Generals of the British Army: Portraits in Colour with Introductory and Biographical Notes
History
Generals of the British Army: Portraits in Colour with Introductory and Biographical Notes
Generals -- Great Britain; World War, 1914-1918 -- Biography
Scotland has given an innumerable host of soldiers to British and
foreign armies, but, with the possible exception of Montrose and Sir
John Moore (if Moore can be counted a Scotsman), there has been none who
stands in the very front rank of the profession of arms. To-day there is
such an one. It has been truly said that the biggest soldiers of all
have not the specific military mind, but have a brain indistinguishable
from the brain which makes a great statesman or any other great man of
action. Sir Douglas Haig, while possessing every technical quality of a
soldier, has the mind as well of a statesman, and of a great captain of
industry. The organisation of modern war, indeed, requires qualities of
which the soldier of other years had no conception. The gigantic
industrial activities behind the British front, on which our fighting
line depend, the gigantic educational schemes necessary to train our new
Armies, demand from the Commander-in-Chief an administrative talent not
less high than that required from a Prime Minister or a Pro-Consul. In
such tasks Sir Douglas Haig has shown himself pre-eminent, and to this
capacity he adds the swiftness in design and precision in performance of
the foremost captains of history. Britain has entrusted her manhood to
one who has nobly justified her confidence.
II
GENERAL SIR HERBERT CHARLES ONSLOW PLUMER, G.C.M.G., G.C.V.O., K.C.B.,
=A.D.C.=
SIR HERBERT PLUMER was born in Devon on March 13th, 1857. In 1876 he
entered the York and Lancaster Regiment and served with it in the Soudan
War of 1884. In South Africa, in 1896, he raised and commanded a corps
of mounted rifles for service in the Matabele rebellion, being mentioned
in despatches and receiving the brevet of Lieut.-Colonel. In the South
African War of 1899-1902 he won his first great reputation in the field.
He commanded the Rhodesian Field Force and was the first British soldier
to cross the enemy frontier.
For months he attempted to reach Mafeking from the north, and, after the
happy relief of that historic town, he was one of the most active and
resolute of column commanders in the Transvaal. This "small, quiet,
resolute man," as a historian describes him, had the power of enforcing
discipline and inspiring confidence in the diverse elements under him.
In 1902 he became Major-General, and 1908 Lieut.-General. In 1904-5 he
was Q.M.G. to the Forces and Third Military Member of the Army Council.
In 1911-14 he was G.O.C. Northern Command.
[Illustration: GENERAL SIR HERBERT PLUMER]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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