The Battle of Mons

Grand Place, Mons

One hundred years from next Saturday (August 23rd), the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) saw it's first action in Europe when it engaged the advancing German army outside the Belgian city of Mons.  The British were defending the city but were eventually overwhelmed and began their retreat to the Marne outside Paris.

You can tell that the city is preparing for the centennial.  For one, there are signs announcing that it's preparing for the centennial.  Another is that there seem to be Union Jacks (and in the case of this picture, Canadian flags) everywhere.

This city remained in German hands until the end of the war.  So there was little fighting.  The city is largely not like it would have been in 1914 as it is in a very industrial area of Belgium and has obviously been developed.

Germans and Britons together.

Soon after the battle, the Germans established a military cemetery at the town of Saint Symphorien where they buries with honors dead from both sides of the conflict.  It is one of the few places you can see soldiers from both sides buried beside each other.

The cemetery contains the first and the last Commonwealth casualties of the war.

On August 4th of this year, just last week, there was a special ceremony held at this cemetery where the British Prime Minister and members of the British Royal family were in attendance.

This memorial is dated August 4th, 2014.  It's likely that it was
the result of the ceremony held that day.

Edward William Mason: This lucky,
unlucky fellow has great great
grandchildren.

 It seems a large number of descendants were present on that day.  I'm starting to see posts from them on various travel sites in the region.  They left behind details about their relatives, including descriptions of how tall their family tree has grown.  It was a reminder that I have my own family dead in this war, even though they were on the other side and fighting on another front.  I wish I could find my great grandfathers grave.  Most likely he doesn't have one.