GENERAL D'AMADE AND THE CORPS EXPÉDITIONNAIRE D'ORIENT
One end of our camp was in touch with the French lines and, of course, I
saw a great deal of the French soldiers and a little of their gallant
Commander, General d'Amade. I know, therefore, with what feelings of
regret his men heard that he was about to return to France. He had
endeared himself by his unfailing courtesy and goodwill, and had
impressed with his fine, soldierly qualities all those with whom he had
in any way come into contact.
During the tenure of his command, the French troops had, at the point of
the bayonet, wrested seemingly impregnable positions from the brave foe.
Their losses had been cruel, terrible, but their deeds are imperishable.
The military records of France make glorious reading, but even to these
dazzling pages General d'Amade and his gallant troops have added fresh
lustre.
A sad blow had fallen upon the General while he was in Alexandria
reorganising his Corps Expéditionnaire d'Orient, prior to its departure
for Gallipoli. In the midst of his work a telegram was handed to him
announcing that his son had fallen gloriously in France. The General,
having read the heart-breaking message, paused for a moment and then
remarked: "Well, our work for France must go on."
It was my good fortune to see the order of the day of the _Journal
Officiel_ du 11 Février, 1915, which recounted the death and gallant
deeds of General d'Amade's boy. He was only eighteen and had just joined
his regiment, the 131st Infantry, when he went on a perilous night
mission to obtain information which could only be got by creeping up
into the German trenches. With just two men he accomplished this
dangerous duty successfully, but at that very moment he was discovered
and a volley from the enemy laid him low. Although grievously wounded,
his first thought was for France, so, forbidding his comrades to carry
him off, he told them to fly with all speed to the French lines with the
valuable information which he had obtained. Young Gerard d'Amade died
where he had fallen, a noble example of that spirit of self-sacrifice
which characterises all ranks of the French Army.
A framed copy of this order of the day has now a place of honour in the
nursery of a little boy I know of who, every night before he goes to
bed, stands in front of it at the salute and says: "I do this in memory
of a brave French officer who gave his life for his country. May I so
live that, if necessary, I may be ready to die for England as nobly as
Gerard d'Amade died for France."
The British public is little aware of what it owes to General d'Amade.
During the terrible retreat of our Expeditionary Force from Mons, when
we were outnumbered by five to one, and when the Germans were closing
round our small army in overwhelming numbers, General Sir John French
sent out urgent appeals for assistance in this hour of dire peril to the
Generals commanding the French armies on his right and left. For some
reason or other none of these came to his aid, and for a time it looked
as if our gallant little army would be engulfed and annihilated.
Fortunately, there was one French General to whom the appeal was not
made in vain. This was General d'Amade, who, at that time, was guarding
the line in the northwest of France from Dunkerque to Valenciennes. To
hold this very important eighty miles of front all the troops he had
were four divisions of somewhat ill-equipped Territorials, with very few
guns. It must be remembered that the French Territorial is past his
prime and, as a rule, is the father of a family, and considers his
fighting days over.
It can well be imagined, therefore, what an anxious time General d'Amade
had during those fateful days from the 19th to the 28th August, 1914,
when at any moment the German avalanche might burst upon him. On the
24th August his force was strengthened by two Reserve Divisions (the
61st and 62nd), which only arrived in the nick of time, for with these
he was able to do something in answer to General French's despairing
appeal. General d'Amade manoeuvred these two Reserve Divisions into a
position which seriously threatened von Kluck's flank. That "hacking"
General, not knowing the strength of General d'Amade's menacing force,
became anxious for his right flank and communications, so turned aside
from his pursuit of the British and proceeded to crush the French. These
two divisions put up such an heroic fight and offered such a stubborn
resistance to the German horde that it took the pressure off our sorely
stricken men, enabling them to extricate themselves and retire, broken,
exhausted, tired, crushed, it is true, but still to retire to safety,
where they were able to reorganise and take ample vengeance on the
Germans a few days later.
General d'Amade lost practically his entire force, but he had gained
something very precious; he had saved our army from destruction, and
what is more, he had saved the honour of France--nay, even France
itself, for if the French generals had stood idly by and allowed our
Expeditionary Force to be wiped out of existence, I think it is more
than likely that France might have prayed in vain for any further
assistance, in troops at all events, from England.
All honour, therefore, to the General who, without hesitation, with just
two Reserve Divisions, took the shock of the German legions and
sacrificed himself and his troops rather than see the honour of France
go down in the dust. Politicians may recommend the bestowal of honours
and decorations on their favourite Generals, but General d'Amade
deserves more than this, he deserves a tribute from the British people.
He made a magnificent sacrifice in our cause, and if ever in the history
of the world a general deserved a sword of honour from a nation, General
d'Amade deserves one from England.