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| Memorial at Westminster Abbey, London |
To qualify as an "Old Contemptible" a British Army soldier would have to have seen active service actually in France and Flanders between 5 August and 22 November 1914. For this he would qualify for the medal known as the 1914 Star. This medal was introduced in 1917. In 1919 a clasp bearing the qualifying dates was authorized and given to soldiers who had actually been under fire between those dates. It was also known as the "Mons Star."
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| The Mons Star |
It is widely believed that the "Old Contemptibles" derived their honorable title from the famous "Order of the Day" given by the Kaiser at his headquarters, Aix-la-Chappelle, on 19 August 1914:
"It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers, to exterminate first, the treacherous English, walk over General French's contemptible little Army."
There can be no question that the most successful slogan for recruiting purposes issued during the whole course of the war was the phrase "contemptible little army," said to have been used by the Kaiser in reference to the British Expeditionary Force. It very naturally created a passionate feeling of resentment throughout the country.
"It is my Royal and Imperial Command that you concentrate your energies, for the immediate present upon one single purpose, and that is that you address all your skill and all the valour of my soldiers, to exterminate first, the treacherous English, walk over General French's contemptible little Army."
There can be no question that the most successful slogan for recruiting purposes issued during the whole course of the war was the phrase "contemptible little army," said to have been used by the Kaiser in reference to the British Expeditionary Force. It very naturally created a passionate feeling of resentment throughout the country.
Detailed information on the order of battle of the original BEF can be found at the website Britishbattles.com:
Memorial photo from Steve Miller; details from the Old Contemptibles Association
This elite group of veterans were also entitled to the 1914-15 Star, and the 1914-18 War Medal, as well as the Mons Star. The trio of ribbons was known as the Pip, Squeak and Wilfred.
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ReplyDeleteA Pershing. Can't find much on him however.