The Angels of Mons: How a heavenly miracle inspired British soldiers in 1914

Less visited than the more famous Ypres, this atmospheric Belgian city is a monument to the outnumbered BEF’s first great battle

I’m standing in St Symphorien military cemetery on the leafy outskirts of Mons, between the graves of the first and last British soldiers to perish in the First World War. Private John Parr died here in Mons on August 21 1914. Private George Ellison died on November 11 1918.
Parr was only 17 (he’d joined the army at the age of 15, having lied about his age). Ellison was 40, a seasoned veteran, a front-line soldier throughout the war. He fought in the first Battle of Mons, in 1914, when the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) stood in the path of the invading German army. He returned in 1918, when the Allies drove out the Germans. He was shot by a sniper barely an hour before the ceasefire.
Parr and Ellison’s headstones face each other. They’re only a few yards apart. Coincidence or providence? Call me superstitious, but I like to think the latter.
As the first and last British battlefield of the First World War, Mons has special significance in Britain – but despite its rich wartime heritage it’s never become a major tourist destination, like Ypres. Yet if you take the trouble to travel here (it’s only three hours by train from London), you’ll find a historic, atmospheric city full of poignant relics of the “war to end all wars”.
The BEF never intended to make a stand here in August 1914 (the city was strategically unimportant and difficult to defend), but the Germans defeated the French Fifth Army in the Battle of Charleroi, 30 miles east of Mons. The Germans advanced and the French retreated, leaving 70,000 British soldiers facing 160,000 Germans. To cover the French retreat, the BEF had to stop the Germans, if only for a few days. It was the first time British and German troops came face to face.
The Battle of Mons – fought on August 23, 110 years ago on Friday – wasn’t trench warfare, like the later battles of the First World War. It was a mobile battle, fought with cavalry as well as infantry, all around the city. The British fought heroically and skilfully, but, vastly outnumbered, they were eventually forced to withdraw.
Both sides claimed victory. The Germans had taken Mons and driven the British back into France, but they had suffered twice as many casualties. The British had been beaten back, but despite losing 1,600 men they had achieved their objective, holding up the German advance in order to cover the French retreat, then conducted an orderly withdrawal of their own.
In the aftermath of the battle, a strange story emerged: many British soldiers swore that their brave resistance had been inspired by a heavenly vision of medieval English archers, the so-called “Angels of Mons”. Largely forgotten now in Britain, this miracle is still a familiar part of local folklore. The evolution of this modern myth is the subject of a fascinating new exhibition at the excellent Mons Memorial Museum. At the museum I meet the show’s curator, Corentin Rousman, who takes me on a tour of the battlefield.
There are moving memorials all over town, but for me the most evocative spot is the railway bridge that straddles the canal. Here, two British soldiers won the first Victoria Crosses of the war. Lieutenant Maurice Dease of the Royal Fusiliers manned a machine gun on this bridge, holding back the German advance. When Dease was wounded, Private Sidney Godley took over until he too was wounded. Godley was captured and spent the rest of the war in a German POW camp. Dease died of his wounds, aged just 24. He’s buried in St Symphorien, beside his British comrades and German foes. Uniquely, British and Germans lie side by side here. The Germans established this cemetery for their own troops, but since the retreating BEF had left hundreds of their own dead behind them, the Germans decided to bury them here, alongside their own soldiers. They even put up an imposing monument, commemorating the glorious dead of both sides.
We stop for lunch at Mr Gaston, a no-nonsense roadside friterie. Over a succulent burger, scrumptious Belgian frites and a potent Wallonian beer, Corentin explains how the Battle of Mons became a turning point in the development of modern warfare. After the carnage of that hot summer’s day, in which 5,000 young men died, both sides realised that new weapons such as machineguns rendered traditional military tactics obsolete. For the next four years, soldiers cowered in trenches, until the final Allied advance brought the British back to where they had begun, in Mons.
