Mons

After Waterloo, I headed down to Mons, the location of the first British engagement in late August 1914. It was here that the 4th Fusiliers of the British Expeditionary Force had to hold the Germans along the Mons-Condé Canal. While the Germans were initially taken by surprise following the high rate of accurate fire of the British Lee Enfield rifle and the Lewis Machine gun, after about 6 hours of fighting, the British commanders ordered a withdrawal due to the overwhelming numbers of Germans. 

It was on this canal that the first Victoria Cross of the war was posthumously awarded to Lieutenant Maurice Dease. He is buried in the very tranquil Mons Military Cemetery to the east of the town alongside many of his comrades and Germans who were also killed at the time. After 100 years it's poignant to see the graves of both British and German soldiers lying together. 

You should read about this battle and, in particular about Dease and his mates - what brave young men...

You should see BBC iPlayer > Channel 3 > Our World War > The First Day. It is a stunning recreation of the first day at Mons.

This is available to see for 3 months from now. The other two programmes in the box set are good too.

The recently refurbished Mons Museum on the edge of the town centre has certainly had a good deal of money spent on it but I was a little disappointed. The interior is very dark and the English text on the exhibits is very small. I guess this is done to add atmosphere to the place but much of the information is hard to read and therefore the meaning is lost. 

Never mind, I could still look at the pictures.