Public-domain ebook
by Sir C. E. (Charles Edward) Callwell
Language: en5,291 downloads on Project Gutenberg
Subjects
In: World War I·History - British·History - Modern (1750+)
Public-domain ebook sourced from Project Gutenberg #21833.
The work is a first‑hand account by Sir C. E. Callwell, a senior British officer who served as Director of Military Operations during the Great War. It opens with a rapid inventory of grievances against the War Office, noting how pre‑war governmental missteps left the army ready while the nation and its ministries lagged behind. The narrative immediately moves through Callwell’s early observations on German preparations, his summons to London, and the chaotic organization of the Military Operations Directorate, before launching into a series of detailed chapter headings that map his experiences, from the mismanaged issuance of communiqués and the frantic handling of refugees, to his encounters with Lord Kitchener, the Dardanelles fiasco, and the myriad side‑shows in the Near East, Africa and the Middle East. The text reads like a chronological diary, peppered with the names of senior figures, bureaucratic blunders, and the logistical puzzles that shaped Britain’s wartime conduct.
Written in a brisk, report‑like style, the book reflects the language of official military correspondence of the 1910s, with a tone that is both candid and critical. Callwell’s voice is that of a seasoned officer who is unafraid to expose institutional shortcomings while still acknowledging the enormity of the conflict. Readers interested in the internal mechanics of the British war machine, scholars of World War I administration, or anyone who enjoys detailed, insider perspectives on high‑level decision‑making will find this volume rewarding. Its dense catalog of names, departments, and operational mishaps offers a vivid glimpse into the complexities of wartime governance.
The opening · free to read
Plan of issuing communiques given up owing to the disposition to conceal reverses that manifested itself -- Direct telephonic communication with the battlefield in Belgium -- A strange attempt to withhold news as to the fall of Brussels -- Anxiety during the retreat from Mons -- The work of the Topographical Section at that time -- Arrival of refugee officers and other ranks at the War Office -- One of the Royal Irish affords valuable information -- Candidates for the appointment of "Intelligence Officer" -- How one dealt with recommendations in regard to jobs -- Linguists -- The discoverer of interpreters, fifty produced as if by magic -- The Boy Scouts in the War Office -- An Admirable Crichton -- The scouts' effective method of handling troublesome visitors -- Army chaplains in embryo -- A famous cricketer doing his bit -- A beauty competition outside my door -- The Eminent K.C. -- An impressive personality -- How he benefits the community -- The Self-Appointed Spy-Catcher -- Gun platforms concealed everywhere -- The hidden dangers in disused coal mines in Kent -- Procuring officers for the New Armies -- "Bill" Elliot's unorthodox methods -- The Military Secretary's branch meets with a set-back -- Visits from Lord Roberts -- His suggestion as to the commander-in-chiefship in China -- His last visit -- The Antwerp business -- The strategical situation with regard to the Belgian field army -- The project of our Government -- The despatch of the Seventh Division and the Third Cavalry Division to Belgian Flanders -- Organization of base and line of communications overlooked -- A couple of transports "on their own" come to a halt on the Goodwins -- Difficulty of the strategical situation -- Death of Sir C. Douglas.
A first meeting with Lord Kitchener -- Sent up to see him in Pretoria by his brother under unpromising conditions -- The interview -- The Chief's pleasant reception -- A story of Lord K. from the Sudan -- An unpleasant interview with him in August 1914 -- Rare meetings with him during the first two or three months -- His ignorance of War Office organization -- His lack of acquaintance with many matters in connection with the existing organization of the army -- His indisposition to listen to advice on such subjects -- Lord K. shy of strangers -- His treatment of the Territorial Forces -- Their weak point at the outset of hostilities, not having the necessary strength to mobilize at war establishment -- Effect of this on the general plans -- The way the Territorials dwindled after taking the field -- Lord K. inclined at first to pile up divisions without providing them with the requisite reservoirs of reserves -- His feat in organizing five regular divisions in addition to those in the Expeditionary Force -- His immediate recognition of the magnitude of the contest -- He makes things hum in the War Office -- His differences of opinion with G.H.Q. -- The inability of G.H.Q. to realize that a vast expansion of the military forces was the matter of primary importance -- Lord K.'s relations with Sir J. French -- The despatch of Sir H. Smith-Dorrien to command the Second Corps -- Sir J. French not well treated at the time of the Antwerp affair -- The relegation of the General Staff at the War Office to the background in the early days -- Question whether this was entirely due to its having suffered in efficiency by the withdrawals which took place on mobilization -- The General Staff only eliminated in respect to operations.
