With My Regiment From Aisne to La Bassee [Illustrated Edition] (ePub)

Includes the First World War Illustrations Pack - 73 battle plans and diagrams and 198 photosOriginally published under the pseudonym "e;Platoon Commander"e; these excellent memoirs were written by the noted novelist Arthur F. H. Mills after his service in the British Expeditionary Force in 1914-1915. "e;In the early summer of 1914, apparently unconcerned by the gathering storm and the colossal building of military might in Germany, the British regular army, reduced in numbers and not having fought a major conflict for over a decade, was at peace in its garrisons. When German troops marched through Belgium and attacked France, the British Expeditionary Force was hastily created and for British soldiers the transition from peace to mobilisation and transportation to the battle line happened within a matter of days. It is astonishing that the 'Contemptible Little Army' was not instantly enveloped by the advancing Germans who outnumbered them-often by much more than five to one. Some are jingoistic about the British Army of the day being 'the best army in the world,' however, the battle fought at Mons, the retreat to the Marne, the skilful command of the British staff and the dogged resistance of troops, who inflicted causalities on the enemy totally disproportionate to their strength, speaks for itself. The outcome was inevitable though and by the early months of 1915 the B. E. F. had all but been destroyed. Its tenacity had, however, earned the British sufficient time to build a new army, defence and response."e;-Print ed.