September 30

The Antwerp waterworks are destroyed by the Germans.

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

Punch publishes a cartoon of the Kaiser entitled "The Great Goth". It shows a suggested "design for a strained-glass window in a neo-gothic cathedral at Potsdam". The Kaiser is shown as a grotesque angel holding the smoking ruins of Rheims Cathedral (see 20 September) on the left, whilst further battle "honours" are listed at his feet: Malines, Louvain (see 25 August) and Termonde.

September 29 - The "Angels of Mons"

Arthur Machen

The London Evening News publishes "The Bowmen" by Arthur Machen. The article was inspired by accounts that Machen had read of the fighting at Mons and an idea he had had soon after the battle. Machen set his story at the time of the retreat from the Battle of Mons and described phantom bowmen from the Battle of Agincourt summoned by a soldier calling on St. George, destroying a German host. The story is believed by many and forms the basis of one of the most enduring myths of the First World War.

German and French forces reach a stalemate in the Battle of Albert. Hostilities continue as trench warfare, whilst the remaining gap in the front line starts the so-called "Race to the Sea".


The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

On the Eastern Front, the Russians clash with German and Austro-Hungarian forces in the Battle of the Vistula River (also known as the Battle of Warsaw). The battle continues until the end of October.

September 28

The bombardment and siege of Antwerp begins. German guns are directed by observers in fixed balloons.

The defences of Antwerp

The Admiralty publishes a statement of losses in shipping since the outbreak of war: German 1,140,000 tons (387 ships); British 229,000 tons (86 ships).

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

September 27

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position, with no firing taking place.

September 26

The first troops from the Indian Expeditionary Force arrive in Marseilles, having travelled from India via the Suez Canal. This is the first time Indian troops have set foot on European soil.

Indian troops marching through Marseilles

 
The SMS Emden begins four days of activity off Ceylon during which she claims six prizes.

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position. Two damaged guns  of 117 and one of 118 are withdrawn from Paissy during the night of 26-27.

September 25

At 3am the 26th Brigade RFA is relieved by the 51st Battery and retires to Pargnan. By 4.30am four guns of 117 and two guns of 118 are entrenched in positions west of Pargnan. At 4pm these guns are shelled by heavy howitzers.

September 24

The siege of Przemysl begins with Russian forces surrounding the fortress town held by Austro-Hungarian forces. The siege proves to be the longest of the war, the garrison managing to hold out until 22 March 1915.

The siege of Przemysl

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position with both batteries engaged all day and shelled by heavy howitzers.

September 23

Men of the South Wales Borderers are landed at Laoshan Bay, China, to assist the Japanese siege of Tsingtao, held by the Germans.

British troops arriving at Laoshan Bay

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position. At 4.30am 118 moves 300 years  west of its previous location, and at 6.30am both batteries open fire on Labouelle and Source in suport of a French attack on La Creute and Hurtebise Fme.

September 22 - Disaster for the Royal Navy

A naval engagement takes place in which three obsolete Royal Navy cruisers, manned mainly by reservists and sometimes referred to as the "live bait squadron", are sunk by the German submarine U9. Approximately 1,450 sailors are killed, and there is a public outcry at the losses. The incident erodes confidence in the British government and damages the reputation of the Royal Navy. The British ships lost are HMS Cressy, HMS Aboukir, and HMS Hogue. The Captain of the U9, Otto Weddigen, returns to a hero's welcome.

German propaganda postcard commemorating U9's sinking of three British cruisers

In France the 26th Brigade RFA remains in positions. 118 is "shelled by heavy howitzers all day, 1 gun disabled." Both batteries are engaged with enemy guns about Cerny and Labouelle.

Britain launches its first air raid against Germany. Flying from Antwerp, two aircraft from No. 1 Squadron, RNAS, flown by Major Eugene Gerrard and Flight Lieutenant Collet fly two hundred miles to Düsseldorf to bomb the Zeppelin shed there; whilst two aircraft from No. 2 Squadron are detailed to attack Cologne. Due to poor weather, the attack on Cologne is aborted, and Major Gerrard also turns back. Collett presses home his attack by descending to only 400 feet and drops three bombs. Despite failing to damage any airship, news of the raid provides a useful boost to Allied morale.

During the evening, SMS Emden approaches the city of Madras on the southeastern coast of the Indian peninsula. Entering Madras harbour, the Emden opens fire at 9.30pm on several large oil tanks belonging to the Burmah Oil Company.

