High Ranks KIA

[cazna]

Hi

Does anyone know how many high ranking army officers were killed in action in WWI.

Lieutenant-Colonel and above.

I would be interested in British, Australian, Canadian, New Zealand or South Africa.

Duncan

[Gunner Bailey]

If my memory serves me correctly Richard Holmes writes about this in 'Tommy'. Far more senior officers were killed in WW1 than in WW2.

Gunner Bailey

[armourersergeant]

There is an excellent book 'Bloody Red Tabs' byFrank Davies, G. Maddocks. It covers all General officers killed and wounded and gives small bio of each man.

[cazna]

Thanks guys for the pointers.

I will search out these books on the "bookfinder.com" site.

Duncan

[Roxy]

Officers Died in the Great War lists 52 officers of Commands and Staff that died. All but 2 are above the rank of lt col and 4 VCs are included. There must be more because I have noted that it does not include Maj-Gen Thesiger Co 9 Div, killed at Loos.

I could not find anything in 'Tommy' but from 'Mud, Blood and Poppycock' Gordon Corrigan states:

'Altogether four British lieutenant generals, twelve major-generals and eighty-one brigadier generals died or were killed between 1914 and 1918. A further 146 were wounded or taken prisoner. Whatever else the generals were doing, they were certainly not sitting in comfortable chateaux.' Corrigan refers to 'Bloody Red Tabs' as a source document.

Roxy

[Guest geoff501]

'Altogether four British lieutenant generals, twelve major-generals and eighty-one brigadier generals died or were killed between 1914 and 1918.

Looks like the above are taken from SDGW figures.

For the years 1914-1918, CWGC has at least 5 UK lieutenant generals, 18 major generals (14 UK, 1 India, 1 Canada, 2 Australian) and 96 brigadier generals (85 UK, 2 Australia, 3 New Zealand, 6 Indian).

By 1921 the numbers had increased to at least 6, 28 and 112 for the three general ranks respectively.

'There are two kinds of knowledge: knowing; and knowing where to find out'.

Dr Samuel Johnson