Hubert Plumer

Herbert Plumer was born in 1857. He served in Sudan (1884) and led the army that relieved Mafeking during the Boer War (1899-1901).

On the outbreak of the First World War Plumer was placed in command of the II Corps of the British Expeditionary Force. In May 1915 was promoted to commander of the Second Army on the Western Front and was responsible for the sector around Ypres until the autumn of 1917.

Plumber was sent to the Italy in November 1917 but was recalled to France in the autumn of 1918 to take part in the final stages of the war on the Western Front.

Plumber was made a field marshal in 1919 and served as Governor of Malta (1919-24) and High Commissioner of Palestine (1925-28).

Sir Herbert Plumer died in 1932.

Primary Sources

(1) Philip Gibbs was a journalist who reported the war on the Western Front.

The only general who had some personal affection from the men was old Plumer commanding the Second Army. A stout little old man, with a walrus moustache and a plump little belly below his belt. He was very active and went about his lines looking after the comfort of the men and talking to them in trenches and billets.