Part 2 (2/2)

Actually, however, these two years ”out of action” were probably invaluable to him--and to the army For the first time he had the opportunity for unrestrained study; andout the theories of cavalry action which were yet to bring him fame and our arms success

Much of his most valuable work dates from this period of enforced retire the cavalry manoeuvres of 1894 in Berkshi+re He took part in the adier His chief Staff Officer, by the as Major RSS (now Lieut-General Sir Robert) Baden-Powell, while the aide-de-camp to the Director-General ofHere French formulated as to be one of the axioms of his future cavalry tactics One of those present at headquarters has recorded his re: THE FUNCTION OF CAVALRY]

”There is,” said French, ”no subject upon which ards the real role of cavalry in warfare My conception of the duties and functions of the mounted arm is not to cut and to hack and to thrust at your enemy wherever and however he may be found The real business of cavalry is so to e of the corps artillery of your own side for which a position suitable for battle would previously have been selected”[7]

It is difficult to conceive a more clear and concise statement of the function of cavalry It differs widely frorim utterance of the late Sir Baker Russell, who stated that the duty of cavalry was to look pretty during tiet killed in war

Happily Colonel French's theorising was not without its effect The Berkshi+re s in our cavalry SeveralPost_, insisted on the reorganisation of that arm After the customary protest, officialdoe Luck, was brought back fro that the new Inspector-General of Cavalry insisted upon was a revised Cavalry Drill Book Who was to write it? The ansas not easy But eventually Colonel French was called in from his retirement and installed in the Horse Guards for that purpose

The result was a masterpiece of lucid explanation and terse precision

The book evolved into so much more than a mere manual of drill

For it is also a treatise on cavalry tactics, a guide to ulations for the organisation of mounted troops

No sooner was the book issued than another problem arose Who was to carry out all these drastic alterations? Once again, recourse was had to the half-pay Colonel in Kent! Who so fit to materialise reforms as the man who had conceived them? So in 1895 Colonel French was ensconced in the War Office as assistant Adjutant-General of Cavalry

There were great reforade establishment at hoiade and placed under the command of a staff colonel, as entirely responsible for their training In the su

In spite of the revolution he was acco, it is doubtful whether French was at all happy at the War Office He is essentially a anisation, and he probably chafed horribly over the interanisation His one consolation was the solution every night before he left his desk of a refreshi+ng proble: FROM STOOL TO SADDLE]

There are endless stories of his pacing up and down that back rooed lion Like Mr Galsworthy's Ferrand he hates to do ”round business on an office stool” His te static and stay-at-home is utter boredom to him

Probably no soldier ever showed the qualities and the limitations of the man of action in more vivid contrast

His trials, however, were not of long duration So soon as the brigade systeiven command of one of the units which he had created--the Second Cavalry Brigade at Canterbury

Here he was able to achieve one of histhe 1898 ade, French was chosen to lead Buller's force in the n His opponent was General Talbot, an older officer orked on the stereo-typed ave French his opportunity He made such a feature of reconnaissance that the experts declared his tactics to be hopelessly rash But by the mobility of his force he continually checked and out- in the most unexpected places in the : THE CRITICS ROUTED]

At the end of thecentred round Yar General Talbot's forces At last, by a rapid movement, his cavalry surprised several batteries of the enemy's horse artillery He commanded them to dismount and made the whole force his prisoners When the uiven considerable food for thought

The general conclusion was that luck had contributed to his success, and that in actual warfare such recklessness ht lead to disaster

Consequently, French's opponents were justified to some extent in their insistence that the old thened prejudice in certain quarters

Happily, however, the original iven coade at Aldershot, with the rank of Major-General This is the highest post open to a cavalry officer in his own sphere during the time of peace Thus French's critics were finally routed, and he was free at last to train British cavalry according to his own brilliant and original ideas

FOOTNOTES:

[6] To General Bewicke Copley the writer is indebted forthis chapter

[7] Quoted in _MAP_, March 3, 1900