The expeditionary force was in supreme command of Field Marshal Sir John D. P. French, a veteran officer of high military repute, with Maj.-Gen. Sir A. Murray as chief of staff. Other noted officers were Lieut.-Gen. Sir Douglas Haig, commander of the First Corps; Lieut.-Gen. Sir James Grierson, commander of the Second Corps; Maj.-Gen. W. P. Pulteney, commander of the Third Corps, and Maj.-Gen. Edmund Allenby, in command of the Cavalry Division. The home army was left in command of Gen. Sir Ian Hamilton.
Hardly had the expedition landed in France when the death was reported of the commander of the Second Corps, Sir James Grierson, who succumbed to heart disease while on his way to the front, dropping dead on a train. He was given a notable military funeral in London. Gen. Sir H. L. Smith-Dorrien was appointed to succeed him in command of the Second Corps.
The British troops were received in France with loud acclaim and Field Marshal French, on visiting Paris for a conference at the French war office before proceeding to the front, was greeted by a popular demonstration that showed how welcome British aid was to the French in their critical hour.
The British field force was composed of three army corps, each comprising two divisions, and there was also an extra cavalry division.
Each army corps consists of twenty-four infantry battalions of about one thousand men each on a war footing; six cavalry regiments, eight batteries of horse artillery of six guns each, eighteen batteries of field artillery, two howitzer batteries, and troops of engineers, signal corps, army service corps and other details.
Thus the first British field force landed in France aggregated about 94,000 men, including the extra Cavalry division. These were added to almost daily during the following weeks, until by September 20 the British had probably 200,000 men co-operating with the French army north and east of Paris.
COLONIES RALLY TO BRITAIN
At the prospect of war with Germany the dominions of the British Empire overseas eagerly offered their aid. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, all came forward with offers of men, money, ships and supplies. The Australian premier issued a statement to the people in which he said: "We owe it to those who have gone before to preserve the great fabric of British freedom and hand it on to our children. Our duty is quite clear. Remember we are Britons."
CANADA OFFERS MEN
A formal offer of military contingents was cabled to England by the Canadian government August 1. A meeting of the cabinet was presided over by Premier Borden. It was called to deal with the situation in which Canada found herself as the result of the European war.