t and Second
Corps were across the Marne, but the Third Corps on the left had been
held up and was mostly south of the river. General Maunoury had had a
hard fight, but by the late afternoon the Germans, pressed by the
advance of the British across the Marne, had begun to retire in a
north-easterly direction. Captain R. A. Boger, piloted by Captain R.
Grey, brought this welcome news direct to the General Officer Commanding
the Third Corps (Lieutenant-General W. P. Pulteney) at 5.0 p.m. He had
seen long columns moving north-east from Lizy through Ocquerre on to
Coulombs. This was believed to be von Kluck's Fifth Division. Other
observers came in with similar information. By the evening of the 9th
the retirement of the enemy was general from the Ourcq to Verdun. The
battle of the Marne was won. The German armies retired, with no very
great disorder, to strong positions along the heights of the northern
bank of the river Aisne. Paris was saved; for the first time for over a
hundred years an invading Prussian army had been turned and driven back;
but the war was yet to come.

During the battle the Royal Flying Corps had been active over the enemy,
and, as has been shown, reported his movements fully day by day. The
machines which worked direct with the corps had supplied much useful
tactical information, which was passed on direct to the corps commanders
as soon as the machines landed. The observers usually reported by word
of mouth, and so were able to convey a full and true impression. They
reported which river-bridges were broken and which intact, and they
dropped messages on to the advanced British infantry in places, warning
them of danger ahead. They sometimes located for corps commanders the
head of the leading troops of their corps. After a three days' stay at
Melun, the headquarters of the Flying Corps moved on the 7th of
September to Touquin--the first move forward since the retreat from
Mons. At Pezarches, about a mile away, a field was chosen for an
aerodrome. Fighting had taken place there, and small one-man trenches
had to be filled in before any machine could land. On the 9th of
September headquarters moved forward again to Coulommiers, and on the
12th to Fere-en-Tardenois, which place became the headquarters for the
battle of the Aisne. Here the squadrons were established at Saponay,
some two miles to the north-west. For many long months and years the
Flying Corps was not again to be employed in a war of mov