October 1914 On this day: Antwerp Evacuated   The City of Antwerp is evacuated as British and Belgian Forces struggle to hold back the besieging German forces as they closed in on the port: "Private (sic) William Foster, of Old Fallow, Cannock, who has a remarkable record of assisting at the siege of Antwerp six weeks after enlistment, has a good story to tell of the gallant attempt of the Naval Brigade to check the advance of the Germans, after Antwerp had fallen. Foster, who belongs to the 2nd Naval Brigade, was a member of the Howe division (sic), and his trench was situated in the middle of a churchyard. They were in the trenches for two days and two nights, from Tuesday to Thursday. In the course of the fighting Foster says the bombardment was so terrific that some of the Britishers were driven out of their minds by it. The German artillery was very accurate, and deadly for the most part. When the Naval Brigade first took to the trenches, the German shells did not touch them, but soon one of the enemy aeroplanes appeared overhead, and within ten minutes the trenches were raked with a terrible fire. A great deal of difficulty was experiences because the Germans drove the Belgian refugees before them, and the Naval Brigade had to avoid shooting them, although the Germans continued to fire at the men in the trenches. Foster says that lack of artillery was responsible for the retirement of the British force. It was simply a case of rifles against hundreds of German guns. If they had killed two Germans to every one Englishman, there would have been plenty of the enemy left to march to Antwerp, so at last they had to retire. The retreat from Antwerp was full of peril and incident. The Naval Brigade had to pass between blazing tanks of petrol, over a river on a pontoon bridge. Foster says it was certainly not an orderly retreat, because they had to get out as fast as they could." K.X/152 Ordinary Seaman William Foster - 6th (Howe) Battalion, Royal Naval Division published in The Lichfield Mercury on 23rd of October 1914 "On the 7th the Marine Brigade was withdrawn to the line of inner forts. The Marines defended this position until the conditions on which we could remain were no longer being fulfilled. A final decision was made on the 8th of October by Mr Winston Churchill (the First Lord) to retreat to the coast." Charles James Black, RMLI. German troops leave Ypres   The day after arriving in Ypres, the ten thousand troops, along with their horses, transports and guns, left the city, the infantry marching towards Dickebusch, the cavalry headed for Vlamertinghe, taking with them sixty two thousand Francs from the city's coffers, a vast amount of forage, horses, wagons, food and clothing belonging to the citizens of Ypres. The majority of the coupon payments were never honoured as the German Army was never to return to the city. http://www.greatwar.co.uk/ypres-salient/battles-ypres-salient.htm 6th Cavalry Brigade land Ostend   The 6th Cavalry Brigade, consisting of the 1st (Royal) Dragoon Guards, 10th (Prince Of Wales’s Own Royal) Hussars and C Battery, RHA land at Ostend as part of the 3rd Cavalry Division. BEF HQ moves again   GHQ for the British Expeditionary Force moved from Tardenois to Abbeville. Holts Battlefield Guide 2nd Life Guards land at Zeebruggen   The Adjutant of the 2nd Life Guards records in the War Diary: "Landed at Zeebruggen and found myself senior officer in the place and in command of 7 Squadrons of H C and 2 of Royal Dragoons. Ordered to billet in the area Uitkerke-Lisseweghe-Zuyenkerke. This was countermanded by an order to march to Clemskerke, and again later by an order to assist outside Zeebruggen, which we did till 5 p.m. when orders came to bivouac which I did in the dark on the sea shore 1 mile west of Blankenberghe. The HQ and 2 Squadrons Royal Dragoons left us to march to Ostend. War Diary  On the march further moves   E Battery 3rd Brigade RHA Started at 0830 and marched to billets at Maison Roland about 1600. war diaries  1st East Lancs on the march  1st North Staffs on the March  On the Move  On the March  Reinforcements  Outpost Duty  Divisional relocation continuing  Trench Work  On the March  On the March On the March    2nd Battalion, Scots Guards marching out of Bruges along the Bruges - Torhout road. The Battalion was ordered to join the 7th Division on the 8th of October 1914 to cover the landing of the 3rd Cavalry Division at Ostend. © IWM (Q 57141) IWM  On the March  On the March  On the March  Training  On the Move  Orders  Bridge Building  Entraining Finished  Training  On the March  On the March  At Rest  Disentrained near Abbeville at 0400 hours  Zeppelin and sheds destroyed Can you add to this factual information? Do you know the whereabouts of a unit on a particular day? Do you have a copy of an official war diary entry? Details of an an incident? The loss of a ship? A letter, postcard, photo or any other interesting snipts? If your information relates only to an individual, eg. enlistment, award of a medal or death, please use this form: Add a story.

Killed, Wounded, Missing, Prisoner and Patient Reports published this day. This section is under construction.

Want to know more about of October 1914? There are:31 items tagged of October 1914 available in our Library   These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Great War.

Remembering those who died this day, of October 1914. Lance Corporal Arthur Adams. Chatham Btn. Royal Naval Division Read their Story. Capt. Ernest Stanley Brand. Attch. West African Regiment, WAFF Royal Fusiliers Read their Story. Col.Sgt. Hector McGuirk. attd. West African Regiment, WAFF King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry Read their Story. S/Sgt. Frederick Wade. attd. West African Regiment, WAFF Army Ordnance Corps Read their Story. Add a name to this list.

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