Irish Memorial Mons

Irish Memorial of the two battles of Mons

During the Battle of mons in August 1914, troops of the British Expeditionary Force struggled to hold the strategic La Bascule crossroads on 23 August 1914.
As the British troops began to fall back, the Germans attempted to cut their retreat. Despite being under-strength, a group of about 45 men from the Royal Irish Regiment resisted the enemy assaults as best as it could and held its ground. Finally, having endured machine-gun fire for several hours, the crossroads came under German artillery bombardment.
This monument was erected to commemorate the courage of those Irish soldiers in August 1914, and also in the Second Battle of Mons in November 1918. It was inaugurated on 11 November 1923 in the presence of Field Marshal Earl French of Ypres, Honorary Colonel of the regiment. The Celtic cross was blessed by clergymen from Mons and Ireland during the ceremony. That same year, the regiment was dissolved and gave its drum as a gift to Mons.

Source : information board

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