"British Generals with experience of commanding a brigade" Topic

I recently read somewhere that the very few of the British generals who arrived in SA at the start of the Boer War had ever commanded more than a battalion in action, and that this was (obviously enough) a great hindrance.

But can anyone confirm that this is true? I have been Googling and reading from my own books, and can only find that Colonel Ian Hamilton had commanded a brigade on the NW Frontier prior to arriving in SA (where he initially commanded a Brigade, then was given a Division).

Kitchener had been in charge at Omdurman, obviously, and Gatacre had commanded a Division there.

But what about the others: Methuen, French, White, Buller, Wauchope, Colvile, Penn Symons, Warren etc?

Can anyone point me in the right direction?

I know some of them had commanded brigades; Buller and Wuachope both commanded brigades in the Sudan (not in the same time frame)French commanded a cavalry brigade on home service, and Methuen commanded the Brigade of Guards (a ceremonial appointment, since the Guards did not go on active service as a brigade) I hope this helps.

Yes – very helpful, thanks.

Of the others, Penn-Symons had commanded brigades on the NW Frontier (Waziristan and Tochi) as had White (Burma, Zhob valley, Balochistan). Colvile had commanded garrison and guards brigades.

The appointment of Warren was less understandable – described as 'an enigma' at the time, his greatest claim to fame being the Metropolitan Police Commissioner who failed to catch Jack the Ripper.

In the main, it was not lack of experience that contributed to the early setbacks suffers by these commanders. But I've always been surprised that commanders accustomed to taking on Pathans and Afghans were so unsuccessful in South Africa.

And anyone studying the war really must get a copy of "Celebrities of the Army" for the portraits – the most impressive deployment of facial hair since the ACW!

Agreed, Methuen had a very strong rep going into the war and if you study his campaigns, it seems, indeed he did conduct his operations with a clear eye, but on the field of battle…Poof!

He was able to rehabilitate himself and his reputation towards the end, indeed his star was again in the ascendant by the end of the war when he was caught out once more…though through any fault of his, per se.

Warren had commanded a fairly large force on the Warren Expedition into what became British Bechuanaland – though there was no fighting.

To be fair to Methuen, he did well at Belmont, Graspan and Modder River, and carried on in the guerrilla war. I think that this was his first experience of commanding a division – not sure if he had commanded a brigade before.

The likes of Ian Hamilton who had fought on the NW Frontier did very well throughout the war, so I think there is a link in his case.