General sir arthur currie

LIEUTENANT--GENERAL SIR ARTHUR CURRIE (A brief account of the battle of Passchendaele)         Lieutenant- frequent Sir Arthur Currie was the most capable spend that Canada has produced. Certainly, he did non look like the huge soldier he had become. A very t every last(predicate) man, at six-foot-four, he was also somewhat overweight. Through his successes as the Commander of the Canadian Corps, he knew how to delegate authority and stand by the stopping points of his subordinates.

        Currie, however, was not a professional soldier. He was born in Strathroy, Ontario, on December 5, 1875 and raised, he had moved to Canadas west semivowel in his late teens. As an adult, he movedto Victoria, British Columbia, he had become a schoolteacher, and insurance salesman, and, a real-estate speculator, an occupation that make him wholeness of Victorias leading citizens. Like solely niceCanadian business custody at the time, he joined the Canadian Militia. In 1897, he had enlisted as a lowly gunner in the 5th Regiment, Canadian Garrison Artillery; by 1909, he was the lieutenant-colonelcommanding the regiment. In late 1913, Currie accepted the challenge of raising and concomitants of life an infantry unit, the 50th Regiment, Gordon Highlanders of Canada.

        When the war broke out in August 1914, the highly regarded Currie was commanded of an infantry brigade. Currie fought with exceptional composure at Ypres in 1915 where his second Brigade made a remarkable stand against the poison gas. Having impressed his superiors, Currie was promoted to command the check out 1st Canadian Division. He led the Red make up at Mount Sorrel, through the horror of the Somme in 1916 and at Vimy ridgepolepole, Arleux, and Fresnoy in the spring of 1917. In June, Currie had been knighted and named air force officer of the Canadian Corps, now four divisions strong.

         one of Curries most impressive and strategic achievements had come during the winter or 1919-17, while he was console a divisional commander. By analyzing the fighting he had witnessed on the Western Front, Currie had drawn up what proved to be a blueprint for tactical success. In a paper, Currie synthesized the best of British and french concepts, and with legion(predicate) of his own beliefs based on private companionship. Under Sir Arthur Currie, the Canadian Corps emerged as an outstanding administration on the Western Front. No force--British, Australian, cut, American, of German--could match its marvelous, record, a serial of successes without a single set punt, by the end of the war.

        Lieutenant-general Sir Arthur Curries was not blessed at the prospect of going to Passchendaele. Currie, like many Canadian soldiers, had dispirited memories of the Ypres salient, and grim memories to he Ypres salient, and admitted that his experience in the salient in 1915 and in 1916 were such that I never postulateed to see the place again. Unfortunately, on 3 October, Currie was warned that the Corps might be sent north, to take ingredient in the offensive in Flanders. Currie could make no consciousness of Passchendaele, and he was furious. Passchendaele! he raged in front of his staff. Whats the good of it? Let the Germans have it--keep it--rot in it! Rot in the bollocks up! Theres a mistake somewhere. it essential be a mistake! It isnt worth a crepuscule of blood. Although Currie was not at all happy that the Canadians had been told to take Passchendaele. One of Curries number 1 moves was to assign intelligence officers to the various home with which the Canadian Corps would be associated: Second Army, II Anzac Corps, which was responsible for the sector the Canadians would be taking over, and its front-line divisions, the New Zealand and third Australian. These officers, and the global staff were to acquire early and thorough information as regards to details of German defenses and dis corrects, and especially for the purpose of arranging the mundane programme of bombardment. These preparations was a sparkling success. On the other hand, at the Canadian Corps headquarters, planning for the attach was well at a lower place way. By 16 October, just three long time by and bywards receiving his alleges, General Currie had completed his preliminary plans, which he described in a letter to the Second Armys Sir Herbert Plumer. The work will be carried out in three stages, the target area of each stage being...

The RED, BLUE and GREEN lines...It is proposed to employ the 3rd and 4th Canadian Divisions for the buzz off of the RED and BLUE lines (4th on the Right--3rd on the Left), keeping the 1st and 2nd Canadian Divisions for the capture of the GREEN line and any subsequent operations it may be decided to undertake. It is considered that a pause of three days will e necessary between the 1st and 2nd stages, and a pause of 4 or 5 days between the 2nd and 3rd stages.

        By 19 October, Currie had tentatively set dates for these operations: 28 and 31 October and 6 November. A fourth phase, if required, could be carried out on 10 November.

        The involvement ended with the attempt of November 10th. The Canadians began leaving the salient on Wednesday, 14 November. Four days later, General Currie handed over province for the Passchendaele sector to Lieutenant-General Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston and his VIII Corps. The same day, 18 November, Currie departed for the Vimy Ridge front.

        Passchendaele had been a painful experience for all concerned. It will be recalled that General Currie predicted that it would cost the Corps 16,000 casualties to take Passchendaele. His forecast was incredibly accurate; the actual toll was 16,654. Casualties of 50 per cent or more were not uncommon among the attacking battalions, particularly during the first two phases of operations.

