Bath (CB), and promoted to brigadier general. In No-
vember 1902, he was promoted to major general. After
being transferred back to England, he was named as
commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade at Aldershot.
Knighted in 1906, he served in Ireland, and in 1908 he
was promoted to lieutenant general.
In August 1914, following Britain’s declaration of
war on Germany, Plumer was supposed to be appointed
commander of II Corps on the recommendation of Sir
John french. However, General Horatio kitchener
vetoed Plumer’s appointment, instead naming General
Horace Smith-Dorrien to that post and then promoting
him to command the Second Army in December 1914.
Plumer was placed in charge of the Northern Command
and then sent to France at the end of 1914 to take com-
mand of V Corps. As commander of this corps, he over-
saw the action at Second Ypres (22 April–25 May 1915).
His experience and knowledge during this crucial battle
led French to fire Smith-Dorrien and replace him with
Plumer (although the official version was that Smith-
Dorrien had retired). Plumer remained as head of the
Second Army for the remainder of the war, demonstrat-
ing his respect for and care of the troops who fought for
him and in turn earning their admiration.
In 1916, Plumer began planning an offensive on
Messines Ridge, which had been held by the Germans
since late 1914. His attack plan opened on 21 May 1917,
starting with massive bombardment to soften up the Ger-
man lines. Then, on 7 June, the British exploded a series
of mines which had been secretly placed under the enemy
lines, killing some 10,000 German soldiers. Using this at-
tack as a front, Plumer’s forces struck the Germans across
the entire ridge, occupying the area after just three hours
of fighting. Although the Germans launched a counterof-
fensive on 14 June 1917, the British held the ridge until
the end of the war. Reporter Henry Perry Robinson of
The Times of London wrote of the battle:How many mines went up at once I do not exactly
know, but it was nearly a score. Many of these
mines were made over a year ago, and since then
had lain under German feet undiscovered. In all,
I believe over 600 tons of high explosives were
fired simultaneously. Can you imagine what over
600 tons of explosives in 20 or so blasts along an
arc of 10 miles looks like? I cannot describe it for
you. Personally, I can only vouch for having seen
nine of the great leaping streams of orange flame
which shot upwards from that part of the front
immediately before me, each one of the nine a
huge volcano in itself, with as many volcanoes
going off at the same moment beyond them, hid-
den by their flames and out of sight, and each
vast sheet of flame as it leaped roaring upwards
threw up dense masses of dust and smoke, which
stood like great pillars towering into the sky, all
illuminated by the fires below.Plumer is alleged to have told his men before the battle:
“Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but
we shall certainly change the geography.”
Plumer biographer George MacMunn writes of how
Plumer planned a follow-up to his victory at MessinesField Marshal Lord Plumer
plumeR oF meSSineS, heRbeRt chARleS onSlow plumeR, FiRSt viScount