6
66.115.83.88
Guest
Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force: The book is actually Army of Empire.
[td]Consequently, Duff was relieved of command on 1 October 1916. The Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry was damning in its conclusions. While [[Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend|General Townshend]] was exonerated, the commission was harsh towards the Government of India and Duff himself together with the Viceroy, [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Lord Hardinge]].<ref name=scot/> Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood reflected that his condemnatory opinion pushed the general to take his own life. India had not only refused to raise new armies for war, they had given all their rifles to the Imperial army.<ref>Separate report by Commander J.C. Wedgwood, para. 14</ref> Duff had declared Indian troops 'quite unfit for frontier work'. Kitchener had reported in 1915 "if we lose it will be worse for India than any success of internal revolution or frontier attack... held unpatriotic in a private citizen ... and in men in the positions occupied by Lord Hardinge and Sir Beauchamp Duff it has been a calamity for England."<ref>Wedgwood report, para.41-3, 45</ref> Colonial Secretary Lord Curzon called it "official blundering and incompetence" on a scale not seen since the Crimean War. When finally published 27 June 1917, it had been thoroughly discussed and agonised over by the cabinet, and on 3 July, MPs had their chance to debate. [[John Nixon (British general)|General Nixon]], the Commander-in-Chief of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, was also held responsible for the failed campaign "it looked as if India were trying to lay down a policy behind the back of the Secretary of State and the Cabinet."<ref>Wedgwood Report; Townshend, p.100</ref> Both men were found in the dissentient{{sic|?}} report from Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood to have shown ''little desire to help... some desire actually to obstruct the energetic prosecution of the war.''<ref>Report of the Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry, p. 123</ref> In the end, Duff died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills on 20 January 1918.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]He left wife Grace and two sons. Their middle son Evelyn Douglas (1877β97) pre-deceased him. The eldest was Beauchamp Oswald Duff (1880β1914),<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56605109/beauchamp-oswald-duff Memorial to Capt Duff.]</ref> an army officer with 1st Gurkha Rifles, who married Mary Lander; and the youngest son, Douglas Garden Duff (1886β1968)<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142977639/douglas-garden-duff Grave of Douglas Garden Duff.]</ref> who was a solicitor in the London firm Torr & Co.[/td]
[td]He left a wife, Grace, and two sons. Their middle son Evelyn Douglas (1877β97) pre-deceased him. The eldest was Beauchamp Oswald Duff (1880β1914),<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56605109/beauchamp-oswald-duff Memorial to Capt Duff.]</ref> an army officer with 1st Gurkha Rifles, who married Mary Lander; and the youngest son, Douglas Garden Duff (1886β1968)<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142977639/douglas-garden-duff Grave of Douglas Garden Duff.]</ref> who was a solicitor in the London firm Torr & Co.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]==Notes==[/td]
[td]==Notes==[/td]
Continue reading...
| Line 53: | Line 53: |
[td]
β Previous revision
[/td][td]
[td]Consequently, Duff was relieved of command on 1 October 1916. The Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry was damning in its conclusions. While [[Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend|General Townshend]] was exonerated, the commission was harsh towards the Government of India and Duff himself together with the Viceroy, [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Lord Hardinge]].<ref name=scot/> Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood reflected that his condemnatory opinion pushed the general to take his own life. India had not only refused to raise new armies for war, they had given all their rifles to the Imperial army.<ref>Separate report by Commander J.C. Wedgwood, para. 14</ref> Duff had declared Indian troops 'quite unfit for frontier work'. Kitchener had reported in 1915 "if we lose it will be worse for India than any success of internal revolution or frontier attack... held unpatriotic in a private citizen ... and in men in the positions occupied by Lord Hardinge and Sir Beauchamp Duff it has been a calamity for England."<ref>Wedgwood report, para.41-3, 45</ref> Colonial Secretary Lord Curzon called it "official blundering and incompetence" on a scale not seen since the Crimean War. When finally published 27 June 1917, it had been thoroughly discussed and agonised over by the cabinet, and on 3 July, MPs had their chance to debate. [[John Nixon (British general)|General Nixon]], the Commander-in-Chief of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, was also held responsible for the failed campaign "it looked as if India were trying to lay down a policy behind the back of the Secretary of State and the Cabinet."<ref>Wedgwood Report; Townshend, p.100</ref> Both men were found in the dissentient{{sic|?}} report from Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood to have shown ''little desire to help... some desire actually to obstruct the energetic prosecution of the war.''<ref>Report of the Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry, p. 123</ref> In the end, Duff died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills on 20 January 1918.[/td]Revision as of 04:02, 3 September 2025
[/td][td]Consequently, Duff was relieved of command on 1 October 1916. The Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry was damning in its conclusions. While [[Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend|General Townshend]] was exonerated, the commission was harsh towards the Government of India and Duff himself together with the Viceroy, [[Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst|Lord Hardinge]].<ref name=scot/> Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood reflected that his condemnatory opinion pushed the general to take his own life. India had not only refused to raise new armies for war, they had given all their rifles to the Imperial army.<ref>Separate report by Commander J.C. Wedgwood, para. 14</ref> Duff had declared Indian troops 'quite unfit for frontier work'. Kitchener had reported in 1915 "if we lose it will be worse for India than any success of internal revolution or frontier attack... held unpatriotic in a private citizen ... and in men in the positions occupied by Lord Hardinge and Sir Beauchamp Duff it has been a calamity for England."<ref>Wedgwood report, para.41-3, 45</ref> Colonial Secretary Lord Curzon called it "official blundering and incompetence" on a scale not seen since the Crimean War. When finally published 27 June 1917, it had been thoroughly discussed and agonised over by the cabinet, and on 3 July, MPs had their chance to debate. [[John Nixon (British general)|General Nixon]], the Commander-in-Chief of the Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, was also held responsible for the failed campaign "it looked as if India were trying to lay down a policy behind the back of the Secretary of State and the Cabinet."<ref>Wedgwood Report; Townshend, p.100</ref> Both men were found in the dissentient{{sic|?}} report from Cmdr Josiah Wedgwood to have shown ''little desire to help... some desire actually to obstruct the energetic prosecution of the war.''<ref>Report of the Mesopotamia Commission of Enquiry, p. 123</ref> In the end, Duff died of an accidental overdose of sleeping pills on 20 January 1918.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]He left wife Grace and two sons. Their middle son Evelyn Douglas (1877β97) pre-deceased him. The eldest was Beauchamp Oswald Duff (1880β1914),<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56605109/beauchamp-oswald-duff Memorial to Capt Duff.]</ref> an army officer with 1st Gurkha Rifles, who married Mary Lander; and the youngest son, Douglas Garden Duff (1886β1968)<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142977639/douglas-garden-duff Grave of Douglas Garden Duff.]</ref> who was a solicitor in the London firm Torr & Co.[/td]
[td]He left a wife, Grace, and two sons. Their middle son Evelyn Douglas (1877β97) pre-deceased him. The eldest was Beauchamp Oswald Duff (1880β1914),<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56605109/beauchamp-oswald-duff Memorial to Capt Duff.]</ref> an army officer with 1st Gurkha Rifles, who married Mary Lander; and the youngest son, Douglas Garden Duff (1886β1968)<ref>[https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/142977639/douglas-garden-duff Grave of Douglas Garden Duff.]</ref> who was a solicitor in the London firm Torr & Co.[/td] [td][/td]
[td][/td] [td]==Notes==[/td]
[td]==Notes==[/td]
Continue reading...
