Still at Montgard Mill

Sunday 20th September 1914: The 1st Battalion are still at Montgard Mill. Our contact writes: “From the top of the hills we can get some very good views so we climb up them and can see Soissons and other places very well. We have taken the opportunity of the rest to send interpreters into Paris to get us different things which they were only too glad to of, so much so that one did not return for a long time afterwards”.

Source: X550/2/7

The 1st Bedfords at Montgard Mill near Jury

The ruined church at Condé-sur-Aisne

Saturday 19th September 1914: Our contact with the 1st Battalion, still at Montgard Mill near Jury, has told us of an abortive shoot by our artillery against the enemy on the north bank of the River Aisne: “During the past few days we have collected a few of the stragglers that had got separated from us on the Retreat. At 5 pm we were ordered to leave the mill as the guns about us were going to bombard Sevres and Condé-sur-Aisne”.

“We left and went off to Jury and we warned the miller to leave also hoping that he would not return. He drove off with his wife and family in a great state of excitement but returned later all right”. We returned soon after and nothing happened”.

Lieutenant Downes’ Experiences at the Front

Aspley House in 1961 [Z53/3a/1]

Thursday 17th September 1914: We have had the following letter from Lieutenant Villiers Chernocke Downes of Aspley House, serving with the 1st Bedfords. He writes as follows: “We arrived in North East France, where we remained from 19th to 23rd August and took part in the Battle of Mons. We had to retire, but held the enemy in check for the whole day at le Cateau. We were in the firing line on each occasion and had thrilling experiences. I found it far less nerve trying than I expected. At Mons I was in a very hot corner for a few minutes, being shelled by shrapnel at close range, about 400 yards, with the German Infantry. Four men were killed around me and I got a bullet through my hat. That will make a fine trophy. Our Division[1] has since had no fighting, but have marched 20 miles per day. We are very fit in consequence. We are generously treated by the inhabitants who give to us freely of their best”.

Our other source with the battalion writes that the miller at Montgard is no better company than yesterday: “The old miller is still very disagreeable although we tried to help him with his milling which he had been ordered by the Requisitioning people to get a move on with as fast as possible”.

“While we were digging latrines in the farmyard, we dug up near the manure heap a jar containing all sorts of valuables which we presented to him. He, however, seemed more bored than pleased to get them back as he had, of course, buried them for safety”.

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[1] 5th Division.

The 1st Bedfords at Montgard Mill

The church in Sermoise

Wednesday 16th September 1914: Today the 1st Bedfords have been resting in and around the mill at Montgard near Jury. Our contact writes: “The owner of the mill is a most objectionable old man with his wife and family and will not do anything much to help us and anything that we want to buy we are told that he either has not got it or that he wants an impossible price for it. However we managed to get some very good honey out of him at a fairly reasonable price”. The battalion can see the village of Sermoise on the south bank of the Aisne, just across from Missy, is on fire.

Sources: X550/2/7