Baron Plumer of Messines and Bilton
1857-1932
Early Career
Born 1857 to a middle-class North Yorkshire family living in Torquay, he was the second son and also had two sisters. Educated at Eton, where he was a popular but undistinguished pupil. Rawlinson and Byng were at Eton at the same time, but in younger classes. In 1876 he left Eton, and in September of that year received a commission as a Sub-Lieutenant in the 65th Foot (which was later to become the 1st Bn, the York and Lancaster Regiment). He moved to serve with the regiment in India. Promoted to Captain in 1882, and moved with his battalion to Aden.
In February 1884, he arrived unexpectedly in the Sudan, the ship carrying his battalion back to England having been diverted there to take part in actions against the Mahdi. Within 24 hours, Plumer - by this time the battalion adjutant - was in action, taking part in a bayonet charge at El Teb. On March 13th, he was in the bloody battle of Tamai, where the Sudanese lost some 8,300 casualties against the British 91 dead and 100 wounded. By 29th March, the 65th Foot resumed their return journey to England. Plumer was mentioned in despatches, and received the Sudan campaign decorations as well as the Kehdive's Order of the Medjidie, 4th Class.
On 22 July 1884, Plumer married his second cousin Annie Constance Goss, at St Andrews Church, Holborn, London.
May 1885 saw Plumer taking the entrance examination for the Staff College at Camberley. He was notified that he had passed in August, and joined for the two-year course. He did not distinguish himself - perhaps the fact that by now he had two daughters, and he spent a considerable time at leisure, distracted him - and he passed only 19th out of 26 officers. However, it was sufficient for Plumer to be able to add the 'psc' (passed Staff College) letters to his title. A third daughter arrived just after the course ended, and Plumer rejoined his battalion at York. He moved to Ireland, but in May 1890 was appointed to the senior staff job (D.A.A.G.) in Jersey, coincident with the arrival of a son. He remained in Jersey for 3 years.
He was not appointed to a staff post on the expiry of his posting to Jersey, as he had hoped and indeed had been receommended for by several senior staff. Instead he was moved to the 2nd Battalion of his Regiment (the 84th Foot having become the 2nd Battalion, the York and Lancaster), which was on station in Natal. He moved to South Africa in November 1893, leaving his family in England. At the time, this was something of a disappointment, for South Africa was a military backwater. However, he did meet with Rhodes and Jameson, soon to become infamous. On a generous 6-month leave back to England, he was again promised a good staff job that did not materialise. Plumer seriously considered leaving the army.
On his return to South Africa, however, he was appointed as Military Secretary to Lieut.-General W.H.Goodenough, the Army Commander. He was in this position at the time of the failed Jameson Raid. Plumer was in the right place at the right time, being sent to Mafeking as Special Commissioner with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He led the Bulawayo Field Force in the relief of white settlers threatened by the Matabele. At this time, Plumer became well-known to Rhodes, Baden-Powell and other notables in Africa. Plumer, typically concerned for the welfare of his troops, began a memorial fund for his Corps. He received a brevet in recognition of his service, and wrote 'An Irregular Corps in Matabeleland', in 1897.
After a brief spell back in England, he was ordered back to Bulawayo just before the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899. Plumer was given command of the newly-raised Rhodesia Regiment in August 1899, taking part in much fighting near the Rhodesian border and playing an important part in the relief of Mafeking. He eventually replaced Baden-Powell as Brigadier-General, in August 1900, when the latter was given the task of raising a new police force. Plumer commanded columns in South Africa in the pursuit of De Wet's commandos. His column was broken up in March 1902. On 12 May of that year, he was knighted, a Companion of the Bath. By November 1902, he was promoted Major-General, and given command of the 4th Infantry Brigade at Aldershot. At 45, he was rather short, portly, and 'of curious physique but evidently full of intelligence' (Lord Esher to the King).
He briefly took command of the Colchester District late in 1903, but was soon appointed to the new Army Council as 3rd Military Member, responsible for Supplies and Transport. In April 1906, he took command of the 5th Division at the Curragh, in Ireland, after briefly being without a job and placed on half pay. He did, however, receive a KCB at this time. He was promoted to Lieutenant-General in 1908, and given a variety of undemanding military tasks for the next few years.
The Great War
Wanted by Sir John French, Plumer's proposed appointment to II Corps in August 1914 was vetoed by Kitchener in favour of Smith-Dorrien (after the untimely death of Sir James Grierson). Plumer was in place in Northern Command, at a time of breakneck expansion of the Army. Plumer was ordered to France in December 1914, to take command of V Corps which at the time was part of Smith-Dorrien's Second Army. His Corps took the brunt of the German attack at Second Ypres. Smith-Dorrien was sacked by Sir John French following the former's proposals to withdraw to a shorter line around the Ypres Salient, and Plumer was appointed to Second Army. He retained this command throughout the rest of the war (with the exception of a period in Italy, below), remaining for the most part in the Salient. Indeed, it was said that he knew every puddle in the area. Supported by his excellent Cheif of Staff, Charles 'Tim' Harington, Plumer formed in Second Army an atmosphere of professionalism, good staff planning and care for the troops. He became a popular commander - and a successful one. His attack on Messines Ridge in June 1917, and 'bit and hold' advances in Third Ypres, were among the British Army's more successful tactical advances during the entire war. The 'Colonel Blimp' image - smart to a fault, white hair, white moustache, pot-belly, strict disciplinarian- belied the fact that Plumer was one of the best-performing and best-regarded officers on the Allied side. This was especially impressive as he never got on well with Haig, Commander-in-Chief from late in 1915. (He had, as an examiner, given Haig low marks in a Staff College examination!). Plumer was considered as a replacement for Sir John French; and indeed Haig considered removing Plumer at times. Plumer remained, despite personal differences, utterly loyal to Haig.
On 9 November 1917, Plumer left the Western Front to take command of the British forces that had been sent to Italy. Taking the Second Army staff, Plumer handed over the Salient to Rawlinson. After the disappointment, and evident misery of the Third Ypres offensive, Lloyd George intrigued against Haig and Robertson, and offered the chance for Plumer to replace the latter as CIGS. Plumer refused, and probably only political risk stopped Lloyd George from insisting.
In the political merry-go-round created by Lloyd George, aided and abetted by Henry Wilson, Rawlinson was eventually ordered to Versailles as Military Representative. Haig acquiesced but insisted on the return of Plumer (the crisis in Italy having by this time passed). Plumer returned to the Salient on 13 March 1918. This was scarcely a month before the Germans unleashed a second great offensive of the Spring of that year, on the Lys. Plumer's Army fought a splendid 'backs to the wall' resistance, and by September conditions had altered so much that - under the command of Albert, King of the Belgians, they fought an equally splendid advance across Flanders that liberated much of norther Belgium by the time of the Armistice.
Post war
Plumer commanded the Army of Occupation on the Rhine until April 1919. He was appointed Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta, a role he undertook until May 1924. At the end of the war he received a bounty of £30,000 and was made Baron Plumer of Messines and Bilton in the County of York. He subsequently served as High Commissioner in Palestine; became President of the MCC, became an active member of the House of Lords. Herbert Plumer died on 16 July 1932, and was buried in Westminster Abbey.
A great man; a great commander; the 'Soldier's General' was among the best-respected officers of the British Army of 1914-1918.
Further reading
Plumer, the Soldier's General..Geoffrey Powell, pub Leo Cooper 1990
Plumer of Messines..Tim Harington