Much has been written about and by Horace Smith-Dorrien - this is just a thumbnail of his service to his King and Country Horace Smith-Dorrien was born at Haresfoot, Berkhamsted, in 1858 ... the 11th child of 15 ..... he was educated at Harrow, and on 26 February 1876 entered the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, passing out with a commission as a subaltern to the 95th (Derbyshire) Regiment of Foot. Years of service 1876 – 1923 Battles/wars Anglo-Zulu War Battle of Isandlwana Mahdist War Battle of Gennis Battle of Omdurman Tirah Campaign Second Boer War Battle of Paardeberg Sanna's Post Battle of Leliefontein World War I Battle of Mons Battle of Le Cateau First Battle of the Marne First Battle of the Aisne First Battle of Ypres Second Battle of Ypres On the outbreak of the First World War, he was given command of the II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force and was praised for his leadership skills during the Battle of Mons. Smith - Dorrien's troops became the British Second Army in December, 1914. During the Second Battle of Ypres, Smith-Dorrien clashed with Sir John French over tactics. Smith-Dorrien, who argued that repeated attacks on the German front-line was creating unnecessary loss of life, was dismissed by French. He retired in September 1923, living in Portugal and then England. He devoted much his time to the welfare and remembrance of Great War soldiers. He worked on his memoirs, which were published in 1925. As French was still alive at the time of writing, he still felt unable to rebut 1914. Despite his treatment by French, in 1925, he acted as a pallbearer at French's funeral, an act appreciated by French's son Horace Smith-Dorrien, who never held another major command - died on 12 August 1930 following injuries sustained in a car accident in Chippenham, Wiltshire - he was 72 years old. He is buried in Berkhamsted http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWdorrien.htm http://www.ntz.info/gen/n01305.html This is his Obituary in The Times Wednesday 13 August 1930 http://members.cox.net/ggtext/horacesmithdorrien1858_obit.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horace_Smith-Dorrien Annie
