Richard Haking
Encyclopedia
General
Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, GBE
, KCB
, KCMG
(24 January 1862–9 June 1945) was a British
general
in the First World War. He is remembered chiefly for the high casualties suffered by his forces (including many Australian troops) at the second Battle of Fromelles
, although at least one British historian has sought to defend his reputation, regarding him as an "intelligent and capable man" unfairly maligned in the popular mythology of the war.
, the son of a clergyman, and was commissioned into the Hampshire Regiment in 1881. He saw active service in Burma and in the Boer War, and was both a graduate and then a lecturer at the Staff College
. Haking espoused the pre-war belief that the most important factor in winning a battle was the character and attitude of the troops engaged. He published a book "Company Training" that espoused this principle and argued that the attacker would have the advantage over the defender. The book was reprinted during the first part of the war, at least. The book was considered "first class" and "even today ... has a freshness about it and an insight into human characteristics that would not be out of place in a modern military work".
Haking was given command of the 5th Brigade on the outbreak of war in August 1914, and travelled to the Western Front
. On 14 September his was one of the few units to fight its way onto the Chemin des Dames after the crossing of the River Aisne, but on that day he received a head wound that required three months' recuperation.
On his return to duty he commanded the 1st Division from December 1914 - taking part in the Battle of Aubers Ridge
(also known as the first Battle of Fromelles) where a total of 11,600 casualties were suffered, and where he argued for further attacks despite the clear failure of the first assault - to September 1915.
He then moved to command XI Corps
, where he remained until the end of the war. His corps took part in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, where he oversaw another 8,000 casualties on the second day, although his divisions were in reserve under the direct control of GHQ on that occasion. The XI Corps' organisation of the attack failed to provide covering artillery fire. His promotions may have resulted from Haig's patronage, but later attempts by Haig to obtain an Army command for him were unsuccessful.
Haking acquired the nickname "Butcher Haking" while the fighting was still taking place. Some claim that this was because he took excessive casualties, felt to be pointless and resented by those who served under his command - although other First World War generals have also gained this label, this has principally occurred after the war ended. However, it has also been claimed that he acquired the nickname amongst Australian troops from his propensity for ordering trench raids, and that "it is not even known how pejorative the appellation really was" given that amongst Australians " "bastard" is almost a term of affection"
At the second Battle of Fromelles
, launched while the Battle of the Somme was underway 80 km to the south, he launched an attack by two divisions (61st British and 5th Australian Divisions) that cost 7,000 casualties. This earned the undying disgust of the commander of the Australian 15th Brigade, Brigadier-General Harold 'Pompey' Elliott
, who had seen 80% of his two assaulting battalions killed, wounded or captured by night-fall. It has been claimed that the battle "did prevent the Germans from shifting reserves south to the Somme battlefield, and cannot be said to have been without point".
Haking criticised the 61st division for being "not sufficiently imbued with the offensive spirit to go in like one man at the appointed time" and summed up the outcome in these terms: "I think that the attack, though it failed, has done both divisions a great deal of good...". His reports claimed "The artillery preparation was adequate. There were sufficient guns and sufficient ammunition. The wire was properly cut and the assaulting battalions had a clear run to the enemies’ trench... With two trained divisions the position would have been a gift after the artillery bombardment...". Yet the majority of casualties resulted from machine guns fired from positions that the bombardment had failed to suppress.
The nature of the fighting in the First World War was difficult for the commanders of all sides to comprehend. It took time for Britain to assemble the weight of artillery and munitions needed, and even with experience of fighting, it was not easy to deduce the correct mix of artillery and infantry tactics which were needed to make even modest progress (for example a breakthrough had almost been attained at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915; at Loos in September 1915 it was believed at the time that quicker commitment of reserves might have achieved results; at the opening of the Somme the Germans were given the heaviest and longest bombardment yet - but it was still not enough to suppress German machine guns etc etc). Up until the middle of 1916 at least, Haking experienced difficulties, as did most other generals.
After being sent to reinforce the Italian Front following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto
from November 1917 to March 1918, XI Corps was returned to the Western Front and was stationed at Béthune
. It was almost immediately engaged by the assault in the German Spring Offensive
of that year. Overall, the Corps protected the Channel ports, although some sections of the Corps were all but destroyed by the German "Georgette" Offensive. In particular the 2nd Portuguese Division suffered 7,000 casualties and 300 officers (out of a divisional strength of 20,000) in the Battle of Estaires. Haking and his Corps "did well" in the halting of this offensive and that autumn "earned a high reputation in the British Offensive which ended the war".
