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65-745: The Fifth Army was created on 30 October 1916, by renaming the Reserve Army (General Hubert Gough ). It participated in the Battle of the Ancre , which became the final British effort in the Battle of the Somme . In 1917,the Fifth Army was involved in the Battle of Arras and then the Third Battle of Ypres . The following year, the Fifth Army took over a stretch of front-line previously occupied by

130-474: A comparatively narrow front enabled the attackers to secure the village and 1,600 yd (1,500 m) of the German front line. The arrival of German reinforcements prevented further advance. Rawlinson concluded that an enemy's line of trenches could be broken 'with suitable artillery preparation' combined with secrecy. He also drew a lesson, that trench warfare called for limited advances: 'What I want to do now

195-609: A deep legacy of bitterness. The 3rd Afghan War had ended, but there was continued fighting in Waziristan. A hugely expanded army faced postwar demobilisation and continued cost of modernisation. The new commander-in-chief was expected to introduce a measure of "Indianisation", giving commissions to Indians. Under the system of Dyarchy, Indians, generally opposed to military expenditure, took a share in government and Rawlinson would have to justify army budgets. The Moplah Rebellion of 1921 brought widespread disorder. When Gandhi launched

260-560: A front place in whatever he sets his mind to." For his service in the war, Rawlinson was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the April 1901 South Africa Honours list (the award was dated to 29 November 1900 ), and he received the actual decoration after his return home, from Edward VII at Buckingham Palace on 24 October 1902. Rawlinson had received the brevet rank of colonel in

325-533: A great burden on the inexperienced armies and staffs of 1916. "Gough's Mobile Army" was then made ineffective by a disagreement between Haig and Rawlinson about the plan for the Battle of the Somme, Rawlinson wanting to conduct a series of limited advances onto commanding ground, from which German counter-attacks would be smashed. The intelligence picture led Haig to believe that a more ambitious attack could succeed and he insisted on deeper objectives being substituted for

390-468: A million men". The Somme was originally conceived as a joint Anglo-French offensive but owing to the demands of the Battle of Verdun , French participation was greatly reduced, leaving the British, and especially Rawlinson's inexperienced army, to bear the brunt of the offensive. On the eve of the offensive, he "showed an attitude of absolute confidence". To his diary he confided some uncertainties: "What

455-703: Is evidence that the German Army suffered enormous damage from an increasingly effective British artillery aided by French and British air superiority over the battlefield. "The unprecedented English artillery fire on the Somme is filling the hospitals more than ever" wrote the wife of a German aristocrat. Rawlinson contributed to this in his awareness of guns and aircraft and his planning aided by his chief of staff for attacks on 14 July and 25 September. On and before 1 July and during most of August he has been criticised for giving insufficient direction and did not consistently assert control over subordinate commanders. There

520-469: Is what I call "Bite & Hold" – bite off a piece of the enemy's line like Neuve Chapelle & hold it against all counter-attacks...there ought to be no difficulty in holding against the enemy's counterattacks & inflicting on him at least twice the loss that we have suffered in making the bite'. At the end of 1915, Rawlinson was considered for command of the First Army , in succession to Haig but

585-515: The 3rd Division in June 1910, in succession to Major General William Franklyn . In manoeuvres in June 1912, he showed an appreciation of the use of artillery, the Times's correspondent noting approvingly: An operation of altogether unusual character took place yesterday on Salisbury Plain when Major-General Sir Henry Rawlinson's 3rd Division practised combined field firing on a scale, which, so far as

650-630: The Coldstream Guards , and was promoted to captain on 4 November 1891. He attended the Staff College, Camberley from 1893 to 1895, which brought him into contact with Julian Byng , Aylmer Haldane , Thomas Snow , Hubert Hamilton , Alexander Hamilton-Gordon , Launcelot Kiggell , and Henry Wilson , all of whom would rise to high rank in the First World War . He served on Major General Herbert Kitchener 's staff during

715-592: The Fifth Army on 30 October. Haig developed a concept of all-arms units of "cavalry and mobile troops" to capture a portion of the German defences and enlarge the foothold for later exploitation. Haig wrote training instructions for the cavalry in March 1916, in which he described a breach being made in the German lines and the cavalry and mobile troops rushing forward to create a bridgehead, obstructing German reinforcements. Infantry would have time to move up to relieve

