Produced by Barbara Tozier, Graeme Mackreth, Bill Tozier and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net "CONTEMPTIBLE" SOLDIERS' TALES OF THE GREAT WAR Each volume cr. 8vo, cloth. I. WITH MY REGIMENT. By "Platoon Commander." II. DIXMUDE. The Epic of the French Marines. Oct.-Nov. 1914. By Charles le Goffic. _Illustrated_ III. IN THE FIELD (1914-15). The Impressions of an Officer of Light Cavalry. IV. UNCENSORED LETTERS FROM THE DARDANELLES. Notes of a French Army Doctor. _Illustrated_ V. PRISONER OF WAR. By Andre Warnod. _Illustrated_ VI. "CONTEMPTIBLE." By "Casualty." VII. ON THE ANZAC TRAIL. By "Anzac." Philadelphia J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY London: WILLIAM HEINEMANN "CONTEMPTIBLE" BY "CASUALTY" Philadelphia: J.B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY London: WILLIAM HEINEMANN MCMXVI _Printed in Great Britain._ CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I LEAVING ENGLAND 1 II CALM BEFORE THE STORM 10 III THE ADVANCE TO MONS 14 IV MONS 21 V THE BEGINNING OF THE RETREAT 27 VI DARKNESS 34 VII VENEROLLES 39 VIII ST. QUENTIN AND LA FERE 44 IX SIR JOHN FRENCH 51 X A PAUSE, AND MORE MARCHING 55 XI A REAR-GUARD ACTION 62 XII VILLIERS-COTTERETS 66 XIII HEAT AND DUST 74 XIV THE OCCUPATION OF VILLIERS 78 XV THE LAST LAP 86 XVI THE TURN OF THE TIDE 95 XVII THE ADVANCE BEGINS 98 XVIII THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE 104 XIX AN ADVANCED-GUARD ACTION 109 XX DEFENCE 117 XXI THE DEFENCE OF THE BRANDY 122 XXII STRATEGY AS YOU LIKE IT 126 XXIII THE LAST ADVANCE 133 XXIV SATURDAY NIGHT 141 XXV THE CROSSING OF THE AISNE 151 XXVI THE CELLARS OF POUSSEY 161 XXVII THE FIRST TRENCHES 168 XXVIII IN RESERVE AT SOUVIR 177 XXIX TO STRAIGHTEN THE LINE 186 XXX THE JAWS OF DEATH 193 XXXI THE FIELD HOSPITAL 204 XXXII OPERATION 213 XXXIII ST. NAZAIRE 219 XXXIV SOMEWHERE IN MAYFAIR 221 CHAPTER I LEAVING ENGLAND