Ch3:E29 The Immortal Story of 'L' Battery, an Epic of the Retreat, by Gunner Darbyshire, 1 Sept 1914
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- Опубліковано 13 жов 2024
- The story of one of the outstanding actions of the early days of the war, the artillery and cavalry stand at Néry on September I, 1914, is here told by Gunner Darbyshire, of the famous 'L' Battery. Of the characters in this immortal story Captain Bradbury was awarded a posthumous VC, Sergeant Nelson and Battery Sergeant-Major Dorrell (later Bt Lt-Col and MBE) were awarded VCs, and the author of this thrilling narrative and Driver Osborne, the highest French decoration for bravery in the field, the Médaille Militaire.
I Was There! Is a project produced by The Western Front Association. Our aim is to try to bring to life each of the 377 personal reminiscences included in the I Was There! series of weekly magazines published after the Great War of 1914-18. Our intention is to make the content of the readings more accessible to a much wider audience of interested First World War historians. The general aim of the production is educational, and to inform the narrative of this fascinating part of our history.
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Document readings are sourced from I Was There! by Sir John Hammerton, a part-work published over 52 weeks.
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Capt. Bradbury was my relative. I went to Nery 10 years ago on the 100th anniversary of this battle. Many members and former members of the RHA were there too. There was also a reenactment of the battle with teams of horses and guns with men dressed in the uniforms of the time.
from an old artillery guy. Magnificent and well done! It fills me with pride for my branch.
My father served with the 6th battalion Cameron Highlanders. With them at Loos Somme Arras, wounded and taken prisoner at Third Ypres. Returned to his job on the railways, never thought of himself as a hero. Just got on with his life, he was a good father.
Courage under fire.Lest We Forget.Onward.
My Great Uncle Rayner Harris served as a Gunner with New Zealand Army.
He was aged 20 when he joined up in 1914.
He was sent to Gallipoli in July 1915.
Gunner Harris was wounded in the spine, abdomen and left foot by shrapnel 30 June 1917, in action in France with the New Zealand Divisional Ammunition Column, Field Artillery .
His vertebra was severed and Rayner was left paralysed.He died back in New Zealand about 5 days before the Armistice.
The horrors that these brave fearless men must have seen is unthinkable , they're all at peace now and thank you all for what you gave
Words sometimes connot bring to bear the heroics performed by these men professionals by any standard my grandfather royal horse artillery ww2 fought the retreat to Dunkirk untill either running out of ammunition or captured he went on the long black march into captivity 😢survived untill 45 his son my dad rifle brigade didn't recognise him when he came home only a shell of a man that he was wouldn't talk of what he saw on that bloody march this kind of action defined the heroism of that generation god bless them all for your sacrifice ❤
Thank you for sharing this.
I read about the incident almost 50 years ago, the heroism of the BEF during the great retreat has lost none of its lustre.😊
This series is marvelous. Keep doing these, please.
My Grandfather Alun Garner was a dispatch rider and had his right arm blown off at the shoulder. He married my Grandmother shortly after the war ended. She had 4 small children. She had lost her husband Herbert Jones missing in action within the last weeks of fighting. Her story was a very sad one, in that, she had received the dreaded brown envelope a couple of weeks before, but had a telegram from his commanding officer telling her that Herbert had been found in a field hospital having taken a Blighty and would soon be on his way home to a local hospital. Unfortunately he was bandaged up and sent straight back to the front as was very often the way during the last days of heavy fighting.
Even though she married my Grandad and had 3 more children with him, until the day she died she always expected to see Herbert walking through the door one day.
Fate is a strange thing because only for the Great War, I wouldn’t be here writing about it now!
in 6 months, and 25 days it will be the 110th anniversary of this event.
it is good we remember.
Thank you for posting this up to UA-cam.
fascinating!!! My great grandfather Fred Appleby, a career soldier served with the KOYLI, the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry, He was wounded in November 1914 and sent to England to recuperate, I met him when I was a teenager. The opening months of the war always amazed me, My grandfather served with the 116th Battalion CEF...
My grandfather was a driver in the RFA he was awarded a MM by king George v for action at Ypres a very special generation the likes we’ll not see again god bless them all and RIP
Hear here, God bless them all.
I read about this in a book that was in my high school’s library. This is only the second time I have ever heard or seen a reference to this action.
Amazing..,truly love it, from NYC
what a story! thanks for sharing
Amazing stuff! Thanks very much for these videos.
This is the first episode that has popped up in my you tube algorithms. I look forward to excerpts from Edward Spears Liaison 1914
God, May their souls be with you. Not one lost.
God be with these brave men.
Magnificent
Amazing bravery
VERY IMPRESSIVE GENTLEMAN 👍
My grandfather was in 'K' Battery but died a few years before this war. I think he died in Cairo, coming back from India around 1895.
i read of this heroic action in a land weapons book of ww1 and ww2 i got when i was in grade school in the 1970,s i believe L Battery was authorised to have Nery attached to its streamer according to the book
What is the purpose of the vertical white line on the gun shield in the first illustration?
Can't imagine the snowflakes we have today lasting in an action like this,thanks to these fine people who saved us from the Hun👍
Brilliantly done ,for a minute I thought you sounded like Charles Dance ..Very interesting thankyou .
Bonjour à vous tous très beau documentaire mais dommage qu'il ne soit pas en français
My family history is patchy, I would love to find more about my Grandfather but wouldn’t know how to start. All I know was that he was in a Royal Horse Artillery battery and was captured during the third battle of Ypres and was a pow in eastern Germany.
My Great Uncle Sid Collins was a driver of an RFA 18pdr field gun.
Very poignant and brave
So early in the war the communication between the French & British field commanders must have been patchy at best. A simple oversight when setting up the camp and not checking in with the French calvary on the high ground as to when they intended to withdraw, cost the company heavily.
The French had a habit of making 'withdrawals' ....
🫡🙏
Not a Frenchman in sight!!! 😂
Alas ... all for Wall Street 😢
Total nonsense
Such a silly comment. Not even worth a reply!
Well the UK has only just finished paying back Wall Street for the loans and interest.
Ignorance can sometimes be offensive
a sweeping summary, alas determined men from 'germany' brave and willing to give all believing were just and patriotic, the 'british' equally fighting to the 'call'
truly goodmen, fathers, sons my grandfather included , shot, gassed and shelled,
machine gunned, was trying to return to his 'sons' when that jesuit planned debacle ended, we shall not forget that those men were a generation that endured horrors
daily, 1914 were the regular trained and vetran army, artillary, soon depleted to be
replaced with dockers, engineers, builders and thousands to answer the 'call',
heroes on all 'sides' sadly we are given the reality to those 'wars' and 'wall street'
users have much to answer for,
Just like Patton, I was there.
What command does an artilleryman hope never to hear? “Fix bayonets!” 🫡🙏🇦🇺🦘