BEF 1914: Attrition of Officers' Experience

[Guest]

Something to chew on. Data from 44 of the 65 battalions that disembarked in Aug 1914:

Some observations;

• Outside Lt Cols and QMs the risks of becoming a casualty were fairly evenly spread across the Officer ranks
• The risk of becoming a fatal casualty was not as evenly spread;.
• Majors became casualties in slightly higher proportions than other Officer ranks - I would have guessed it would have been the subaltern ranks.
• Adjutants became fatal casualties in much higher proportions than other Officer ranks. Adjutants landing in Aug 1914 were nearly three times more likely to become a casualty and nearly five times more likely to die their Quarter Masters

A slight word of caution. The data needs to be purged again. There is a fairly wide variation in the quality and quantity of information available from a range of sources. Record keeping was not consistent across battalions. The main risk is that the overall data is under-stated as There are many instances of battalions being reduced to a few named Officers after an action. The implications are that all other officers were casualties. Unless there is a record of a named individual they are not included. i.e. I have not assumed Officers have become casualties unless it he is named. I suspect some of the conclusions are slightly distorted as subalterns who survived the initial onslaught were rapidly promoted only to be come casualties one rank higher. This may well have skewed the data between Subalterns and Captains.

Food for thought. MG

[MartH]

Martin,

I just these topic and am amazed at the information your producing. Keep up the good work. It will be interesting to see what results when you purge or improve the data.

Martin

[Drew-1918]

Remarkable. Really impressive work. Thanks for all the effort your putting in and for sharing it on here. I look forward to the further analysis you mentioned.

Chris

[Guest]

Possibly the best example - the Connaught Rangers. Both battalions were amalgamated in Dec 1914 - the only regular battalions in the British Army in the Great War to be submitted to this kind of ignominy. Opinions differ as to why (please not for this thread!). Just FYI - massive Officer attrition within a very short time. The 2nd Bn Officers that landed in Aug 1914 were more or less incapacitated within 2 months. The 1st Bn did not fare much better having their rendezvous with death in April 1915 -by then amalgamated with the remnants of the 2nd Bn.

From a Regimental perspective it is rather grim. MG

[seaforth78]

Martin,

Your magnificent findings have, as I have pointed out, has created a science in its own right!-It just hit me that perhaps one of the many reasons for this high rate was the perhaps the training of the officers? Would you hazard a guess that this perhaps had contributed to the high rate? I'm just curious....

On another note, I had noticed that you have for Lts Ingham and Reilly of the old 88th that these two had forfeited. I would assume this meant their commissions?

[Guest]

It just hit me that perhaps one of the many reasons for this high rate was the perhaps the training of the officers? Would you hazard a guess that this perhaps had contributed to the high rate? I'm just curious....

On another note, I had noticed that you have for Lts Ingham and Reilly of the old 88th that these two had forfeited. I would assume this meant their commissions?

Seaforth78.

1. I have no idea. The factors or too many, too complex and mostly intangible. I am not sure if it is possible to extract anything concrete from this work It would all be highly subjective. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest behavioural attitudes embedded in the minds of British Officers by family/school/sandhurst/peer pressure/social conditioning etc was a factor. I am pretty sure that high casualty rates among British infantry Officers were mostly due to the amount of ordnance being thrown around particularly machine gun bullets and HE. Was it any different for the French or German Officers? I doubt it. Whether British Officer 'training' made them more likely to become a casualty is a possibility. Something has to explain the differential between Officer and OR casualty rates

I had expected the poor old subalterns to have had the raw end of the deal and was mildly surprised to see Majors and Captains with very similar stats. One needs to consider attrition was so high that it was almsot inevitabe that Officers were gong to become a casualty. It was a systemic risk, not a specific risk. Systemic to being a battalion Officer between the rank of 2 Lt and Major. The data simply screams out that rank or role had little impact on the likelihood of becoming a casualty within this group of Officers. The data across battalions is remarkably similar and aside from single disastrous actions, the attrition was fairly evenly distributed and correlated to the amount of time spent in the trenches. (No surprise) It simply suggest to me that being an infantry Officer in 1914 was a lot more dangerous that I had expected.

The man who impresses me the most with his zeal for danger is the aptly named 2 Lt Hardy. A POW, he escaped on his ninth attempt only to get his foot blown off in 1918. You just cant keep a good man down.