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780-657: The French south of the River Somme and on 21 March, bore the brunt of the opening phase of the German Spring Offensive, known as Operation Michael . The failure of the Fifth Army to withstand the German advance led to Gough's dismissal and replacement by General Henry Rawlinson on 28 March and on 2 April, the army was renamed the Fourth Army. Gough and his remaining staff officers were to be renamed

845-653: The Houses of Parliament passed a vote of thanks to him for his military service, and awarded him the sum of £30,000 from the Exchequer . In 1919, he was raised to the peerage as Baron Rawlinson of Trent in the County of Dorset , and appointed a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath . Rawlinson was again called on to organise an evacuation, this time of the Allied forces that had been sent to Russia to intervene in

910-483: The Russian Civil War . In November 1919, after returning to Britain, he succeeded General Sir Archibald Murray as general officer commanding-in-chief (GOC-in-C) of Aldershot Command . In 1920, Rawlinson was made Commander-in-Chief, India . Winston Churchill as Secretary of State for War was instrumental in securing his appointment, over-riding a tradition that the post alternated between officers from

975-557: The Second Army . In February 1918 he was appointed British Permanent Military Representative to the inter-Allied Supreme War Council at Versailles . On 28 March 1918, Rawlinson took over Fifth Army from Hubert Gough, sacked in the wake of the German March offensive, Operation Michael ; his Fourth Army Staff joined him and Fifth Army became Fourth Army on 2 April. By this time the German Army's offensive had been checked, and

1040-579: The Allies were preparing a counter-offensive. Following the success of the Australian attack at Le Hamel on 4 July, Rawlinson proposed to Haig a larger attack, designed to force the Germans back from the city of Amiens and further to damage the German Army's weakening morale. At lunch on 16 July Haig agreed, saying he had already proposed such an operation. Rawlinson had learned from his experiences on

1105-516: The Army would have to maintain order. On 15 July, he complained that: Unless we, as a government, are prepared to act vigorously and take strong measures to combat the insidious propaganda of the extremists we are bound to have something very like rebellion in India before long... You say what you like about not holding India by the sword, but you have held it by the sword for 100 years and when you give up

1170-790: The Battles of the Selle and the Sambre and Oise Canal. In the Hundred Days, the Fourth Army had gained 85 mi (137 km), taking 80,000 prisoners and 1,100 guns. Rawlinson was bestowed with many honours in reward for his role in the First World War. He was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Royal Victorian Order in 1917 and appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George 1918. In August 1919

1235-422: The British and Indian Armies. He told Lloyd George that the post should go to the best qualified officer and that his military advisors "entirely supported my view that the best appointment we could make would be that of General Lord Rawlinson". He held the post until his death. He faced severe challenges. Brigadier Reginald Dyer 's ordering his men to shoot at a crowd at Amritsar, killing 387 unarmed Indians, left

1300-414: The British to achieve a striking success in the Battle of Morval . At the start of October, the rain and the temperature fell and the battlefield turned into a quagmire. The only late success was gained by the Fifth Army (formerly Reserve Army, commanded by Lieutenant General Hubert Gough ) capturing Beaumont Hamel. The results of the Somme remain in dispute; casualties on both sides were immense. There

1365-511: The British took 1,400 prisoners. The British were unable to exploit this success and a long period of difficult fighting followed. The Germans made excellent use of the woods on the battlefield, turning each into a strongpoint. Rawlinson mainly failed to intervene and coordinate attacks until late August and early September, when he massed guns and men, enabling brigades of the 16th (Irish) Division to capture Guillemont village. By late September, superior British artillery and better tactics enabled

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1430-595: The Fourth Army to Gough and the Reserve Army. Later II Corps , I Anzac Corps and the Canadian Corps were added to the Reserve Army. For the next few months the Reserve Army fought the Battle of Pozières (23 July – 3 September) and the Battle of Mouquet Farm (16–26 September). The Battle of Thiepval Ridge (26–28 September took place as part of the sequential offensives of the French Sixth,

