George Montague Harper Lieutenant General Sir George Montague Harper ( 11 January 1865 – 15 December 1922 ) was a British general during the First World War . As a protégé of General Henry Wilson , he held important staff positions at the War Office before the war and at BEF GHQ in 1914 . He later commanded the 51st ( Highland ) Division at the Battles of the Ancre , Arras , Third Ypres and Cambrai . It was widely claimed by tank officers that his adoption of idiosyncratic tactics at Cambrai caused his division ' s failure to reach its objectives , although this view has now been called into question . He commanded IV Corps in 1918 . Early life . Harper was born on 11 January 1865 in Batheaston , Somerset , the son of Charles and Emma Harper . His father was a physician and surgeon . Early military career . George Harper was educated at Bath College and at the Military Academy at Woolwich . Harper was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1884 . In 1899 he was deployed to South Africa where he joined 37th Field Company RE and saw action at Spion Kop , Val Kranz , Tugela Heights and Pieter ' s Hill . He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) in November 1900 for his service in South Africa . Staff Officer . Harper entered Staff College , Camberley in 1901 . He was on the directing staff at Staff College from May 1908 to Dec 1910 . Harper accompanied Henry Wilson , then Commandant at Staff College , on his reconnaissance of the likely future theatre of war . In August 1908 , along with Edward Percival ( “ Perks ” ) , they explored south of Namur by train and bicycle . In August 1909 Harper and Wilson travelled from Mons then down the French frontier almost as far as Switzerland . In Spring 1910 , this time by motor car , they travelled from Rotterdam into Germany , then explored the German side of the frontier , noting the new railway lines and “ many sidings ” which had been built near St Vith and Bitburg ( to allow concentration of German troops near the Ardennes ) . Military Operations . He became Deputy Director of Military Operations ( DDMO ) at the War Office 1911 . From June 1911 Harper headed M . O . 1 section . After the Agadir Crisis Gen Sir Percy Radcliffe wrote that M . O . 1 , formerly “ academic and sterile ” , “ became the mainspring of all our preparations for war ” . When Deputy Director of Military Operations , Colonel Harper minuted ( 1 October 1913 ) that in the event of war corps should simply be “ post boxes ” to relay the decisions of GHQ to divisions – this view would gradually be revised in the course of the war , and by the latter part of World War One experienced corps commanders were taking on more and more autonomy over operations . First World War . GHQ . On the outbreak of war Colonel Harper was placed in charge of the Oa ( planning operations and written orders ) section at BEF GHQ . The I ( intelligence ) and Ob ( written records ) sections were subordinate to Oa , making Oa in practice something of a bottleneck . He had a poor relationship with the BEF Chief of Staff Murray , as he was used to working with Murray ’ s deputy and rival Wilson . On 24 August ( the day after the Battle of Mons ) Harper refused to do anything for Murray , so that Lord Loch had to write messages even though it was not his job . Wilson had to intercede to prevent French from sacking Harper ( Wilson diary 7 Sep ) but a week later recorded ( Wilson diary 14 Sep ) , that Murray and Harper argued constantly . Robertson ( QuarterMaster - General of the BEF ) was known to remark - by one account to some visiting politicians at Abbeville in 1914 who saw the letters written on a door - that " Oa " stood for “ Old ‘ Arper ” . Robertson , now BEF Chief of Staff , removed Harper – who had been promoted temporary Brigadier - General in November - “ in a very untactful way ” ( Rawlinson diary 29 Jan & 8 Feb 1915 ) whilst Wilson was away touring the French front . Robertson separated Staff Duties and Intelligence out from Operations into separate sections , each headed by a Brigadier - General . Although Harper ’ s removal was part of a restructuring at GHQ , his successor Whigham was more focussed and approachable than Harper . Division Commander . In February 1915 he was given command of 17th Infantry Brigade . Harper briefly succeeded to Wilson ' s old job as Director of Military Operations . In September 1915 he took command of the 51st ( Highland ) Division which saw action during the Battle of the Somme . Harper remained a favourite of Wilson , and throughout 1916 , whilst Wilson commanded IV Corps , they would – as Andy Simpson puts it – regularly “ meet , eat and criticise others ” . He told Wilson ( 24 September 1916 ) that GHQ was out of touch with the troops and had no knowledge and no imagination . 