2. Ingham and Reilly. No. They forfeited their 1914 Stars. I am not sure if they were cashiered or resigned their commissions. Ingham in particular is a curiosity. He was in the thick of it and performed well. I have no idea why he forfeited. There are a dozen or so in the data. For relatives it might be a sensitive area, and one that is not of primary interest to me.

MG

[Guest]

While cross referencing the Star data with the 1st Bn KRRC, I stumbled on this rather interesting summary of the battalion; diary entry for 18th Nov 1914, only 97 days after disembarking. It perhaps highlights the acute awareness of the losses and the good record keeping despite the chaos of war;

18th Nov 1914. At 4:00 am I started with Brigade and then rode on, picked up billeting party at WESTOUTRE and rode on to arrange billets at CAESTRE. A wonderful view at top of the hill near MONT DES CATS.

Battalion arrived at CAESTRE and went into billets about 2:00 pm.

Casualties 23rd Aug 1914 - 18th Nov 1914

Officers

Killed 5 Wounded 23 Missing 9 Accidentally shot 1

Also 1 Officer RAMC attached died of wounds (Capt H S RANKIN)

Other Ranks

Killed ....................90*

Wounded ............417

Missing ...............490

Accidentally shot: ...2

*Exclusive of died of wounds which are shown as wounded if still living when admitted to Field Ambulance or hospital.

Total casualties all ranks exclusive of admissions to hospital sick - 1037

Capt E A BRADFORD accidentally shot in foot.

Casualties Officers 23rd Aug - 18th Nov

1. 1st Sep Lt P G CHAWORTH-MUSTERS - wounded

2. 10th Sep Lt and Adjt R H WOODS - wounded

3. 10th Sep Lt A L BONHAM-CARTER - wounded

4. 10th Sep 2 Lt H W BUTLER - wounded

5. 10th Sep 2 Lt R A BANON - wounded, remained at duty

6. 14th Sep Capt A F C MACLACHAN DSO - wounded

7. 14th Sep Capt G MAKINS MVO - wounded

8. 14th Sep 2 Lt H C LLOYD - wounded

9. 19th Sep Lt J S ALSTON - wounded

10. 20th Sep Lt F W CAVENDISH-BENTINCK - wounded

11. 27th Sep Lt Col E NORTHEY - wounded

12. 28th Sep Lt A H BROCKLEHURST - wounded

13. 8th Oct Lt C G E CLOWES - wounded

14. 14th Oct Lt and QM A HARMAN - wounded

15. 26th Oct 2 Lt W G CRONK (3rd Bn EAST KENT REGT attached ?) - killed

16. 26th Oct Lt E G W BOURKE - wounded

17. 26th Oct 2 Lt K H W WARD - wounded

18. 27th Oct 2 Lt H H Prince MAURICE V D of BATTENBERG KCVO - killed

19. 27th Oct Capt W WELLS (3rd Bn EAST KENT REGT) - killed

20. 27th Oct Capt A L Y WILLIS (5th Bn KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS) - wounded

21. 27th Oct Capt W W LLEWELLYN (3rd Bn SOMERSET LIGHT INF) - wounded

22. 27th Oct 2 Lt T N HONE - wounded

23. 27th Oct 2 Lt H SWEETING 5th Bn KING'S ROYAL RIFLES - wounded

24. 28th Oct 2 Lt E R WARING - killed

25. 30th Oct 2 Lt J CASEY - killed

26. 30th Oct 2 Lt R H SLATER - wounded

27. 31st Oct Capt B SEYMOUR - wounded

28. 2nd Nov 2 Lt C COLLINS - wounded

29. 2nd Nov Capt W P LYNES 5th Bn KING'S ROYAL RIFLE CORPS- missing

30. 2nd Nov Capt H E WARD 3rd Bn EAST KENT REGT - missing

31. 2nd Nov Lt A M WAKEFIELD-SAUNDERS - missing

32. 2nd Nov Lt G V H GOUGH - missing

33. 2nd Nov 2 Lt C H REYNARD - missing

34. 2nd Nov 2 Lt C F SCHOON - missing

35. 2nd Nov 2 Lt R RICHARDS - missing

36. 2nd Nov 2 Lt S LUCAS - missing

37. 2nd Nov 2 Lt T WADNER - missing

Battalion in rest billets at CAESTRE.

