Description
In August 1914 the British Expeditionary Force found itself in a precarious position astride the Mons canal. Retreating French forces had appealed to the BEF to hold its ground to aid their withdrawal, but this exposed the British Army to grave danger, for its flanks were exposed and the strength of German forces advancing against it was uncertain. Nevertheless, British commander Sir John French agreed to hold his ground for 24 hours to cover the French retreat, setting the stage for Britain’s first pitched battle of the First World War.
This virtual tour will focus on the struggle for control of the Nimy bridge where the 4th Royal Fusiliers and 4th Middlesex fought to stem the tide of the German advance. The intense fighting produced acts of incredible heroism on both sides, exemplified by the award of the first Victoria Crosses of the war to Lieutenant Maurice Dease and Private Sidney Godley.
18 reviews for On-Demand Tour: Mons – The Fight at Nimy Bridge – 1914
Very interesting tour about one of the initial actions of WWI, enthusiastically presented by Professor Jones. Plenty of detail and well illustrated with historical photos, the memories of those involved and using modern technology to locate the battle. Also a consideration of the overall picture of British public opinion at the start of the war when all was new and mobile.
We associate WWI with trench warfare but it is very interesting to understand what it was like prior to this.
This is my second tour as a subscriber, and totally enjoyed this tour! The pandemic has limited the ability to travel freely to Europe from the US, and these tours allow me to visit battles and battlefields I have never seen. Although the Second World War is my main focus of interest, after visiting Ypres 6 years ago,I want to learn as much about the First World War as I can.
Excellent tour guides, and lots of detailed information.
Brilliant tour with a five star guide in Dr Spencer Jones and excellent back ground technical staff. looking forward to the next tour.
Excellent tour, many thanks. I took away a few great nuggets of information on the Battle of Mons, which is particularly good as I currently live there!
One minor observation from me though and I think this would apply on many of your tours is the quality of the map ‘animation’. Is there any way to develop the overlays as the explanation progresses so that we can see the advancing arrows of formations etc. It seems you have a single overlay on the map that captures the general picture and then you just zoom in and out around that.
Just a minor suggestion for improvement to an otherwise excellent tour.
Fantastic
Loved the post Canal part too. Inspired me for research on that & 24 Aug actions in the ground behind.
Im encouraged to join you on the May tour. Like minds. So many questions generated even when studied/researched. That’s one of the key benefits of these virtual tours.