The organisation of the Belgian army, when at war, requires a cavalry
regiment for every division. Thanks to the hazards of this campaign,
only the 1st and 3rd Lancers remained permanently with the big units to
which they were organically attached.
Whilst the greater part of the men with our arm expected to keep their
spurs, which are worn very high, and were preparing their flourish
of trumpets, the 1st Lancers, that is the mounted ones, could not
have the same pretensions, as they were destined to share the fate
of the 4th Army Division during nearly all the operations. There
was plenty of good work to be done, nevertheless, and from the very
commencement, both on the banks of the Meuse and around Namur, our
bold reconnaissances proved the value of this arm. In the northern
Sector, Deputy Staff Major Lenercier, at present a brilliant Colonel of
the 5th Lancers, took the direction of the combats of Boneffe and of
the Sauveniere Mill. To the south, our regretted comrade, Lieutenant
Moreau, made a most daring reconnaissance. At the head of two platoons,
he went as far as Ciney, which was full of Germans. On his return, his
little troop was completely surrounded, but the Lieutenant was not
to be intimidated. He assailed his adversary and, thanks to his own
personal intervention, he saved the life, or at least the liberty, of
one of his comrades, who was surrounded by Uhlans, just as they were
preparing to do him an evil turn.
The spirit of our mounted Lancers is admirable. How many of them have
given proof of individual prowess! I well remember, among a hundred
instances, that of the gay trumpeter, who had specialised in hunting
the Boches. He would start off alone on his hunt, and he was very much
cast down if he did not account for two or three in his day's work.
Sometimes he would account for about ten of them, and his eyes were
brighter than usual on those days.
The evacuation of Namur took place on the 23rd of August, and was
a difficult and sorrowful retreat. The march was long, the horses
exhausted, the temperature very high, and the Uhlans sometimes very
near indeed, but what did all that matter? We had to rejoin our
fellow-soldiers with the fighting army. And after various incidents
we reached Coulommiers and La Ferte. From there we went to Havre, and
had a few days of peaceful life, in the midst of a population whose
hospitable welcome has left grateful memories in our Belgian hearts.
Four steamers then took us back to our own country. We had time to
re-equip ourselves and, after a few days at Contich, we took part in
the operations around the retrenched camp. There were reconnaissances
to be carried out to the north of Malines, and in the direction of
Louvain, Lippeloo, etc. Our officers kept surpassing each other in
activity and daring, and the men were as brave as their chiefs.