[phil andrade]

That's one of the best examples of meticulous casualty returns that I've ever seen : all the more so because it was compiled on active service. What catches the eye is the qualification as to category ; especially the allusion to the exclusion of died from wounds from the killed. If a man was still alive when admitted to medical services, he was posted as wounded, even if he died very shortly thereafter. This is conspicuously accurate and carefully considered reporting. A gem, Martin.

The subsequent information as to the fate of the missing - who comprise approaching half of all casualties - would be revealing.

There is also the careful emphasis on this being a tabulation of battle casualties only.

This has impressed me profoundly.

Phil (PJA)

[Guest]

64 battalions covered so far. 3,723 infantry Officers (I and II Corps and a a fair bit of III Corps.)

82% casualty rates

39% fatality rates.

It is becoming clear that these figures, are light. POWs in particular are accounting for many of the blanks in the data. Does anyone know if there is a definitive list of Officer POWs?

MG

[Guest]

I haven't used this site, and am not sure it can do what you ask, but it sounds possible. The Genealogist

" The records include British and Commonwealth military personnel and have been brought together from a variety of sources. The records are fully searchable and provide the main details including forename, surname, rank, regiment and the date the information was received. All can be found in the Prisoner of War record set in the Military Collection on The Genealogist. They cover the army, navy and air force of the many thousands of British and Commonwealth servicemen held captive."

Mike

[phil andrade]

Clarification, please, Martin :

Are the figures you've posted above up until the end of the war, or until the expiration of the Mons Star qualifying time ; or are they just for 1914, or even until the end of First Ypres ?

Forgive me for repeating how indebted we are to you for this eye opening foray into the meaning of these statistics.

Phil (PJA)

[Drew-1918]

Doesn't Ancestry now have the "List of British Officers taken prisoner in the various theatres of war 1914-1918"? Or was it the printed version you were after?

Chris

[Guest]

Clarification, please, Martin :

Are the figures you've posted above up until the end of the war, or until the expiration of the Mons Star qualifying time ; or are they just for 1914, or even until the end of First Ypres ?

Forgive me for repeating how indebted we are to you for this eye opening foray into the meaning of these statistics.

Phil (PJA)

The fate of 4,157 infantry Officers who qualified for the 1914 star.

Roughly half were first cohort men and the remainder were reinforcements up to 22 Nov 1914. Casualty and fatality data is for the whole war but 85% of these occurred in 1914. In some battalions 100% of the casualty data for the 1914 Star men occurred in 1914.

When it is complete I will compile a table by battalion;numbers disembarked,KIA, WIA, WIA POW, Hospital Sick etc, % in 1914 % within 6 months and 12 months - the last two categories are of interest as the official expectations for casualties were 44% and 80% respectively (FSM)

It will be possible to slice and dice the data a number of ways and isolate cohorts (my particular interest), 1st, 2nd, 3rd 4th etc reinforcements, Battalions, Regiments, Brigades, Divisions, Regulars v TF, analyse the fate of ranks (as on earlier post). I have done some preliminary work comparing the fate of the I Corps and II Corps men with 7th Div who had a terrible time at Ypres. The 7th Div data is as bad as the August cohorts' data. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd reinforcement data is just as bad as the August data too. Preliminary analysis indicates there are some very subtle features - for example subalterns were just as likely to become casualties as Captains and Majors, but more likely to die. Men landing in August were more likely to die than men landing in September. The Foot Guards had higher casualty and fatality ratios than the Line Infantry, which would warrant some explanation. Aristocrats died in the same proportions to everyone else (143 of them). Battalions that were destroyed in a single day, surprisingly do not have higher casualty ratios as battalions whose attrition was spread across months. Lots of subtle but interesting sub-themes that are staring to poke through the wall of data.

The final product will be 5,700 individuals. Should be done by the weekend, but I then need to proof-read and check the POW archives (new territory for me). The plan is to add the Cavalry and Yeomanry and the RAMC (the latter is a particularly interesting sub-set)...and the General staff whose 1914 Star roll I recently discovered - useful for tracking extra-regimentally employed Officers. I suspect we will be approaching 7,000 individuals by the end. Not sure If I have the time and energy to do the RFA, RGA and RE.

Some of the useful spin offs ;

• being able to identify when 1st 2nd 3rd etc reinforcement drafts joined their battalions across the whole infantry
• identifying how long it was between disembarking and joining battalions
• identifying how long it took to recover from being wounded
• identifying the proportions who recovered from sickness or wounds and returned to their battalions
• ability to create bar charts of the Officer strengths for units throughout the period

MG.

