G. H. Q.

tions to be met-The working hours-The org

xactly what G.H.Q. did: "They swanked about in Red Tabs and cars: had a gorgeous 'mike,' and, to keep

founded on any mental process or it would be deeply interesting to investigate how these gentlemen came to think th

THE HON. SIR

the Gene

outine Orders in the name of the Commander-in-Chief (some 5,000 of these G.R.O.s were issued in the course of the war); as circulating, more privately, secret orders and instructions, and perhaps

an and, with his G.H.Q., the negotiator with the Secretary of State for War. In the final result the B.E.F. had to do what it was ordered to do by the Secretary of State, but the Commander-in-Chief was usually consulted beforehand, and had always the right of discussion

with the G.H.Q. of the Allied Army, they keeping Missions with our G.H.Q. There was, quite apart from big questions of operations, discussion of which was confined to the Chief of the General Staff and the heads of th

the same. The Commander-in-Chief, in consultation with his Chief of Staff, his Quartermaster-General and his Adjutant-General, decided when and with what forces we should attack, when adopt a defensive policy.

a 15-inch howitzer to a tin of dubbin; all the ammunition and all the food supplies to man and beast. There came to the ports of France every month for the B.E.F. abo

and about 20,000 motor lorries, running over 9,000,000 motor miles per month; which carried on

ng new harbour facilities. It ran big canal and sea services, forestry and

for the defence of our men and animals against poison gas and for the gas counter-offensive. It was respo

Q. It was carried on unde

y easy. Wastage of men, horses and material could be calcul

ponsible for most of this. But the accumulation of a big head of ammunition was also a factor. On a quiet sector two Divisions could get along with about three trains daily. For the purposes of a big attack ten Divisions might be concentrated on that sector and those ten Divisions in the preparatory stage of the attack would need about 33 supply trains a

railway centres. In case of emergency, ammunition could start moving up in just the time necessary to hitch a locomotive on to a standing train. Experience of the German offensive in 1918 showed that we carried near the front line too great reserves, and we lost a good deal of food, stores and ammunition in consequence. That big attack indeed disclosed several chinks in our armour. It showed that in some cases during Trench War units had allowed themselves to become immobile. (To giv

. It called for an effort that put in the category of easy things all that had gone before. The effort was gloriously s

idea of the conditions under which it had to carry on its tasks, yet for all this th

y and Sunday exactly the same hours were kept. "An hour for exercise" in the afternoon was supposed to be reserved, in addition to meal-hours; but it was not by any means always possible. During the worst of the German offensive in the spring of 1918 Staff

. With pressure of work, that rule fell in abeyance, and a G.H.Q. Staff Officer was lucky to get a leave within six months. In the case of the big men at the head o

r, an Officer in charge of escorts and five A.D.C.s. Attached to this personal staff were an American and a French Staff Officer. There was one officer of the Dominions on the Chief's

he Grand Staff of the British Army in 1918, and the humblest member at G.H.Q. expressed the spirit of the Commander-in-Chief, and, within his sphere, was trying to do exactly as the Commander-in-Chief would do. When "the Chief" did appear at Montreui

n); the Staff Duties Section, under Major-General G. P. Dawnay; and the Intelligence Section, under Brigadier-General G. S. Clive (having charge of the collection of information as to the enemy's movements, dispositions, intentions, etc.). There was the Adjutant-General's Branch, under Lieutenant-General Sir G. H. Fowke (having charge of discipline). There was the Quartermaster-General's Branch, under Lieutenant-General Sir Traver

ERAL SIR

t-Genera

's was far the greatest, for under it came all the tran

al Production (Brig.-G

Postal Services (

of E.F. Canteens

eering Stores (Br

estry (Brig.-Ge

, and President of Claims Commission

Labour (Brig

Services (Major-Gen

ief (Major-Gen.

nts (Brig.-Gen. S

Salvage (Bri

upplies (Majo

or Transport (M

Transportation (Ma

inary Services (M

l War Graves Commissi

s (Major-Gen. Si

ubsidiary directorates under the Dir

struction (Brig

ocks (Brig.-G

d Water Transport

t Railways (Brig

way Traffic (Bri

oads (Brig.-G

ps and in one month 1,539,410 troops. Its railway system was constantly being pushed forward, being duplicated, and being furnished with "avoiding lines." Further, Transportation had a light railway system which carried 174,923 tons a week. Those were only two of its activities. On inland waterways, Transport

all the work had to be carried out under conditions of shock and violent movement. It was not a matter of peacefully carrying on a routine business. At every point there was a constant liability to

ly one sub-bran

etween them 82 subjects. A table showing the distribution of these subjects was circulated throughout the Staff, and most matters got to the right officer from the beginning, and if they were of a routine nature were dealt with at once without further reference. Very important matters, or new questions arising, went up to one of the Deputies and were referred, or not, to the Q.M.G. as the circumstances dictated. Attached to the Branch and directly under its head was an

worked on very much the same plan-of delegating authority so that once a line of action on any particular point was de

ed officer," i.e., an officer who was working with the staff as a learner or a helper and was perhaps graded f

RANDE

en no usefulness. In the field the distinguishing arm-band was of great use, to indicate to officers and men the officials to whom they could appeal in case of need. There were all sorts of arm-bands with various c

Headqu

eadqua

ps Headq

hine Gun

Headq

visional H

al Headq

Corps

eadqua

Bri

ry Br

try B

onal Artillery

Artillery H

oops Head

f Commu

shal and hi

l Ser

ary P

ransport

ation

torate of Li

rectorate

rectorate

torate of Tr

rate Inland Wa

orate Broad G

s District Su

ilways I

ilways Y

ilways C

ailways

ff Inspector

o Military

her be

ical pe

spondents a

nducting

cke

Maj

ic Co

e Police

chool, Lewis Gun School, and

s Heavy A

al Br

Comma

nd Camp

emical A

al Gas O

of Divisiona

fficers atta

age

n Plate

igence

ry Sec

Civ. Rly

Staff a

men of Intel

men of Dock

on Examin

s, Indian L

s, Chinese

.H.Q., for it represented the ultimate source of honour and blame. Nothing important could happen to him except through G.H.Q., and that ugly red and blue arm-band always de

ork conscientiously and carefully he would back them against any niggling criticism and against any back-biting. It was a good policy judged by its results. G.H.Q., B.E.F., France, in the summer of 1918 had probably reached as high a summit of soldierly scientific skill as the grand Staff of any Army in the world. The business of improvisatio