From private to field-marshal

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 197

Organisation and duties of G.H.Q.—System of supply and maintenance—The I.G.C.—His duties are curtailed—The ‘““ Directors ’’—My Staff—Arrive at Paris with the Commander- in-Chief—Stay at the Hotel Crillon—Visit Joffre at Vitry-le- Frangois—Reach G.H.Q. at Le Cateau—Concentration of the Force—Various situations to be thought out—Discuss change of base with 1.G.C.—Commander-in-Chief’s conference before battle of Mons—tThe retreat from Mons—Replacement of clothing and equipment lost in the retreat—Confusion caused by change of base—Control of railways in French hands— Difficulty of knowing where troops were—Plight of refugees— Willing spirit shown by all ranks to help each other—Despatch riders—G.H.Q. move successively to St. Quentin, Noyon, Compiégne, Dammartin, Lagny, Melun—The move from Dam- martin to Lagny—Force becomes part of Paris garrison under Gallieni—Battle of the Marne—Brutalities of German troops— G.H.Q. at Coulommiers and Fére-en-Tardenois—Want of heavy artillery on the Aisne—Move round to Flanders—First battle of Ypres—State of trenches—Cross the Channel with Lord Roberts—His death at St. Omer—Succeed Murray as Chief of the General Staff at G.H.Q.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

Organisation and duties of G.H.Q.—System of supply and maintenance— . The I.G.C.—His duties are curtailed—The ‘‘ Directors ’»—My Staff —Arrive at Paris with the Commander-in-Chief—Stay at the Hotel Crillon—Visit Joffre at Vitry-le-Francois—Reach G.H.Q. at Le Cateau—Concentration of the Force—Various situations to be thought out—Discuss change of base with I.G.C.—Commander-in- Chief’s conference before battle of Mons—The retreat from Mons— Replacement of clothing and equipment lost in the retreat—Con- fusion caused by change of base—Control of railways in French hands—Difficulty of knowing where troops were—Plight of refugees —Willing spirit shown by all ranks to help each other—Despatch riders—G.H.Q. move successively to St. Quentin, Noyon, Com- piégne, Dammartin, Lagny, Melun—The move from Dammartin to Lagny—Force becomes part of Paris garrison under Gallieni— Battle of the Marne—Brutalities of German troops—G.H.Q. at Coulommiers and Fére-en-Tardenois—Want of heavy artillery on

SIR JOHN COWANS 201

The British Expeditionary Force, composed of six divisions and a cavalry division, had a total strength of, roughly, 160,000 men, 60,000 horses, 490 guns, and 7000 vehicles. That part of it sent out in the first instance numbered only about 100,000 men, and consisted of a cavalry division and two army corps each of two divisions. Of the remaining two divisions one did not begin to arrive till after the battle of Mons had been fought, and the other, for reasons unknown to me, did not reach us for several days later. Had there been less delay in our coming to a decision to join France more time would, of course, have been available for the whole six to arrive, and had they been present at the battle the course of the war might have been different.

SIR JOHN COWANS 201

battle of Mons—and before he left we had settled the main principles upon which we would act in the event of the sea- bases having to be replaced by others. On return to his headquarters at Amiens he made such preliminary arrange- ments as he could for effecting the change.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE 197

Organisation and duties of G.H.Q.—System of supply and maintenance—The I.G.C.—His duties are curtailed—The ‘““ Directors ’’—My Staff—Arrive at Paris with the Commander- in-Chief—Stay at the Hotel Crillon—Visit Joffre at Vitry-le- Frangois—Reach G.H.Q. at Le Cateau—Concentration of the Force—Various situations to be thought out—Discuss change of base with 1.G.C.—Commander-in-Chief’s conference before battle of Mons—tThe retreat from Mons—Replacement of clothing and equipment lost in the retreat—Confusion caused by change of base—Control of railways in French hands— Difficulty of knowing where troops were—Plight of refugees— Willing spirit shown by all ranks to help each other—Despatch riders—G.H.Q. move successively to St. Quentin, Noyon, Compiégne, Dammartin, Lagny, Melun—The move from Dam- martin to Lagny—Force becomes part of Paris garrison under Gallieni—Battle of the Marne—Brutalities of German troops— G.H.Q. at Coulommiers and Fére-en-Tardenois—Want of heavy artillery on the Aisne—Move round to Flanders—First battle of Ypres—State of trenches—Cross the Channel with Lord Roberts—His death at St. Omer—Succeed Murray as Chief of the General Staff at G.H.Q.

PAGE

PAGE tions—Flying Corps—Life at G.H.Q.—Relations with units at the front—Liaison officers—Situation on West Front at beginning of 1915—-Position of British Commander-in-Chief— Results of unreadiness for war—Uncertainty as to reinforce- ments and war material—Neuve Chapelle—Second battle of Ypres—Withdrawal from part of the Salient—Festubert— Loos—Allies short of war material—Joffre’s first conference of Allied Representatives—My views on the general situation and conduct of the war—Decide to send them to the C.I.G.S. at the War Office—He forwards them to the Cabinet—Lord Kitchener asks me to become C.I.G.S.—I send him my views as to the status and duties of the General Staff—He cannot agree with some of them and proposes to resign—Meet him at Calais and discuss his objections—They are _ satisfactorily removed—I leave G.H.Q. for the War Office.

QUARTERMASTER-GENERAL, BRITISH EXPEDITIONARY FORCE

the Aisne—Move round to Flanders—First battle of Ypres—State

THE RETREAT FROM MONS 207

Since the war ended we have been asked to believe that the Allies owe their victory to the foresight and energy of some political leader or other, to the employment of certain mechanical contrivances, to the enormous output of munitions, to unity of command, to the rottenness of autocratic government, and so on, according to the taste or interest of those who expressed or inspired these state- ments. Perhaps the statements were not meant to be taken literally, for no man of sense would attribute our victory to any one cause, especially as all classes combined so loyally to secure it. Still, they were rather frequently made, and therefore it is well to remind ourselves occasionally of the endurance and heroism displayed by the fighting men, notably in the retreat from Mons, in the three battles of Ypres, on the Somme, and in the desperate struggles of 1918. I sometimes think that the French set us an