1495-566: The Fourth and then the Reserve Army during September. For much of October, the Reserve Army conducted the Battle of the Ancre Heights and on 30 October, the army was renamed the Fifth Army. Henry S. Rawlinson General Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 1st Baron Rawlinson , GCB , GCSI , GCVO , KCMG (20 February 1864 – 28 March 1925), known as Sir Henry Rawlinson, 2nd Baronet between 1895 and 1919,

1560-550: The German attacks on Ypres had died down. Rawlinson wrote to the Conservative politician Lord Derby (24 December 1914) forecasting that the Allies would win a war of attrition but it was unclear whether this would take one, two or three years. In 1915, IV Corps formed part of the First Army (General Douglas Haig). At the battle of Neuve Chapelle (10–12 March 1915), he massed 340 guns. The weight of this bombardment on

1625-515: The Reserve Army was organised as a conveyor belt , to exploit the success of the Fourth Army, with the 25th Division first, followed by two cavalry divisions and then the II Corps infantry divisions. Sheffield wrote that the all-arms concept was an imaginative response to the tactical problems of 1915 and anticipated post-war moves towards mobile warfare, but was ambitious, and the staff work and traffic control required to make it work, would have been

1690-520: The Reserve Army with a headquarters at Crécy-en-Ponthieu , to survey a defensive line west of Amiens as a precaution and to oversee the building of all GHQ lines. After Gough was removed and sent home, General William Peyton took over the HQ until 23 May, when the Reserve Army title was dropped and the Fifth Army HQ was re-formed, under the command of General William Birdwood . Although the Fifth Army

1755-524: The Somme: The immeasurable superiority of the planning for 8 August 1918 over that for 1 July 1916 testified to the distance the BEF had travelled in the interim." The attack was to be on a relatively narrow front, with no prior bombardment and limited objectives. To ensure a breakthrough, Haig gave Rawlinson command of virtually the whole British armoured forces . By this stage of the war British manpower

1820-707: The South Africa Honours list published on 26 June 1902, was promoted to the substantive rank of colonel on 1 April 1903, and named as commandant of the Army Staff College . Rawlinson was the first of three reforming commandants who transformed the Staff College into a real war school. The curriculum was modernised and updated, the teaching given a new sense of purpose and instructors became 'directing staff' rather than 'professors', emphasising practicality. Major Godwin-Austen, historian of

1885-823: The South Jetty by a military ceremonial receiving party. Rawlinson was buried in the chapel of St Michael and St George in the north transept of St Andrew's Church, Trent , in the county of Dorset . Rawlinson was a gifted watercolour artist. In March 1920, he and Winston Churchill enjoyed a painting holiday together on the French estate of the Duke of Westminster . "The General paints in water colours and does it very well," wrote Churchill. "With all my enormous paraphernalia, I have produced very indifferent results here." He married Meredith Sophia Francis Kennard (1861–1931) at St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge , London on 5 November 1890,

1950-680: The War Office. In September 1914 Rawlinson was appointed General Officer Commanding 4th Division in France. Promoted to temporary lieutenant-general on 4 October 1914, he then took command of the IV Corps . In late September, the Belgian government formally requested British military assistance in defending Antwerp . IV Corps, acting under orders from the Cabinet, was chosen to reinforce

2015-403: The actual results will be no one can say but I feel pretty confident of success myself though only after heavy fighting. That the bosh [sic] will break and that a debacle will supervene I do not believe..." He was not satisfied that the wire was well cut and enemy trenches sufficiently "knocked about". The Somme offensive was launched on 1 July 1916. In English writing, attention has been paid to

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2080-603: The advance on Omdurman in Sudan in 1898, and was promoted to major on 25 January 1899 and to brevet lieutenant colonel on 26 January 1899. Rawlinson served with distinction in a field command in the Second Boer War from 1899 to 1902, earning promotion to the local rank of colonel on 6 May 1901. He was in Western Transvaal during early 1902, and led a column taking part in the Battle of Rooiwal ,

2145-530: The age of 61 at Delhi in India, after a medical operation for a stomach ailment, although not long before the operation he had played polo and cricket and seemed fit and well. His body was carried back to England on the SS Assaye , which was met on reaching the English Channel by a Royal Navy destroyer , onto which the coffin was transferred, then carried into Portsmouth Harbour , being met at

