Impressions and Experiences of a French Trooper, 1914-1915 - 1

IMPRESSIONS AND EXPERIENCES OF
A FRENCH TROOPER, 1914-15

Night Charge of the 22nd Dragoons, Sept. 10-11, 1914.

Map illustrating the Route followed by the 22nd Regiment of Dragoons.

IMPRESSIONS AND
EXPERIENCES OF A
FRENCH TROOPER
1914-1915

BY
CHRISTIAN MALLET

NEW YORK
E. P. DUTTON & COMPANY
1916

The Knickerbocker Press, New York

In Memoriam

TO MY CAPTAIN
COUNT J. DE TARRAGON
AND
TO MY TWO COMRADES
2nd LIEUT. MAGRIN and 2nd LIEUT. CLÈRE
WITH WHOM
MANY PAGES OF THIS BOOK ARE CONCERNED
WHO FELL
ALL THREE ON THE FIELD OF HONOUR
IN DEFENCE
OF THEIR COUNTRY

“Dragons que Rome eut pris pour des Légionnaires.”

		PAGE
	Frontispiece	[9]
	The 22nd Regiment of Dragoons	[11]
CHAPTER
I.	—Mobilisation—Farewells—We leave Rheims	[13]
II.	—Across the Border into Belgium—Life on Active Service from Day to Day—After the Germans had Passed through—The Retreat	[26]
III.	—How we Crossed the German Lines—The Charge of Gilocourt—The Escape in the Forest of Compiègne	[43]
IV.	—Verberie the Centre of the Rally—The Epic of a Young Girl—Mass in the Open Air—From Day to Day	[74]
V.	—The Two Glorious Days of Staden	[97]
VI.	—The Funeral of Lord Roberts—Nieuport-Ville—In the Trenches—Ypres and the Neighbouring Sectors—I Transfer to the Line	[110]
VII.	—The Attack at Loos	[144]
	Index	[165]

FRONTISPIECE

[This picture] by Carrey represents the night charge of a squadron of 22nd Dragoons against German trenches near Compiègne. During the night of September 9th, the squadron leader, who had received orders to endeavour to intercept and capture a large enemy convoy, suddenly came under a hot fire from German trenches. In the darkness it was impossible to choose his country, but the position before him must be attacked, and, signalling the charge, he led his squadron at the trenches. As the first line rose to the jump the Germans scuttled out in panic, only to be ridden down and destroyed. With the 22nd are shown two troopers of the 4th Dragoon Guards, belonging to the 2nd British Cavalry Brigade. Both had fought at Mons, but during the retirement had lost their regiment, and after wandering about for some days fallen in with the 22nd Dragoons and fought for some weeks in their ranks. Whilst still under heavy fire, one of these Englishmen, throwing the reins of his horse to his companion, dismounted and ran to and rescued a French trooper whose horse had fallen dead and pinned him to the ground; on rejoining their own regiment their French commanding officer gave them the following certificate of service:

“I, the undersigned, certify that T..... and B....., troopers, belonging to the 4th Dragoon Guards, lost themselves in the neighbourhood of Péronne on the 20th August, and joined up with my squadron, and have since then formed part of it and engaged in all its operations. On the night September 10-11 my squadron received orders to capture a German convoy, and found itself surrounded by the retreating enemy.

“T..... and B..... took part in a charge by night against entrenched infantry, and helped in the fighting on the outskirts of the forest of Compiègne.

“They are both men of fine courage and high training, and have given me every satisfaction.

“(Signed) A. De S.,

“Captain, 22nd Dragoons.”

(Le Temps.)

THE 22nd REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS

AUSTERLITZ	1805
JENA	1806
EYLAU	1807
OPORTO	1809

The 22nd Regiment of Dragoons was raised in 1635 under the name of “The Orleans Regiment,” and took part from 1639 to 1756 in all the great wars in which the French were engaged before the Revolution. From 1793 to 1814 the regiment was continually at work, first under the Republic and then in Napoleon’s armies.

It saw service in the Army of the Sambre and Meuse, 1794-1796; the Army of the Rhine, 1800; the Grande-Armée, 1805; in the war in Spain, 1808-1813; the Campaign in Saxony, 1813; the Campaign in France, 1814.

The regiment was disbanded in May, 1815, and was not raised again until September, 1873.

CONTENTS

FRONTISPIECE

THE 22nd REGIMENT OF DRAGOONS