Page 94 - QDG Volume 9 No. 2 2021

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1st The Queen’s Dragoon Guards
Unbeknown to Sir Charles Briggs, the German 4th Cavalry Division, under General von Garnier, comprised of three cavalry brigades and three batteries of artillery, routed the French and, unde- tected, had penetrated the British defensive line. They arrived on a plain in this exact gap between the two British Corps, thirty miles from Paris. Their aim was to penetrate the British forces facili- tating the surrounding and annihilation of the BEF. At 4am, the main body arrived at Béthisy-Saint-Martin, only 2,400 yards from the position occupied by the Bays. They had advanced through the Forest of Laigue, so were not observed by our air reconnaissance. Indeed, an observer from the RFC had overflown the area at 4,000 feet and had reported that:
‘the woods were minutely examined and no enemy was observed.’
In fact, the visibility was poor due to a heavy atmospheric haze which contrib- uted to their concealment.
On the 1st September, the Bays had reveille at 2.30am with orders to move off at 4.30am. However, when dawn broke, a thick fog lay in the valley to the east of the village with visibility down to one hundred yards at best. So, orders were issued at 5am to delay the Regi- mental move and stand down. Given the weather, there was no likelihood of any movement for a few hours. The horses were unsaddled, L Battery unharnessed their guns, and the animals were watered and fed. The Regiment then took the opportunity to wash and shave. They ate a leisurely breakfast of omelettes and tea.
time, the German machine guns opened up from a position seven hundred yards away, from the vantage point of a plateau which overlooked the whole village.
Lt Lamb was running late after checking his troops and was just about to shave when the first shells landed amongst C Squadron’s horses. Those that were not immediately killed stam- peded along with the horses from A and B Squadron, critically in an Eastward direction. But the casualties were not just amongst the horses. At least twenty members of C squadron were killed or badly injured in the first few minutes.
Sergeant Nelson, from L Battery and bivouacked alongside C Squadron,
as well. He ran with Lt Lamb the three hundred yards to the corner of the field. Miraculously, not only was no one hit as they ran into position, but also, they were not hindered by their horses who were stampeding in the opposite direction. It was clear where the enemy fire was coming from, as at that short a distance, the flashes were visible even through the mist, which had started to lift. Webb sat down and mounted the gun on his knees. He raked the enemy positions trying to control the gun as it pumped out six hundred rounds a minute.
The Vickers was designed with a water-cooling jacket which required 7.5 imperial pints (4.3 litres) of water in its evaporative cooling system to prevent overheating. The heat of the barrel boiled the water in the jacket surrounding it after two hundred rounds and could get up to 220 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, the water needed replenishing every ten minutes or so. There was clearly no possibility of renewing the water under these circumstances.
Given that the whole mechanism was steel, the heat would have been conducted to the steel jacket. Webb’s bravery and determination was such that he overcame the pain as the steel burnt through his uniform, causing untold pain to his knees and legs. Singlehandedly, he
At 5am, one of the Uhlan patrols spotted C Squadron’s bivouacs and immediately reported their presence plus the fact they were resting, ‘uncovered and unsuspecting.’ Despite the fact that his troops were also exhausted, Von Garnier immediately ordered the division forward. Given the weather, the plan was for the three Horse Artillery batteries to lay down fire and four cavalry regiments were to dismount and to attack on foot.
described
the scene as the initial bombardment hit.
During the awful carnage the groaning of dying men and horses was audible amidst the terrific thundering of the cannon. The scenes were in most cases beyond description. One man, in full view of me, had his head cut clean off his body. Another was literally blown to pieces, another was prac- tically severed at the breast, loins, knees and ankles. One horse had its head and neck completely severed from its shoulders. So terrific was the hail of shrapnel that I was bespattered with blood from men and horses.
Just as the Germans were
moving up into position, the
early daylight patrols from
1st Cavalry Brigade returned. The Bays’ patrol reported no sight of the enemy. They missed both the Uhlans and the Cuirassiers by a hair’s breadth. The 11th Hussars saw the Uhlans and reported back to their regiment, Brigade HQ and 5DG. But there was not enough time to warn the Bays.
At 5.40am, the first artillery shell landed on Néry – right in the middle of C Squadron’s horse lines. At the same
As C Squadron scattered, Algie Lamb reacted with incredible speed and iden- tified a fire position from where he could engage the enemy. He only had six men of the Machine Gun Troop at hand, and he led them to the corner of the field where there was a bank by a sunken road.
LCpl Frederick Webb, who was the No. 1 on one of the machine guns, heaved the gun, weighing thirty pounds, from its carriage, but couldn’t manage the tripod
During the awful carnage the groaning of dying men and horses was audible amidst the terrific thundering of the cannon
Visual of the ‘Action at Nery’ © In The Footsteps