The Captured General’s Viewpoint
Although his capture pre-dated events on the Somme, the taking prisoner of General Victor Williams at Mont Sorrel on 2 June 1916 resulted in the general’s somewhat surprisingly candid revelations to his captors.
What he expressed of his views to his interrogators perhaps helped cement some of the German army’s opinions of their English opponents. In many aspects, his somewhat incendiary pronouncements were views that were later repeated in many of the German ‘Erfahrungsberichte’, including those reproduced above.
History does not record, however, whether these documented views were ever later expressed by General Williams, post war, or whether his erstwhile colleagues on Field Marshal Sir John French’s General Staff ever became aware of his opinious about his comrades-in-arms, the English.
The following, then, is a translation of the document held in German archives:
Nachrichtenoffizier A.O.K 4. A.H.QU., 21 June 1916
B.NR.4040.
Secret!
Extract of conversation with the Canadian General of Brigade Victor Williams Commander of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade (3rd Canadian Division).
Wounded and taken prisoner on 2 June 1916, east of Zillebeke.
The conversation took place in the Hôpital Municipal of Courtrai, where the General, who is currently not fit for transport is being treated for basal skull fracture and a broken rib.
The prisoner is aged 51, has been a soldier for 35 years and has participated and distinguished himself in the South-african War. Before the outbreak of war, he was General-adjutant of the Canadian Armed Forces.
During the description of the
events on the morning of 2 June - his birthday - he talked bitterly about the lack of skill of the English artillery, which took absolutely no notice of the infantry’s urgent demands for retaliatory fire. Only when the commander of the division the now fallen Major-general Mercer - who was also present in the furthermost position, gave a direct order to the commander of the artillery for livelier firing activity, did the fire become stronger.
The General then talked about the difficulties of the section between Hooge and the Yprescomines railway, which he sees as one of the most dangerous of the entire western front. In the middle of March, when the 3rd Canadian Division took over the trenches from the 24th English Division, these had partially been in an unbelievable state.
At this instance, the General expressed his blatant dislike of the English; literally, he said1:
‘If the Germans want to punish me, they only need to put me together with English officers. I would sooner stay with my privates than to get mixed up with the English’.
He made particularly disparaging remarks about the accomplishments of the English General Staff, who he describes as a ‘...general staff of amateurs2’, who would do better if they passed command of the British Armed Forces in France to the Supreme Command of the French Army. In this war, the English General Staff had not a single man with strategic talent to show for itself.
The greatest folly by the English leadership during this campaign had been committed at Loos in September 1915. After the German 117. Division had been as good as overrun in the first attempt, divisions in reserve should have been shifted to the breach, instead of leaving the Germans time to counter attack. It was only due to this deplorable lack of English decisionmaking ability that the Germans were still standing on Vimy Ridge not already between Douai and Lille.
The General rates the French Army equal in quality to the German Army. The greatness of the German soldier was based mainly on his discipline, in terms of personal decisiveness and speed of action. However, the French soldier is superior.
The French and English newspaper reports about fighting at Verdun only spoke of futile German sacrifice and must not be taken seriously. Higher ranked English officers were well aware of what was at stake at Verdun. The General doesn’t rule out that the English, taking into the regard the continuation of the German Meuse offensives and the large French casualties, will sooner or later launch a major attack; it is unlikely however that the area of Ypres is under consideration for this.
The General then addressed the current situation in the Ypres-salient. In his opinion, which is the same as that of many higher ranking officers, the 2nd Battle of Ypres in April/may 1915 left the Salient too small and it should have been immediately evacuated. German artillery observers on Hill 60, north of the Ypres-comines railway, dominated the most important part of the Ypres-salient; every British division there, even though there had been no major fighting, suffered severe casualties. The Ypres-salient was held by the British Army only for reasons of prestige. It could not be ruled out that further heavy casualties will sooner or later lead to a voluntary evacuation of the Salient.
Looking back on his military career, the General stated he would never have believed that he would once have to fight the Germans. All earlier Canadian military measures had solely been aimed against the United States of America, whose Imperialistic ambitions had been watched with great concern, especially after the Spanish-american
1. The German reports here quotes him in English.
2. Again quoted in English.
3. This statement is followed by a note by the Intel-officer of 4th Army [N.O.4] : ‘Consistent with the facts’. It seems that someone had already checked this at an earlier point in time.
4. This whole statement of Williams made it into several regimental histories published after the war, where it is quoted without mentioning the General as a source.
War. Only after the tainting of American-japanese relations, and the aggravation of the Mexican question, has Canada relaxed about possible annexation intentions of the United States. As it is generally known, the Canadians don’t have great sympathy for the ‘Yankees’.
Several times, the General pointed out that the Canadian people, in contrast to the English, are not filled with any hate for the Germans. That was particularly the case among Canadian troops, who saw the German soldier as a brave and chivalrous opponent. As such, one would rarely find the terms ‘Huns’ and ‘Boches’, which are used by the English and French, in letters or diaries of Canadian prisoners.3 The Canadian nickname for the Germans is ‘Fritz’.4
In regards to relations between Canada and Germany after the war, the General is of the opinion that they will soon be back to their normal character. The number of influential Canadians of German descent, and the great popularity of German settlers, known for diligence and efficiency, would be a guarantee for it.
After this terrible bloodletting, Canada would be reliant on immigration more than ever before. For this reason alone, it would be unwise to keep German immigrants away by anti-german policies.
The General himself is sympathetic to the Germans and has in the past studied the German language. He has many Canadians of German descent among his friends.