Affair of Néry facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Néry |
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| Part of the Retreat from Mons | |||||||
 An artist's impression of the last gun of L Battery in action. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United Kingdom |
 German Empire |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
| Charles Briggs |
 Otto von Garnier |
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| Units involved | |||||||
| 1st Cavalry Brigade L Battery, RHA |
4th Cavalry Division | ||||||
| Strength | |||||||
| c. 2,000 men and six guns | c. 5,200 men and twelve guns | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 135 killed and wounded. | Unknown casualties; 78 prisoners. | ||||||
The Battle of Néry was a fierce fight that happened on September 1, 1914. It was between the British Army and the German Army during the early days of World War I. This battle was part of the Great Retreat, a time when British forces were falling back from Mons.
A British cavalry group was getting ready to leave their camp early in the morning. Suddenly, a much larger German cavalry division attacked them. Both sides fought on foot. Most of the British artillery was quickly knocked out. But one brave gun from L Battery kept firing for over two hours. It faced a whole battery of German guns! British help arrived around 8:00 a.m. They counter-attacked and made the Germans retreat. The German division was badly beaten and couldn't fight for several days. Three men from L Battery earned the Victoria Cross, Britain's highest award for bravery. The battery also received a special honor title: "Néry."
Contents
The Great Retreat: Why the Battle Happened
After their first big fight at the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, the British army had to retreat. They were outnumbered by the stronger German army. The two armies clashed again at the Battle of Le Cateau on August 26. After that, the British continued to pull back towards the Marne River.
The British retreat was organized and disciplined. The German commanders wrongly thought the British army was broken. So, they didn't chase them very hard. This allowed most of the British forces to retreat for several days without major battles. Most of the fighting was small skirmishes between rear-guard units and cavalry patrols.
On August 31, the British forces kept moving south-west. They crossed the Aisne River. The Cavalry Division helped protect the rear. The day's march was cut short because of the hot weather. The tired soldiers stopped for the night south of the Aisne.
The 1st Cavalry Brigade was stationed at the village of Néry. They had been scouting for German forces all day. They didn't reach their rest area until late, around 8:30 p.m. The plan for the next day was to march ten to fourteen miles south. This meant an early start. However, many units arrived late on August 31. So, the general ordered a later departure.
Behind the British, the German 1st Army was moving south. They wanted to cross the Oise River and cut off the French Fifth Army. This would also isolate Paris. On August 31, German cavalry divisions crossed the Oise. German units were on a forced march. They were ordered to scout towards Paris very quickly. Many had been traveling for a long time without sleep.
Getting Ready for Battle
The British 1st Cavalry Brigade was camped at Néry. It included three cavalry regiments: the 2nd Dragoon Guards (Queen's Bays), 5th (Princess Charlotte of Wales's) Dragoon Guards, and 11th (Prince Albert's Own) Hussars. Each regiment had about 549 men and two machine guns. They were supported by L Battery of the Royal Horse Artillery. This battery had 205 men and six 13-pounder guns. These units had fought in the Retreat from Mons but had not lost many soldiers.
The German First Army had three cavalry divisions. These included the 2nd, 4th, and 9th Cavalry Divisions. They were ordered to advance towards different areas. The German commanders were not aware of the British forces south of them. The 4th Division was to march all night through a forest. They were supposed to meet other divisions in the morning.
The 4th Cavalry Division was led by General Otto von Garnier. It had about 5,200 men. This included six cavalry regiments, twelve artillery guns, and machine guns. They also had two light infantry battalions.
A thick fog covered the area. German patrols were sent out to scout. One patrol from the 17th Dragoons found the British camp. They heard sounds and thought it was another German regiment. But when they got closer, they saw a British corporal shaving! They quickly pulled back to tell General Garnier. Another German patrol also met a British cavalry patrol. Garnier decided to attack right away. He moved two of his artillery batteries close to Néry. Machine guns were placed on each side of the guns.
The Battle of Néry Begins
Néry village is in a valley. High hills overlook it from the east and west. A sugar factory was just south of the village. L Battery was staying there. The cavalry regiments were in and around the village.
