General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien's Books

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

By: General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien

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Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

By: General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien

The memoirs of a veteran general of the British army who fought through the heat of the South African kopjes and plains to the mud, rain and misery at Ypres. Illustrated with 11 photographs and 27 maps and plans. He fought in many of the Imperial wars in Africa, and was distinguished as one of only five British officers to escape the utter slaughter at the battle of Isandlwana in 1878 during the Zulu War. His enduring modern fame rests on his achievements during the First World War, when he was selected to command one of the two corps of the small British Expeditionary Force in 1914 by Lord Kitchener, firmly believing that Smith-Dorrien would stand up to the commander Sir John French. As the B.E.F. struggled back through Belgium in the face of German forces that greatly outnumbered their own troops in 1914, the strain on the men began to show; they thought that they had outfought the Germans at the battle of Mons, but physically they could not fight and outmarch their foes. Seeing the tired and resentful expressions on his men’s faces, Smith-Dorrien came to a fateful decision: the safe retreat of the footsore B.E.F. could only be carried out if the Germans were slowed down. In defiance of his orders from Sir John French to keep going, he gathered as many of his soldiers as could stand and fought a brilliant rearguard action at Le Cateau, now regarded as pivotal in saving the B.E.F. from piecemeal destruction. Castigated in public and in private military circles for his decision at the time, he accelerated his downfall by his forthright attitude to his superior, Sir John French. After pointing out the flaws in French’s wasteful tactics following a particularly disastrous counterattack at Ypres, Smith-Dorrien had gone too far and was sent home under the excuse of “ill-health”, never to hold a field command again. His memoirs are detailed, exciting and a good balance to the highly inventive writings of Sir John French.

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820

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Pickle Partners Publishing

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ISBN 10

1782892036

ISBN 13

9781782892038

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

By: General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien

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Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

By: General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien

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820

Publisher

Pickle Partners Publishing

Published Date

ISBN 10

1782892036

ISBN 13

9781782892038

Work of the Ninth Division (Boer War)

By: Sir H. E. Colvile

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Work of the Ninth Division (Boer War)

By: Sir H. E. Colvile

This book will prove of unusual interest, not only to students of the Boer War, but to all those interested in military competence and the exercise of command in the field. Its author, Maj-Gen. Sir H.E. Colvile, was relieved of his command of the Ninth Division after twice incurring the displeasure of Lord Roberts, C-in-C of the British Army in South Africa. The affair led to a Parliamentary Inquiry - demanded by the young Winston Churchill - which backed Roberts' condemnation of Colvile's conduct. In his report to Parliament, Roberts stated that Colvile had twice shown 'A want of initiative and military capacity' and had 'Failed to grasp the situation and to act with the energy and enterprise ... essential for command in the field'. In a private note attached to his copy of this book General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien - later a distinguished Great War commander - was even more damning. Smith-Dorrien - who had disobeyed Colvile's orders to retire during the engagement at Sannah's Post in order to rescue wounded men - wrote: "Were all the facts known about Gen. Colvile's conduct on this occasion he would have (incurred) much severer comments than Lord Roberts'. I was a Brigadier under him there and was absolutely disgusted with him as a General and as a man." This book - which includes an account of the decisive battle of Paardeburg - is Colvile's defence. Read it and judge for yourself.

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276

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1845747453

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9781845747459

Book's by General Sir Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

Memories Of Forty-Eight Years’ Service [Illustrated Edition]

Work of the Ninth Division (Boer War)

Work of the Ninth Division (Boer War)

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