where was Haig on July 1st

[Sue S]

Can someone tell me where Douglas Haig actually was on the first day of the Somme and when or if he visited the battlefield at any time between July and November? Thanks. Sue

[kenf48]

At the risk of setting another hare running, on the 1st July he was at BEF GHQ. Montreuil-sur-Mer. When at GHQ in France he and his entourage lived at a chateau at Beaurepaire.

http://www.francobritishcouncil.org.uk/pages/uncovering-the-unsung-story-of-the-first-world-war.html

I don't know how often he visited the battlefield, although in August, as noted in a diary entry of September 4 he spoke to the Army and Corps Commanders about the 'slackness and lack of saluting' shown by one battalion as he drove through the village where they were billeted. Apart from that it's difficult to see what impact one man could have on the conduct of operations at the front by such a large army (Armies)

You would need to make a more detailed study of his diaries to be accurate, depends what you want the information for.

Ken

[phil andrade]

He must have visited the battlefield, surely ?

I do not know where or when ; but I cannot believe that he was so remiss as not to do so.

In his diary he had made comments regarding the Flanders fighting in the autumn of 1914 ; he had been pretty " hands on" as Corps Commander in those days, and was scathing about French divisional commanders who he reckoned had been too far removed from the front line.

He was mistaken as to the extent of his army's losses at the start of the offensive ; he alluded to forty thousand casualties in the first two days, when; of course, the true figure was nearly sixty thousand on the first day.

He had to control a huge battlefront, and, given the constraints of communication at that time, it would not have been feasible for him to command from a post in the frontline ; that said, I would be astonished if he failed to go to the battlefield and see things for himself .

Phil (PJA)

[WilliamRev]

If you can get hold of a copy of Haig's War Diaries and Letters edited by profs. Gary Sheffield and John Bourne (Weidenfeld and Nicholson, 2005) you'll find his various movements July-Nov 1916. Most days saw him motoring between the various generals who were actually carrying out the battle (Rawlinson, Gough, Hunter-Weston, Horne, Phillips, Kiggell, Butler, Foch, Joffre etc). On the 2nd July he visited two casualty clearing stations to speak to the wounded, and another CCS on the 4th and so on. He was also busy meeting politicians and reorganising the RFC. It is a fascinating read; he was often staying in far from luxurious billets, despite the nonsense you read about him always staying in a chateau.

As always in the First World War, the truth is more complex (and indeed more interesting) than the nonsense that one sometimes reads in the press or elsewhere.

William

[geraint]

I have presumed that he was at his HQ at Beaurepaire, close to his communications people.

Am I naïve?

Was he on top of a helter skelter at Brighton Pier

[Guest]

In vol 1 1916 page 481 (573/622 N & MP disk) The Official History says " During the afternoon (1st July) Sir Douglas Haig visited General Rawlinson.

On page 480 (572/622) General Rawlinson had remained the whole day (1st July) in his room at his headquarters at Querrieu.......

Mike

[squirrel]

As William says, Haig was visiting his Generals and received visits from numerous people at his HQ during the course of the the Somme battles. He took an overview of the battles and gave direction where he felt it was required as well as staying in touch with the French, seeing the tanks demonstrated etc. His visitors included the King, Asquith, Lloyd George, war correspondents, French Commanders...

What would have been the purpose of him visiting the front line?

[nigelcave]

I have presumed that he was at his HQ at Beaurepaire, close to his communications people.

Am I naïve?

Was he on top of a helter skelter at Brighton Pier

His advanced HQ was at Val Vion - a large farm, handy for both Rawlinson's and Gough's HQs and also reasonably accessible to railway links for straight forward travel to meetings for the 'political' side of his job. The farm house is owned by the same family and has hardly changed at all.

[Bernard_Lewis]

Haig had seen action in the pre Great War period of course and there were claims that he should have had a VC though how accurate that was I can't recall (there was a thread on here, years ago).

He also saw action 'at the sharp end' from 1914 onwards before he took the top job. And there is the story of Haig having his portrait painted by Orpen when the Germans shelled the area. Haig, never a great comedian, blamed Orpen as being the target of the fire.

Bernard

[Sue S]

Thank you all for your replies. Regards Sue

[17107BM]

Here you go Sue.

Can not say how many times this happened..

[17107BM]

Here you go Sue.

Can not say how many times this happened..