Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

Sir Herbert Edward Watts (14 February 1858 – 15 October 1934) was a

British Army The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...

officer who commanded 7th Division and later XIX Corps during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Early military career

Watts was born on 14 February 1858, the son of the Reverend R.L.R. Watts, the vicar of

Wisbech Wisbech ( ) is a market town, inland Port of Wisbech, port and civil parish in the Fenland District, Fenland district in Cambridgeshire, England. In 2011 it had a population of 31,573. The town lies in the far north-east of Cambridgeshire, bord ...

. He was educated at

The King's School, Peterborough Founded by King Henry VIII, The King's (The Cathedral) School is a state-funded Church of England school located in Peterborough, England. Although for centuries a boys-only grammar school, "Kings" is now mixed and has a Junior Department in ...

and at

Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Indre-et-Loire. The Communes of France, commune of Tours had 136,463 ...

,''The county families of the United Kingdom or, Royal manual of the titled and untitled aristocracy of England, Wales, Scotland, and Ireland'' (Volume ed.59, yr.1919) by Edward Walford, p.374
/ref> and was commissioned as a

second lieutenant Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces, comparable to NATO OF-1 rank. Australia The rank of second lieutenant existed in the military forces of the Australian colonies and Australian Army until ...

into the

14th Regiment of Foot 14 (fourteen) is a natural number following 13 and preceding 15. In relation to the word "four" ( 4), 14 is spelled "fourteen". In mathematics * 14 is a composite number. * 14 is a square pyramidal number. * 14 is a stella octangula number. ...

in April 1880 (the regiment changed name to become The Prince of Wales's Own West Yorkshire Regiment later the same year). He served with the regiment for 30 years, during which he was promoted to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

on 1 July 1881,

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

on 6 March 1889, and

major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...

on 20 March 1899. Following the outbreak of the

Second Boer War The Second Boer War ( af, Tweede Vryheidsoorlog, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, the Anglo–Boer War, or the South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer Republics (the Sout ...

in late 1899, he served with the 2nd battalion of his regiment in

South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...

1899-1902. He took part in operations in the

Natal NATAL or Natal may refer to: Places * Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, a city in Brazil * Natal, South Africa (disambiguation), a region in South Africa ** Natalia Republic, a former country (1839–1843) ** Colony of Natal, a former British colony ( ...

, including the battles of

Vaal Krantz The Battle of Vaal Krantz (5 February to 7 February 1900) was the third failed attempt by General Redvers Buller's British army to fight its way past Louis Botha's army of Boer irregulars and lift the Siege of Ladysmith. The battle occurred durin ...

(6-7 February 1900) and the Tugela Heights and Pieter's Hill (14-27 February 1900) leading to the

Relief of Ladysmith When the Second Boer War broke out on 11 October 1899, the Boers had a numeric superiority within Southern Africa. They quickly invaded the British territory and laid siege to Ladysmith, Kimberley and Mafeking. Britain meanwhile transported th ...

. In the following months he served in the Natal, and from July to November 1900 in the

Transvaal Transvaal is a historical geographic term associated with land north of (''i.e.'', beyond) the Vaal River in South Africa. A number of states and administrative divisions have carried the name Transvaal. * South African Republic (1856–1902; af, ...

. During the war he was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches, MiD) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face ...

five times and received the

brevet Brevet may refer to: Military * Brevet (military), higher rank that rewards merit or gallantry, but without higher pay * Brevet d'état-major, a military distinction in France and Belgium awarded to officers passing military staff college * Aircre ...

promotion to

lieutenant-colonel Lieutenant colonel ( , ) is a rank of commissioned officers in the armies, most marine forces and some air forces of the world, above a major and below a colonel. Several police forces in the United States use the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...

on 29 November 1900. He was appointed 2nd in command of his battalion on 7 March 1902, and after peace was declared the following month, left South Africa on board the SS ''Bavarian'' to arrive in the United Kingdom in June 1902. He was promoted to Colonel in 1908, and finished his army career as the commander of No. 9 District in Eastern Command, holding this post from 1910 until he retired in 1914."WATTS, Lieut-Gen. Sir Herbert Edward", in ''Who Was Who'' (2007)
Online edition
/ref>

First World War

The US Army on the Western Front, 1917-1918 Q9257

Shortly after Watts' retirement, the outbreak of the

meant that he returned almost immediately to the Army. He was given command of 21st Brigade in 7th Division; the division was composed of regular battalions recalled from overseas service on the outbreak of war and formed into a new division in England. Watts remained with the brigade until the

Battle of Loos The Battle of Loos took place from 1915 in France on the Western Front, during the First World War. It was the biggest British attack of 1915, the first time that the British used poison gas and the first mass engagement of New Army units. Th ...

in September 1915, when Major-General Thompson Capper, commanding the division, was killed in action and Watts took over command. With the brief exception of a few days in July 1916 as General Officer Commanding 38th (Welsh) Division - under Watts, the division took its objective, Mametz Wood, though with severe losses - Watts would remain with the division for the next year and a half. He later became General Officer Commanding the XIX Corps. Watts was regarded by Field-Marshal

Douglas Haig Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, (; 19 June 1861 – 29 January 1928) was a senior Officer (armed forces), officer of the British Army. During the First World War, he commanded the British Expeditionar ...

as "a plucky hard little man" and "a fine leader" but also "a distinctly stupid man holacks imagination". While his courage and fighting spirit were well-regarded, planning and organisation were left to his divisional staff. His personality impressed regimental officers; he required Territorial officers of the 61st Division to repeat after him in chorus a salutary maxim: “The natural corollary of delegation of authority is intelligent supervision”. Watts had never attended the Staff College, spending his earlier career entirely on regimental service. Watts unveiled the War Memorial at

Mitcham Mitcham is an area within the London Borough of Merton in South London, England. It is centred southwest of Charing Cross. Originally a village in the county of Surrey, today it is mainly a residential suburb, and includes Mitcham Common. It ha ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

in 1920.Roll of Honour - Mitcham
/ref>

Family

In 1896 he married Elizabeth Daly.

References

Sources

* * * , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Watts, Herbert 1858 births 1934 deaths British Army lieutenant generals British Army generals of World War I Knights Commander of the Order of the Bath Knights Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George West Yorkshire Regiment officers British Army personnel of the Second Boer War