Returning from
the front to Woolwich,
Are survivors of
L Battery, Royal Horse
Artillery, taking
a respite, with their guns
To repaired and
refitted by the Arsenal –
Their depleted
numbers are being made
Up – among their
loss is a story of heroes.
In a retreat from
Compiegne L battery
Were placed to
support a Cavalry Brigade,
Working for three
weeks their rear guard
Action – with
only short times given to rest,
It became a habit
of them to fall asleep,
In the saddle,
rudely awoken in falling
From horses.
Continual action allowed
Forces to retreat
without much molestation.
On the eve of
making a great advance
And the last day
of the general retreat,
The battery bore
heroes against all odds.
L battery,
emplaced near Compiegne,
Was 600 yards
from some French Cavalry,
Who occupied a
ridge as the retreat
Moved behind them
– by 4 a.m. L Battery
Had to be
prepared and be ready to move.
First, they were
to expect further orders
For some reason
communications were cut,
So that the order
never came – a dense
Mist surrounded
them, hiding all sights
Of the Cavalry’s
retreat - Expecting orders
L Battery formed
and limbered up ready
To move – when
the mist cleared after 5am
They faced an
‘enfilade’ from the ridge –
Realising only
then the French had gone.
After the
cavalry’s retreat in early hours –
Ten field guns
and 2 maxims advanced
In the mist to
gain that position with mist
Lifting 12 guns
fired on them at 600 yards
Almost all the
gun team horses were killed
In the first
volley preventing the movement
Of the gunnery-
under Captain Bradbury
The men with
speed unlimbered the guns.
Those not
initially killed, manned the only
3 guns that were
in the correct positions.
The skill of
British gunnery led to German
Guns being put
out of action, one by one.
Yet being
out-numbered by the enemy.
They faced
equally effective German guns.
Until finally.
two British guns were stopped.
Now only one gun
remained in defence.
Within a short
time a few men of L Battery
Were left
standing, but still they worked.
The single gun
managed to silence further
Enemy guns - the
depletion of L Battery
Gunners, left
three non-commissioned
Officers working
the gun - despite each man
Wounded they
fired, sheltering behind
A shield, until
both sides had a single gun.
The stalemate
went on until at virtually
The same time,
the enemy and British
Ceased fire and
the three men remained,
Sheltered at by
the guns shield. Aid came
To the three,
with the infantry and force
Of cavalry –
their rescue being marked by
Recommendations
for the Victoria Cross.
The relief force
found the German position
Devoid of
survivors who left their guns.
Of 300 men who
had made up the L Battery
And ammunition
column only 125 returned.
Under 40 of these
survivors were attached
To the battery -
the others had belonged
To the ammunition
column which had
Been luckier in
escaping the full attack.
Of those that had
taken part, to keep guns
Firing, until the
last shell fired, were officers,
Lieutenant
Giffard and Lieutenant Mundy,
Who were wounded,
while the two other
Officers.
Lieutenant Campbell and Captain
Bradbury killed;
were both in despatches;
Lieutenant Giffard
given Legion of Honour.
by Jamie Mann.
Anon.,1914. Glorious Deed of British Gunners – The
Dauntless Three – Recommended for the VC.
The Daily Telegraph, [online] 21 Oct. p.9. Col.2. Available at:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ww1-archive/11166570/Daily-Telegraph-October-21-1914.html
[Accessed: 21 October 2014].
Mann, J., 2014. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal
communication, 21 October 2014).
#WW1 #WW1centenary #GreatWar #WW1poem #GreatWar #ww1centenary
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