The Maurice Case

[armourersergeant]

Out of Print but some copies available via second hand bookshops etc.

239 pages. some illustrations and photo copies of documents etc.

Written by Nancy Maurice the daughter of General Sir Frederick Maurice the man in question you could not expect to read a book showing him in a bad light but then again I feel that it would be hard, to put a case for Maurice being shown in a bad light especially in this instance anyway.

It is preceeded by a foward by Major General Sir Edward Speirs, and when i say foward it is some fifty six pages long. He writes to give an overview of what happened and also recount some of the dealings he had with those covered in the Maurice case.

For those not aware of the incident a brief overview would be that Gen. Maurice found that Lloyd-George had made certain comments in Parliment regarding the strengths of the army in France in early 1918. It was portrayed in such a way as to lay all the blame on Haig and the army for the failings of the march 1918 defence against the German Micheal offensive and subsequent battles. It was constructed in such a way Maurice believed not only to lay the blame away from LG not releasing soldiers to go to France to replace adequately those lost in 1917 but also to show Haig in a bad way so to facilitate his replacement. Having lost Robertson earlier in the year Maurice felt that the removal of Haig was the last thing the army needed as well as the fact correctly that the army was being blamed by the government when this was fundementaly untrue. After recieving no reply from the CIGS (Wilson) he wrote a letter to the papers and hence breached military 'law' and ended his career.

The book makes use of private letters from many sources including Maurices own papers and some of the correspondance he had with the government and 'Wully' Robertson as well as other politicans.

It also shows how LG tried to cover himself and in the end had to revert to great oratory skills and mercurial use of the truth to quash a rebellion against himself. It also covers the later dealing with the topic when the war had ended and how it still lingered for many years after. Also covered is the way in which LG in his memeories tells the story and gives a view that even many years later LG was apt to tell lies and change the facts to cover himself.

There is also many appendix of differing parts including some minutes of the cabinet at the relevant times and biography of Maurice etc. There is also alot more covered in this book than i can write here.

In all it makes a good concise read into a topic that is fascinating (to me) and shows that one man was willing to stand up for the truth and what he believed in regardless of what it cost him. Frederick Maurice was hounded by LG for many years after the affair in what can only have been petty revenge by Lloyd-George.

In a letter to his children Maurice wrote. ' I am persuaded that I am doing what is right, and once that is so, nothing else matters to a man.'

Arm.

[Chris_Baker]

It's a very interesting read, and offers quite an insight into the machinations of the politicians and high command.

There's quite a bit about Freddy Maurice and the manpower crisis on this page on the Long, Long Trail.