Monday 3 August 2015

An Inspection by its Old Colonel

Thomas Pilcher (1858-1928).jpg
 Thomas Pilcher in South Africa

Tuesday 3rd August : The adjutant of the 2nd Bedfords tells us that Major-General Thomas D Pilcher CB has gone over to France and will inspect the Battalion today and distribute Bravery Certificates. Colonel Pilcher, as he then was, commanded the 2nd Battalion during the Boer War and, though now general officer commanding 17th (Northern) Division, which has just arrived for active duty in France, he still takes an active interest in his old Battalion(1)

Source: X550/3/wd


(1) Major-General Pilcher was sacked and sent home in July 1916 because he did not prosecute an attack vigorously because he considered it doomed to failure, having seen his division take huge numbers of casualties in previous actions.

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