THE military career of a soldier dubbed the Butcher of the Somme is to be looked at during a lecture later this month.
Author and history lecturer John Bourne is to look at the controversial career of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig at the Durham Light Infantry Museum and Durham Art Gallery on Saturday, June 28.
He was appointed Commander in Chief of the British Expeditionary Force in 1915, but dismissed machine guns and tanks as over-rated, and believed "grit and determination" could overcome them.
He earned the title the Butcher of the Somme after his strategy at the Battle of the Somme resulted in the loss of 400,000 British soldiers.
While some historians believed the Oxford-educated military man to have been obstinate, unapproachable and excessively vain, others believe he was an educated soldier who adopted new military methods, but was undermined by Prime Minister David Lloyd George and a lack of manpower.
John Bourne, director of the Centre for First World War Studies at Birmingham University, will give an appraisal of Haig's character. The talk starts at 2pm and tickets are £3.50, with £2.50 concessions, and £1.50 for season ticket holders.
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