After over two weeks of waiting the Territorials set off for their billets with over eight thousand troops marching from Manchester and Salford.
Crowds several people thick, at Ardwick and Stretford were there to wave them off.
The 6th,7th and 8th Manchester’s along with the Manchester Artillery, the Royal Army medical corps, the Royal Engineers and the 7th and 8th Lancashire Fusiliers were waved off by sweethearts, brothers, sisters, parents and friends to rousing martial music.
Long columns of artillery with field guns, wagons and horses set out on a march of well over 15 miles north
In Europe fighting was now taking place across a front of 250 miles from Basle to Diest, the German army had gained ground on both sided of the River Meuse.There was no sign or reports the BEF whereabouts but in two days time they would be engaged with the enemy for the first time at Mons.
It was confirmed that the Germans were now occupying Brussels with Belgian forces retreating to Antwerp. Pitiful scenes of refugees were reported fleeing the advance of the Kaiser’s army along the road to Ghent.
