At La Ferté-sous-Jouarre on the River Marne is a British Memorial commemorating the Battle of the Marne which took place in September 1914.
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| La Ferté-sous-Jouarre British Memorial |
The Battle of the Marne was a pivotal battle of World War One being the point at which the French and British stopped retreating after German armies swept through Belgium and went on the offensive.
In August 1914 the German Army invaded Belgium triggering the start of World War One. They enacted the Schlieffen Plan which was a wide flanking movement by three German armies to envelope Paris, then proceed east to attack the French Army from the rear.
The German first and second armies swept through Belgium, engaging Belgian, British and French forces in what became know as the Battle of the Frontiers. Whilst the German Army was victorious, their planned progress was impeded by strong and unexpected resistance from the Belgian Army and the sabotage of railways essential to the plan.
Von Kluck, the German First Army commander, tasked with the sweep around Paris thinking the French Army was on the run and the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) defeated, to shorten his lines of communication decided to pass Paris to the east, rather than to the west as per the Schlieffen Plan.
Unbeknown to Von Kluck the French had formed a new Army, the Sixth. This consisted of garrison troops from Paris and two Corps that were moved from other French Armies.
General Joffre, French Commander in Chief’s intent was to attack into the exposed German flank, requesting the BEF to assist in the operation.
The French Sixth Army prepared to assault the German Firsts Army along the River Ourcq. As part of that preparation Paris Taxis used to transport 4,000 men of the 62nd Division to the battlefield north of Meaux.
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| Battle of the Marne Taxis |
The Battle of the Ourcq commenced on the 5th September as reconnaissance units clashed. The initial assault and a German counter attack necessitating von Kluck to move troops northwards from the River Marne to reinforce his main body.
The French Ninth Army attacked the German Second and Third Armies to the east in the area of the Saint-Gond Marshes.
The effect of the French offensive operations was to force a gap between the German First and Second Armies. It was into this gap that the French Fifth Army and the British Expeditionary Force advanced. The British moving from south of the River Marne force passage over two smaller rivers, the Grand Morin and the Petit Morin.
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) advanced as the Germans withdrew. British cavalry units leading the advance clashed with German cavalry units covering the withdrawal.
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| 9th Lancers clash with German Cavalry |
German Army commander von Moltke fearing the First Army could be lost ordered the three German armies to withdraw to the River Aisne, 50 kilometres to the North, bringing the Marne Battle to an end.
The British and French Armies began a pursuit of the Germans with an aim to forcing their continued withdrawal. To enable the pursuit it was necessary to cross the River Marne. However the Germans had destroyed road bridges as they withdrew. A pontoon bridge was built at La Ferté-sous-Jouarre to enabling the British III Corps to cross the River Marne.
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| Pontoon bridge La Ferté-sous-Jouarre |
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| River Marne La Ferté-sous-Jouarre |
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| River Marne La Ferté-sous-Jouarre IJ |
The British Expeditionary Force sustained 12,733 casualties, who were killed or wounded. Those who were killed who have no known grave are commemorated on a memorial at La Ferte sous Jouarre located on the banks of the Marne.
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| La Ferté-sous-Jouarre British Memorial |
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| La Ferté-sous-Jouarre British Memorial River Marne |
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| La Ferté-sous-Jouarre British Memorial |
The memorial lists those lost by Regiment on a series of panels.
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La Ferté-sous-Jouarre British Memorial Royal Artillery
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