After the war "his ... career was distinguished" : he served as chief of the British section of the Armistice Commission, 1918–1919, commander of the British military mission to Russia
and the Baltic Provinces
, 1919, commander of Allied troops in the plebiscite area of East Prussia
and Danzig
, 1920, High Commissioner of the League of Nations
in Danzig, 1921–1923, and General Officer Commanding
British Troops in Egypt
, 1923–1927. He retired as a full General in 1927 and died of secondary colon cancer in 1945.
Haking was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 1921 New Year Honours.
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General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, GBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, KCMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
(24 January 1862–9 June 1945) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
in the First World War. He is remembered chiefly for the high casualties suffered by his forces (including many Australian troops) at the second Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
, although at least one British historian has sought to defend his reputation, regarding him as an "intelligent and capable man" unfairly maligned in the popular mythology of the war.
Biography
He was probably born in HalifaxHalifax, West Yorkshire
Halifax is a minster town, within the Metropolitan Borough of Calderdale in West Yorkshire, England. It has an urban area population of 82,056 in the 2001 Census. It is well-known as a centre of England's woollen manufacture from the 15th century onward, originally dealing through the Halifax Piece...
, the son of a clergyman, and was commissioned into the Hampshire Regiment in 1881. He saw active service in Burma and in the Boer War, and was both a graduate and then a lecturer at the Staff College
Staff college
Staff colleges train military officers in the administrative, staff and policy aspects of their profession. It is usual for such training to occur at several levels in a career...
. Haking espoused the pre-war belief that the most important factor in winning a battle was the character and attitude of the troops engaged. He published a book "Company Training" that espoused this principle and argued that the attacker would have the advantage over the defender. The book was reprinted during the first part of the war, at least. The book was considered "first class" and "even today ... has a freshness about it and an insight into human characteristics that would not be out of place in a modern military work".
Haking was given command of the 5th Brigade on the outbreak of war in August 1914, and travelled to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
. On 14 September his was one of the few units to fight its way onto the Chemin des Dames after the crossing of the River Aisne, but on that day he received a head wound that required three months' recuperation.
On his return to duty he commanded the 1st Division from December 1914 - taking part in the Battle of Aubers Ridge
Battle of Aubers Ridge
The Battle of Aubers Ridge was a British offensive mounted on the Western Front in 1915 during World War I.- Background :The battle was the initial British component of the combined Anglo-French offensive known as the Second Battle of Artois...
(also known as the first Battle of Fromelles) where a total of 11,600 casualties were suffered, and where he argued for further attacks despite the clear failure of the first assault - to September 1915.
He then moved to command XI Corps
XI Corps (United Kingdom)
XI Corps was an army corps of the British Army in World War I that served on the Western Front and in Italy. It was recreated as part of Home Forces defending the United Kingdom during World War II.-Western Front:...
, where he remained until the end of the war. His corps took part in the Battle of Loos in September 1915, where he oversaw another 8,000 casualties on the second day, although his divisions were in reserve under the direct control of GHQ on that occasion. The XI Corps' organisation of the attack failed to provide covering artillery fire. His promotions may have resulted from Haig's patronage, but later attempts by Haig to obtain an Army command for him were unsuccessful.
Haking acquired the nickname "Butcher Haking" while the fighting was still taking place. Some claim that this was because he took excessive casualties, felt to be pointless and resented by those who served under his command - although other First World War generals have also gained this label, this has principally occurred after the war ended. However, it has also been claimed that he acquired the nickname amongst Australian troops from his propensity for ordering trench raids, and that "it is not even known how pejorative the appellation really was" given that amongst Australians " "bastard" is almost a term of affection"
At the second Battle of Fromelles
Battle of Fromelles
The Battle of Fromelles, sometimes known as the Action at Fromelles or the Battle of Fleurbaix , occurred in France between 19 July and 20 July 1916, during World War I...
, launched while the Battle of the Somme was underway 80 km to the south, he launched an attack by two divisions (61st British and 5th Australian Divisions) that cost 7,000 casualties. This earned the undying disgust of the commander of the Australian 15th Brigade, Brigadier-General Harold 'Pompey' Elliott
Harold Edward Elliott
Major General Harold Edward "Pompey" Elliott CB, CMG, DSO, DCM, VD was a senior officer in the Australian Army during the First World War. Elliot also served as a Senator in the Australian parliament.-Early life:...
