General muses on the future of warfare (From Malvern Gazette)

General muses on the future of warfare

8:20am Friday 3rd February 2012 in Malvern Memories

THE First World War was still 29 months away in February 1912, but there was a certain military feel to the Gazette this week 100 years ago.

Columnist Ariel reported on the annual dinner of the Malvern Battery of the Royal Artillery, at which the special guest was Major-General Thorneycroft, "a distinguished soldier, recently appointed to the command of the Midland District".

"General Thorneycroft, in a soldierlike and businesslike speech, reviewed the future of the Army, and drew attention to the fact, which is sometimes forgotten, that a powerful Navy is no good unless backed up by an efficient Army. Turning to the latter service, he predicted great developments in the future.

"Modern warfare will be carried out on totally different lines to what it had hitherto been. The powerful engines of destruction which are now used in war are sufficient to annihilate any army before one can say the proverbial 'Jack Robinson', and as a man of peace I can only express the hope that so terrible will be the effects of these engines of destruction that they will effectually deter nations from settling their differences in such a barbarous manner.

"General Thorneycroft sees a great future for aeroplanes and insists that no general can in future hope to form his plan of campaign without taking them into account.

"Mechanical means of transit will also, he thinks, displace a good many of the horses used for army purposes. So that altogether the army is likely to be considerably remodelled."