The Angels of Mons

During the Battle of Mons on August 23, 1914, British soldiers claimed to see supernatural figures, variously described as angels, medieval bowmen, or phantom soldiers, appearing between their lines and the attacking Germans. The “Angels of Mons” became one of the most famous supernatural legends of World War I.

The Battle

The British Expeditionary Force faced overwhelming German numbers at Mons. Despite a desperate defense, the British were forced to retreat. It was during this retreat that soldiers reported supernatural intervention.

The Reports

Soldiers described seeing figures appearing between the armies. Some described angels with glowing bodies. Others saw phantom bowmen from the Battle of Agincourt. Some reported seeing St. George himself leading spectral cavalry.

The Germans, according to some accounts, were thrown into confusion by the apparitions, allowing the British to escape destruction.

The Origin

Controversy exists over the legend’s origin. Writer Arthur Machen published a short story, “The Bowmen,” in September 1914, describing phantom archers at Mons. He later claimed he invented the story, but soldiers insisted they had witnessed real phenomena.

Did soldiers’ experiences inspire Machen’s story, or did the story create false memories? The debate continues.

Assessment

The Angels of Mons represents how supernatural belief intersects with wartime trauma. Whether genuine apparition, mass hallucination, or literary creation that became believed as fact, the legend provided comfort to a nation sending its young men to die.