DIRECTING THE OFFENSIVE

Evening Post, Volume XCII, Issue 76, 27 September 1916, Page 7

DIRECTING THE OFFENSIVE

LEADERS' IDENTITY REVEALED,

Mr. Keith Murdoch, the special corre-' spondent of the Melbourne Herald, in a l.tter from London reveals the identity of the generals directing the great British offensive. Mr. Murdoch says : "As I write. General Rawlinson, commander of the. Fourth Army, is taking charge of all operations south of the Ancre, and General Gough is assuming control north of that rivulet. General Gough's job is to hold his position and to hold as many German guns as possible opposite him. Rawlinson's job is to** push on. The whole offensive has been in Genera] Rawlinson's charge."

Lieut.-Gcneral Sir Henry .Seymour Rawlinson has been in command of an army on the British front from very early in the war, and has rendered distinguished service. He is the eldest son of the late Major-General Sir Henry C. Rawlinson, who was made a baronet in 1891, and succeeded to the title in 1895. Bora on 20th February, .1864, he was educated at Eton, Sandhurst, and the Staff' College, Camberley. He entered the army in 1884, and was A.D.C. to Lord Roberts in India in 1887. He their saw active service in the Burma campaign, and: subsequently in the Soudan, .where '.he was Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General to Lord Kitchener in 1898."' He was present at the battles of Atbara and Khartoum, and was mentioned in despatches twice.

In the South African war -he was Assistant Adjutant-General in Natal, and was hi Ladysmith when it - was besieged. Subsequently he was Assistant AdjutantGeneral at headquarters in South Africa, and commanded a mobile column in 1901-2. He was mentioned in despatches on three occasions. In the present war he has been mentioned' in despatches more than once, and was .. created a Knight Commander of the Bath last year. As stated above,-; it is Major-General Gough's task to hold as many German guns as possible opposite him north of the Ancre. Major-General Gough was placed in command of the Third Cavalry Brigade early in-the war, was specially mentioned by Field-Marshal French, and was promoted to his present rank for distinguished service.

Member of a famous family of soldiers; he is the son of the late, Sir Charles Gough,. who won the V.C. in the Indian Mutiny. Bom in 1870, he left Sandhurst to join the 16th Lancers, and won distinction in the Tirah and South African campaigns, being present in the engagements at Colenso, Spion Kop, Tugela Heights, Pieter^ Hill, and Laing's Nek. He commanded a mounted infantry regiment at the relief, of Ladysmith, and was severely wounded.

■He was a prominent ■ figure in tho Curragh affair of March, 1914, . which terminated in. the resignations of FieldMarshal Sir John -French, Sir Spenser EwarE (Adjutant-General), and Colonel Seely, Mr. Asquith assuming the latter's post as Secretary for War.