158 AWARDED FOR VALOUR
This fictional order was a stark reflection of Haig’s vision of warfare. From
the outset of the war he disapproved of granting the VC for rescuing
the wounded. In part, his view reflected that of Lord Kitchener’s policy
in South Africa, as the recommendation of Private F. W. Dobson of the
Coldstream Guards demonstrates.
On 28 September 1914 private Dobson volunteered to retrieve two men
who had fallen wounded in front of the trench line. Under heavy fire
he crawled out to find one of the men dead, but managed to bring the
other to safety. His commanding officer, Major R. A. Markham and two
artillery officers who witnessed the act recommended him to the regi-
mental commander for the VC. Regimental commander Lieutenant-Colonel
V. Peretia ‘strongly’ approved the recommendation and passed it on to
Brigade; Brigade commander Earl Cavan approved and passed it on to
Division; Division commander Sir Charles Munro concurred and passed
it on to Corps^27 where I Corps Commander Haig dismissed it out
of hand:
I fully appreciate the bravery shewn by no. 6840 Pte. F. W. Dobson, 2nd
Battn Coldstream Guards, who is recommended for the V.C., but I am not
in favour of this reward being granted for bringing in wounded officers
or men in European warfare & I therefore recommend [he]should be
granted the D.C. Medal.^28
Haig was not the final arbiter in the field in 1914, however. Sir John
French forwarded the original recommendation with Haig’s reservations
to the War Office along with a similar recommendation for Lieutenant L.
E. O. Davidson of the 121st Battery, Royal Field Artillery (recommended
through II Corps chain of command), where they provoked a flurry of
activity. The VC committee requested guidance from Lord Kitchener as
Secretary of State for War, as they were not sure if he was prepared to accept
recommendations for rescuing the wounded. They noted the difference of
opinion on the matter among the corps commanders (Haig swatting down
field recommendations for life saving, Horace O. Smith-Dorien forwarding
such) and the Commander-in-Chief as well as the dangers of a lack of
common policy in recommending humanitarian acts. Kitchener was a soldier
and understood the importance of the chain of command; he was apparently
unwilling to undercut the overall commander in the field and promptly
dumped the matter back on Sir John French.^29
French compromised on the issue, writing the War Office on 25
November:
lily
(lily)
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