The portrayal of  British generals as ‘butchers and bunglers’ is a partial view.  The earliest published criticism of British generalship in the First World War was probably in Siegfried Sassoon’s poem, The General.  It is true that British senior commanders in 1916 did not have the experience to wage mass industrial warfare on the scale seen during the Battle of the Somme, but this does not mean they were either butchers or bunglers.  Commanders in the German Army fared no better and General Erich von Falkenhayn, the German Chief of Staff, was replaced in August 1916.

Some British generals distinguished themselves in battle.  Two Brigade Commanders won the Victoria Cross, two others won the Distinguished Service Order four times, 30 Brigade Commanders were killed, eight died of wounds, 62 were wounded and nine gassed.  As the war progressed, lessons were learnt by British commanders at all levels and, under the leadership of Field Marshal Haig, played a crucial role in defeating the German Army in 1918.

The Battle of the Somme was not merely senseless slaughter.  Haig was under considerable political pressure to continue the Battle because the French Army was under heavy attack at Verdun.  Falkenhayn’s order to the Germans to fight for every foot of ground was a major contributory factor to the high casualties.