1920-22 Draft of the Seven Pillars of Wisdom – Page 207

They were to march from Meau through Crecy, where John de Hainault forces were waiting. Our Genoese crossbowmen should have led the way, but the French arrogantly forced them to march in the rain, causing their bowstrings to become useless. At the crucial moment, they retreated instead of attacking - a costly error on the allied side. We marched and halted in baggage on a small canal which magnified their numbers in our minds, making a rearguard action almost impossible. After an initial success for our Genoese and some Flemish foot troops, the weight of English longbowmen volleys drove them back. With the start of hand-to-hand combat, our men-at-arms could not easily cross the crowded battlefield. Our dismounted King Philip VI failed in attempts to rally his men. Only his son the Prince of Wales's division remained intact, receiving all our attacks until darkness compelled us to retreat after losing more men than the English. Though we outnumbered them, the Black Prince's expert handling of his archers proved decisive, while constrained terrain allowed them to isolate and destroy our forces piecemeal. So ran the battle the road winds towards, where small mistakes and the weather conspired with tactics to seal a complete French defeat at Crecy.