        Exhaustion was rampant. One can never freeze the haggard looks of the men and officers almost helpless with the fatigue or their work, commented Lieutenant- Colonel J.N. Gunn of the 8th Canadian Field Ambulance. Many were angry. Passchendaele was absolutely the elevation of stupidity, recalled E.O. Anderson of the 49th Battalion.

        London warmly welcomed the Canadians. The capture of Passchendaele had, after so many weeks and months of bad news, come as a great relief, a feat which received very much play in he press. A Canadian living a in England, Charles Armstrong, wrote Sir Arthur Currie on 12 November: Everybody here is talking round it & it makes one feel very proud of the Corps.         Certainly, no one was prouder than General Currie. The Canadians, he later wrote, had taken Passchendaele by superhuman efforts. His men had never worked so hard or fought with such grim determination. He also confessed that I do not make do which branch of the service is entitled the most praise. The Infantry who stormed the hostile trenches and beat off the counterattacks, the Artillery who prepared the way for he Infantry and who supported the attacks, the Engineers and Pioneers who made the roads which enabled the guns to be brought forward, and therefore made victory possible, the Medical Services who have unceasingly done so well but who excelled all ancient performances in these battles, the Supply people who never failed once in getting forward the rations, engineer material and munition of all kinds, all gave reason of the highest soldierly qualities and the determination to win. Concluded Currie: I firmly believed that the Canadians were the only troops that could have taken the jell at that time of the form and under the conditions under which the attack had to be made.         It was not until after the war that General Currie was told wherefore Passchendaele had to be taken. in Paris for the Versailles peace conference, Currie met Sir Douglas Haig on 12 February 1919 in the lobby of the Hotel Jajestic, the headquarters of the British delegation. Taking Currie aside, Haig explained his reasons for prosecute the Passchendaele opeeration.



Currie late recounted there meeting: It was then I intimate for the first time the true proportions of the mutiny in the French Army in 1917 and the strength of the Peace party in France and also in England in that year. He pointed out that after the victories of Vimy and Messines in April and June the British Army had to continue the offensive, in array to keep the enemy from launching an attack against the French... In order to raise the morale of the French Army and the British Army, and the French Government and the British Government, the Chief decided that the Ridge must be captured. Currie was not completely convinced. For years after ward, he continued to question whether it was wise to choose the Ypres govern as the battleground, and believed that Passchenadaele may have assumed unduly enlarge proportions in the minds of many. Like most Canadians, Currie was overwhelmed by the British decision ot abandon Passchendaele without a fight in the spring of 1918. He felt betrayed, and for a time he allowed his emotions to get the conk out of him. On 20 April, four days after the ridge was abandoned, Beneral John J. Pershing, commanding the Amercian Expeditonary Force, came to see Currie and Canadian Corps headquarters. General Pershing was impressed with Curries anger and frustration: General Currie deplored the fact ath the British had so easily given up Passchendaele Ridge, which the year before he had been told must be taken at all costs, and for which the Canadians made the tremendous sacrifice of 16,000 casualties. Curries sour remained untill he had finally found a forum for his complaints about he British army in June 1918. Prime curate Borden later sought a meeting with Currie, and Currie was happy to oblige, It had no useful result, as the British Army immediately went on the defensive and the campaign ceased for the year. No advantage in position was gained and the effort was wasted, particularly when the ridge was simply handed back to the enemy six months later. The venture was by no doer worth the cost; and that is was won to save the face of the British High Command who had understaken all thought he surrender most un favored and highly disastrous attempts.         Prime pastor Lloyd George asked his Canadian couterpart to arrange a meeting with General Currie. Lloyd George desire what he saw and heard about Currie. I was greatly impressed with Curries views, he was delighted. But it was such an derision that Lloyd George chose to interpret Curries comments as criticisms of Sir Douglas Haig; such was not the case. Currie, who prize and respected Haig Whether or not Sir Arthur Currie could have been a successful commander in chief of the BEF is a matter of speculation. The odds would have been stacked against him: not only was he a mere colonial, he was a non professional to boot, and he was much younger that th earmy commanders who would have reported to him. Far from demonstating his default over casualtiles, Passchendaele proved Curries concern for he conservation fo the lives of the men under his command; indeed, Curries actons end-to-end th war stand as strong evidence of his desire, and ability, to win battles only at the least possible cost. A lot of Canadians, veterans and conscripts alike, had little regard for General Currie. Passchendaele convinced many of them that victory was his old consideration.

        Charges of this nature dogged Currie for the rest of his life. governmental enemies, took up the cry as the war wound down. He was being accused as a Canadian commander of deliberatley sacrificing the lives of his men in the pursuit of his own personal glory. His decease five years later, in 1933 at the age of fifty-seven, may be attributed, at least indirectly, to the lawsuit. His funeral was a major typeface in Montreal and thousands lined the streets to honour the Great Leader of the Canadian Corps. He is buried in Mount Royal Cemetery, Montreal.

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