Action at Néry

Action at Néry
Part of the Retreat from Mons
An artist's impression of the last gun of L Battery in action.
Date 1 September 1914 Location Néry, Oise, northern France 49°16′56″N 02°46′45″E / 49.28222°N 2.77917°E / 49.28222; 2.77917Coordinates: 49°16′56″N 02°46′45″E / 49.28222°N 2.77917°E / 49.28222; 2.77917 Result British victory
Belligerents
United Kingdom	German Empire
Commanders and leaders
Charles Briggs	Otto von Garnier
Units involved
1st Cavalry Brigade L Battery, RHA	4th Cavalry Division
Strength
c. 2,000 men and six guns	c. 5,200 men and twelve guns
Casualties and losses
135 killed and wounded.	Unknown casualties; 78 prisoners.

The Action at Néry was a skirmish fought on 1 September 1914 between the British Army and the German Army, part of the Great Retreat from Mons during the early stages of the First World War. A British cavalry brigade preparing to leave their overnight bivouac were attacked by a German cavalry division of about twice their strength shortly after dawn. Both sides fought dismounted; the British artillery was mostly put out of action in the first few minutes, but a single gun of L Battery, Royal Horse Artillery successfully kept up a steady fire for two and a half hours against a full battery of German artillery. British reinforcements arrived at around 8 am, counter-attacking the German forces and forcing them to retreat; the German division was routed and did not return to combat for several days. Three men of L Battery were awarded the Victoria Cross for their part in the battle, and the battery itself was later awarded the honour title of "Néry", the only British Army unit to have this as a battle honour.

After the British and German armies first encountered each other at the Battle of Mons on 23 August 1914, the outnumbered British Expeditionary Force had begun to fall back in front of a stronger German army. The two clashed again at the Battle of Le Cateau on 26 August, after which the British again retreated towards the River Marne. The retreat was orderly and disciplined; the German command mistakenly believed the British force was shattered and so neglected to aggressively harass them as they withdrew. As a result, the bulk of the Expeditionary Force was able to retreat for several days without engaging in any major fighting; the German pursuit was leisurely, and most engagements were skirmishes between rearguard units and cavalry patrols, rarely more than a battalion in strength.

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