The Real Blackadder Major-General Charles Guinand Blackader 20th September 1869 – 2nd April 1921 Whenever the name Blackadder is Blackader was an efficient administrator and mentioned we all automatically rose to the command of the 2nd Leicesters by 1912. On the outbreak of the First World think of the highly entertaining War, his battalion, as a part of the Indian comedy series written by Ben Corps, was sent from India to the Western Elton and Rowan Atkinson. The Front, first seeing action near Neuve series, Blackadder Goes Forth, Chapelle on the 29th October 1914. By early set in the trenches of WW1 has 1915 he had succeeded to the command of the Garwhal Brigade as a Brigadier-General however, conditioned how many and he led it through the battles of Neuve people view the Great War and Chapelle and Loos. whilst in the terminology of the After the Indian Corps was withdrawn from The 38th Division had been raised in 1914 day is spiffing entertainment, France in late 1915, Blackader was posted to and many of its officers had been personally unfortunately perpetuates the command the 177th Brigade of the 59th appointed by Lloyd George; as a result, political convenience had often taken erroneous “lions led by donkeys” Division training in the United Kingdom. In April 1916, the 59th Division was sent to priority over military competence when school of thought. So, was Ireland to assist in quelling the Easter Rising. selecting officers. Under Blackader, the Blackadder real? Following the Rising, Blackader presided division's standard improved significantly and it saw service at Pilkem Ridge in the The name Blackadder, whilst not common, is over a number of the resulting early stages of the Third Battle of Ypres. certainly not fictional. The Commonwealth courts-martial, including those of Eamonn From September 1917 onwards the Division War Graves Commission list 13 Blackadders Ceannt, Thomas Clarke, Thomas Mac was kept on relatively quiet defensive and 2 Blackaders, one of whom being Donagh, Patrick Pearse and Joseph Plunkett, sectors. The division trained through this Major-General Charles Guinand Blackader five of the seven signatories to the period, and in April 1918 was able to mount a CB, DSO, the subject of this article. Proclamation of the Irish Republic. It appears that Blackader found this task difficult; after limited brigade-size attack, which whilst it So far from being the down-trodden Pearse's trial, he is reported to have involved heavy losses was a clear success in a scheming, but war-weary Captain of the TV commented that: "I have just done one of way that would not have been possible two sitcom, Charles Blackader was actually a the hardest tasks I have ever had to do. I years earlier. competent career soldier who rose to have had to condemn to death one of the In late May 1918, Blackader was relieved of command an infantry division on the finest characters I have ever come across. command of the 38th Division due to Western Front. There must be something very wrong in the illness; apparently after "being licked by a He was commissioned into the Army in 1888 state of things that makes a man like that rabid dog". as a 2nd Lieutenant in the 1st Battalion of a rebel. I don't wonder that his pupils Following his return to the UK, in November the Leicestershire Regiment. Blackader's adored him." 1918, he was appointed to command the first active service posting was in the late In June 1916 Blackader was sent to France Southern District in Ireland. For his service in 1890s, when he served on attachment to the and shortly afterwards - with the rank of the war, he was appointed an aide-de-camp West African Frontier Force. He was Major-General - was given command of the to the King in 1916, and made a Companion mentioned in despatches for his part in 38th Welsh Division. This Division had of the Order of the Bath in 1917. He was also operations against local slave-traders. suffered heavy casualties on the Somme made a Commander of the Belgian Order of He subsequently served during the in the battle for Mametz Wood and its Leopold and awarded both the Belgian and Boer War where he commanded General Officer Commanding (Ivor French Croix de Guerre. Blackader died of a company of the 1st Leicesters Phillips) had been sacked. liver cancer and heart failure on the 2nd April at the Defence of Ladysmith and 1921 at Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital, was awarded the DSO in 1902. Millbank. There is a memorial to him in the regimental chapel in Leicester Cathedral. So perhaps next time we watch Blackadder Goes Forth, we should transpose Melchett (who in the guise of Stephen Fry bears an uncanny resemblance to Charles Blackader) and Captain Edmund Blackadder and view the General as the intelligent organiser and effective leader of men! And yes – there was a Captain Darling – an artillery officer in the 50th Division – reportedly last seen in May 1918 advancing towards the enemy with his revolver in his hand! Andy Tonge

www.thewarandpeacerevival.co.uk 61