2210-590: The casualties. By 3 July he knew 8,000 prisoners had been taken. On the Allied right, the British and French had more success. Here they had a better fire plan but limited objectives as a flank guard to a main advance further north. This was more in keeping with Rawlinson's idea of "bite and hold". There is no documentary evidence that the corps commander on the right (southern) British flank, Lieutenant General Walter Congreve , commanding XIII Corps , telephoned Rawlinson to ask permission to advance beyond his set objectives or to send in cavalry. The principal causes of

2275-469: The cavalry in the bridgehead, which would then operate behind parts of the front where German infantry were still fighting and protect the main force by extending the flank. Haig disbanded the two cavalry corps on 3 March 1916 and distributed the divisions to the armies and the new Reserve Corps. Gough was appointed to command the Reserve Corps in April, which was renamed Reserve Army in June. There

2340-611: The city. Rawlinson arrived in Antwerp on 6 October. It was soon obvious that the combined British, Belgian, and French forces were too weak to hold the city, and Kitchener decided on an evacuation two days later. IV Corps and the remnants of the Belgian Army successfully re-joined Allied forces in Western Belgium, with the Cabinet returning Rawlinson's Corps to Sir John French 's command. IV Corps marched into Ypres on

2405-583: The collapse in German morale and the high number of Germans surrendering without a fight. The Allies were still cautious about pressing their advantage too far and on 11 August Rawlinson advised Haig to halt the offensive. In September, again commanding a mixed force of British, Australian and American divisions, Rawlinson participated in the breaking of the Hindenburg Line , a major part of the Hundred Days Offensive . Initial planning

2470-498: The college, wrote: "Blessed with an extremely attractive personality, a handsome appearance, high social standing, and more than an average share of this world's goods, he was one to inspire his students unconsciously to follow in his footsteps." Promoted to temporary brigadier general on 1 March 1907, he was made commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade at Aldershot that year and, having been promoted to major general on 10 May 1909, he became general officer commanding (GOC) of

2535-486: The command was instead given to Sir Charles Monro . He was promoted to temporary general on 22 December 1915. Promoted to the substantive rank of lieutenant-general on 1 January 1916, Rawlinson assumed command of the new Fourth Army on 24 January 1916. The Fourth Army would play a major role in the planned Allied offensive on the Somme . He wrote in his diary: "It is not the lot of many men to command an army of over half

2600-500: The defeat in the north were the skill of German defenders, the siting of their defences and the failure of the long and heavy preliminary artillery bombardment to destroy the German barbed wire and trenches, except in the southern sector where French heavy artillery assisted. It is not true that heavily laden British infantry were required to advance at a slow walk. The researches of the historians Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson have shown that

2665-561: The fighting, built roads and established a brigade base at Razmak. Rawlinson announced a scheme of "Indianisation" to the Legislative Assembly on 17 February 1923. Its aim, he said, was to "give Indians a fair opportunity of providing that units officered by Indians will be efficient in every way". The Prince of Wales' Royal Indian Military College was founded at Dehra Dun in 1922, run on English public school lines, to encourage potential officer candidates. In 1924, Rawlinson

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2730-468: The first day, a British disaster for three of the five attacking corps, although the battle lasted 141 days against two German armies. On 1 July, British forces were repulsed by the Germans along most of the front north of the Albert–Bapaume road, suffering 57,000 casualties. The worst defeats were in front of Pozières and Thiepval . By the afternoon Rawlinson was aware of much of the disaster but not of

2795-607: The last battle of the war (11 April 1902). Following the end of hostilities in June 1902, he returned to the United Kingdom together with Lord Kitchener on board the SS Orotava , which arrived in Southampton on 12 July. In a despatch dated 23 June 1902, Lord Kitchener wrote of Rawlinson that he "possesses the qualities of Staff Officer and Column Commander in the field. His characteristics will always ensure him

2860-644: The majority of battalions were out in No Man's Land before whistles blew. This was of no avail, except in the south, against skilful placing of German machine guns in enfilade positions and German artillery fire falling on British trenches to prevent reinforcements reaching the 36th (Ulster) Division , who had penetrated the German position north of Thiepval. Rawlinson's 'Tactical Notes', initially drafted by his chief of staff Archie Montgomery, were not prescriptive, giving initiative to battalion commanders to choose their formations. Haig told Rawlinson to exploit success in