51st Division took part in the Battle of the Ancre . He blamed the failure on the creeping barrage being too fast , causing his “ impetuous ” men to become caught up in their own barrage . Arras . Harper ' s Division also saw action in the Battle of Arras in spring 1917 . Spears commented on Harper ’ s interest in training prior to the Battle of Arras , and remarked on the steep improvement in many divisions in this regard since the Somme . The 51st Division , known initially as " Harper ' s Duds " , was later described as " " one of the two or three best divisions in France " " under Harper ' s leadership . Spears described him as “ fine - looking , with an aquiline nose and snow - white hair , although his moustache was black ” . He was known as “ Uncle ” , or occasionally “ Daddy ” . Lieutenant - Colonel Walter Nicholson commented that his experience of working with Territorials made him the right man to encourage the individualism of Highlanders , and that he had “ the makings of a great general ” . Cyril Falls commented that “ He had a touch of showmanship which troops like when it is combined with efficiency ” . In June 1917 Wilson – who had himself just declined the job - recommended Harper for command of XIII Corps , but Haig appointed Frederick McCracken instead . Third Ypres . Ivor Maxse ( GOC XVIII Corps ) wrote a glowing report of Harper ’ s performance between 31 July and 22 September 1917 ( he was highly critical of H . D . Fanshawe of 58th Division and Cuthbert , 39th Division ) . Maxse ’ s report stressed Harper ' s skill both at training and command , and mentioned the improvement in 51st Division , which had previously been “ ill - organised and unsoldier - like ” , and recommended him for promotion to corps command . 51st Division took part in Gough ’ s attacks to assist Plumer ’ s offensive at Menin Road ( September 1917 ) . In an attempt to economise on soldiers ’ lives , he attacked with only one brigade , reinforced to six battalions , unlike most divisions which attacked with two brigades ( “ two up ” ) and one in reserve . However , his division was driven back by German counterattacks . Cambrai . Harper ' s 51st Division also took part in the Battle of Cambrai in November 1917 . Harper ’ s tactical plan for Cambrai was for his infantry to follow the tanks in line . He was entitled to draw up his own plan under “ Field Service Regulations ” , and Braithwaite of 62nd Division had also adopted his own tactics . These tactics were based on previous experience of infantry - tank cooperation , and concern that infantry in column might suffer excess casualties before being able to return fire . Christopher Baker - Carr later claimed in his memoirs ( " From Chauffeur to Brigadier " – 1930 ) that the attack on Flesquieres failed as a result of Harper using his own idiosyncratic tactical drill . Although widely - repeated , this claim is dismissed by Bryn Hammond as “ plainly rot ” – Baker - Carr made no such complaint at the time ( he in fact praised the arrangements ) , it is not corroborated in other contemporary accounts , and it was Baker - Carr ’ s own brigade which failed . To retake Fontaine on 23 November , Harper concurred with the brigade commander Henry Pelham Burn ' s suggestion to attack with only two of his seven battalions in a misguided attempt to conserve lives . Bryn Hammond attributes Harper ’ s failure to take Flesquieres to a strong German defence , to the holding back of his reserve brigade , and partly to the overextended command and control structure ( Harper had sited his HQ too far back , 8 , 000 yards ( over 4 . 5 miles ) behind the original British front line , and 7 miles from Flesquieres ) . Brigadier - General Hardress - Lloyd ( GOC 3 Tank Brigade ) thought Harper “ an old ass ” and claimed ( according to the May 1918 journals of J . F . C . Fuller ) that he had expressed scepticism about the new tactics of infantry advancing in single file ( “ worms ” ) and had remarked that they should advance in line as if “ you were walking arm - in - arm with a girl ” . Hardress - Lloyd claimed to have retorted “ if the late Oscar Wilde were walking with you , where do you think he would go ? ” and that Harper almost had to be “ carried from the room in an ambulance ” . Corps Commander . Harper was appointed GOC IV Corps on 11 March 1918 . He held this command , part of British Third Army , until the end of the war . Harper and his colleague Aylmer Haldane ( VI Corps ) are described by Travers as “ seasoned and reliable commanders ” . Nonetheless they suffered command problems in the early stages of the March retreat , particularly on 26 March when the Germans were rumoured to be breaking through at Hebuterne . In September 1918 Aylmer Haldane regularly vented in his diary about Harper ’ s supposed shortcomings . At one point Haldane lobbyied Byng ( GOC Third Army ) to urge Harper to make quicker progress , and when Byng pointed out that IV Corps were making progress recorded “ I should “ progress ” by sending Harper to the rear ” . Postwar . After the War , in 1919 , Harper became General Officer Commanding - in - Chief of Southern Command . On 15 December 1922 Harper was driving from Sherborne to Bradford Abbas when his car skidded and overturned , he died of a fractured skull and his wife was injured . Honours and awards . Harper also was awarded foreign decorations ; Legion of Honour , French Croix de Guerre , Belgian Croix de Guerre , Grand Cross of the Belgian Order of Leopold and the Serbian White Eagle . Family . He married Ella Constance Jackson in 1893 . Books used for citations .