“EVERY INCH A FIGHTING MAN:” A NEW PERSPECTIVE ON THE MILITARY CAREER OF A CONTROVERSIAL CANADIAN, SIR RICHARD TURNER by WILLIAM FREDERICK STEWART A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY Department of History School of History and Cultures College of Arts and Law University of Birmingham March 2012 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. Abstract Lieutenant-General Sir Richard Ernest William Turner served Canada admirably in two wars and played an instrumental role in unifying veterans’ groups in the post-war period. His experience was unique in the Canadian Expeditionary Force; in that, it included senior command in both the combat and administrative aspects of the Canadian war effort. This thesis, based on new primary research and interpretations, revises the prevalent view of Turner. The thesis recasts five key criticisms of Turner and presents a more balanced and informed assessment of Turner. His appointments were not the result of his political affiliation but because of his courage and capability. Rather than an incompetent field commander, Turner developed from a middling combat general to an effective division commander by late 1916. His transfer to England was the result of the need for a proficient field commander to reform the administration. Turner proved to be an excellent administrator, a strong nationalist, and was crucially responsible for improvements in administration and training in England. Finally, the conflict with Sir Arthur Currie, the commander of the Canadian Corps, rather than being motivated by obstructionist jealousy was the outcome of competing institutional imperatives and Currie’s challenging personality. Dedication To my wife, Anita, for her ever-constant love and support in times of trials and tribulation to joys and jubilation. Acknowledgements A PhD is at its core a solitary pilgrimage punctuated by rewarding interactions with other scholars, fellow pilgrims, friends, and family. The acknowledgements allow me the opportunity to thank the many people who guided, facilitated, and encouraged me. First, is Dr. Tim Cook of the Canadian War Museum, who started me on this journey by suggesting I convert my nascent Turner project into a PhD. His assistance and encouragement were vital to its pursuit. He was also extremely generous with his time and insights into the First World War and the Canadian Expeditionary Force. His detailed comments materially improved the thesis. My supervisor, Professor Gary Sheffield, went far beyond the call of duty in persuading the University administration to allow me to study, while residing in Canada and for fighting again to allow an early submission. Professor Sheffield was willing to take on a remote student, and despite the distance, he provided superb direction, pointed me to the correct path, and saved me from many faux pas. It was a pleasure working with a scholar of such deep and encyclopaedic knowledge of the First World War. One of the pleasant surprises of this expedition was the willingness of scholars to respond to questions from an obscure PhD student. Dr. Andrew Iarocci reviewed all of the thesis chapters and his comments were most helpful. He also was generous with his time and willingness to discuss the intricacies of the Canadian administration in England. Dr. David Campbell helpfully provided scans of Douglas Haig’s diaries and discussed obscure aspects of the Battles of St. Eloi and Courcelette. Dr. Stephen Harris at the Directorate of History and Heritage at the Department of National Defence answered numerous questions and was most accommodating in my visit to the Directorate. Thanks are also due to Dr. John English and Dr. Jack Granatstein, who were helpful in trying to pin down Turner’s political affiliations. Carol Reid and Maggie Arbour-Doucette at the Canadian War Museum were most helpful in my visits to review their extensive archival and photographic resources. Sharing in the myriad joys and agonies of the journey was a fellow PhD pilgrim, Roger Deeks. I owe a great debt to Roger for our weekly Skype sessions where we discussed and commiserated, for his incisive and probing comments on the chapters he reviewed, and his tremendous assistance when I visited Birmingham. Roger is a staunch friend and wise counsellor. My family was surpassingly supportive for this strange interest in a ‘long- dead white guy.’ My sons, Eric and Kirk, good-naturedly endured long tales of major-generals behaving badly and my absences trying to track down that last footnote. I must especially need to acknowledge my mother whose unwavering support and assistance was vital to the project. Finally, this project would not have happened without my wife’s unstinting enthusiasm, encouragement, and support. I hope they will find the resulting work worthy of their commitment. Despite the feedback, recommendations, suggestions, and pleas from all who contributed, any errors, omissions, and infelicities are my responsibility. ‘Every Inch a Fighting Man’ Table of Contents LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................III LIST OF MAPS ...................................................................................................... IV GLOSSARY ........................................................................................................... V SOURCE REFERENCES ............................................................................................ VI NOMENCLATURE ................................................................................................ VII INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 HISTORIOGRAPHY................................................................................................. 4 RESEARCH QUESTIONS ........................................................................................ 12 SOURCE REVIEW ................................................................................................. 15 ORGANISATION OVERVIEW.................................................................................. 19 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................... 20 1 BOER WAR HERO: TURNER TO 1914.............................................................. 21 EARLY LIFE ......................................................................................................... 21 CANADIAN MILITARY .......................................................................................... 23 SOUTH AFRICAN CAMPAIGN................................................................................ 29 PERIOD BETWEEN THE WARS................................................................................ 42 2 ‘AN AWFUL WAR:’ TURNER AS BRIGADE COMMANDER.............................. 46 CONTEXT OF CANADA’S PARTICIPATION ............................................................... 46 VALCARTIER ....................................................................................................... 52 SECOND YPRES ................................................................................................... 59 ANALYSIS........................................................................................................... 70 FESTUBERT ......................................................................................................... 77 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................... 79 3 WE ARE IN DESOLATE PLACES: BATTLE OF ST. ELOI CRATERS...................... 81 FORMATION OF THE 2ND DIVISION ........................................................................ 81 IN FRANCE ......................................................................................................... 91 ST. ELOI............................................................................................................. 98 ANALYSIS......................................................................................................... 120 HUNT FOR SCAPEGOATS.................................................................................... 131 ROSS RIFLE....................................................................................................... 143 4 ‘WON BY MY INFANTRY:’ TURNER’S SOMME CAMPAIGN ......................... 146 COMMAND CHANGES ....................................................................................... 147 PREPARING FOR THE ONSLAUGHT ...................................................................... 151 APOTHEOSIS: COURCELETTE 15 SEPTEMBER ......................................................... 159 FUTILITY: 28 SEPTEMBER AND 1 OCTOBER........................................................... 182 ANALYSIS......................................................................................................... 196 CONCLUSION..................................................................................................