Dawn on September 1 brought a very heavy fog. The British forces had woken up at 4:30 a.m. They were ready to move. But because of the bad visibility, they decided to wait. They would wait an hour and a half for the mist to clear. The men rested, watered their horses, and made breakfast. The artillery teams were still attached to their guns.
At 5:25 a.m., a patrol from the 11th Hussars saw a strong enemy force. They quickly rode back to the village. The regiment took up defensive positions. But the commander of the 5th Dragoon Guards didn't believe an attack was coming.
At 5:40 a.m., firing started from the hills to the east. Machine guns and light artillery supported the attack. This was the advance guard of the German 4th Cavalry Division. They were surprised to find British forces. General von Garnier quickly ordered an attack on the village.
The German fire from the hills was very effective. The horses of the 2nd Dragoon Guards got scared and ran away. The British artillery was stuck and couldn't move. One of the first to be hit was Major Sclater-Booth, the battery commander. He was knocked out. Captain Bradbury, the second-in-command, took charge. He managed to get three guns into firing positions. They faced twelve German guns on the ridge.
Two of the British guns were quickly knocked out. Only one gun was left. Captain Bradbury, Sergeant Nelson, and three other men kept it firing. This single gun kept firing steadily. It drew the attention of the German artillery away from the cavalry. It fired until almost all its ammunition was gone. Captain Bradbury was hit by a shell while trying to get more ammunition. He was badly wounded and later died. Sergeant Nelson and Battery Sergeant-Major Dorrell kept the gun firing. But it finally stopped sometime before 8 a.m.
While Bradbury's gun was firing, the cavalry soldiers moved into position. They fought on foot along the eastern edge of the village. They stopped the German cavalry from attacking. At 6 a.m., two squadrons of the 5th Dragoon Guards tried to outflank the Germans. They looped around to the east to hold them in place.
By the time Bradbury's gun stopped, British reinforcements arrived. These were from the 4th Cavalry Brigade and two infantry battalions. I Battery began firing directly at the German guns. The mist was clearing, and the German guns were now exposed. The machine guns of the 1st Middlesex Regiment also fired. The German horses suffered many casualties. When the German artillery retreated, eight of their guns had to be left behind. They didn't have enough horses to pull them. A squadron of the 11th Hussars chased the retreating Germans. They took 78 prisoners from all six German regiments.
During the battle, the German cavalry almost overran some British artillery. But the reinforcements stopped them. The fog caused some confusion among the horses and gun teams. The British reinforcements began to surround the German 4th Division. The Germans started to run out of ammunition. Around 9:00 a.m., Garnier heard that other towns were occupied. He broke off the fight and retreated. He had lost a battery of artillery. The German division then moved south.
After the Battle
L Battery was almost completely destroyed in the battle. All five of its officers and a quarter of its men were lost. It was sent back to England to rebuild. It didn't fight again until April 1915. The three cavalry regiments of the 1st Brigade suffered less. They had 81 casualties in total.
Three men from L Battery received the Victoria Cross for their bravery at Néry. They were Captain Edward Bradbury, Battery Sergeant-Major George Dorrell, and Sergeant David Nelson. Captain Bradbury was fatally wounded during the fight. Sergeant Nelson was killed in action later in 1918. George Dorrell survived the war. The Victoria Cross medals given to these three men are now on display. The gun they used is also at the Imperial War Museum in London.
L Battery was later given the special honor title of "Néry." It was the only unit to receive this as a battle honour. Other units that fought there received the honor "Retreat from Mons."
The German 4th Cavalry Division was almost completely defeated. Their exact casualties are unknown, but they were thought to be more than the British losses. Eight of their twelve guns were captured by the British. The German brigades were ordered to scatter. They either went north into the Compiègne Forest or east. They were forced to leave behind their remaining four guns. They also left most of their food and ammunition. The German units eventually rejoined their main army. But the division was left behind for a while.
Nineteen British soldiers who died in the battle are buried at Nery Communal Cemetery. Most were from L Battery.
See Also
