Brigadier General Sir James Edmonds

[armourersergeant]

Can anyone supply me with a brief outline of Edmonds career. I know he was GSO1 for 4th Div in 1914 and obviously that he was the main historian who compiled the official works but he seems to have risen only one rank from Colonel to Brigadier in four years. Also what arm or branch of service was he.

Many other members of 4th div staff in 1914 went higher and better in the war and also later years, like Elles, Montgomery-Massingberd, Hitchcock,Milne.

Ta

[Bryn_Hammond]

EDMONDS, Brig Gen Sir James Edward (1861-1956)

Born in 1861; educated at King's College School, London and Royal Military Academy, Woolwich; entered Royal Engineers, 1881; Capt, 1890; Major, 1899; Instructor, Royal Military Academy, 1890-1896; Staff College, 1896-1897; Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, Intelligence Division, War Office, 1899-1901; publication of Handbook of the German Army (HMSO, London, 1900); served in South Africa, 1901-1902; Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General, Intelligence Division, War Office, 1904-1908; publication of A history of the Civil War in the United States, 1861-1865 (with Henry Spencer Wilkinson) (Methuen and Co, London, 1905); Lt Col, 1906; Secretary to British Delegation to Geneva Conference, 1906; British Delegate to Red Cross Conference, 1907; Col, 1909; General Staff Officer Grade 1, War Office, 1909-1910; General Staff Officer Grade 1, 4 Div, 1911-1914; publication of Land warfare: an exposition of the laws and usages of war on land for the guidance of officers of His Majesty's Army (with Lassa Francis Lawrence Oppenheim (War Office publication, 1912); served at General HQ, BEF, 1914-1918; Deputy Engineer-in-Chief, BEF, 1918; Officer in charge of Military Branch, Historical Section, Committee of Imperial Defence, 1919–1949; publication of Military operations: France and Belgium (13 volumes) (HMSO, London, 1922-1948) and Military operations: Italy (with Henry Rudolph Davies) (HMSO, London, 1949), parts of the official history of World War One; publication of A short history of World War One (Oxford University Press, London, 1951); died in 1956.

OK, I cut-and-pasted this from the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives site, where he has some papers. There's an article about Edmonds by Prof. David French in the Journal of RUSI called "'Official But Not History'? Sir James Edmonds and the Official History of the Great War' (No. 131, Mar. 1986) and Tim Travers's book 'The Killing Ground' has some comments on Edmonds supposed pro-Haig bias.

Edmonds nickname was 'Archimedes' - well that's appropriate for an Engineer!

[armourersergeant]

Thats spooky Bryn as i was after the info so i could post it on the Birm uni first world war web site in the nicknames section and i had seen a letter/reply about the Loos section of the official war history and the Pro from Forestier-Walker where he addresses him as Archimedes.

Went to send it and realised that i knew nothing other than what i posted at the beginning of this thread so thought i'd come here.

thanks

Arm.