The bombardment of Madras

September 21 - For the Fallen

Laurence Binyon

The Times publishes what will become one of the most famous poems of the First World War. It was called For the Fallen, and was composed by Laurence Binyon. Binyon gained the inspiration to write these lines while sitting on the cliffs between Pentire Point and The Rumps in north Cornwall. A stone plaque was erected at the spot in 2001 to commemorate the fact.

For the Fallen includes these lines which have been quoted many times since:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

However it should be remembered that Binyon wrote other poems on the war, including The Fourth of August, To the Belgians, Louvain, At Reims, and To Women. The significance of some of these titles will be apparent from previous pages in this blog. Three of these poems were set to music by Sir Edward Elgar in 1915-17 under the generic title The Spirit of England. Binyon's poems were published together for the first time later in 1914 under the title The Winnowing Fan. You can read these collected poems here.

In France, 117 battery of the 26th Brigade RFA moves to a new position west of Tour de Paissy Fme, whilst 118 remains where it is. Both batteries are engaged with the enemy's artillery about Cerny and Labouelle.

September 20

HMS Pegasus, anchored in Zanzibar harbour, is attacked by the German light cruiser SMS Königsberg. Outranged and outgunned, Pegasus is quickly incapacitated, and her Commander lowers her ensign ("striking the colours") to avoid further bloodshed. The ship sinks later, with 38 lives lost and 55 wounded.The Admiralty goes to great lengths to prevent the truth of the Captain's action becoming publicly known.

German artillery fire destroys parts of Reims Cathedral. The French use images of the destruction as anti-German propaganda, such as the postcard shown below.

The 26th Brigade RFA endures two enemy attacks during the day. The guns of 117 are located by aeroplane and shelled by heavy howitzers. Two guns are disabled.

September 19

Lloyd George

Mr Lloyd George makes a speech to the London Welsh at the Queen's Hall, "to talk to my fellow countrymen about this great war and the part we ought to take in it." You can read his speech by following this link.


The 26th Brigade RFA remains in the same positions. 

September 18

Parliament is prorogued and the National Anthem is sung in the House of Commons.

The Prime Minister makes a speech in Edinburgh in which he describes the causes of the war, the magnitude of the nation's task ahead, and the need for volunteers. You can read his speech in full here.

The 26th Brigade RFA remains in position. There are artillery engagements throughout the day.

September 17

Lord Kitchener announces that rather more than six regular divisions (each 18,600 strong) and two cavalry division (each 10,000 strong) of British troops are in the fighting line. Kitchener expresses the hope that the New Army of 500,000 men will be ready to take the field in the spring of 1915.

Austro-Hungarian forces retreating from the advancing Russians are assisted by the newly-formed German 9th Army.

The 26th Brigade RAF remain in position. The war diary records, "Enemy made an attack in morning ... 118 withdrawn to north east of Tour de Paissy. About 3pm Enemy attacked from direction of Cerny. Both batteries searching north of Cerny."

September 16

In the Cameroons, HMS Dwarf is rammed by the German merchant ship Nachtigal, which is wrecked. The Captain of HMS Dwarf claims the wreck as his prize bounty. You can read a newspaper account of this incident here. (Note the newspaper give the wrong date for the action as 16 December 1914). You can also read the original entry in the ship's log here.

HMS Dwarf

At 4.30am, 118 battery of the 26th Brigade RFA remains in the same position but entrenched. 117 also entrenched near Les Creutes. The war diary records, "Engaged with enemy's artillery all day".

Punch publishes another Bernard Partridge cartoon as a tribute to the Russian victory in Galicia (see 11 September). Here Russia is depicted as trampling over a defeated Austria-Hungary. 

September 15

The 26th Brigade RFA is in action all day. At 4.30am the war diary records, "Both batteries engaged all day. 116 with 1st Brigade near Venuresse. Both batteries in same position evening, made an attack about 3pm from direction north of Cerny which was repulsed." At 4pm 117, "heavily shelled by heavy howitzers. Position located by aeroplane. Both batteries withdrawn at dusk."

