He survived that first day of the Somme
Mark,
Gommecourt - The Battle
and Leadership in Combat: An Historical Appraisal (USMA; pp.244):London Scottish - Beset by the 170th Regiment on two flanks the London Scottish now were faced with fresh troops from the 15th Reserve Infantry Regiment attacking down the communication trenches from Rossignol Wood. As they defended their small enclave the senior officer, Maj Francis Lindsay, was shot and killed leaving Capt Sparks of A Company in charge. Faced with the choice of surrender, annihilation or retreat he chose the latter and organised a covering party while the able bodied and lightly wounded were got away into No Man's Land. One of the last to leave, Sparks, took shelter in a shell hole until after dark before returning to the shattered British lines.
This last book may be a gem; just found it and haven't read it. BLUF:There most of them, including Sparks, hid until darkness fell and allowed them to regain the British lines. During the day, the London Scottish, which had numbered 856 at dawn, had been reduced by death or wounds to 266.
RegardsThe OPMS study Group asked the History Department at USMA to study successful combat leadership to identify the trends and characteristics that should be institutionalized in the development of Officers. There were only two restrictions: that the actions studied be in actual combat and that it must clearly involve leadership not management. The characteristics found were indispensible to combat leadership, but not necessarily vital or sufficient to accomplish other essential military tasks.
The USMA Study unit, organized under LTC Kenneth E. Hamburger, examined over 200 American and and foreign examples in all periods. Both succesful and unsuccesful examples were intensively analysed and discussed to sift out desirable, undesirable, and neutral characteristics. In addition, preservice experience, upbringing, education, service record, physical condition, personal temperment and morality, and life following the incident were studied.
There was surprising consistency among successful combat leaders regardless of historical period, country or condition of combat. Early in their lives, the traits that made them successful were discernible in some form and were enhanced, but could not be induced, through experience. In no case did a unit in combat overcome the deficiencies of its leader; in almost all cases the leader overcame startling unit deficiencies and incredible problems in mission definition, enemy physical and moral strength [etc., etc. etc.] ... and his own anxiety.
Mike
- and, from Peter Hart's book on the Somme, he was H.C. Sparks, who according to the Roll of the Ancients joined the regimental association in 1930, was a founder of the The Glenworple Highlanders, and died 15 Oct 1933.
Another good combat leader from the Somme was Frank Maxwell (the "Brat"), portrayed in The Somme - From Defeat To Victory (Documentary based on Hart's work; 1 hr), starting at 40:00 to end, Tiepval in Sep 1916 - Maxwell was KIA at Ypres in 1917. The Somme's first day is the first 40 min (focus on the Salford Pals).
Originally Posted by jmm99
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