Current Information:

Born-Battersea

Le Cateau 26^th August 1914

By the evening of the 25th August, after their withdrawal south following the Battle of Mons on 23rd August, II Corps of the BEF, commanded by General Smith-Dorrien, had reached Le Cateau, in France. They had been retreating, but still fighting rearguard actions for two long days and they were done in. The Commander-in-Chief, Sir John French ordered them to continue the next day but Smith-Dorrien chose instead to stand and fight.  He reasoned that with the Germans on their heels a retreat would be disastrous without first halting the enemy advance. So, on the next day II Corps turned and faced the enemy. The town of Le Cateau saw little of the actual fighting on 26th August, the main actions taking place along the line of the road running between Le Cateau and Cambrai. A fierce battle ensued when the Germans began an artillery bombardment at dawn. Their infantry followed up in the wake of this barrage and became the targets of both the British artillery and infantry. The Germans were held at bay until the afternoon but by then they were threatening the flanks of II Corps which withdrew, whilst the enemy reorganised. British casualties for the day, killed, wounded or taken prisoner, were nearly 8,000.

The 1st Wiltshire battalion were part of 7 Brigade, 3rd Division which, on 26th August, occupied the village of Caudry and its vicinity. 1st Wiltshire were along the ridge north-east of the town but, along with the other battalions of the brigade was in a weakened state with many stragglers yet to rejoin after the Battle of Mons. Unfortunately for them the enemy concentrated on Caudry, a decided salient into the British lines, and the village was heavily shelled from an early hour.  At 7am German infantry moved against the flanks of the village where 7Brigade had only just learnt that the retreat was not continuing.  Nevertheless the enemy were contained until noon but by 2pm a heavy artillery bombardment had driven them from Caudry and the Great retreat back to the River Marne began. The death of Sidney Turner was recorded as 28th August, when 1st Wiltshire were retreating south and did not come into contact with the enemy and it is more likely that he was killed two days earlier at Le Cateau, but that his death was not recorded until later.