles north of Mons. (Imperial War Museum Q70071)

This image is familiar because of its reproduction in many books and articles relating to the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914. I have always had problems with the caption, and I will try and explain my concerns.

I accept that the troops in the photograph are A Company 4th Battalion Royal Fusiliers and that they are sitting on the cobbles in the Grand Place in Mons in front of the Town Hall. My problem is the assumption that this image was taken on Saturday 22nd August 1914 while the battalion was on its way to take up positions on the canal.

My contention is that it was taken during the afternoon of Sunday 23rd during the short period when the survivors of the battalion rested in the town to regroup during its fighting withdrawal from the canal where they had been engaged against overwhelming odds since dawn.

My Evidence.

(a)   The movements of the battalion on Saturday 22nd August. The march to the Mons Canal from overnight billets at. Le Longueille, beginning at 5:30 am, the battalion acting as advanced guard to the 7th Infantry Brigade. Their orders were to take up an outpost position at Nimmi guarding the crossings of the Canal which they were expected to reach mid-afternoon but were delayed passing through Mons by crowds of cheering inhabitants who loaded the marching troops with presence of eggs, fruit, tobacco, and even handkerchiefs.

(b)  Reached the canal in early evening and spent the hours of darkness preparing defences

(a) The Battle.

The battalion occupied salient created by the Canal between Mons and Nimy.

C Company, lay north of Nimy with its right adjoining the 4th Middlesex, and it’s left a little north of Lock 6. Two platoons held Nimy Bridge, two others and Company H.Q. were entrenched at the railway bridge and on the canal bank to the left.

D Company, held the position about Lock 6 and the Ghlin-Mons bridg

B Company, lay about Nimy station in support, with Battalion H.Q.

A Company, was the battalion reserve north of Mons.

The German attack started in early in the morning with artillery and infantry. By about 11am, it was apparent that the battalion could not hold the enemy and were ordered to prepare to retire. Once consequence of this warning order was that the ammunition boxes were removed from the trenches leading to a shortage of ammunition before the actual order to retire was given at 1.40 pm. ‘C’ Company, the most seriously engaged, lost about 75 men and fell back towards Mons, and when they were clear of their positions ‘D’ Company, which had been covering their withdrawal, also retired to join up with ‘C’ and ‘B’ Companies, with all three retiring towards Mons covered by ‘A’ company as rearguard.

‘A’ company rejoined the rest of the battalion in the Grand Place where the battalion rested for about 15 minutes while the officers and NCOs sorted the men out into their Companies before continuing their retirement. During this time the German infantry was held at bay by the sharpshooters of ‘A’ Company firing down the streets from the cover of houses. As soon as the 4th Royal Fusiliers is left the Grand Place troops of the 84th Regiment, 18th Division, IX Corps entered and rounded up some of the civilians, including the Burgomaster, and drove them in front of them as human shields when they started after the Royal Fusiliers.

Back to the Photograph.

Hulton-Deutsch Collection.

The Grand Place was not the only photograph of British troops at Mons. This is an unknown battalion resting in the streets of a mining town in Belgium. Possible Mons.  Note all the troops are wearing their caps, rifles are stacked, and their packs are visible on the ground.

Compare that with the photograph of the 4/Royal Fusiliers.

·      There are civilians in the photograph, but the majority are men and boys just milling around with no evidence of the cheering crowds giving the soldiers gifts, as recorded when the battalion passed through the town on the Saturday.

·      The soldiers sitting in the Grand Place look exhausted, there is no sign of their packs, rifles close at hand, and many are carrying additional bandoliers of ammunition, something unnecessary on the Saturday when marching to the canal.

Exactly what one would expect if they were resting after a fighting retreat to get clear of the German infantry and points to the photograph being taken on the afternoon of Sunday 23rd, and not the day before.

Blog Post Title Two

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Three

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.

Blog Post Title Four

It all begins with an idea. Maybe you want to launch a business. Maybe you want to turn a hobby into something more. Or maybe you have a creative project to share with the world. Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Don’t worry about sounding professional. Sound like you. There are over 1.5 billion websites out there, but your story is what’s going to separate this one from the rest. If you read the words back and don’t hear your own voice in your head, that’s a good sign you still have more work to do.

Be clear, be confident and don’t overthink it. The beauty of your story is that it’s going to continue to evolve and your site can evolve with it. Your goal should be to make it feel right for right now. Later will take care of itself. It always does.