Front cover The background image is from a postcard in my collection, of a Canadian official photograph, 'The dawn breaks on the day of battle'.

Preface Eight more of Mitford's diaries have since emerged, for the years 1908-09, 1912-13, 1920-3, and 1926-1933. Offered for sale in November 2022, they were purchased by the National Army Museum (NAM) and are now available to researchers. The NAM reference is 2023-03-12-1.

p.9 Ian Hislop wrote to me, on 2 October 2013, "We gave the sympathetic general the name 'Mitford' because he is one of the several thanked in the Wipers Times for supporting the paper. There was one who wrote a foreword later for a collection - but the character was obviously meant to be a composite of those in HQ who did appreciate 'Wipers'!"

p.12 Papers in the Maxse archives (Mss 317) at West Sussex Record Office indicate that candidates at this time were examined in Mathematics and Geometrical Drawing, French, Freehand Drawing, English Literature and History.

p.13 As well as regular churchgoing, Mitford showed his religious commitment by noting what was to him an important anniversary, amongst others-some family, some military actions- in the back of his 1927 diary: 9 September 1882, "Received my first communion and gazetted to the Buffs".

p.24 Four Capper brothers served as army officers: William (1856-1934), John (1861-1955), Thompson (1863-1915), and Alfred (1871-1966). William was at Staff College with Mitford. He subsequently served as Commandant of the Staff College 1907-11. Mitford was John's subordinate in 1915-17. He had heard him in 1909 give "a very interesting lecture" on airships and aeroplanes. Thompson served in the Sudan in 1898-9, being mentioned as a companion in Mitford's 1899 diary, and was killed as Major General commanding 7th Division at Loos, 1915.

p.26 it is unclear precisely what role Mitford undertook in the Omdurman campaign, attached to the Egyptian Army. He is not in Kitchener's Order of the Day for 14 August 1898, which lists numerous officers and their responsibilities. There is a copy of this in the Maxse archives (Mss 368). Whatever it was, the immediately subsequent award of a Brevet Lieutenant Colonelcy, a Mention in Dispatches, the honour of being a flag raiser after Omdurman, and the appointment as chief of staff for the expedition intended to capture the Khalifa, all indicate Kitchener's considerable satisfaction with Mitford's performance.

p.27 This photograph (RCIN 2942145) is one of a series in an album covering the campaign, assembled by Francis Gregson, a war correspondent, presented to Queen Victoria, and in the Royal Collection. Copies survive in other collections, including Cambridge University Library. The Royal Collection website identifies, besides Mitford, the Egyptian officer Youlashi Mohammed el Badr, and the British officers Lieutenant C.M. Staveley, RN and Captain J.K. Watson. There is an account of the ceremony in a letter from Kitchener's ADC, Captain Watson, at NAM (1983-04-112).

p.29 Mitford did not escape criticism, whether or not justified, for what was seen as the debacle of the Shirkela Reconnaissance. Maxse gave a brief repetition of what must have been the 'official report' to his father in February, but Father was not satisfied. Maxse then wrote at length on 24 March, stressing that he had not been present, but had spoken to Walter Kitchener and several of his officers. In addition to the regular troops, he says Kitchener had over 2,000 irregulars. Arriving close to the Khalifa's position, the British officers understood they were to attack it, and thought he had but 3,000 or 4,000 fighting men, although accompanied by numerous non-combatants. It was assumed that Mitford, whom Maxse does not name, but only refers to by his rank, persuaded Kitchener to retreat. Maxse says that the British officers, and the Arab irregulars, were most dissatisfied. The clear implication is that Mitford exaggerated the Khalifa's strength and thwarted the attack (Maxse Mss 368).

However, Zulfo (pp.241-2) says, without giving his authority, that Walter Kitchener's orders were to attack only so long as the Khalifa's force did not exceed 1,000 men. Yet the size of the Khalifa's abandoned camp indicated a population of perhaps 10,000, with at least 5-6,000 fighting men. He then goes on to say Walter Kitchener's cavalry estimated the Khalifa had over 10,000 men with him in January; and that whilst many subsequently deserted through hunger, he still had 5,000 fighting men with him in November 1899.

According to Churchill (p.331), the Khalifa had been joined "by the emir El Khatem with the El Obeid garrison. This chief and his followers had never been engaged with the 'Turks', and were consequently fresh and valiant. Their arrival greatly encouraged the force which the Khalifa had rallied".

The Major General Commanding in Egypt wrote to the War Office on 24 February 1899 (WO32/6143) that friendly Arabs reported that the Khalifa intended to advance on Omdurman, and they estimated his force at around 14,000 riflemen. Robert Tudway had been promoted Brevet Lieutenant Colonel after Omdurman like Mitford. He had commanded the Camel Corps at the battle and now accompanied Walter Kitchener's expedition. He was an officer of much experience, having served in the Sudan since the Gordon Relief Expedition of 1884-5.

p.41 6th Brigade was renamed 9th Brigade in 1907.

