TWENTY-FOUR
Dismissed the BEF as 'a contemptable little Army'.
The BEF, under Sir John French, were taking up positions to the left of the French Fifth Army, holding the extreme left flank of the Allied forces, deploying on a 25-mile front, running northwards for 10 miles from the fortress town of Mauberge to Mons, and from Mons westwards along the Mons-Conde Canal.
By late morning of the 21st, the Durhams had entered Quiverain, passing by a squadron of highly polished Hussars from the 4th Cavalry Brigade stationed there, and Pvt. Norman Blackett once again had to scrape horse-dung from his boots.
‘Why the f*****g hell can't they pick it up and take it home with 'em? God only knows. Leaving it round here for decent folk to step in—bastards! Just because they're sitting up there on big
