[Misc] Was your Grandad or Great Grandad an Old Contemptible?

[MarioOrlandi]

The Old Contemptibles was the association of old soldiers in the First World War who fought in the Battle of Mons on August 23rd 2014. This was the first battle of the war when the BEF first encountered the German Army on the other side of the canal at Nimy, just outside Mons in Southern Belgium.

They were heavily outnumbered and needed to retreat or they would have been overrun. Many were killed in the battle but many more managed a (relatively) organised retreat to live and fight another day. Or, in many cases, live and die another day. But at least they managed to survive the Battle of Mons.

My grandfather was in the 4th Royal Fusiliers who fought in the battle and thanks in no small way to two very brave soldiers who manned a machine gun on the bridge over the canal and held up the German Army for the best part of an hour which allowed many soldiers, including my Grandad, to retreat. These two guys, Lt Maurice Dease and Private Sid Godley (who came from East Grinstead) were awarded the first two VC's of WW1

My grandfather survived not only Mons but the whole war. He was very active in the Old Contemptibles (the Kaiser supposedly described the BEF as that contemptible little army so they adopted the title for their old comrades association) and when I was 14 or 15 I went with him on a couple of his trips back to the battlefields.

Anybody else the offspring of an Old Contemptible?

If you want evidence of the futility of WW1 you should go to Mons. About a mile outside the town on the road to Brussells you will see on the left a plaque stating that the first shot in the war was fired close by. Cross the road, no more than 50 or 60 paces and you will see another plaque saying that the last shot in the war was fired there, by the Canadians.

The war started in Mons, headed south to the stalemate of the trenches and over 4 years later came back to Mons and finished no more than 50 or 60 paces from where it started.

50 or 60 paces sepated by counless millions dead.

I will be wearing my Grandad's Old Contemptibles badge tomorrow.

We will remember them.

Pip, Squeak and Wilfred awarded to my Grandfather Jack Preston, of the Leicestershire Rifles, he lost his right foot at the Somme.

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[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Both my grandads served in the Great War.
One was injured in France and invalided out (only to try to sign up for WW2!) My cousin pinched his medals.
The other fought in Belgium, came home in one piece and hanged himself.