1914: THE LAST STAND OF THE THIN RED LINE 113
Both of these Crosses are reminiscent of those awarded during any number
of nineteenth-century engagements – the forlorn hope holding out against
overwhelming odds and defying the enemy at the very last by denying him
the trophy of his victory:
On 7 November 1900 in South Africa, Sergeant [Edward James Gibson]
Holland kept the Boers away from two 12-pounder guns with his Colt
gun. When he saw that the enemy were too near for him to escape with
the carriage, as the horse was blown, he calmly lifted the gun off the
carriage and galloped away with it under his arm.^12
Many of the VCs earned in the coming months had nineteenth-century
counterparts.
The German crossing of the canal and contact with the exposed flank
of 3rd Division made the defensive position at Mons precarious. News
that Lanrezac’s Fifth French Army had suffered a defeat at Charleroi and
commenced a general retirement that would leave the British force alone
and completely exposed made the British position untenable. These factors,
combined with the sheer numbers the Germans were able to throw into the
line, prompted French’s decision to pull back and reestablish contact with
the French Fifth Army.^13 Two more VCs were won in attempts to blow
bridges across the canal before pulling out.^14 Von Kluck’s nose had been so
thoroughly bloodied that he did not immediately follow up the withdrawal
from Mons on 24 August.^15
The fight at Mons had all the elements of standard Victorian heroism,
desperate defense, personal sacrifice, and defiance of the enemy. There was
even an opportunity to perform that most holy of preindustrial heroic acts –
saving the guns – during the final pull out from the line at Elouges on the
right of the II Corps:
On 24 August 1914when the flank guard was attacked by a German
corps, Major [Ernest Wright] Alexander handled his battery against over-
whelming odds with such conspicuous success that all his guns were
saved notwithstanding that they had to be withdrawn by hand by himself
and volunteers led by a Captain [Francis Grenfell] of the 9th Lancers.
This enabled the retirement of the 5th Division to be carried out without
serious loss. Subsequently, Major Alexander rescued a wounded man
under heavy fire.^16
lily
(lily)
#1