Here is a picturesque story of a British cavalry charge at Thuin, a town in Belgium near Charleroi, and the subsequent retreat to Compiègne:
"On Monday morning, August 24, after chafing at the long delay, the 2nd British Cavalry Brigade let loose at the enemy's guns. The 9th Lancers went into action singing and shouting like schoolboys.
"For a time all seemed well; few saddles were emptied, and the leaders had charged almost within reach of the enemy's guns when suddenly the Germans opened a murderous fire from at least twenty concealed machine guns at a range of 150 yards.
"The result was shattering, and the Lancers caught the full force of the storm, Vicomte Vauvineux, a French cavalry officer who rode with the brigade as interpreter, was killed instantly. Captain Letourey, who was the French master of a school in Devon, was riding by the side of Vauvineux, and had a narrow escape, as his horse was shot from under him. Other officers also fell.
"While the bulk of the brigade swerved to the right the others held on and rode full tilt into wire entanglements buried in the grass thirty yards in front of the machine guns, and were made prisoners. Three regiments of the best cavalry in the British went into the charge, and suffered severely. The 18th Hussars and the 4th Dragoons also suffered, but not to the same extent as the others.
"A happy feature of the charge was the gallant conduct of Captain Grenfell, who, though twice wounded, called for volunteers and saved the guns. It is said that he has been recommended for the Victoria Cross.
"After this terrible ordeal the British brigade was harassed for fourteen days of retreat, the enemy giving them rest neither day nor night. At 2 o'clock each morning they were roused by artillery fire, and every day they fought a retiring action, pursued relentlessly by the guns.
"It was a wonderful retreat. Daily the cavalry begged to be allowed to go for the enemy in force to recover lost ground, but only once were they permitted to taste that joy, at the village of Lassigny, which they passed and repassed three times.
"The Germans made repeated efforts, which were always foiled, to capture the retreating transport. It had, however, many narrow escapes. At one point it escaped by a furious gallop which enabled the wagons to cross a bridge less than an hour ahead of the enemy. The engineers had mined the bridge and were waiting to blow it up. They sent a hurry-up call to the transport, and the latter responded with alacrity. The bridge was blown up just in time to separate the two forces. "At Compiègne the brigade for the first time saw and welcomed their French brothers-in-arms."
BOY SCOUT HERO OF THE WAR