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Douglas Haig was the son of the Scottish distiller of Haig's Whisky. He was an ambitious officer who was often critical of his senior officers, especially Kitchener, Lord Roberts and Sir John French. His first experience of action was at Atbara in the Sudan while he was serving as an officer in the Egyptian Army. In the Boer War he at one time commanded a column of 2,500 men but had several staff posts. He became the youngest major-general in the British Army in 1904 and by the beginning of the First World War he was second in command under French. He became the Commander-in-Chief in December 1915 and is generally regarded as being responsible for the horrendous casualties sustained in the battle of the Somme and subsequent large scale battles. He was created Earl Haig in 1919 but died of a heart attack at the relatively early age of 66. He was given a state Funeral on 3rd Feb 1928.
1861 19th June, born in Edinburgh
1880 Brassnose College, Oxford
1883 RMA Sandhurst
1885 7th Feb, Lieutenant in 7th Hussars
1888 Adjutant, 25th July (until 24th July 1892)
1891 Captain, 23rd Jan
1894 ADC to Inspector General of Cavalry
1898 Brevet major, 16th Nov
1898 Egyptian Army, 28th Jan to 29th Sep 1898
1899 Major, 26th June
1899 Brigade Major, Cavalry Brigade at Aldershot, 6th May to 22nd Sep 1899
1899 DAAG Natal, 23rd Sep to 8th Oct
1899 DAAG South Africa, 9th Oct 1899 to 19th Feb 1900
1900 AAG South Africa, 20th Feb 1900 to 16th Jul 1901
1900 Brevet Lieut-Colonel, 29th Nov
1901 Lieut-Colonel in command of 17th Lancers
1902 Brevet Colonel, 22nd Aug and ADC to King (until 30th April 1904)
1903 Colonel, 30th Oct, and Inspector General of Cavalry in India (until 12th Aug 1906)
1903 Director of Military Training, Army HQ, 25th Aug (until 8th Nov 1907)
1904 Major-General, 1st May
1905 Married Dorothy Vivian, great-grand-daughter of Sir Richard Hussey Vivian (4 children)
1907 Director of Staff Duties, 9th Nov 9 (until 6th Oct 1909)
1909 Chief of General Staff, India, 22nd Oct (until 20th Feb 1912)
1910 Lieut-General, 31st Oct
1912 GOC Aldershot, 1st Mar
1912 Colonel of 17th Lancers, 14th May (until 31st Mar 1919)
1915 Appointed Commander-in-Chief BEF, 10th Dec
1917 Promoted to Field Marshal, 1st Jan
1919 Created 1st Earl Haig. March
1919 Colonel of Royal Horse Guards, 23rd July
1923 Colonel of KOSB, 24th Sep
1928 died on 29th Jan
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