The Battle of the Marne, 7th-10th September 1914

6th September 1914

The diary of the 1st Middlesex Regiment records the day's march as follows: "Marched N. again almost over yesterday's ground via Ferrier almost to Chanteloup. After one hour's halt, midday, on to Villeneuve St. Denis, where Battalion bivouacked. In morning Lieut. Evatt and 90 men of first reinforcements joined." This sudden change of front is explained by Field-Marshal Sir John French's message to the troops, dated 6th September, 1914.

SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY BY FIELD-MARSHAL
SIR JOHN FRENCH, G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.M.G.,
Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in the Field.

6th September.
After a most trying series of operations, mostly in retirement, which have been rendered necessary by the general strategic plan of the Allied Armies, the British Forces start today forward in line with their French comrades, ready to attack the enemy:

Foiled in their attempt to invest Paris, the Germans have been driven to move in an easterly and south-easterly direction, with the apparent intention of falling in strength on the Fifth French Army. In this operation they are exposing their right flank and their line of communication to an attack from the combined Sixth French Army and the British forces.
I call upon the British Army in France to now show the enemy its power, and to push on vigorously to the attack beside the Sixth French Army. I am sure I shall not call upon them in vain, but that, on the contrary, by another manifestation of the magnificent spirit which they have shown in the past fortnight, they will fall on the enemy's flank with all their strength, and in unison with their Allies, drive them back.

J.D. P. FRENCH,
Field-Marshal,
Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in the Field.

7th September 1914

From the British point of view the Battle of the Marne began on 7th September, the Expeditionary Force at dawn holding a line running approximately from Vaudoy-Touquin (Ist Corps)-Lumigny-Faremoutiers--Courtry (IInd Corps)-Villeneuve St. Denis- Villeneuve-le-Comte-Villiers (IIIrd Corps). Throughout the day action was chiefly confined to encounters between de Lisle's Cavalry Brigade and German Cavalry of the 2nd and 9th Guard Cavalry Division. Behind his cavalry the enemy retreated.

The 1st Middlesex marched at 8 a.m. to Romain Villiers, thence via Villiers-Dainville to Le Haute Maison. On arrival just south of the latter village rifle fire was heard immediately in front and on the right flank of the Battalion, the remainder of the column having come into action with a German rearguard.

8th September 1914

On the night of the 8th both the 1st and IInd Corps crossed the Petit Morin, the IIIrd Corps remained south of the river, the head of the 4th Division at Le Corbier and the 19th Infantry Brigade at Signy-Signets. The 1st Middlesex, of the latter, had moved out of La Haute Maison at 3.30 a.m. to take up positions for an attack on the high ground about Pierre Levee; the Battalion held the centre of the line, with the Cameronians on the right and the R.W. Fusiliers on the left. The enemy had, however, withdrawn during the night, and the Brigade moved on towards Signy-Signets, the 1st Middlesex as advanced guard.

On reaching the high ground immediately S. of Signy-Signets, large forces of the enemy's infantry were seen retiring N.N.W., though too far off for the guns to reach them, but hostile cavalry were nearer and to the east of the general line of retirement. It was fairly evident that the enemy held the line of the Marne River. The 1st Battalion, however, moved forward in a northerly direction along the road which divides Signy from Signets, until the high ground overlooking the Marne was reached. Here the Battalion deployed, but scarcely had the Middlesex got into position when heavy shell fire was opened on them, the shells falling principally on the line of the road along which the Battalion advanced. This fire caught the Battalion First-line Transport, killing nine horses and riddling a water cart with shrapnel. The Battalion must also have been under considerable shell fire, for three N.C.Os. and other ranks were killed and some thirty wounded. The Middlesex men, however, remained in possession of the high ground, and later the Royal Welsh Fusiliers moved down towards La Ferté, where skirmishes with the enemy took place. On British guns coming into action, the enemy's artillery was more or less silenced. The high ground was held by the Middlesex throughout the night of the 8th-9th without incident, but rifle and artillery fire was heard on the right flank, where the 12th Brigade (4th Division) was attacking La Ferté in order to gain the Marne crossings. The 1st Battalion apparently bivouacked on the positions taken up, Headquarters billeting in Signy-Signets.

1st Middlesex under fire near Signy-Signets

9th September 1914

Neither on the 9th nor on the 10th September were the 1st and 4th Battalions Middlesex Regiment engaged with the enemy. On the former date at 7 a.m. the 1st Battalion was relieved in its holding positions by the Cameronians, and retired half a mile S. to a covered position, where all ranks rested until 7 p.m. Here 89 men, some who had been "missing" after the Battle of Le Cateau and others discharged from hospital, rejoined. A move was then made to Les Corbiers, where the Battalion bivouacked, the remainder of the 19th Brigade (less the Cameronians) going on to Jouarre.

10th September 1914

The 10th was equally uneventful. At 4 o'clock in the morning the 1st Middlesex rejoined the 19th Brigade, which, with artillery, formed the left flank guard to the 4th Division. The River Marne was crossed by the pontoon bridge at La Ferté sous Jouarre, the stone bridge having been destroyed by the retreating enemy. The Battalion, on reaching the high ground N. of Marcy Fme., entrenched itself and remained there for two hours, covering the main advance. The march was then resumed to Certigny, where the 1st Battalion bivouacked immediately in rear (south) of the 4th Division. The roads traversed by the Battalion on this day everywhere showed evidence of the enemy's hurried retreat; many dead horses were passed and quantities of abandoned artillery ammunition and stores were seen scattered about the roadsides. On the night of the 10th September the British Expeditionary Force lay just south of the River Ourcq, in the angle formed by Lizy, La Ferté Muon and Fère en Tardenois, the valley of the Ourcq and the Marne having been cleared of the enemy. Touch with the Fifth French Army, on the right, and the Sixth French Army, on the left, had been maintained.

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