Lives of the First World War

known 23rd August 1914

On 23rd August 1914 the battalion engaged with the enemy for the first time just after midday at Mons in Belgium. The battalion fought with great determination but were finally overwhelmed by the sheer force of numbers and had to retreat three times over the course of the afternoon and into the evening. A large enemy attack at dusk was beaten off by "a heavy outburst of rapid fire". "At about 10 pm orders were received to man-handle the guns as quietly as possible on to the road. Bayonets were fixed, the necessity of marching in absolute silence having been impressed upon all...with a small advanced and rear guard, the remainder of the battalion strung out on each side of the guns in the pitch blackness of the night we retired to Nouvelles at about 12 midnight without opposition." (War diary of 2nd Battalion) Although they managed to slip away under the cover of darkness, the battalion had suffered heavy casualties over the course of the battle with around 300 men killed, wounded or missing. One notable act of gallantry on the part of men of the battalion during the fighting at Mons was that of Regimental Quarter-Master Serjeant Fitzpatrick and a small group of cooks, batmen, store-men and drivers when they held the crossroads against a large force of the enemy under heavy machine gun and rifle fire: "Regimental Quarter-Master Serjeant Fitzpatrick had been ordered by Lieutenant R.E.G.Phillips, at around 12.30 hours to stay put and await orders. At that time, the regiment was at the Segard public house where they had just been served beer. Fitzpatrick and his men were preparing a meal when he saw that his battalion was in trouble and that some men were starting to retreat. He got together 40 men, a mixture of cooks, batmen, store-men, drivers, etc. and manned the trenches on the other side of the crossroads. He impressed upon his men not to open fire until the enemy were less than 200 yards away. When the elements of the 85th Infantry Regiment (on the right) and the 31st Infantry Regiment (on the left) appeared, they were received with sustained fire. After two conventional mass attacks, the Germans changed their tactics. They attacked in penny-packets in loose order. At about 15.00 hours, Major Simpson (of the 2nd Gordon Highlanders) whose defences were to the right, arrived at the Bascule. He was astonished to see so few men at such an important point. He came back shortly with a dozen men. Sadly, Major Simpson was wounded, but he was able to leave the scene on his horse. During a lull, Fitzpatrick, accompanied by volunteers, fetched an abandoned and damaged machine-gun together with some boxes of ammunition. Serjeant Redmont (more likely Private Redmond No. 5174) managed to repair the weapon, which aided their defence considerably. There were already 11 dead among the Irish and three among the Gordons. The Germans bombarded the sector and the shells reached the houses. Some civilians who had taken shelter in cellars were killed. The Germans tried one more charge, but Redmont's machine-gun made ominous gaps in their ranks. The fighting moved towards the positions of the Gordon Highlanders and the Royal Scots. Fitzpatrick and the others who survived were able to get some rest. Night fell at last. The losses were 15 dead and four gravely wounded. (With no other officer present) Fitzpatrick decided to retreat and rejoin the battalion. Having buried their dead, his group destroyed the machine-gun as well as any weapons that could not be carried. At midnight, they stole away. In silence and darkness, the 18 survivors, each carrying two rifles, crossed gardens, yards and fields and reached the slopes of the Bois-la-Haut. They crossed the Trouille river and took two hours sleep. They rejoined the rest of the battalion on the afternoon of the 24th. Fitzpatrick was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his action." (From Mons Battlefield Guide published by the Mons Tourist Office)

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