2925-433: The movement of non-cooperation with the British on 1 August 1920, he wished to avoid popular violence, but in 1922 the campaign degenerated: a crowd attacked a police station at Chauri Chaura, set fire to the building and 22 or 23 policemen were burnt to death or hacked down by the crowd. Gandhi cancelled the campaign, but he and other leaders of the resistance were arrested. Rawlinson certainly began his command believing that

2990-503: The night of 13–14 October, where the BEF , advancing northwards, was preparing to meet the German Army . Located at the centre of the British line, IV Corps met the main thrust of the German attacks between 18 and 27 October and suffered heavy casualties. On 28 October, IV Corps was put under the temporary command of Douglas Haig while Rawlinson went to England to oversee the preparation of 8th Division . When he returned in November

3055-470: The northern sector, placing the VIII and X Corps under Gough from 7:00 a.m. on 2 July. Gough immediately left to visit the two corps to assess the situation. X Corps and VIII Corps to the north were to capture the German front position and the intermediate line from Mouquet Farm to Serre . Gough was sent to take over command of X Corps and VIII Corps and the 25th Division (Major-General E. G. T. Bainbridge )

3120-419: The relatively shallow penetration of the German first position preferred by Rawlinson. The army was intended to carry out the breakthrough and exploitation of the Somme offensive, once the Fourth Army (General Sir Henry Rawlinson ) had captured the German front-line trenches. In May it had been envisaged that Gough would stand by to take over the two right flank corps of the Fourth Army but on 5 June, this plan

3185-533: The south. Fourth Army fought its way forward towards the second German line atop the Bazentin Ridge. At first light on 14 July, following a night approach march, a two-day preparatory bombardment of over 375,000 shells and a five-minute intensive hurricane bombardment, the leading British attackers, some within 100 yd (91 m) of enemy lines attacked the German position. Nearly all first line objectives were taken. The Germans suffered 2,200 casualties and

3250-541: The staff of a friend, General Sir Frederick Roberts , the commander-in-chief in India. Rawlinson and the Roberts family remained close friends throughout his life. When Roberts died in November 1914, Rawlinson wrote, "I feel as if I have lost my second father." His first military experience was serving in Burma during the 1886 uprising. In October 1889, Rawlinson's mother died and he returned to Britain. He transferred to

3315-504: The sword you will be turned out. You must keep the sword ready to hand and in case of trouble or rebellion use it relentlessly. Montagu calls it terrorism, so it is and in dealing with natives of all classes you have to use terrorism whether you like it or not. John Newsinger argues that "there is no doubt that the great majority of the British in India, soldiers, officials, civilians, agreed with Rawlinson on this. A few months later he noted in his journal that he "was determined to fight for

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3380-457: The white community against any black sedition or rebellion", and, if necessary, "be the next Dyer". Nonetheless, with Gandhi temporarily behind bars and increasing economic stability as the 1920s advanced, Rawlinson had the scope to reduce the Army's strength, modernise its equipment and work closely with Viceroys Chelmsford and Reading to try to make dyarchy a success. In Waziristan, the British and Indian Field Force backed by aircraft put an end to

3445-465: The writer can recall, has never been attempted before. The historians Robin Prior and Trevor Wilson praise Rawlinson's foresight in considering combining infantry with the fire-power of machine-guns and artillery. After handing over the division to his successor, Major General Hubert Hamilton , in May 1914 Rawlinson went on leave, returning on the outbreak of war to briefly serve as director of recruiting at

3510-619: Was a field army of the British Army and part of the British Expeditionary Force during the First World War . On 1 April 1916, Lieutenant-General Sir Hubert Gough was moved from the command of I Corps and took over the Reserve Corps, which in June before the Battle of the Somme , was expanded and renamed Reserve Army. The army fought on the northern flank of the Fourth Army during the battle and became

