Early fighting and local casualties

As the German army advanced into Belgium they met unexpectedly strong resistance from Belgian, French and British forces.

The first local man to die was Harry Murphy of Avenue Road, St Neots, who was killed in August 1914 during the BEF (British Expeditionary Force) withdrawal from Mons, Belgium, as German soldiers tried to advance.

Scoutmaster Harris Marshall from Waresley, wrote home to his wife about the Battle of Mons and his letter was published in St Neots Advertiser, 18^th September 1914.

Private Holyoake wrote home about the Christmas truce in the trenches of 1914.

Map of the Western Front, 1915

Waresley soldier in the trenches, 30th April 1915