Haig of Bemersyde

Evening Star, Issue 19778, 31 January 1928, Page 5

Haig of Bemersyde

“Foremost Captain of Our Time”

Not alone for his magnificent leadership of the British armies in France and Flanders, but also for his great service in the cause of ex-service men in the trying post-war years, will the memory of Field-Marshal Earl Haig be revered all over the British Empire. In every part of the Empire, wherever his old comrades may be, will his name be lauded, the vitalising power of his personality having stood for comradeship, reunion, and co-operation, factors which count for as much to the Empire in the days of peace as well as

Douglas Haig, Ist Earl of Bemersyde, was the youngest son of an ancient Fife family, and was born June 19, 1861. Ho was educated at Clifton and Brasenose College, Oxford, whence ho went to Sandhurst, and was gazetted in 1885 to the 7th Hussars. He was distinguished both as a polo player and as a serious student of his profession. Ho was a good linguist, and passed through the Staff College. Haig served in the Khartum campaign of 1898 and in the South African War, where his work attracted attention. He acted as chief of staff at Colesberg in 1900 to Sir John French, and in 1901-2 he commanded a group of columns under Lord Kitchener. All the reports of him predicted a great future, and laid stress on his qualities of leadership. After the South African War he served (1903-6) in India, first as inspector-general of cavalry, and then, after some years at home, during which he was director of military training (1906-7), and director of staff duties at headquarters (1907-9), as chief of staff to the Indian Army (1909-12). On his return to Europe he was appointed to the Aldershot command, which he held till the outbreak of the Great War. He went to France in August, 1914, with the Expeditionary Force in command of the Ist corps, and took part in all the earlier- battles, passing, in January, 1915, to the command of the Ist army. In December, 1915, he succeeded Sir John French as commander-in-chief of the British forces in France, and held that position till the close of the war. On January 1, 1917, he was promoted field-marshal; and in 1919

he was created earl, and received a grant of £IOO,OOO from the nation. He married in 1903 the Hon. Dorothy Vivian, daughter of the 3rd Lord Vivian, and a son and heir was born to him in March, 1918. His two daughters were born in 1907 and 1908. Haig, like Retain, had the gift of calm and resolution in the darkest hours, and he was by nature ail optimist. In February, 1917, in an interview, ho confidently predicted an early victory for the Allies, and this pronouncement was much criticised at the time, though but for the unexpected collapse of the Russians all his hopes should have been fulfilled. He was constitutionally shy, another point in which he resembled Retain, and he could never address his troops, and was indeed little seen by them. In the crisis of the first battle of Ypres (October 31, 1914), when all seemed to be giving way, he was suddenly seen riding down the Men in road under heavy fire, perfectly apparelled with a perfectly turned-out escort, behaving in that emergency with an unruffled calm which had an electrical effect. Under his eyes the line was reformed, the 2nd Worcesters stormed and recovered Gheluvelt, and Ypres was saved.

In the battle of Loos (September 25, 1915) lie commanded the Ist British army, which delivered the principal attack, and waj criticised for the failure to throw in the reserves promptly and for the small results obtained. Such mistakes were probably inevitable until experience in large-scale warfare'had been gained; before 1914 no British general had handled more than

30,000 men in a body, and at Loos some 250,000 were engaged. After Haig received the command m France, he had to prepare, in conjunction with Joffre, the plans for a great offensive in 1916 on the Somme front. The policy contemplated was attrition, as at that date there were no means of delivering a surprise attack or of turning the-'enemy’s position. The plan as adopted was not Haig’s; he had wished to attack the formidable Beaumont-Hamel ridge from the N. and from Arras, but, owing to difficulties of co-operation, the French were against this. Haig’s throughness of organisation was seen in the admirable completeness of the preparations for this attack, which involved enormous engineering work. The losses of the British in the Somme battles were terrible (400,000), but the Gormans suffered as severely. No decisive blow could be inflicted till the German reserve were exhausted, and the artillery preparation required at that date to cut wire rendered the terrain almost impassable. SUCCESSES IN 1917. Haig, in 1917, was required to act under Nivelle’s directions, which hampered his operations, but he gained the two brilliant victories of Arras and Messines, though all his arrangements were upset by the necessity of prolonging his attack at Arras, in order to take the pressure off Nivello, whose offensive had failed. Thus the third battle of Ypres did not open till July 31, when the good weather had gone; it involved fearful suffering and sacrifices for the troops, but it came very near being a complete victory.

Tho first battle of Cambrai was a remarkable success, though it could not be exploited because of tho diversion of troops by tho British Government to various subsidiary fields, a»id because of the dispatch of five divisions to Italy. Haig had been a believer in tanks, and they were to provide him with a weapon capable of restoring the factor of surprise and eliminating the prolonged artillery preparation. In early 1918 Haig was convinced of the imminence of a great German offensive, hut could not persuade the British Government of tho soundness of his view. His removal from the command was considered, but fortunately was not carried out. He was left with infantry effectives 114,000 below strength, nor could he induce the homo authorities to send him reinforcements from Palestine and the secondary fields. With his weak force, his front was extended twenty-eight miles in January, to tiro Oise; and owing to his lack of men ho was compelled to station his reserves north of the Somme. AVhen the German offensive was opened (March 21, 1918), he could not throw’ in these reserves quickly, but though disastrous loss was inflicted by tho rapid German advance in overwhelming strength, in's dispositions were generally justified, and the attack was not fatal.

When Haig took the offensive on August 8, 1918, notwithstanding the loss of 464,000 men which the British army had suffered during the German offensives, he handled his troops, now heavily but tardily reinforced from home and from subsidiary fields, with brilliant skill. From that hour he pressed tlio Germans fiercely and unrelentingly, and won such a series of victories against forces not inferior in strength and commanded by the most experienced soldiers, as no general had gained in the war. His order of August 1, 1918, stating that the crisis had passed, was'marked by deep insight, though its correctness was doubted in London. THE FINAL VICTORY. His assault on the Hindenburg line (September 27-October 1) was the greatest feat of his career, undertaken as it was against the judgment of tho British War Cabinet, which dreaded a repulse and heavy casualities, when Foch himself was reluctant to order it. Its triumphant success in the face of enormous difficulties was one of the main factors in bringing a speedy end of tho war. So uncertain was the Home Government as to tho position that it did not venture to congratulate him and his army until October 7, when the end of tho war was now manifetsly in sight. His faith and courage at that decisive moment place him high among tho loaders of men. He was not a showy commander, and ho had minor defects, but Sir F. Maurice states the truth when ho says that this “great leader’s calm judgment, coolness in adversity, unselfish patience when unsupported at home, and bold decisions when the time came to be bold, were vital factors in our triumph.” He led to the most terrible war in history by far the largest British forces which have ever taken the field, and by sheer strength of character and determination lie played the leading part in tho 100 days of almost continuous battle which brought the war to a. glorious close. Though many had doubted the capacity of the Allies to meet the Germans in a war of movement, ho shone in this, which was one of the severest tests or generalship. Earl Haig received many honors during and after tho war. In addition to holding the high rank of G.G.B. and G.G.V.0., he was made a .Knight of the Thistle in 1917, and awarded the Order of Merit in 1919. He received decorations from every nation of the Allies, including the American Cross of Honor, 1918, and the Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St. Maurice and St. Lazarus, 1916. He was given honorary degrees by several British universities, and was elected lord rector of St. Andrew’s University in 1916. He received the freedom of over a score of British cities and towns. During 1919-20 he visited most parts of the Kingdom unveiling war memorials, and delivering speeches on behalf of disabled ex-officers and men, in whom he took the keenest interest.