September 14

The first Battle of the Masurian Lakes ends in a German victory. The Germans push the Russian First Army back, ejecting it from German soil. Further progress was hampered by the arrival of the Russian Tenth Army on the Germans' left flank. Despite its numerical superiority and heavily fortified defensive position, the Russians suffer defeat and are forced to retreat in disarray. Russian  losses are great, and Russian plans on the Eastern Front are left in disarray.

The Eastern Front, September 1914

In the Battle of the Aisne, a stalemate ensues. Sir John French orders the BEF to begin digging defensive positions - the beginning of trench warfare on the Western Front.

At 4am, 116 of the 26th Brigade RFA is with the 1st Brigade forming an advanced guard. 117 and 118 marches to Tour de Paissy. At 8am 117 and 118 are in action at Arbre de Paissy.At 10.30am 118 advances to a position south of Chemin des Dames.

The British armed merchant cruiser RMS Carmania sinks the German auxiliary cruiser SMS Cap Trafalgar off the Trinidade and Martim Vaz archipeligo. The action is otherwise known as the Battle of Trinidade.

The Battle of Trinidade

The Australian submarine AE1 disappears while patrolling the St George's Strait between New Britain and New Ireland. It is the first vessel of the Royal Australian Navy to be lost in the war.

September 13

The Allied offensive in the Battle of the Aisne commences.

The British advance at the Battle of the Aisne

The 26th Brigade RFA advances to Bourg, "crossed river [Aisne] by canal bridge".

The German cruiser SMS Hela is sunk by the British submarine E9 off Heligoland.

South African troops invade German South West Africa.

September 12

The Battle of the Marne ends. The Germans retreat up to 56 miles losing 11,717 prisoners, 30 guns and 100 machine-guns to the French and 3,500 prisoners to the British, before reaching the Aisne.

French soldiers advancing to take up new positions

In general terms the Marne is an Allied victory which saved Paris and kept France in the war; it also ensured the failure of the Schlieffen Plan for a quick German victory in the West. However there is less agreement as to the extent of the Allies' success.

The 26th Brigade RFA advances to Bazoches.

Recruitment figures show that between 4 August and 12 September, 478,893 men joined the army. This includes 33,204 volunteers on 3 September which was a wartime record.

September 11

The Russians secure a victory against Austria Hungary at the Battle of Rawa. Causalties on both sides number more than half a million.

The Battle of Rawa (3-11 September)

Troops from the Australian Expeditionary Force capture Rabaul, on German New Guinea. The Australian losses are six dead and four wounded, the first Australian military casualties of the First World War.

In France, the Allies are reported to have advanced over 37 miles in four days.

The 26th Brigade RFA marches with the 1st Brigade as Divisional Advance Guard to Trugny.

September 10

The German cruiser Emden, having entered the Bay of Bengal on 5 September, begins operating against shipping routes and in the next week claims eight prizes.

The SMS Emden in the Bay of Bengal, 10-16 September 1914

In France, the 26th Brigade RFA marches to Courchamps. At 12.30pm it is held in readiness just north of the town and then advances to Latilly via Sommelans. At 3.30pm 116 is in action at Treville against enemy based in Chouy.

September 9 - "India for the King!"

Offers of service from the Indian Princes to the Viceroy of India is read by the Under Secretary of State for India in the House of Commons. You can read this statement in full.

An announcement is made that 70,000 Indian troops will be sent to Europe.

In the light of this day's announcements on India, Punch publishes a timely cartoon entitled "India for the King!"

The King's message to the Dominions is issued. You can see more here.

The published version issued in Australia is shown on the left. Use the link above to see a larger version of this document.

The 26th Brigade RFA marches to La Nouette Fme, about 4 miles north of Baulchery.




The Battle of the Marne continues. This map shows the positions on this day:

The Battle of the Marne: positions on 9 September 1914

 

 

 

Punch publishes another Bernard Partridge cartoon reminding readers of German atrocities and abuse of the Geneva Convention. It has the title "God (and the women) our shield!" - see below.

September 8 - Loss of the "Oceanic"

RMS Oceanic runs aground off the island of Foula and is wrecked. No lives are lost. She is the first Allied passenger ship to be lost in the war, albeit due to a navigational error.

RMS Oceanic

Sir John French's first official dispatch on the progress of the war is published in the London Gazette. You can read his dispatch in full here.

Loyd George

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, David Lloyd George, refers to "silver bullets". In his speech he said, "I think cash is going to count much more than we possibly imagine at the present moment. ... That is where our resources will come in, not merely of men but but of cash. We have won with the silver bullets before. We financed Europe in the greatest war we ever fought, and that is what won."

