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| 'L Battery Royal Horse Artillery in action at Nery', 1 September 1914 (Source) |
The Battle of Nery was an engagement fought by mounted elements of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) during the Retreat from Mons. Surprised by a German cavalry division, 1st Cavalry Brigade and 'L Battery', Royal Horse Artillery, fought off the enemy until relieved by British infantry reinforcements. The latter battery was all but destroyed apart from one gun which was kept in action by Captain Edward Bradbury, Sergeant David Nelson and Battery Sergeant-Major George Dorrell. All three were awarded the Victoria Cross for their brave stand, Bradbury's being posthumous. (Ibid)
By 1914 the major powers in Europe still went to war in much the same way that their ancestors did, on foot and on horseback. While the railroads were used to move masses of men from one part of the Continent to another, going into battle didn't look that different for the men. Their grandfathers would have recognized the formations.
But the weapons the men carried were far deadlier. In the early days of the war things were still mobile, battles were fought more or less in the open. Occasionally arms which were already obsolescent, in fact obsolete in most cases, still met on the field of battle.
One such encounter is described above.
Three men stayed at their gun until relieved by friendly infantry. Two men survived the action, only one man survived the war.
All three won the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for "valour in the presence of the enemy."
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| (Source) |
By 30 August 1914, the German drive towards Paris had pushed the British and French southwards across the River Aisne. On 1 September at Néry, on the southern edge of the Forest of Compiegne, ‘L’ Battery, Royal Horse Artillery, which had already distinguished itself at Mons, performed another notable brief holding action. Early that morning the German 4th Cavalry Division caught up with the British 1st Cavalry Brigade. ‘L’ Battery, which was bivouacked in an orchard, came under fire from German guns at a range of less than a thousand yards. Men and horses were blown to pieces. Calling for volunteers, Captain E K Bradbury succeeded in turning three guns on the enemy to return fire. Two were soon hit. Bradbury acted as layer for the remaining gun with Sergeant D Nelson as range setter. Nelson was soon wounded but refused to seek medical attention. When they were joined by Sergeant Major G T Dorrell, Bradbury set off to run the twenty yards to the ammunition wagon, when a shell blew off his leg. Despite this, he continued to direct fire until he was hit again. 1st Battalion The Middlesex Regiment and The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) relieved the British force and eventually captured twelve German guns. The British then withdrew with the surviving gunners and cavalrymen, just as the German infantry appeared.
Captain Edward Kinder Bradbury VC
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| 16 Aug 1881 - 01 Sep 1914 |
"For gallantry and ability in organising the defence of “L” Battery against heavy odds at Nery on 1st September."
Supplement to The London Gazette of 24 November 1914. 25 November 1914, Numb. 28985, p. 9958
Battery Sergeant Major George Thomas Dorrell VC
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| 07 Jul 1880 - 07 Jan 1971 |
"For continuing to serve a gun until all the ammunition was expended after all officers were killed or wounded, in spite of a concentrated fire from guns and machine guns at a range of 600 yards, at Nery, on 1st September."
Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 November 1914. 16 November 1914, Numb. 28976, p. 9374. Repeated in The London Gazette of 17 November 1914, Numb. 28977, p. 9403
Sergeant David Nelson VC
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| 03 Apr 1886 - 08 Apr 1918 |
"Helping to bring the guns into action under heavy fire at Nery on 1st September, and while severely wounded remaining with them until all the ammunition was expended – although he had been ordered to retire to cover."
Third Supplement to The London Gazette of 13 November 1914. 16 November 1914, Numb. 28976, p. 9374. Repeated in The London Gazette of 17 November 1914, Numb. 28977, p. 9403
Excellent accounts of the action at Néry can be read here and here, I highly recommend you read them. Men such as there should never be forgotten.
"Stranger, go tell the Spartans that here we are buried, obedient to their orders."
Even with the history of the 64-65 American Civil War campaign in the East and the Boer war in South Africa the armies of Europe had no understanding of industrial war. Sort of the old "if it didn't happen here it isn't important" belief.
ReplyDeleteThey downplayed those actions as they were fought by "colonials."
DeleteEven worse, the Crimean War was a prelude to the ACW, Franco-Prussian War, Spanish-American War, Boer War and the Russian-Japanese War. So, let's see, England, Russia, America, Japan, France and Germany, at least, all had very forceful previews of industrial war. Trench warfare, artillery barrages, open fields of fire and death, supply lines gone to hell, casualties stacked up everywhere.
DeleteAnd they still learned nothing.
DeleteWar had not yet become a business.
DeleteThat had nothing to do with tactical stupidity. Did have a lot to do with keeping wars going on for their own sake.
DeleteI was thinking in terms of the Allies in WW2. First deciding on overall strategic objectives, then assembling resources, manpower, and adequate logistics, then quickly learning from tactical successes and mistakes. Of course, tactical stupidity was present. A case in point was that in the Battle of the Atlantic, every U-Boat encounter was analyzed, and the metods of the most successful attacks passed on.
DeleteAh, I see your point.
DeleteAs Beans mentioned all of the conflicts leading up to WW1 might have given a clue as to what might happen. The Boer war did lead to the Haldane reforms in the UK which arguably put the British army in a better place. Only a few realized that future wars would take place on an industrial scale and would require the mobilization of entire nations. Kitchener was almost alone in the UK in stating that any war would likely take years.
DeleteI think it was John Keegan, although I'm probably wrong, who said that Wellington and Napoleon would have understood how to fight the opening battles of WW1, he also said that by the time of the 100 days in 1918 the British army had evolved tactically to such an extent that a British battalion or brigade commander would have been at home fighting in Normandy in 1944.
Retired
Many lessons are earned by humankind, only to be forgotten when truly needed.
DeleteThat certainly sounds like something Keegan would write (I'm a big fan). I agree.
Did you ever start to watch the weekly updates of the WWII Pacific campaigns on Kings and Generals? They just did the last Japanese evacuation of Guadalcanal.
ReplyDeleteNot yet, I simply haven't had the time. I did suscribe to the channel but that's as far as I've got.
Delete"The Affair at Néry" classic British understatement Sarge. Informative links.
ReplyDeleteA very British statement.
DeleteCrusty Ol TV Tech here. Another print that belongs on the wall of a British Army regimental smoking room somewhere, but for a different reason. These were men.
ReplyDeleteConcur.
Delete"Let us be thankful that such men lived."
ReplyDeleteI can't help but wonder if I could have met that challenge with such courage, dedication, and resolve when I read citations like those.
Amen.
Delete'wonder if I could have met the challenge' ...an affirmative answer to such question lies in first asking it of yourself. Trick is, knowing to pop the question and heeding the answer. Once read that "experience is recognizing a mistake the second time you make it".
DeleteGood one.
DeleteWow Sarge - that was quite a thing to read. It is hard to read those descriptions of men's bodies literally blowing up.
ReplyDeleteWe really should study World War I more. The more I look at the world, the more I think we could learn from it instead of World War II in that WW I much more was almost accidentally stumbled into, yet changed the world.
Dorrell lived until he was 91 years old. The changes he saw during his lifetime were amazing.
In many respects, WWII was a continuation of WWI. WWI settled nothing really, it just planted the seeds which led to Hitler and the Holocaust.
DeleteThat cannon has (had?) a prominent place at the Imperial War Museum. All three Citations are on display as are the VCs themselves.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/iwm-london
Yup, I knew about the VCs, didn't know about the cannon.
Delete