The munitions question and the Dardanelles to be dealt with later -- The Alexandretta project of the winter of 1914-15 -- Such an operation presented little difficulty then -- H.M.S. Doris' doings -- The scheme abandoned -- I am sent to Paris about the Italian conventions just after the Dardanelles landings -- Concern at the situation after the troops had got ashore at Helles and Anzac -- A talk with Lord K. and Sir E. Grey -- Its consequences -- Lord K. seemed to have lost some of his confidence in his own judgement with regard to operations questions -- The question of the withdrawal of the Queen Elizabeth from the Aegean -- The discussion about it at the Admiralty -- Lord K.'s inability to take some of his colleagues at their own valuation -- Does not know some of their names -- Another officer of distinction gets them mixed up in his mind -- Lord K.'s disappointment at the early failures of the New Army divisions -- His impatience when he wanted anything in a hurry -- My own experiences -- Typists' idiosyncrasies aggravate the trouble -- Lord K. in an unreasonable mood -- His knowledge of French -- His skilful handling of a Portuguese mission -- His readiness to see foreign officers when asked to do so -- How he handled them -- The Serbian Military Attache asks for approval of an attack by his country upon Bulgaria at the time of Bulgarian mobilization -- A dramatic interview with Lord K. -- Confidence placed in him with regard to munitions by the Russians -- His speeches in the House of Lords -- The heat of his room -- His preoccupation about the safety of Egypt -- He disapproves of the General Staff plan with regard to its defence -- His attitude with regard to national service -- His difficulties in this matter -- His anxiety to have a reserve in hand for delivering the decisive blow in the war -- My last meeting with him -- His pleasure in going to Russia -- His failure to accomplish his mission, a great disaster to the Entente cause -- A final word about him -- He did more than any man on the side of the Allies to win the war -- Fitz.
The Tabah incident -- The Dardanelles memorandum of 1906 -- Special steps taken with regard to it by Sir H. Campbell-Bannerman -- Mr. Churchill first raises the question -- My conference with him in October 1914 -- The naval project against the Straits -- Its fundamental errors -- Would never have been carried into effect had there been a conference between the Naval War Staff and the General Staff -- The bad start -- The causes of the final failure on the 18th of March -- Lord K.'s instructions to Sir I. Hamilton -- The question of the packing of the transports -- Sir I. Hamilton's complaint as to there being no plan prepared -- The 1906 memorandum -- Sir Ian's complaint about insufficient information -- How the 1906 memorandum affected this question -- Misunderstanding as to the difficulty of obtaining information -- The information not in reality so defective -- My anxiety at the time of the first landing -- The plan, a failure by early in May -- Impossibility of sending reinforcements then -- Question whether the delay in sending out reinforcements greatly affected the result in August 1915 -- The Dardanelles Committee -- Its anxiety -- Sir E. Carson and Mr. Churchill, allies -- The question of clearing out -- My disinclination to accept the principle before September -- Sir C. Monro sent out -- The delay of the Government in deciding -- Lord K. proceeds to the Aegean -- My own experiences -- A trip to Paris with a special message to the French Government -- Sent on a fool's errand, thanks to the Cabinet -- A notable State paper on the subject -- Mr. Lloyd George and the "sanhedrin" -- Decision to evacuate only Anzac and Suvla -- Sir W. Robertson arrives and orders sent to evacuate Helles -- I give up the appointment of D.M.O.