PS. I am also linking Bond of Sacrifice obituaries - which should be around 600 Infantry Officers biogs. It might prove to be quite useful.

PPS. the 1914-15 Star roll is five and a half times bigger. ... I'm thinking about it...

Doesn't Ancestry now have the "List of British Officers taken prisoner in the various theatres of war 1914-1918"? Or was it the printed version you were after?

Chris

Probably. I Not being interested in POWs I have never really got the grips with what is available.

[Drew-1918]

Sorry, I should have posted a link:

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=4722&geo_a=r&o_iid=62817&o_lid=62817&o_sch=Web+Property

[Guest]

One more Brigade MGO: Lt F L Fraser 2nd Bn Seaforth Highlanders is recorded in the War diary in Aug 1914 as being the Brigade MGO to 10th Inf Bde . Notable another officer (Lt P W K Carr) is recorded as the Battalion MGO. Both were carrying out the same roles at the end of Sep 1914.

So far we now have

1st Guards Bde,

3rd Inf Bde,

4th Guards Bde

10th Inf Bde

14th Inf Bde

...all with named Brigade Machine Gun Officers in Aug 1914.

[Muerrisch]

I bet TESCO etc do not have an equivalent post for Brigade MGO ........... until static warfare broke out as it were. [A mixed metaphor or whatever, for which I apologise!].

I cannot for the life of me see it being a proper job during open warfare, especially with such a shortage of officers in the companies.

Any suggestions, please?

[Guest]

I bet TESCO etc do not have an equivalent post for Brigade MGO ........... until static warfare broke out as it were. [A mixed metaphor or whatever, for which I apologise!].

I cannot for the life of me see it being a proper job during open warfare, especially with such a shortage of officers in the companies.

Any suggestions, please?

I wonder if this was something that was planned for pre-war but not yet formally in regs. We know events often overtook regulations: the manning levels at reserve battalions far exceeded establishments for weeks before the necessary AOs caught up with the reality. Given we now have multiple examples from Aug 1914 it might suggest it was more than independent decisions and something more instructive was behind the establishment of the post.

Given the majority of battalions lost machine guns during the Retreat there were not enough to meet war establishment only days after Mons. Machine gun production was extremely slow in the early months, so it is unlikely that there were any surplus to battalion requirements until 1915.

MG

[Muerrisch]

Yes, a puzzle. As I said some time ago, there was indeed a pre-war Brigade MGO "to supervise the firing practice and to conduct the brigade training". [infantry training 1914].

Also a short piece therein on the pros and cons of brigading MGs.

This was not followed through into War estabs ......... perhaps the brigadiers who went for one had a clear idea of what they wanted from MGs?

[Guest]

August cohorts completed: Infantry Officers who disembarked in Aug 1914 serving in the BEF's 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th 5th Div, 19th Inf Bde, Cameron Highlanders (Army troops) and Brigade Staffs where recorded: 1,982 Officers

At least 38.1% were killed in action at some stage during the war. Three in every four fatalities happened in 1914.

At least 77.8% were casualties of some kind during the war.

Further refinement puts upside risk to both numbers. The sources used were unit war diaries, published histories, 1914 Star medal roll and CWGC data. As one might expect there was considerable overlap in the data, however the diaries, histories and medal rolls each contained data that was exclusive to that particular source. The CWGC data was useful for capturing fatalities in 1915-18: roughly one in every four of the recorded fatalities. There was a heavy skew towards 1914 (75% of the fatalities).

91% of the non-fatal casualty data was sourced from the 1914 and early 1915 diaries. The task of trawling the 1915-18 diaries for non-fatal casualties is a gigantic logistical challenge. There is a distinct possibility that hundreds of Officers who survived 1914 unscathed may well have become non-fatal casualties in subsequent years. In samples where 75%-80% of the officers were casualties in 1914 it has been possible to check some of the more detailed histories for the fate of the 20%-25% left standing at the end on 1914. This accounted for the other 9% of the non-fatal casualties with a heavy skew towards early 1915. This seems logical as the men left standing at the end of 1914 were effectively leading very young and very inexperienced officers. Some 56 regimental histories were trawled for data. Approximately 10% of the men had no recorded subsequent history. They simply disappeared from the records.