You can read this speech in full by following this link.

The 26th Brigade RFA forms an advanced guard with the 1st Brigade. They move to Le Frenois, near Choisy. At 11am, 116 and 118 are in action south of Bellot. Their march continued to bivouack north of Hondevilliers. At 5pm, 116 Battery moved out of bivouack and shells a German column moving through Nogent.

September 7

Austria-Hungary's second invasion of Serbia begins with the Battle of Drina.

Austria-Hungary's second invasion of Serbia begins today (and see 12 August)

The British Pacific Ocean communication cable is severed by a German Naval squadron under the command of Vice Admiral von Spee.

From 6am the 26th Brigade RFA is in action north of Puiseau. At 10.15am it marches with the 1st Brigade to Le Frenois, near Choisy.

September 6

The 26th brigade RFA is in action during the Battle of the Marne.

The 116th battery is with the Coldstream Guards forming an advanced guard to the 1st Brigade. At 9am 116 is in action just south of Voinslies.

At 9.45am 117 is in action near pt 109 west of Voinslies, and 118 is in action at Vrignel. At 10.15am 116 retires to a position of readiness at Mon Plaisir.

At 5pm the Brigade advances to Puiseau and bivouacks.

September 5 - Battle of the Marne begins

The Battle of the Marne begins. It is the culmination of the German advance into Northern France and its pursuit of the Allied armies which followed the Battle of the Frontiers in August.

The Battle of the Marne: Positions on 5 September

HMS Pathfinder

HMS Pathfinder is the first British warship to be sunk by a submarine off the Firth of Forth.

The 26th Brigade, RFA marches to Nesle.

September 4

H H Asquith

The Prime Minister, Mr Asquith, in a speech at the Guildhall states that since the outbreak of war, "Up till to-day gives us between 250,000 and 300,000 [volunteers], and I am glad to say London has done its share. The total number of Londoners accepted is not less than 42,000."

You can read Asquith's speech in full by following this link.

In France, the 26th Brigade, RFA, marches to Coulommiers and bivouacks one mile south of the town.

September 3

On this day 33,204 men enlist for the British Army. This proves to be the highest daily total of the entire war.

A further list of British casualties is issued: killed, 70; wounded, 390; missing, 4,758.

The 26th Brigade RFA marches to La Ferte sous Jouarre, a crossing point on the River Marne.

HMS Speedy, a minesweeper, sinks after hitting a mine in the Humber estuary.

September 2

Due to the continuing advance of the Germans, the French Government relocates to Bordeaux.

The Russian Government renames St Petersburg "Petrograd", meaning "Peter's City", to remove the German words Sankt and Burg.

The 26th Brigade RFA marches to Chambry.

The Prince of Wales' National Relief Fund reaches £2,000,000 (see August 15).

Punch publishes another fine cartoon by Bernard Partridge, depicting the classical figures of Liberty and Belgium.

LIBERTY (To Belgium) "TAKE COMFORT. YOUR COURAGE IS VINDICATED; YOUR WRONGS SHALL BE AVENGED"

September 1 - Action at Nery

L Battery in action at Nery

A skirmish takes place at Nery between the British Army and the German Army, part of the Great Retreat. Shortly after dawn, a British cavalry brigade was preparing to leave its overnight bivouac and was attacked by a German cavalry division of about twice their strength. The British artillery was mostly put out of action very quickly, but a single gun of L Battery, Royal Horse Artillery successfully kept up a steady fire for two and a half hours against a full battery of German artillery. British reinforcements arrived at 8am, They counter-attacked, forcing the Germans to retreat. Three men of L Battery were awarded the Victoria Cross for their part in the battle.

The 26th Brigade, RFA is also still retreating. At 1.30pm, "116 & 117 in action half a mile south of Villers-Cotterets with Black Watch covering retirement of 1st Brigade from the town. No engagement." Although not mentioned in the War Diary, the BEF was fighting another rearguard action here. The 4th (Guards) Brigade, covering the withdrawal of the 2nd Division, came into contact with the leading units of the German III Corps on the edge of woodland near the town. The Guards Brigade lost more than 300 men in the encounter, but were able to break away and continue the withdrawal.

Later, the Brigade bivouacks 1 mile south of La Ferte-Milon.