Monthly Archives: September 2014

A biographer bifurcates

The object of this blog has always been to present the why and how of George Calderon’s self-sacrifice in World War I; but to show these things by posting events and documents in a species of ‘real time’, exactly one hundred … Continue reading

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Things

There is no documentation of what Calderon did between now and 15 September. Presumably, however, he had to set about equipping himself for active service.  Officers had to buy some of their equipment, clothes, and food themselves; they even had … Continue reading

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9 September 1914

On this day the B.E.F. began to cross the Marne.  Momentously, an emissary from Moltke had arrived the day before and now persuaded both von Kluck and von Bülow that they must retreat northeastwards or be encircled by the Allies … Continue reading

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A friend is wounded

On 8 September 1914 the B.E.F. moved towards the Marne and began to be attacked by von Kluck’s rearguard.  In one such engagement a dear friend of the Calderons was hit by shrapnel.  This was the 22-year-old Sir Roland James … Continue reading

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7 September 1914

Von Kluck now moved the left wing of his First Army almost forty miles northwards across the front of the B.E.F. to join his counter-attack on the French Sixth Army.  On this day the B.E.F. marched about fifteen miles towards … Continue reading

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6 September 1914

The initial strength of the B.E.F. was four infantry divisions and one cavalry.   However, the cavalry had been particularly hard worked: they had been the only effective cover and communication between the B.E.F.’s two army corps during the whole … Continue reading

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4 September 1914

This evening Joffre was brought a message from Sir John French that the B.E.F. was ‘prepared to assume the offensive’, i.e. at least five days earlier than he had told Joffre on 30 August.  So what had put some fire … Continue reading

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A correction?

It was perhaps a bit glib to say in the blog for 30 August that the B.E.F. ‘simply had to regroup’ etc.  However, Arthur Moore in The Times was certainly wrong to describe the B.E.F. as a ‘broken army’, and Sir John … Continue reading

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The Peter Pan Factor

If ‘Adventure’ was essential to Calderon, as Kittie said, what part did this play in his so desperately wanting to get to the Front?  Probably quite a lot, as my last quotation in ‘Thirty Quotes from George Calderon’ on this … Continue reading

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Kittie again

The other ‘st’ word of the Edwardian period is ‘stout’, as in ‘stout fellows’ (used by soldiers of their comrades).  It is described in dictionaries today as ‘arch.‘, and meant ‘dauntless’ — another word that today surely qualifies as ‘archaic’. … Continue reading

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