Mitford's friendly relations with senior officers around this time seem, from such as notes on letters received and sent, to have been predominantly with Sudan veterans: Sir Josceline Wodehouse, Major General Robert Broadwood and Major General Montagu-Stuart-Wortley. Whilst Wodehouse was too old for the Great War, the other two both commanded divisions in it. Montague-Stuart Wortley was scapegoated for Gommecourt, and Broadwood reported by Godley and Haking for refusing to launch attacks he considered hopeless, and possibly seeking his death by shellfire as a result.

pp.42-5 Mitford noted French's verbal comments at the time in his diary, for 4 September. French held a conference at Divisional HQ where he "criticised the operations and various functions, but on the whole was thoroughly satisfied with what he had seen". Mitford was on holiday in Portugal when French produced his written report on 30 September.

pp.45-6 Mitford sarcastically refers to the pompous Paget in his 1909 diary as "His Pagesty". Paget had not distinguished himself commanding at Rhenoster Kop, on 29 November 1900 where Mitford was present.

p.46 Smith-Dorrien described the 1909 scheme as "a poor one, for the two forces were actually in contact when the operations started, leaving no scope for manoeuvre" (Smith-Dorrien, p.391).

On the other hand, the article on Douglas by E.M. Spiers in the Dictionary of National Biography says that as Inspector General of Home Forces from 1912, he "proved so conscientious that his staff tours were regarded as models of their kind".

pp.46-7 Whilst Mitford refers to "an unexpected shock" under 1 January, he had recorded receiving a "private note" from General Wynne the Military Secretary the previous 31 March, "saying that I 'would be sorry to hear that at a meeting of the Selection Board today it was decided to supersede you for promotion to the rank of Major General'". For 31 December 1909, he wrote in his diary, "Here endeth [a] cheerless and depressing year, with nothing pleasurable to look back on".

p.51 Professor Ian Isherwood has since produced a fine history of 8/Queen's, The Battalion: Citizen Soldiers at War on the Western Front, published by Pen & Sword in 2024.

p.52 With some of Mitford's earlier diaries now available, it is clear he suffered considerable pain, although the cause is unclear, for a good while. For instance under 12 September 1909 he wrote, "had a very bad night with 'The Pain'". For 31 December 1913, he wrote, "Here endeth 1913 another bad year for me. With the exception of one month not a week passed that I was not for some days in pain".

p.70 & 75 In fact, it appears that 12/Sherwood Foresters were not clearly under Mitford's orders. WO158/32 - 24th Division's report on Loos - mentions Mitford having six battalions for his attack, and orders being given to 12/Sherwood Foresters by 71st Brigade.

p.75 4.15 pm. should read 4.15 am.

p.96 Craven was Lieutenant Colonel whilst serving as 24th Division's CRE.

p.135 Later I came across Douglas' file at TNA (WO138/42) and my article "The sacking of Major General Sir William Douglas" appeared in Stand To! no.133, March 2024. Douglas was probably physically unfit, as well as lacking Western Front experience, but vigorously disputed his sacking, which was not well handled.

p.141 J.N. Marshall, a Guards officer with a wartime commission, served briefly under Mitford in 1917. He commented on the lack of discipline when he arrived in May, "the men are alright, but there is no discipline". He was second in command of 1/6th Lancashire Fusiliers from 25 May 1917, then CO briefly, introducing a new regime of discipline, before being hospitalised. He only returned in late September (webinar talk by Peter Lees to WFA 2 December 2024, "The making of a hero: James Neville Marshall VC, MC and Bar, Chevalier de l'Ordre de Leopold, Croix de Guerre").

p.143 Haldane did not serve in the Sudan. He would, however, have known Mitford from Sandhurst, which both had attended in 1881-2, and the Staff College, which he attended in 1892-3. His autobiography, A Soldier's Saga, Edinburgh and London, 1948, refers to his time at these two institutions, but does not mention Mitford.

p.161 It seems that Hart-Synnot neither liked nor respected Tufnell, whom he described as an "awful man" (John Bourne "Generals' Biographies" on the WFA website).

p.165 In fact, Mitford had encountered the newly established Territorial Force during his time with Southern Command in 1908-09.

p.171 By late 1917, with so many senior officers having been sent home, and with no further expansion of the Army, it is perhaps unsurprising that no post was found for Mitford.

p.193 Smith Dorrien's autobiography was first published as Memories of Forty-Eight Years' Service.

Michael Lucas, January 2026.