Current Information:

Age-21

Born-Tottenham

Enlisted-Mill Hill

St Symphorien Military Cemetery, Belgium

The Battle of Mons  August 23, 1914

This was the first battle fought by the British Army (BEF) in the war. Since landing in France ten days earlier the four infantry divisions and five cavalry brigades of the BEF had advanced to a position on the left flank of the French Armies only to find themselves directly in the line of the advance of the German First Army as they swept through Belgium and headed for Paris.

With orders to hold the German advance for 24 hours and outnumbered two to one, the BEF dug in along the Mons-Conde canal. The battle commenced at 9 am and lasted all day. By nightfall the BEF had withdrawn to a position along the Valenciennes-Maubeuge road, a position from which the Great Retreat began the next day. British casualties, killed, wounded or missing, amounted to 1600 for the battle. German casualties were higher.

The 4th Middlesex battalion of 8 Brigade, 3rd Division had been heavily involved in the fighting that took place on the opening day of the Battle of Mons and on  24th August, as the retreat got under way, they marched from Nouvelles south-west towards Genly.  They reached Quévy by late morning and prepared a defensive position, but were soon on the march again, heading towards Bavai.  No sooner had they left their ‘scrapings’ at Quévy than the place was shelled.  This was not unexpected because a German Taube had been circling overhead and their positions had been noted and signalled to the artillery. One of their casualties on this day was Sidney Blight.