NEW FIELD-MARSHAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1919, Page 6

NEW FIELD-MARSHAL.

brilliant military career,

General Sir Henry H. Wilson, Cliief of the imperial General Stall lias been promoted i l 'ield-Aiai*shal.

i'ield-Marshal bit Henry Wilson became Uliiei of the Imperial General {Stall on February, lu, IUIB, in succession to Sir William Robertson. A sketch of bis career and character published at the time stated: He is the sou of James Wilson, of -itorrygranc, lidgeworthatown, Ireland, and was born in May, luu-i- He was educated at Marlborough, and in ISS4 entered .the Royal Irish Regiment from the militia, transferring the same year to the Rille Brigade. He served in the Burmese,. Expedition, 1&8U.-8S, during which Jie was wounded. In 18114 lie graduated at tlie S.tall College, and until tBB7 served as staff captain, Intelligence Division. After two years as brigademajor, 2nd Brigade, Aldershot, lie went out to .South Africa, where he Served (luring the war as brigade-major of an infantry brigade, and later as D.A.A.G. pt army headquarters. He was mentioned four times in despatches, promoted brevet lieutenant-colonel, and awarded the D.S.O. and the Queen's Medal with, six clasps. Sir Henry Wilson's experience was rapidly expanded after the South African " ar - For lour years, from 1903 to 190U, he was A.AG. army headquarters, for military education and .training, holding the poßt of assistant-director of stall duties during the last three years. From 1007 .till 1910 he was commandant at the Staff College, and wheu wur broke out he had been .director of military operations for four years. In August. 1914, he went to France as AssistantChief of the General Staff to Sir John French, and held successively a. number of positions as corps commander and as liaison oflicer with the French Higher Command. After a brief interval at home last year in command of the eastern district, he became British military representative at Versailles on the Permanent Committee of the Allied War Council, a position which he exchanged for that of Chief of the General Stall at the War Office. Sir Henry Wilson whs created K.C.B. in 1915.

To this brief record of a rerarkable career it may be added that the newlv appointed C.I.G.S. is, before everything, an enthusiast for his profession. A devoted friend and admirer of Lord Roberts, he shared to the full the conviction that the German war was coming, and that its result would depend on the ''preparedness" of the British people. As director of operations he was mainly responsible for the perfection of the arrangements which broughf tlie British Expeditionary Force into action. With the French lie has always been an immensely popular figure. With . General Foch, m particular, he has always worked on terms of special intimacy. For the rest, Sir Henry Wilson is a tall loose-limbed Irishman, with a keen sense of humor and a broad outlook on life, a thinker and teacher rather than a leader of men, recognised everywhere as one of the shrewdest brains in the Army.