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With thanks to Andy Lonergan for this excellent article.

Sir John French and latterly history may well have done Smith-Dorrien an injustice, for his military career was ended in all but name on the day he was released from the Western Front and sent home. An ignominious end for a man who, thinking of his men and the military situation, had saved the whole BEF from probable annihilation during the days of retreat in August 1914 and was held in high regard by the old contemptibles.

Early Career

Horace Lockwood Smith-Dorrien was born in 1858. Educated at Harrow, he was the 11th child of a family of 15 children. He passed out of the Royal Military College Sandhurst in January 1877 with a commission to the 95th Regiment of Foot. Smith-Dorrien’s first sight of action was in South Africa at the battle of Isandlwana during the Zulu War. He survived this action through luck, guile and not without some effort as most of those present were killed. Following this he saw action in Egypt in 1882, 1884 and 1885 at the battles of the Nile and Suakin. On the 30th December 1885 at the battle of Gennis he was awarded the DSO. In 1887 he attended staff college in England and after passing this course he returned to his regiment, which was in India. The next few years were spent doing normal regimental duties and Smith-Dorrien slowly worked his way up the command structure. Service during the Tirah campaign of 1897-98 saw him awarded the Brevet rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Back to Egypt he commanded the 13th Sudanese battalion and it was his men that bore the brunt of the Dervish assault. Due to his leadership here he received a Brevet Colonelcy and the command of his regiment the Sherwood Forresters, who were stationed in Malta.

With the outbreak of the Boer War in 1899, Smith-Dorrien was posted to South Africa. Promotion to Brigadier-General followed in February 1900. This was quickly superseded by promotion to Major-General. After distinguishing himself in command of a column he went to India as Adjutant General. In 1903 he took over as General of the 4th division, which was serving in Baluchistan. In 1907 he returned to England to take up command at Aldershot, and here he proved effective at barracks level improving soldiers training, welfare and status. In 1911 he was appointed Aide-de-Camp to King George V. In February 1912 he took over Southern command and later that year in August he was promoted to full General.

The Great War

At the outbreak of war Smith-Dorrien was initially given the command of the Home Defence Army but following the untimely death of Sir James Grierson he was called to take over command of II Corps (consisting of 3rd and 5th Divisions) in France on 21st August 1914. This appointment was at the instigation of Kitchener and against the wishes of the Commander in France, Field Marshall Sir John French. French held a grudge against Smith-Dorrien who had once given him a low mark when French had been subordinate to him. II Corps moved up towards Mons unaware that the French 5th Army under Lanrezac had been forced to retire. The information coming from GHQ was that he faced one or possibly two corps of infantry and a cavalry division. In fact he was facing the complete army group under General Von Kluck. After withdrawing to the south of Mons as he felt the position was untenable, the Germans followed by trying a flanking movement.

At 3am on 24th August 1914, II Corps received orders from GHQ to retire. By this time they were under intense pressure and casualties were mounting. In certain areas communications were breaking down, thus making the conduct of withdrawal even more difficult than it normally would be in the face of an attacking enemy. Smith-Dorrien reached Le Cateau at 3.30pm on 25th August, only to find that French and his GHQ had already left. By now his men - many reservists and thus not as fit as regulars - had been fighting in intense heat and this was only abated slightly by a downpour on the evening of the 25th. With these factors in mind and considering the advancing Germany army Smith-Dorrien held a small conference with some senior officers. It was felt that II Corps could not continue the retreat and had no choice but to stand and fight. General Allenby, whose tired Cavalry Troopers had also arrived around Le Cateau put himself under II Corps command. He was also fortunate that the 4th Division under General Snow had just come into the line.

The battle is well documented elsewhere but suffice to say under intense pressure from overwhelming forces against it II Corps held the enemy at bay for some considerable time until Smith-Dorrien - aware of his orders to retire as soon as possible - ordered a withdrawal. Unfortunately not all the troops received the orders to retire or were in no position to do so. The battle cost II Corps over 5000 dead and some 2600 captured but the German advance was halted and the Corps slipped away with Von Kluck’s men not in pursuit. The stand at Le Cateau was a brilliant and valiant action by tired and outnumbered troops. Had Smith-Dorrien not turned and fought, II Corps would probably have ceased to exist - but more importantly Von Kluck himself believed that the action at Le Cateau stopped him advancing on Paris and driving the BEF into the sea and thus winning the war.

Now possibly out of jealousy - perhaps we will never know -, Sir John French began to stay that Smith-Dorrien had disobeyed orders and acted recklessly. This was an unfortunate act, given the results of the battle, and of little honour. It further widened the gap between the two men and also enhanced a great divide amongst the senior generals: Sir Douglas Haig, commanding I Corps, already held a poor opinion of French and this did little to improve matters.

Following the advance on the Marne and the Aisne when the front line stabilised, II Corps HQ was expanded to become 2nd Army and Smith-Dorrien was placed in command. It was in this command he stayed, having a small part to play in the battle of Neuve Chapelle where his limited attack at Hill 60 failed due in the main to lack of artillery. Sir John French once again heaped blame in his direction. Following the Second Battle of Ypres Smith-Dorrien felt the only honourable thing he could do was to resign his position. Sir John French almost bit his hand off and in May 1915, Smith-Dorrien returned home to take up a post in England. There is an apocryphal story that it was Quartermaster-General Sir William Robertson who had to deliver the message that S-D had been ordered to step down: in "Wully"s' gruff and inimitable soldiers way, he said "'Orace, you're for 'ome".

In December 1915, Smith-Dorrien was ordered to Africa to take up command but he fell ill and had to return home. It was not until September 1918 that he was deemed fit to take up another position, that being the post of Governor of Gibraltar. He died in a car accident on 12th August 1930 and is buried at Berk Hampstead in Hertfordshire.

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