, who had seen 80% of his two assaulting battalions killed, wounded or captured by night-fall. It has been claimed that the battle "did prevent the Germans from shifting reserves south to the Somme battlefield, and cannot be said to have been without point".
Haking criticised the 61st division for being "not sufficiently imbued with the offensive spirit to go in like one man at the appointed time" and summed up the outcome in these terms: "I think that the attack, though it failed, has done both divisions a great deal of good...". His reports claimed "The artillery preparation was adequate. There were sufficient guns and sufficient ammunition. The wire was properly cut and the assaulting battalions had a clear run to the enemies’ trench... With two trained divisions the position would have been a gift after the artillery bombardment...". Yet the majority of casualties resulted from machine guns fired from positions that the bombardment had failed to suppress.
The nature of the fighting in the First World War was difficult for the commanders of all sides to comprehend. It took time for Britain to assemble the weight of artillery and munitions needed, and even with experience of fighting, it was not easy to deduce the correct mix of artillery and infantry tactics which were needed to make even modest progress (for example a breakthrough had almost been attained at Neuve Chapelle in March 1915; at Loos in September 1915 it was believed at the time that quicker commitment of reserves might have achieved results; at the opening of the Somme the Germans were given the heaviest and longest bombardment yet - but it was still not enough to suppress German machine guns etc etc). Up until the middle of 1916 at least, Haking experienced difficulties, as did most other generals.
After being sent to reinforce the Italian Front following the disastrous Battle of Caporetto
Battle of Caporetto
The Battle of Caporetto , took place from 24 October to 19 November 1917, near the town of Kobarid , on the Austro-Italian front of World War I...
from November 1917 to March 1918, XI Corps was returned to the Western Front and was stationed at Béthune
Béthune
Béthune is a city in northern France, sub-prefecture of the Pas-de-Calais department.-Geography:Béthune is located in the former province of Artois. It is situated South-East of Calais, West of Lille, and North of Paris.-Landmarks:...
. It was almost immediately engaged by the assault in the German Spring Offensive
Spring Offensive
The 1918 Spring Offensive or Kaiserschlacht , also known as the Ludendorff Offensive, was a series of German attacks along the Western Front during World War I, beginning on 21 March 1918, which marked the deepest advances by either side since 1914...
of that year. Overall, the Corps protected the Channel ports, although some sections of the Corps were all but destroyed by the German "Georgette" Offensive. In particular the 2nd Portuguese Division suffered 7,000 casualties and 300 officers (out of a divisional strength of 20,000) in the Battle of Estaires. Haking and his Corps "did well" in the halting of this offensive and that autumn "earned a high reputation in the British Offensive which ended the war".
After the war "his ... career was distinguished" : he served as chief of the British section of the Armistice Commission, 1918–1919, commander of the British military mission to Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
and the Baltic Provinces
Baltic provinces
The Baltic governorates , originally the Ostsee governorates is a collective name for the administrative units of the Russian Empire set up at the territories of Swedish Estonia, Swedish Livonia and, afterwards, of Duchy of Courland and Semigallia .-History:The Treaty of Vilnius of 1561 included...
, 1919, commander of Allied troops in the plebiscite area of East Prussia
East Prussia
East Prussia is the main part of the region of Prussia along the southeastern Baltic Coast from the 13th century to the end of World War II in May 1945. From 1772–1829 and 1878–1945, the Province of East Prussia was part of the German state of Prussia. The capital city was Königsberg.East Prussia...
and Danzig
Free City of Danzig
The Free City of Danzig was a semi-autonomous city-state that existed between 1920 and 1939, consisting of the Baltic Sea port of Danzig and surrounding areas....
, 1920, High Commissioner of the League of Nations
League of Nations
The League of Nations was an intergovernmental organization founded as a result of the Paris Peace Conference that ended the First World War. It was the first permanent international organization whose principal mission was to maintain world peace...
in Danzig, 1921–1923, and General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
British Troops in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, 1923–1927. He retired as a full General in 1927 and died of secondary colon cancer in 1945.
Haking was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire (GBE) in the 1921 New Year Honours.
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