The Doings of the Fifteenth Infantry Brigade: August 1914 to March 1915

In Short

This immediate, unvarnished account follows the British 15th Infantry Brigade through the opening months of World War I, from the chaotic initial mobilization in August 1914 to the grueling trench warfare of March 1915. Written by its commander from his expanded daily diaries, the narrative covers iconic early engagements including the Battle of Mons, the tactical retreat to Le Cateau, the counter-offensive at the Marne, and the freezing, mud-choked winter stalemates at Missy, Givenchy, and Ypres. The book has endured as a masterclass in military observational writing, offering a plainspoken, day-by-day record of operational command stripped of romanticism or retrospective revision.

The Story

The narrative opens in August 1914 as Brigadier-General Count Gleichen leads the 15th Infantry Brigade—comprising battalions of the Norfolks, Bedfords, Cheshires, and Dorsets—across the English Channel into France and Belgium. Expecting a swift, decisive campaign, the brigade instead marches straight into the industrial slag-heaps of Belgium and the overwhelming weight of the advancing German Army. At the Battle of Mons, the brigade finds itself abruptly exposed to intense artillery bombardments and massed enemy infantry. What follows is the agonizing Great Retreat toward Paris, where men march to total exhaustion, shaving with dew from the grass and snatching brief moments of rest while under constant threat of being outflanked.

The tide turns in September with the sudden order to advance north. Reinvigorated, the brigade drives the enemy back across the Marne and the Aisne. Yet the offensive quickly grinds to a halt against entrenched German positions. At the Aisne, near the village of Missy, Gleichen sets up headquarters in an old, shattered farmhouse, initiating the brigade into the harsh realities of stationary warfare. Here, survival depends on night patrols, improvised artillery observation posts, and enduring relentless shellfire.

By late autumn, the war shifts westward to Flanders. The brigade is thrust into flat, waterlogged terrain around Béthune, Givenchy, and Festubert, where they attempt to hold sprawling, poorly constructed trench networks against fierce German thrusts. The line is further complicated by coordination challenges with French reinforcements and newly arrived Indian Army divisions, who struggle against the bitter cold and unfamiliar defensive conditions. As winter sets in around Ypres and Wulverghem, the conflict settles into a grueling pattern of attrition. Headquarters are established in ruined, drafty farmhouses, where officers patch shell-shattered windows with blue paper and plum jam while managing constant daily casualties, severe frostbite, and deep mud.

The narrative reaches its quiet, poignant resolution in March 1915. Having been promoted to Major-General, Gleichen receives orders to relinquish command and return to London. Upon preparing to leave, he realizes that after just six and a half months of continuous, devastating combat, the original brigade has been practically wiped out. Of the thousands of officers and men who left Ireland together in August, barely a dozen original officers remain alive or un wounded, marking the tragic end of the original British Expeditionary Force.

How It Unfolds

The voyage begins The 15th Brigade mobilizes from Ireland in August 1914, crossing into France and marching past the industrial coalfields of Belgium to meet the German advance.

The trial at Mons and Le Cateau Surrounded by artillery fire and coal-dust haze, the brigade enters its first major battles, suffering heavy casualties while desperately trying to maintain a cohesive defensive line.

The long retreat south Exhausted troops endure endless day-and-night marches under intense summer heat, sustained only by brief stops and crucial encouragement from senior commanders like Sir John French.

Turning at the Marne The brigade abruptly changes direction to pursue retreating German columns, capturing abandoned equipment, taking hundreds of prisoners, and driving the enemy back toward the Aisne.

Stalemate on the Aisne Trapped in a ruined farmhouse at La Bizaie, the brigade experiences the onset of trench warfare, dodging snipers and enduring heavy "Black Maria" shell bombardments.

Mud and cold in Flanders Transferred north to Béthune and Givenchy, the troops fight to hold shallow, flooded trenches alongside French forces and newly arrived Indian Army units amidst freezing conditions.

Winter in the Ypres Salient The brigade adapts to miserable living conditions in destroyed farms and icy dugouts, where every routine movement near the front lines must be carried out under cover of dead darkness.

Farewell to the old brigade Promoted to Major-General in March 1915, Gleichen hands over command and takes stock of his units, realizing that virtually the entire original force has been decimated.

The People

• Brigadier-General Edward, Lord Gleichen — The brigade commander and narrator who seeks to maintain operational control, soldier morale, and tactical coherence amidst chaos. He copes with constant shellfire, administrative friction, and severe discomfort with dry, practical stoicism, leaving the front only when reassigned.
• Major Weatherby — Gleichen's reliable staff officer who repeatedly rides out under heavy fire to establish contact with isolated battalions. He maintains an unflappable demeanor, famously continuing his morning routine even while his bathroom is actively bombarded.
• Lieutenant-Colonel Bols — The capable commander of the Dorset battalion who repeatedly handles tricky rear-guard actions during retreats, using well-placed machine guns to stave off enemy advances.
• Colonel Griffith — The steadfast commander of the Bedfords, recognized as one of the trustiest senior officers in the brigade. He survives months of extreme artillery exposure without being touched while keeping his men organized.
• Lieutenant-Colonel Luard — The brave commander of the Norfolks who leads a small detachment into dense woods near the Aisne; he vanishes during a confused nighttime withdrawal and is presumed killed or captured.
• Baron d'Oullenbourg — A gallant French battalion commander whose brave, oblique attack against German canal positions impresses Gleichen, earning him formal commendations and the Légion d'Honneur.

In Its Own Voice

"I remember that I occupied the time in shaving myself; and as there was no water handy, I moistened the brush in the dew on the grass."

The commander describes the bizarre daily routines maintained by officers during the frantic, exhausting summer retreat toward Noyon.

"Then we used jam--that glutinous saccharine mess known as 'best plum jam'--and blue sugar paper, and it stuck quite fairly well."

Faced with shattered windowpanes in their exposed frontline headquarters, the staff resorts to absurd, improvised solutions to keep out icy draughts.

"Of all the regimental officers and men who had left Ireland with me on the 14th August 1914, six and a half months previously, I could count on my ten fingers the number of officers left..."

Upon receiving his promotion, Gleichen reflects solemnly on the near-total destruction of his original brigade's personnel.

What It's Really About

Beyond the tactical maneuvers and daily combat reports, the book exposes the brutal transition from 19th-century mobile warfare to modern industrial destruction. It examines the breakdown of grand strategic plans when faced with the gritty realities of broken telephone wires, misdrawn maps, and unceasing artillery fire. The narrative silently contrasts the traditional aristocratic composure of the British officer class with the absurd, messy, and degrading conditions of early trench life. Ultimately, it serves as a stark testament to the total annihilation of Britain's professional pre-war regular army, capturing the exact historical moment when romantic notions of military glory were permanently buried in the mud of Flanders and the Marne.

Why Read It Today

This memoir is an essential read for military historians, first-person narrative enthusiasts, and anyone seeking an unvarnished, authentic perspective on World War I. Unlike post-war memoirs written years later with the benefit of hindsight, Gleichen’s account carries the raw, unedited immediacy of notes compiled during the events themselves. The tone is refreshingly direct, balancing a professional military eye with a dry, self-deprecating British humor that highlights the absurdities of life under fire.

Readers should be prepared for period-specific language, dense tactical references, and occasional casual, paternalistic observations regarding foreign troops or local civilians. However, these unedited attitudes only enhance the book's value as a genuine primary document. What remains with the reader long after finishing is the sheer physical strain endured by the soldiers, the absurd small details of daily survival, and the lingering tragedy of a commander watching an entire brigade of men slowly disappear into the mud over a single brutal winter.