In this centenary year of the start of The Great War we\u2019re off to view the battlefield of Mons where the BEF first engaged the Imperial German Armies of the Kaiser on 23rd August 1914. A place that my Great Grandfather, Lance Corporal Francis Fleming of the 2nd Battalion Royal Irish Regiment, would have known only too well.<\/p>\n
At the outbreak of war on 3rd August he was a professional soldier in the British Army. The Regiment was rushed to France with the BEF to meet the German advance with our French Allies as the German\u2019s advanced through Belgium. I\u2019ve written more about my Great Grandfather\u2019s experiences here >>><\/a>.<\/p>\n We\u2019re going there in a slightly circuitous route – via London – where we\u2019re spending some time with Ma en Pa van Emous exploring some of the delights of the capital.<\/p>\nOur London Adventure – Part 1<\/h2>\n