3575-605: Was a senior British Army officer in the First World War who commanded the Fourth Army of the British Expeditionary Force at the battles of the Somme (1916) and Amiens (1918) as well as the breaking of the Hindenburg Line (1918). He commanded the Indian Army from 1920 to 1925. Rawlinson was born at Trent Manor in Dorset on 20 February 1864. His father, Sir Henry Rawlinson, 1st Baronet ,

3640-619: Was an Army officer, and a renowned Middle East scholar who is generally recognised as the father of Assyriology . His mother was Louisa Caroline Harcourt Seymour (1828-1889). He received his early formal education at Eton College . After passing through commissioned officer training at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst , Rawlinson entered the British Army as a lieutenant in the King's Royal Rifle Corps in India on 6 February 1884. His father arranged for him to serve on

3705-440: Was appointed a Knight Grand Commander of the Order of the Star of India . By the end of his Indian command, he had reduced the Indian army in numbers and cost, but improved firepower, mobility and training. In financial matters he had been hugely helped by Sir Bhupendra Mitra, who had financial details "at his finger's ends". He had been appointed to succeed Lord Cavan as CIGS when he left India. Rawlinson died on 28 March 1925 at

3770-621: Was blamed for failing to hold the German advance, it was later "triumphantly vindicated". The army was not reraised during the Second World War. However, due to various Allied deception efforts, German intelligence over-estimated the number of Allied forces based within the UK by the start of 1944. While there was no specific deception effort to create the Third Army, German intelligence believed that one had been formed from Eastern Command . Books Websites Reserve Army (United Kingdom) Associated articles 1915 1916 1917 1918 Associated articles The Reserve Army

3835-433: Was by John Monash , the Australian commander, but Rawlinson broadened the front and gave him more tanks. The Allied attack was preceded by a massive artillery bombardment. Allied success was most striking in the centre where the 46th (North Midland) Division crossed the St Quentin Canal and stormed trenches beyond, advancing up to 3 mi (4.8 km) and taking over 5,300 prisoners. The Fourth Army's advance continued in

3900-404: Was cautious British optimism at the end of the Battle and General Sir Henry Wilson's felt that Haig could defeat Germany in 1917 by fighting "two Sommes at once", but that he should be told how much manpower was available and told to plan accordingly. In January 1917, Rawlinson was promoted to permanent general "for distinguished service in the field". For a period in 1917–18, he also commanded

3965-434: Was severely depleted, and to achieve the breakthrough, the Fourth Army comprised four Canadian, five Australian, five British and two American divisions. The Allies achieved surprise and the Battle of Amiens proved a striking success. On 8 August, described by General Erich Ludendorff as "the black day of the German Army", the Allies took 12,000 prisoners and captured 450 guns. The German and Allied commands were struck by

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4030-421: Was some uncertainty over the role of the army, Kiggell, the BEF Chief of Staff writing on 4 June, "The area in which the Reserve Corps (sic) may be employed must be dependent on events and cannot be foreseen". Gough was told to train the cavalry in the all-arms concept and to convince cavalry officers of the effectiveness of cavalry, when co-operating with artillery and infantry. In 1996, Stephen Badsey wrote that

4095-420: Was supplemented by a proposal to move the forces under Gough to the Second Army in Flanders, if the Fourth Army offensive bogged down. The idea of Gough taking over the right wing corps was dropped later in June and the 1st, 3rd and 2nd Indian cavalry divisions were attached to Gough along with the 12th and 25th divisions in GHQ reserve, to operate under the command of GHQ. II Corps with the 23rd and 38th divisions,

4160-458: Was to be ready to move forward into the vacated assembly areas. In mid-June II Corps was detached and returned to GHQ reserve and the Reserve Army reduced to a cavalry formation, under the command of the Fourth Army, to give more discretion to Rawlinson as the man on the spot. In the evening of the First day on the Somme , 1 July 1916, the British Commander-in-Chief General Sir Douglas Haig relieved Rawlinson's Fourth Army of responsibility for

4225-419: Was transferred from reserve to X Corps. Gough had intended to attack Thiepval with the 49th and 32nd divisions and the 48th Division of VIII Corps; eventually changes of plan reduced the attack to two brigades of the 32nd Division. Just before the attack by X Corps and III Corps began on 3 July, Gough revealed that X Corps could not attack before 6:00 a.m. and at noon, VIII Corps and X Corps were detached from

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