Officers at Camberley Staff College

Category

Museums & Galleries Item

Item no

37789

Title

Officers at Camberley Staff College

Description

One black and white photograph consisting of a large group of officers of many different regiments seated and standing in six rows outside a stone building. The officers are all wearing their respective regiment's dress.

Photograph is mounted on white paper and then on a heavy white card.

Douglas Haig is the fifth person from the left on the third row from the bottom, looking to his left.

Date

1897

Type

Photograph

Location

Museum of Edinburgh

Accession number

HH4303/390/81

Douglas Haig entered the staff college at Camberley in Surrey on the 15th of January, 1896. Haig spent two years at Camberley developing understanding of staff work. Emphasis of the teaching at Camberley was on military history and 'grand tactics'. Periods of special attention were the Napoleonic Wars and the American Civil War.

For Haig as with other officers of the late 19th century, the advantages of attending Camberley were not simply academic but also personal- to make connections and relationships with people that they may be working with for years to come.

After leaving Camberley Douglas Haig served in both the war in the Sudan and South Africa before rising up the ranks to be posted as the head of the Aldershot Command prior to the First World War.

Douglas Haig went to war with the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in August, 1914 in command of the I Corps. In December of 1915 following Sir John French's departure Haig took up the post as Commander-in-Chief of the BEF.

After the war Douglas Haig retired from the army in 1920, was created the 1st Earl Haig and spent the rest of his life seeing to the well-being of ex-servicemen.

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Related subjects

Clothing and dress > Garments > Uniforms

Military > Military facilities > Barracks

Military > Military facilities > Camps

People > Famous people > Field Marshal Earl Haig

People > Military activities > Soldiers

Places > United Kingdom

Places > United Kingdom > England