John Charteris
Encyclopedia
Brigadier General
John Charteris CMG
, DSO
(1877–1946) was a British
general during the First World War. He was Sir Douglas Haig
's Chief of British Army Intelligence Officer at the British Expeditionary Force's headquarters from 1915 to 1918.
Despite his grasp of military intelligence
, Charteris was an unpopular officer sometimes described as Haig's "evil counsellor", or "The Principal Boy" due to his rapid promotion. A key influence on Haig, he is sometimes blamed for Haig's errors. His intelligence reports were crucial in strategic decisions and "during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and at Cambrai, Charteris was certainly guilty of being overly optimistic with regard to the Allies' chances of success at both set-piece battles."
Haig was later forced to dismiss Charteris after Charteris angered Lord Derby
, then Minister of War. In January 1918 Brigadier-General Edgar William Cox
was recalled to France to replace Charteris.
Charteris continued to advise Haig on intelligence affairs, and correctly predicted a German offensive in Spring 1918.
and disinformation
successes such as "the master hoax" of World War I, the story of the German corpse factory Kadaververwertungsanstalt
. Charteris deliberately switched captions on two German war pictures: one image showed soldiers killed in battle being taken away for burial, while the other showed horse carcasses being delivered to a processing factory behind German lines. After the war Charteris claimed the deception, causing a media outcry.
A letter from Charteris, dated 5 September 1914, noted "the story of the Angels of Mons
[is] going strong through the 2nd Corps". This may be the earliest account of the rumour. If authentic, this reference would pre-date Arthur Machen
's The Bowmen—widely held to be the source of the Angels of Mons legend.
However, this letter was published in 1931 in compilation book At G.H.Q., and its authenticity is questionable. Examination of Charteris' original letters gives evidence that these entries and/or dates were falsified, leading David Clarke, among others, to suggest that Charteris was using the Angels rumour for propaganda purposes.
After the war he was the Conservative
MP for Dumfriesshire
. He wrote several books on Haig.
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
John Charteris CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(1877–1946) was a British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
general during the First World War. He was Sir Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig
Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I.Douglas Haig may also refer to:* Club Atlético Douglas Haig, a football club from Argentina* Douglas Haig , American actor...
's Chief of British Army Intelligence Officer at the British Expeditionary Force's headquarters from 1915 to 1918.
Despite his grasp of military intelligence
Military intelligence
Military intelligence is a military discipline that exploits a number of information collection and analysis approaches to provide guidance and direction to commanders in support of their decisions....
, Charteris was an unpopular officer sometimes described as Haig's "evil counsellor", or "The Principal Boy" due to his rapid promotion. A key influence on Haig, he is sometimes blamed for Haig's errors. His intelligence reports were crucial in strategic decisions and "during the Third Battle of Ypres (Passchendaele) and at Cambrai, Charteris was certainly guilty of being overly optimistic with regard to the Allies' chances of success at both set-piece battles."
Haig was later forced to dismiss Charteris after Charteris angered Lord Derby
Edward Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby
Edward George Villiers Stanley, 17th Earl of Derby KG, GCB, GCVO, TD, PC, KGStJ, JP , known as Lord Stanley from 1893 to 1908, was a British soldier, Conservative politician, diplomat and racehorse owner. He was twice Secretary of State for War and also served as British Ambassador to...
, then Minister of War. In January 1918 Brigadier-General Edgar William Cox
Edgar William Cox
Brigadier-General Edgar William Cox, DSO, FRGS was a senior intelligence officer on the British General Staff throughout most of the First World War who drowned in suspicious circumstances whilst swimming in August 1918 shortly after the German successes in the Spring Offensive which drove the...
was recalled to France to replace Charteris.
Charteris continued to advise Haig on intelligence affairs, and correctly predicted a German offensive in Spring 1918.
Propaganda
He has also been associated with some notable allied propagandaPropaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
and disinformation
Disinformation
Disinformation is intentionally false or inaccurate information that is spread deliberately. For this reason, it is synonymous with and sometimes called black propaganda. It is an act of deception and false statements to convince someone of untruth...
successes such as "the master hoax" of World War I, the story of the German corpse factory Kadaververwertungsanstalt
Kadaververwertungsanstalt
The Kadaververwertungsanstalten , also sometimes called the "German Corpse-Rendering Works" or "Tallow Factory" was one of the most notorious British anti-German propaganda efforts of World War I....
. Charteris deliberately switched captions on two German war pictures: one image showed soldiers killed in battle being taken away for burial, while the other showed horse carcasses being delivered to a processing factory behind German lines. After the war Charteris claimed the deception, causing a media outcry.
A letter from Charteris, dated 5 September 1914, noted "the story of the Angels of Mons
Angels of Mons
The Angels of Mons is a popular legend about a group of angels who supposedly protected members of the British army in the Battle of Mons at the outset of World War I...
[is] going strong through the 2nd Corps". This may be the earliest account of the rumour. If authentic, this reference would pre-date Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen
Arthur Machen was a Welsh author and mystic of the 1890s and early 20th century. He is best known for his influential supernatural, fantasy, and horror fiction. His novella The Great God Pan has garnered a reputation as a classic of horror...
's The Bowmen—widely held to be the source of the Angels of Mons legend.
However, this letter was published in 1931 in compilation book At G.H.Q., and its authenticity is questionable. Examination of Charteris' original letters gives evidence that these entries and/or dates were falsified, leading David Clarke, among others, to suggest that Charteris was using the Angels rumour for propaganda purposes.
After the war he was the Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP for Dumfriesshire
Dumfriesshire (UK Parliament constituency)
Dumfriesshire was a county constituency represented in the of the House of Commons of Great Britain from 1708 to 1801 and of the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1801 until 2005. It was known as Dumfries from 1950...
. He wrote several books on Haig.