More Ghost StoriesOne of the most famous tales of the seeming cross-over into our realm from the 'supernatural' is the tale of 'The Angels of Mons', where British soldiers in a retreat from Mons in 1914 believed that angelic figures had defended them; Strangely enough, German soldiers of the opposition reported these same figures restraining them from attack. Still others reported that these 'angelic apparitions' were pro-German and intervening on their behalf!The story proceeds like this; In the first major battle at Flanders' in August, 1914, at the site of 'Mons', the British troops held back a numerically superior German force, as they had fought them with an amazing ferocity; Near the end of the battle, however, the numbers' of the German soldiers had become too great for them to overcome. In an attempt to forstall any event whereas they would find themselves 'trapped', The British troops were than instructed to proceed with an orderly withdrawal. And though they had managed to accomplish this task successfully, it was not without cost, as they had suffered heavy casualties. At the time there was the thinking that prevailed that there were two main reasons as to why the British had not suffered more heavily than they did; In the first case it was attributed to the skill of their 'Marksmen', which at times was so intense that Germans' were heard to say later that they believed they had been facing an onslaught from machine-gun positions. Secondly, the British within their complement of tools carried special entrenching tools (shovels) that allowed them to quickly dig ramparts in the soft soil, where they could provide themselves with adequate protection so that they could continue to fight on. In this way, even an 'exposed' position need not stay exposed for too long. So it seems that there was indeed a logical explanation that could be explained for the wartime ordeal. Though, it was not to end there, the real story in all this, (and it seems as where the idea first comes to light as to the 'supernatural' aspect of all this entering into this), was a short story by the Author Arthur Machen called 'The Bowman'. It was printed in the editions of the London Evening News on September 29th, 1914. The story opens with a telling of a large-scale retreat by the British Expeditionary Force. Then, when the battle had reached its' most fevered pitch, it was said that one of the soldiers had recalled a restaurant in which he frequented, and, recalling from the stoneware of the restaurant a likeness of the figure of 'St. George', there emblazoned thereon, with a motto that was imprinted roundabout the plate, 'Adsit Anglis Sanctus Georgius', (St. George, help the English). It is said then suddenly the whole of the battlefield is shaken as thousands of voices of the troops call upon the intervention of St. George; then, as an apparition, suddenly the Germans find themselves facing an endless line of ghostly Agincourt archers. Within moments, the sky is darkened with the barrage of arrows from the angelic warriors, which cut down the advancing enemy troops, and the day is saved; The story goes on to say that ten-thousand Germans had lay dead upon the battlefield, and yet not one bears the mark of a single wound! Admittedly, this story was a fabrication by the author Arthur Machen; Yet he was to find in the coming days following the publishing of this story that there were many who not only sought to give credence to the idea that the occurrence had indeed taken place, but also additionally add tales of their own to this story. Even the German's had their own version of the events of this that favoured them! In a case such as this, it is best for the reader to be the judge. Armageddon Online |
