Current Information:

Age-27

6, Norton Gardens, Norbury

Born-Camberwell

Sablonnieres New Communal 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.

At 4am on 8^th September the cavalry headed off for the Petit Morin, a stream running through a narrow valley with steep wooded sides. 5th Dragoon Guards of 1st Cavalry Brigade led the way via La Ferté Gaucher to Sablonnières, just to the west of Bellot, driving scattered parties of Germans before them.  German rifle fire prevented a direct advance on the two bridges at Sablonnières and an attempt to turn the position from the east via Bellot was also checked.  4th Dragoon Guards of 2nd Cavalry Brigade then rushed these bridges and although they took the railway bridge they were unable to capture the river bridge. However, the Petit Morin was crossed at other points, the Germans fell back and the advance was able to continue. Bert Wisdom was killed in action on this day.