A reversion to earlier dates -- The statisticians in the winter of 1914-15 -- The efforts to prove that German man-power would shortly give out -- Lack of the necessary premises upon which to found such calculations -- Views on the maritime blockade -- The projects for operations against the Belgian coast district in the winter of 1914-15 -- Nature of my staff -- The "dug-outs" -- The services of one of them, "Z" -- His care of me in foreign parts -- His activities in other Departments of State -- An alarming discovery -- How "Z" grappled with a threatening situation -- He hears about the Admiralty working on the Tanks -- The cold-shouldering of Colonel Swinton when he raised this question at the War Office in January 1915 -- Lord Fisher proposes to construct large numbers of motor-lighters, and I am told off to go into the matter with him -- The Baltic project -- The way it was approached -- Meetings with Lord Fisher -- The "beetles" -- Visits from the First Sea Lord -- The question of secrecy in connection with war operations -- A parable -- The land service behind the sea service in this matter -- Interviews with Mr. Asquith -- His ways on such occasions.
Varied nature of my responsibilities -- Inconvenience caused by a Heath-Caldwell being a brother-Director on the General Staff -- An interview with Lord Methuen -- The Man of Business -- His methods when in charge of a Government Department -- War Office branches under Men of Business -- The art of advertisement -- This not understood by War Office officials -- The paltry staff and accommodation at the disposal of the Director of Supplies and Transport, and what was accomplished -- Good work of the Committee of Imperial Defence in providing certain organizations for special purposes before the war -- The contre-espionage branch -- The Government's singular conduct on the occasion of the first enemy spy being executed at the Tower -- The cable censorship -- The post office censorship -- A visit from Admiral Bacon -- His plan of landing troops by night at Ostend -- Some observations on the subject -- Sir J. Wolfe-Murray leaves the War Office -- An appreciation of his work -- The Dardanelles papers to be presented to Parliament referred to me -- My action in the matter and the appointment of the Dardanelles Committee in consequence -- Mr. Lloyd George, Secretary of State for War -- His activities -- I act as D.C.I.G.S. for a month -- Sound organization introduced by Sir W. Robertson -- Normal trench-warfare casualties and battle casualties -- I learn the facts about the strengths of the different armies in the field -- Troubles with the Cabinet over man-power -- Question of resignation of the Army Council -- The Tank Corps and Tanks -- The War Office helps in the reorganization of the Admiralty -- Some of the War Cabinet want to divert troops to the Isonzo -- The folly of such a plan -- Objections to it indicated -- Arrival of General Pershing in London -- I form one of the party that proceeds to Devonport to meet Colonel House and the United States Commissioners -- Its adventures -- Admirals adrift -- Mr. Balfour meets the Commissioners at Paddington.
The first talk about Salonika -- The railway and the port -- The question of operations based on Macedonia at the end of 1914 -- Failure of "easterners" to realize that the Western Front was Germany's weakest front -- Question whether it might not have been better to go to Salonika than to the Dardanelles -- Objections to this plan -- The problem of Bulgaria -- Consequences of the Russian debacle -- Difficulty of the Near Eastern problem in the early summer -- An example of how the Dardanelles Committee approached it -- Awkwardness of the problem after the failure of Sir I. Hamilton's August offensive -- The Bulgarian attitude -- Entente's objection to Serbia attacking Bulgaria -- I am ordered to Salonika, but order countermanded -- The disaster to Serbia -- Hard to say what ought to have been done -- Real mistake, the failure to abandon the Dardanelles enterprise in May -- The French attitude about Salonika -- General Sarrail -- French General Staff impressed with War Office information concerning Macedonia -- Unsatisfactory situation at the end of 1915 -- The Salonika business a blunder all through -- Eventual success does not alter this.
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