There were a significant number of non-battle casualties who disappear from the records. One can only speculate why. The numbers returning to their battalions from being wounded were extremely low; only 33 of 2,574 Officer casualties* are recorded returning to their battalion in 1914 after sickness of wounding.To save you the calculation that is 1.3%. It is possible that the diaries failed to record the return of some, but given the usually meticulous recordings of the arrival and departure of Officers, it seems unlikely that a significant number were missed. In the examples where battalions maintained nominal rolls on a regular basis there is no evidence that Officers returning from hospital were missed. A number of battalions kept very detailed records. A few battalions thankfully recorded the nominal roll of Officers on embarkation and at the end of critical periods or at the end of each month. These were extremely useful and provided a good 'control' for the data in the diary narratives.

There were nine battalions where the data is 'light'. This is largely due to poorly maintained diaries, missing sections of diaries, poorly written histories, (or no written history at all) or the combination of all of these factors. Given the strong evidence from the other 56 battalions, I strongly suspect these battalions saw much higher non-fatal casualties and this underpins the idea that there is upside risk to the overall casualty data. Assuming other sources can reveal the full picture, I would not be surprised if overall casualty ratios for the August cohort of Officers exceeded 80% and fatal casualties approached 40%.

This study is far from perfect and will undergo some further refinement. However I am confident there is enough robust data to make these conclusions statistically relevant and reliable.

Any mistakes are mine. MG

* all Officer casualties who qualified for the 1914 Star, not just the August cohort.

[Guest]

One more Brigade MGO: Lt G D Edwards 2nd Bn Sherwood Foresters is recorded in the battalion's history in Aug 1914 as being the Brigade MGO to 18th Inf Bde . Another officer (Lt R B Shawcross) is recorded as the Battalion MGO. So far we now have ;

1st Guards Bde,

3rd Inf Bde,

4th Guards Bde

10th Inf Bde

14th Inf Bde

18th Inf Bde

...all with named Brigade Machine Gun Officers in Aug 1914.

Another source for extra personnel is ADC's. One or two popping up being extra-regimentally employed on disembarkation.

[Guest]

Here is the detail for the 'August Cohort' of infantrymen who disembarked in August 1914.

The table attempts to illustrate what happened to the men who were first to disembark. This is not an attempt at a 'league table' of casualties (note it is not sorted), it is simply to indicate battalion by battalion and Brigade by brigade the huge cost in Officers and their experience. Please note the casualty data is for the whole of the war. There is a heavy skew (75%) to 1914 as highlighted in earlier posts. Please also not the variance of one individual on a base of 27 or 26 Officers is 3.7% - 3.8%, i.e. If I have made one error this is the impact on the data. The totals are 78% Causlaties and 38% fatalities.

There are two battalions where the data is incomplete - R Warwickshire Regt* and Royal Dublin Fusiliers** - coincidentally the battalions whose COs were court-martialled. The data for 10th Inf Bde is therefore distorted. Army Troops that were later attached to infantry brigades have been included, however the data for the 1st Bn Cameron Highlanders*** (not shown) is also incomplete.

Interestingly the quantity and quality of the data varied considerably depending on the quality of the diaries and published histories and whether sections of diaries were missing. Also it is worth noting that some regiments failed to publish contemporary histories. Where the data is 'light' it is invariably because these is no decent published history to fill the gaps. I will continue to refine the data.

Image is as large as I get it. Any mistakes are mine MG

* No published history. Poor diary

** No access to history. Diary does not record casualties.

*** No access to history. Diary does not record non-fatal casualties. Fatal casualties: 16 of 27 (59%)

[Guest]

1st - 7th Divs plus 19th Inf Bde....8th Div to follow.

[Muerrisch]

Absolutely fascinating Martin, many thanks indeed. A benchmark piece or research for which posterity will [jolly well ought to] be grateful.

[charlesmessenger]

Martin

I echo Grumpy's words. As I have said before, you are proving that the oft made statement that the Old British Army died at First Ypres is no myth, although a significant portion of it was lost at Mons and Le Cateau.

Charles M

[David Filsell]

Excellent work Martin, fascinating and valuable.

I had very great difficulty when trying to work out officer reinforcements to 7th div. if I remember I tracked down a few commissioned from the Artists Rifles and a number commissioned from the ranks.

David