The Forgotten Career of Major Trafford Leigh Mallory, 1914-1918: A Leadership Perspective

The Forgotten Career of Major Trafford LeighMallory, 1914-1918 A Leadership Perspective Ross Mahoney Centre for Second World War Studies University of Birmingham Introduction The Problem • Views of Leigh-Mallory coloured by his role in the Second World War – Battle of Britain – Battle for Normandy • • • • • Lack of personal papers Need for a more effective analysis of his contribution First World War provides context Impact of these early experiences Two key documents – History of Tank and Aeroplane Co-Operation – War Experience of Wing Commander Trafford LeighMallory The Officers Trinity • Clausewitz and Military Genius • Command and the Tactical and Technical Level of War • Leadership • Command • Management • Management Vs. Morale The Decision to Join Up • Background • Patriotic fervour  ‘Public school codes of duty, self-sacrifice and discipline… permeated society…[and]…underpinned the patriotic response of many volunteers’  Peter Simkins ‘The Four Armies, 1914-1918’  ‘Excellent news of Trafford – it will be very good for him and he will enjoy himself too.’  George Mallory to Annie Leigh-Mallory, 18 August 1914 • Confusion over early service Service in the Trenches • Deployed to France to serve with the 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment • Unhappy with life in the trenches… ‘As a platoon commander , I found the limitations of life in the trenches rather irksome. One was confined to a small trench, with little room for moving about, the horizon being limited by a rather restricted view of the hostile trenches opposite.’ ‘One perhaps heard sounds of bombardment…yet no one knew what was in progress…’ ‘With regard to fighting, what struck me most forcibly was the extraordinary confusion…during an attack. No one seemed to know where our troops really had got to… ‘These experiences in the infantry firmly impressed in my mind the importance of locating our leading troops accurately.’  L-M, ‘The War Experience of Wing Commander Trafford LeighMallory’ Joining the Royal Flying Corps  While in France, I had often seen aeroplanes fly…over the sector in which I was, and I decided that if ever I got back to England I would leave no stone unturned to come out again in some flying capacity.’  L-M, ‘The War Experience of Wing Commander Trafford LeighMallory’ • • • Appeal and Regrets Applies to join on 1 October 1915 Reports to No. 1 School of Aeronautics, Reading, on 4 January 1916 • Graduates from the CFS on 8 June 1916 ‘My life as a Flying Officer was most enjoyable.’  L-M, ‘The War Experience of Wing Commander Trafford LeighMallory’ • Service in a Corps Squadron • Promoted to Fight Commander Command of No. 8 Squadron • Appointed in November 1917 • • A tired unit • • Change of personnel • • Retreat • • Management of the squadron • • Allocated to the Tank Corps Pace of Air Operations Work with the Tank Corps • • • Primary role from July 1918 onwards Development led by No. 8 Squadron L-M flies the first Tank Contact Patrol during the Battle of Hamel, 4/7/1918 • Also developed Counter Attack Patrols • Role in the Battle of Amiens and the Hundred Days Campaign ‘Between July and November 1918 this relatively junior officer played a vital role in an important area of tactical development -a situation incongruous with the BEF's supposed centralised attitude to command and inflexible approach to military operations.  Bryn Hammond ‘The Theory and Practice of Tank Co-Operation with Other Arms on the Western Front during the First World War’ p. 275 Shared Experience • Background • • Arm of Service • • Decision to join the RFC/RAF • • Command experience • • Principal front • • Speciality Conclusion • Unique? • • An effective squadron commander   ‘…the co-operation of aeroplane with tanks is of incalculable importance, the aeroplanes protecting the tanks and the tanks protecting the infantry.’  • J F C Fuller, Tanks in the Great War, p. 249 • Did specialising in Army Co-Operation prove a barrier promotion? • • Inter-war career   ‘There was a tremendous esprit de corps developing…It was a joy and inspiration to us. Men like Leigh-Mallory were at the root of it.  Air Commodore Ferdinand ‘Freddie’ West VC, CBE, MC in P R Reid, Winged Diplomat, p. 88