1914
Following the declaration of war against Germany, the Allies had found themselves unable to push back the German troops that had swept across neutral Belgium into Northern France. Instead, as Belgian refugees found their way across the Channel – with a handful briefly joining the college – the small British Expeditionary Force found themselves fighting their first major action at Mons. As casualties mounted and British troops retreated, a direct appeal from the King went out to all single men of between 18 and 40 years old to enlist. A number of former and current RCA students did so.
