Sir Herbert Watts | |
|---|---|
 Portrait of Watts, 1917, byFrancis Dodd | |
| Born | 14 February 1858 |
| Died | 15 October 1934 (aged 76) |
| Allegiance |  United Kingdom |
| Service |  British Army |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Commands | 7th Division 38th (Welsh) Division XIX Corps |
| Battles / wars | First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Legion of Honour |
Lieutenant-GeneralSir Herbert Edward WattsKCB KCMG (14 February 1858 – 15 October 1934) was aBritish Army officer who commanded7th Division and laterXIX Corps during theFirst World War.
Watts was born on 14 February 1858, the son of the Reverend R.E.R. Watts, the vicar ofWisbech. He was educated atThe King's School, Peterborough and atTours,[1] and wascommissioned as asecond lieutenant into aMilitia unit, the Royal North Down Militia, in November 1877[2] He was promoted tolieutenant in August 1879.[3] He transferred as a second lieutenant to the20th Regiment of Foot in April 1880.[4] In May he transferred again, to the14th Regiment of Foot (the regiment changed name to become the Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment later the same year).[5] He served with the regiment for 30 years, during which he was promoted to lieutenant on 1 July 1881,captain on 6 March 1889,[6] andmajor on 20 March 1899.[7][8]
Following the outbreak of theSecond Boer War in October 1899, he served with the 2nd Battalion of his regiment inSouth Africa 1899–1902. He took part in operations in theNatal, including the battles ofVaal Krantz (6-7 February 1900) andthe Tugela Heights and Pieter's Hill (14-27 February 1900) leading to theRelief of Ladysmith. In the following months he served in the Natal, and from July to November 1900 in theTransvaal.[9] During the war he wasmentioned in dispatches five times and received thebrevet promotion tolieutenant colonel on 29 November 1900. He was appointedsecond-in-command of his battalion on 7 March 1902, and after peace was declared the following month, left South Africa on board the SSBavarian to arrive in the United Kingdom in June 1902.[10]
He was promoted to substantive lieutenant colonel in February 1904[11] and commanded a battalion for the next four years, during which time he was promoted again, this time to brevet colonel, in July 1905,[12] before going onhalf-pay in February 1908 after relinquishing command of the battalion.[13] He was promoted to substantive colonel that month,[14] and, after coming off the half-pay list, finished his military career as the commander of No. 9 District inEastern Command, holding this post from May 1910[15] until he retired from the army in May 1914.[16][17] While holding that post he had been created aCompanion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in June 1912.[18]
Shortly after Watts's retirement, the outbreak of theFirst World War meant that he returned almost immediately to the army. He was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier general in August[20] and given command of the recently raised21st Infantry Brigade in the7th Division;[21] the division was composed of battalions of theRegular Army recalled from overseas service on the outbreak of war and formed into a new division in England.[22]
Watts remained with the brigade until theBattle of Loos in September 1915, when Major-GeneralThompson Capper, commanding the division, was killed in action and Watts, promoted to temporary major general,[23] took over asgeneral officer commanding (GOC) of the 7th Division. With the brief exception of a few days in July 1916 as GOC38th (Welsh) Division - under Watts, the division took its objective,Mametz Wood, though with severe losses - he would remain with the division for the next year and a half.[24]
In January 1917 he was promoted to major general on the active list[25] and later to the temporary rank of lieutenant general in February[26] and became GOC of theXIX Corps, which he led for the rest of the war.[27][28] He was awarded theCompanion of the Order of St Michael and St George in February 1915,[29] as well as the FrenchLegion of Honour in 1919.[30]
Watts was regarded by Field-MarshalSir Douglas Haig,commander-in-chief (C-in-C) of theBritish Expeditionary Force (BEF), as "a plucky hard little man" and "a fine leader" but also "a distinctly stupid man [who] lacks imagination".[31] While his courage and fighting spirit were well-regarded, planning and organisation were left to his divisional staff. His personality impressed regimental officers; he requiredTerritorial Force (TF) officers of the61st (2nd South Midland) Division to repeat after him in chorus a salutary maxim: “The natural corollary of delegation of authority is intelligent supervision”.[32] Watts had never attended theStaff College, Camberley, spending his earlier career entirely on regimental service.[33]
Watts unveiled the War Memorial atMitcham inSurrey in 1920.[34]
In 1896 he married Elizabeth Daly.[16]
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | GOC 7th Division 1915–1917 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by New post | GOC XIX Corps 1917−1918 | Succeeded by Corps disbanded |
