DEATH OF EARL HAIG.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19858, 31 January 1928, Page 9

DEATH OF EARL HAIG.

SUDDEN END IN LONDON FAMOUS WAR LEADER. AKMIES LED TO VICTORY. SERVICES TO COUNTRY. FRIEND OF EX-SOLDIERS. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received January 81, 1.15 a.m.) A. and N.Z. LONDON, Jan. 30. Field-Marshal Earl Haig died of heart disease to day at his London residence. Earl Haig was born in Edinburgh in June, 1861, and educated at Clifton and Brasenose College, Oxford. Joining the 7th Hussars in 1885, he served in the Egyptian army during the Nile compaign of 1898, and in the South African War -of 1899-1902. For his services he was pro noted brevet-colonel. After commanding the 17th Lancers he went to India as inspector-general of cavalry, was promoted major-general in 1905 and in 1906 was appointed a director at the War Office, ■where he was intimately connected with the army reorganisation begun under Lord Haldane. His next post was that of chief of the general staff in India, and in 1910 he was promoted lieutenant-general. In 1912 he took over the Aldershot command. and in 1913 received a knighthood. On the mobilisation of the Expeditionary Force in 1914, Haig led the First Army Corps during the Mons, Marno and Aisne operations, and the first Battle of Ypres, earning promotion to full general in November. When the British forces were divided in 1915, he was placed in command of the First Army. In December he succeeded Sir John French as commander-in-chief. During his leadership came the battles of the Somme, Arras and the Hinderiburg Line, Messines, Ypres, Courtrai, and finally, the great disasters and the greater triumphs of 1918. After the success of Haig's attack the German command made up its mind to yield, and a steady British advance followed till the armistice. Some of Haig's much-criticised offensives were for the purpose of relieving the pressure on the French front. Thus when Nivelle succeeded Joffre the British Government, hoping that his attack would be a " knock-out blow," subordinated Haig to NivellS, whose Chemin des Dames offensive was a costly failure, as was the battle of Arras, fought to keep the Germans from concentrating opposite Nivelle, just as the eailier battle of the Somme had been waged to take the pressure off Verdun. lis only success was the capture ol Virny Ridge. Then came the disaster of March, 1918. The sth and 3rd Armies, holding a line far too long and ill-equipped, were beaten, but not broken. Haig was then told by Petain that the French were going to evacuate their lines to defend Paris, which would have meant the separation of the Allied armies. Thereupon _ the British commander demanded that Focli, who agreed with his strategy, should be made generalissimo. This was the origin of the so-called "unity of command." Haig held his command longer than any o"her commander-in-chief. For his services he was made Earl Haig of Bemersyde a.nd given a grant of £IOO,OOO, also receiving the Order of Merit. On his return home he was apprinted commander-in-chief in Britain, but the position was abolished -after a few rronths. Later he devoted himself primarily to furthering the cause of the ex-soldier and for that purpose made a tour of Canada in 1925. In 1905 he married the Hon. Dorothy Vivian, daughter of the 3rd Lord Vivian.