I first came to Mons in 2014, to report on the centenary of the battle. Returning 10 years on, I find it even more emotional. Lieutenant Dease was my son’s age when he laid down his young life for his friends. Would I be willing to see my own son do the same? Back in 2014, this battle felt like something from a dusty history book, a distant memory of a lost era. Now that young men are digging trenches in Ukraine, it feels terribly topical again.
If these First World War mementoes were the only things in Mons, it would still be worth a visit – but even if you tire of battlefields, there is lots more to see. A cluster of archaic brick buildings, crowded on to a steep hill, this is one of the most attractive cities in Wallonia, the southern, French-speaking part of Belgium. The city centre is walkable, a compact maze of cobbled alleys lined with quirky shops and cafés. There’s a smattering of sightseers, but they’re mainly individual visitors rather than big tour groups. Most of the drinkers in the bars are locals. 
There are no must-see sights, there’s nothing spectacular about it, but it’s all the better for it. It’s a pleasant, unassuming place – somewhere to wander round and get lost in. Everyone I met here seemed content and optimistic. I can imagine living here.
I finished my latest visit at the top of the Baroque Belfry, looking out across the mottled rooftops and the flat fields beyond. In 1914, you could have stood here and seen the German army approaching in clouds of dust across the plain. The streets below would have been crowded with British soldiers, awaiting the coming battle. How on earth must they have felt that day?
In Britain and Germany, the First World War is now seen as a catastrophe, a pointless bloodbath that led to further horrors: communism, fascism, the Second World War, the Holocaust… Here in Mons, people see it differently. They remember the German invasion and the British who came to their aid. They’re grateful to those Tommies who gave their lives to defend their liberty. Returning to St Symphorien, I was pleased – but not surprised – to find fresh flowers on the graves.
The Mons Memorial Museum tells the story of the city’s invasion, occupation and liberation in both world wars. It’s a superb collection – from uniforms and weaponry to propaganda posters. The dramatic presentation makes it thrilling for visitors of all ages.
Before he became a painter, Vincent Van Gogh spent two years living in the industrial hinterland of Mons (aka the Borinage), working as a lay preacher in an impoverished mining village called Cuesmes. The mines are long gone, the slag heaps are now grassy hillocks, and the little house where he lodged from 1878 to 1880 is now a modest museum. The Maison Van Gogh contains an evocative display about this important period in his early life.
If you’re anywhere near Mons on Trinity Sunday, don’t miss the Ducasse de Mons (or Doudou, as locals call it), a theatrical mock battle between St George and the dragon, reenacted by enthusiastic citizens before a huge crowd in the Grand Place, the city’s ornate main square. If you’re here at any other time of year you can learn all about this ancient spectacle, an annual ritual since the 15th century, at the Musée du Doudou.
Restaurants in Mons are good value and very good quality. In several visits I’ve never had a bad meal here. Carnivores should head for La Table du Boucher. The set menu at this stylish steakhouse costs €45 (£38) for three courses: croquettes, entrecôte with frites and Dame Blanche (vanilla ice cream and hot chocolate). For lighter appetites, try Vis à Vis, a chic yet cosy bolthole which serves dainty Continental cuisine. The portions are petite but the three-course set lunch for €25 (£21) satisfies.
If you’re here for the beer, you can hardly go wrong. Virtually every bar serves a decent range, and the ambience is invariably friendly. My favourite is La Fontaine, on the Place du Parc, an old-fashioned, unpretentious place where locals unwind after work.
Martin’s Dream is a comfy four-star in a converted chapel, a striking blend of antique architecture and contemporary décor. The hotel restaurant serves classic Belgian dishes like boulettes à la liégeoise and filet Américain. The central location is ideal, just around the corner from the lively Marché aux Herbes. Doubles from €114 (£97), including breakfast.
An “Any Belgian Station” ticket from Eurostar covers the entire journey from London to Mons: two hours via Eurostar from St Pancras International to Brussels Midi, and then any train from Brussels Midi to Mons. Trains from Brussels to Mons depart twice an hour and take around 45 minutes. Details at Belgian Train. For more information about Mons and the surrounding region go to Visit Mons or Visit Wallonia. 

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