War was declared at noon on
the 4th August 1914. Since dawn that day the boat trains from
Ireland had been arriving in London bringing to Wellington Barracks,
the home of the 1st Battalion Irish Guards, reservists (over
1300 men) who, anticipating their summons and determined not
to miss the excitement, had boarded the mail boats the previous
evening. Everyone confidently predicted that the war would be
over by Christmas.
This was not to be, and four years and three months later, having
earned four Victoria Crosses and sustained 7,488 casualties
from 9,633 all ranks, the war to end wars came to its exhausted
end. There were a total of 2,349 soldiers killed.
It was this; the first clash
of the British Expeditionary Forces (BEF) with the German Army
took place, on the Morning of the 23rd August 1914. Meanwhile
the French, who were on the right of the BEF had to withdraw
and to stop from being surrounded by the Germans the BEF had
to conform and withdraw also. This Retreat (which is know to
the Veteran's and the Regiment as the Retirement) is a legendary
epic, and the 1st Battalion, therefore, took part in what must
be one of the most testing battles of the early part of the
Great War. At the beginning of the Retreat the Battalion acted
as rearguard to the 2nd Division and sustained its first causalities.
Two days later it was again
in action at LANDRECIES, but it was on the 1st September, at
VILLIERS COTTERET that the Battalion fought it's first serious
engagement in which it had over 100 causalities, including the
Commanding Officer and Second in Command killed and the Adjutant
Wounded. As the only Major left Major H.A Herbert-Stepney took
command of the Battalion for a hectic 18 days and was later
killed on the 6th November 1914 near YPRES. The Retreat lasted
until the 5th September 1914 by which time the front had stabilised.
It was a long drawn out rearguards action and a severe test
of skill and endurance, entailing withdrawing a distance of
nearly 200 miles.
On the 8th September 1914 the Battle of Marne started and this
was to be the turning point when the German advance from Monns
was halted just east of Paris, and the allies began the advance
northwards towards AINSE where the 1st Battalion crossed by
pontoon on the 14th September 1914. In mid October the BEF was
moved to cover the Channel ports and from the 21st October to
the 12th November 1914 the 1st Battalion fought continuously
in the first battle of YPRES, losing more than 700 men.
That winter saw the beginning
of the long period of trench warfare, which lasted until the
final battles in 1918. Life consisted of mostly monotony, often-intense
discomfort from the cold and mud, but with an ever-increasing
number of casualties from the shelling, machine guns, sniping
mortaring, mining and raids. From time to time they took part
in great set piece battles such as FESTUBERT, LOOS (this was
the first time the Regiments newly formed 2nd Battalion was
in action) THE SOMME, YPRES, CAMBRAI and ARRAS. Each success
or failure meant a few hundred yards gained of lost, but the
list of casualties were always large, right up until the last
great offensives of the German army in 1918.
The collapse of the Russian revolution in 1917 meant that the
German eastern front was closed enabling them to redeploys them
to the western front and against the Allies. On the 21st March
64 German Divisions were flung against the point where the British
and French Armies met at HAZEBROUCK. The Germans were nearly
successful in their attempt to reach the Channel ports, however
the tide was turned during the summer and in August 1918 the
Allied Armies took the offensive at places such as HINDENBURG
LINE and CANAL NORD. By November 1918 Germany was defeated and
the Armistice was signed on the 11th November 1918, by which
time the 1st Battalion were at MAUBEUGE, which was only a few
miles from MONS, where they had first come under fire in 1914.
During this period. To remind
us of the filth of trench warfare and slaughter throughout this
period the Regimental Archives hold a priceless source of outstanding
photographs, personal trench diaries and vivid letters.
