Current Information:

Age-36

Born & Enlisted-Leicester

Montreuil-aux-Lions British Cemetery, France

After the opening battles of the war at Mons on 23rd August, 1914 and Le Cateau on 26th August, the British Army (BEF), in conjunction with the French Army, began a retreat that took them all the way back to the River Marne, 200 miles to the south. With the Germans in hot pursuit they were forced to fight a series of rear guard actions as they fell back in extremely hot weather. The Great Retreat, as it became known, came to an end on 5th September, 1914 when the allied forces attacked along the River Marne and drove the Germans back to the River Aisne.

On 6th September, 1914, the BEF began a cautious north-easterly advance towards Coulommiers and Montmirail The cavalry covered the front and flanks of the army and it was not long before the advanced guard came across large German forces moving towards them. When the enemy artillery opened up on them they fell back to the main body. It was this same German force that confronted the 1st Coldstream Guards of 1(Guards) Brigade, 1st Division, the advanced guard of 1st Division, as they approached the village of Rozoy and forced them to stop and take up covering positions and engage the enemy. The battalion diary does not go into detail about this other than to record that there were nearly 50 casualties. One of whom was Alfred Sturgess.