1914-18



The origins of the First World War are long and complex, but the catalyst for the outbreak of war was the assassination in Sarajevo of Archduke Ferdinand of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. Serbia’s ally, Russia, declared war on Austria-Hungary. Germany was allied to Austria-Hungary, and Britain and France were allied to Russia, and so all the major powers were dragged into the war.
 
Belgium was a neutral country whose neutrality was guaranteed by Britain, so when it was invaded by Germany on 1st August 1914, Britain had obligations towards it. Therefore Britain declared war on Germany on 4th August.
 
The British Expeditionary Force (BEF) deployed to France on August 12th, and all three Coldstream battalions deployed with different formations. The BEF moved into Belgium to meet the German army. Its first engagement was at Mons, however a flanking move made it necessary for the BEF to retreat, and there followed thirteen days of continuous retreat under fire over a distance of 170 miles. At the River Marne the BEF turned around and advanced towards the Germans and finally fought them to a standstill at the River Aisne in October.
 
The discipline and marksmanship of the BEF made them superior to the enemy. A British infantryman could fire fifteen aimed shots a minute, and the Germans often thought that they were under machine-gun fire in areas where the British actually possessed none! This was a remarkable achievement especially when you consider that more than half of them were reservists who were recalled to the colours. Most of them had only been back in uniform for a matter of weeks.
 
The war now developed into static trench warfare. Life was extremely hard. The trenches were cold and wet, and were infested with rats and vermin. They were subjected to daily shell and sniper fire. Very often the front lines were only a matter of yards apart, and the area in between – no-mans land – was a morass of shell holes full of deep, sticky mud and rainwater. Fighting patrols and work parties were sent into no-mans land. Casualties were constant and heavy.
 
There were often large scale battalion, brigade, division or even army corps attacks which were planned in minute detail with interlocking artillery barrages and rigid timings. Once the whistle was blown, troops climbed out of their trenches and advanced towards the enemy at a walking pace, usually into horrific machine-gun fire and artillery barrages. The plans were so detailed that there was no scope for variation, and once the attack was launched there was no chance of altering it to suit local conditions. Casualties were enormous and battalions virtually ceased to exist within minutes.
 
In August 1915, all Guards battalions were grouped together into the Guards Division and for the remainder of the war they fought together and the division became an elite formation.
 
With the expansion of the army in 1914, the Coldstream also formed extra battalions. Unlike many line regiments who could boast up to 32 battalions, the Brigade of Guards insisted on maintaining pre-war standards and as a consequence they did not expand to the level of other regiments. The Coldstream formed the 4th and 5th Battalions.
 
The 4th Battalion was formed at Windsor in August 1914 and was initially a reserve battalion. With the formation of the Guards Division, the Battalion was detailed as the division’s Pioneer Battalion. Initially titled the Guards Pioneer Battalion, it was soon re-designated 4th (Pioneer) Bn, Coldstream Guards. It was at this time that the 5th (Reserve) Bn was formed at Windsor, where it remained in a draft-finding role for the service battalions.
 
A pioneer battalion was a new concept to this war. Its role was to dig fortifications, repair trenches and roads and generally act as the division’s labour force. However, when required it was able to lay down its tools, pick up its arms and fight as an infantry battalion.
 
The Guards also formed a machine-gun regiment. Originally titled the Machine Gun Guards (MMG), it was later re-designated as the Guards Machine Gun Regiment (GMGR). Initially each regiment of Foot Guards and Household Cavalry had their own regimental company, but on the formation of the GMGR in 1918, soldiers were either transferred to, or directly enlisted into the regiment.
 
For the next four years the Division fought in nearly every major engagement on the Western Front, gaining a reputation for discipline, bravery and reliability.
 
The war ended with the Armistice on 11th November, 1918. A week after the Armistice the whole Guards Division moved to Cologne where it became part of the Allied Army of Occupation in Germany, where they remained until 1919.
 
The regiment had won a further seven Victoria Crosses bringing the Regiment’s total to eleven. However, casualties had been vast with a total of 515 officers, and 13,269 other ranks, of which 3,519 were killed.
 
On 22nd November, 1918, HM King George V ordered that in recognition of the bravery of the Brigade of Guards during the war, Privates of the Brigade would in future bear the title of Guardsman.