The Loose Association of Wargamers

Interestingly, you had to pass out in the top 10% to get offered a post in the Indian Army.

Didn't either the Australians or the Canadians refuse to serve under Gough and ask to be transferred to Plumer's command, late on in the war?

FreddBloggs wrote: ↑Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:56 am Just had a 'discussion' with someone presenting themselves as a historian about Plumers attack on Messines Ridge being a bloody shambles which was why Gough was brought in to rectify the situation..... (their view, not mine.)

Also learnt something interesting, the lowest passing out grades pre ww1 at Sandhurst went to the cavalry, as the Infantry etc all had higher requirements. It is why Churchill was commissioned into a cavalry regiment....

The NMP sale was lethal to me.

I daren't look....

BaronVonWreckedoften wrote: ↑Thu Aug 24, 2023 12:18 pm Interestingly, you had to pass out in the top 10% to get offered a post in the Indian Army.

Didn't either the Australians or the Canadians refuse to serve under Gough and ask to be transferred to Plumer's command, late on in the war?

Whole brigades did it in early 18 British troops too, it was why Plumer was recalled from Italy. Monash said it on record.

I thought it was either Monash or Currie who had said it "out loud"; odd, though, that the rejection was at brigade level, rather than division or corps. Probably the only sound "military" decision Lloyd George made in the entire war was sacking Gough - though ironically, it was more to spite Haig and leave him isolated, ready to be sacked, as DLG thought Gough was the only real friend Haig had in France.

FreddBloggs wrote: ↑Thu Aug 24, 2023 10:56 am Also learnt something interesting, the lowest passing out grades pre ww1 at Sandhurst went to the cavalry, as the Infantry etc all had higher requirements. It is why Churchill was commissioned into a cavalry regiment....

If it actually was a thing (as opposed to jealousy - possibly socio-economically based due to the greater financial backing required for cavalry service) I suspect that that changed substantially post-Boer War, as the subsequent approach was for cavlary officers to learn how to fight an infantry battle as well as a cavalry one, whereas infantry only had to learn to fight in one format. I suggest you read the Osprey Combat book I referred to earlier - your theory doesn't sit well with the impressive performance of all but one of the regimental officers involved in the three actions studied.

There was a distinct difference between pre boer war and post boer war cavalry officers, look at the number of younger cavalry men involved in the nascent tank corps and RFC.

I suspect divisional and corps commanders had more to lose than brigadiers.

It was rumoured (2nd hand reports) that the reason DLG didn't sack Haig, as it would have made certain Foch as overall commander, where Haig was also a candidate.

DLGs other problem was that Haig had the dirt on him, the missing 100,000 troops in march 1918....

EB, " ... lack of suitable response ... I'm hiding away in a Shepherds hut in the Peak District ... I'm struggling to keep up with the real world."

None of that comes as a surprise.

Probably quite familiar as well...

I'm wondering if he's subjecting the shepherd to his views on phalanxes

Dunno, but the sheep are now on funny shaped hoofs as he rebased them.