Sir James Willcocks

[hazelclark]

Have just finished reading "With the Indians in France". He alludes throughout to differences of opinion with Haig. However, it would appear that something happened just prior to Loos which caused him to resign. Does anyone know what it was? Googling doesn't clarify that i can find.

Thanks,

Hazel C

[CarylW]

I see what you mean Hazel. Nothing much to be found. A short review of the book did appear in The Spectator, who commented 'We regret to see that Sir James Willcox labours under a sense of having been unfairly treated and proposes to "tell his own tale" as soon as he ceases to be on the Active list...'

http://archive.spectator.co.uk/article/11th-december-1920/25/with-the-indiana-in-france-by-general-sir-james-wi

Did he ever tell his own tale I wonder. Maybe someone else has the answer

Caryl

[archangel9]

I get the impression that he thought the Indian Corps unfairly treated throughout their stay on the Western Front. Perhaps this led to his eventual resignation. He published a second book in 1925 -

"The Romance of Soldiering and Sport" and perhaps some clues may be contained therein.

http://www.abebooks.co.uk/servlet/BookDetailsPL?bi=10820642008&searchurl=an%3DJames%2BWillcocks%26amp%3Bbt.x%3D70%26amp%3Bbt.y%3D13%26amp%3Bsts%3Dt

John

[hazelclark]

He certainly thought the Indian troops badly treated, and he makes clear that when the "armies" were created, that he would have been happier serving under Smith-Dorian. He also points out at the beginning of the book, that the commanding officers, at the time he arrived in France, were mostly his juniors, including Haig. Something happened though at a meeting just prior to Loos, which must have brought matters to a head. He recommended Anderson to replace him, and at some point in the book also makes the point that Anderson was the only Commanding Officer who received no decoration for serving in France.

Thankyou Caryl and John for the links which I will certainly pursue.

Hazel

[Stoppage Drill]

Why do you think something specific happened ? Do you not think that it was more likely to be a combination and culmination of events ?

The Indian Corps performance in France was extremely disappointing, and their infantry became very unreliable. Morale was appalling, from the top down. There was built in antipathy amongst British officers towards the Indian Army (British) officers, who were, on average, considerably older than their British counterparts.

Willcocks had been publicly insulted by French on 2 November 1914 when he (W) went to GHQ to explain the extent of self-inflicted wounds within the Indian Corps. He told French that his Corps was in danger of imminent collapse; when he told French that it "might go at any moment" (meaning give way) and he asked for the Corps to be stiffened by two British brigades, French answered that if they must go, they could go into the sea or to hell.

On this same day Willcocks apparently had two men executed for self infliction of wounds. Executions under authority of the Indian Army Act seem to be excluded from the statistics and the concerns of the SAD movement, although the 1915 Singapore executions are well enough known due to their particular scale and unpleasantness.

Later that month he received information that the King was desirous of awarding a VC to an Indian; Willcocks simply replied that "there is no-one deserving of such a high honour." In Jan 1915 he sacked one of his two divisional commanders and four of his six brigade commanders.

All in all, the Indian Corps was a force in greater crisis than its British and Dominion counterparts.

There would seem to be no reason not to assume that relations with Haig were any better once the Corps came under 1st Army command, and if Willcocks was as pessimistic in his dealings with Haig as he was with French, then (in the absence of any better explanation) it seems pretty evident why Willcocks felt he had to jump before he was pushed.

[Guest]

The Official History doesn't mention a reason. There's a couple of interesting bits in Hansard

Indian Troops at the Front 16/2/1915

The War 15/3/1915

Mike

[hazelclark]

You are obviously correct that he resigned just ahead of being fired but it seemed like an odd time to do it. However, on re-reading the text it seems he was told to "proceed on leave", and was never given another field command. Three weeks prior, he had been honoured with the G.C.M.G. and met with the King who congratulated him on excellent work with the Indian Corps. He blames Haig, but French must have had a hand in it, which seems odd in view of the decoration, and Willcocks speaks highly of the latter throughout the book. Neither the Indian Office nor Kitchener had been informed which is also odd to my mind.

Willcocks makes no bones about the fact that the Indian army was not in good shape, but they were living in cold, wet unfamiliar conditions and increasingly among British Officers with little or no knowledge of their customs or language. He also says early in the book that Indian Officers were never as good as British Officers but does say that it is largely due to their upbringing and training. It seems that to many in the army heirarchy, the Indians were considered third class citizens. Another point he makes is that they were never sent replacements of the calibre they started out with and in fact were in many cases totally hopeless. Their Regiments were never at full strength.

I guess the book was written to make the case that other things being equal, the Indians fought as well as anyone else. He seemed to have been delighted when the first V.C. awarded to an Indian.

This was the first time I had read much about Willcocks but as I have the Corps diaries for this time I will read them again.

Hazel

[hazelclark]

The Official History doesn't mention a reason. There's a couple of interesting bits in Hansard

Indian Troops at the Front 16/2/1915

The War 15/3/1915

Mike

Thanks Mike. One of the things Willcocks complains about in the book is that it was very difficult to let the people at large in India know what their family members were doing. They had simply vanished into the fog of a foreign war.

Hazel