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HERBERT LAWRENCE
Herbert Alexander Lawrence was born in London on 8th August 1861. Educated at Harrow School, he was commissioned from Sandhurst into the 17th Lancers in 1882. Initially stationed in India, he stud- ied at the Staff College Camberley in 1894. Later, he served on the intelligence staff during the Boer War for which he was twice Mentioned in Des- patches and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel.
Lawrence resigned his commission in 1903 and carved out a highly successful career as a city banker. In 1907 he became a partner in the bank of Glyn, Mills, Currie and Co and was also a director of the Ottoman Bank and Midland Railways. Con- currently, he remained in the Territorial Army com- manding King Edward’s Horse 1904-09. On the outbreak of the Great War, Lawrence volunteered for further service and, holding the rank of substan- tive major, was a staff officer in the Yeomanry Divi- sion in Egypt and Gallipoli before being promoted to Brigadier and taking command of 127th (Man- chester) Brigade in June 1915. Further promoted to command a division, he had notable success in Egypt where his defeat of the Turks returned the Sinai Desert to British control.
However, Lawrence fell out of favour after oppos- ing the plan to invade Palestine and so was given command of a reserve Division (66th Lancashire) on the Western Front. During the winter of 1917- 18, in an attempt to revitalise the BEF, which had become bogged down in attritional trench warfare, Field Marshal Haig reshuffled his headquarters and, in a surprise appointment, Lawrence became Chief Intelligence Officer. Then,
However, in early 1919, with a glittering military career beckoning and the highest commands within touching distance, Lawrence promptly resigned his commission and returned to Glyn, Mills and Co as a managing partner. The bank then acquired Holt’s, the military bank, and Child & Co becoming the largest private bank in the country and opening a magnificent office building at 67 Lombard Street in 1933. Concurrently, he was also chairman of Vickers, one of the world’s foremost armaments firms. By 1939, by now chairman of the
bank and with the nickname ‘father of the city,’ he realised that another world war, and the potential loss of younger partners, could cripple the bank with death duties. He duly sold out to Royal Bank of Scotland, remaining as chair- man until his death in 1943.
There is little doubt that Lawrence only ever intended to ‘do his bit’ and was thus very much a wartime sol- dier and a ‘professional amateur.’ As such, he was not afraid to question established practices, carry out much- needed reforms, criticise more experi-
enced colleagues and, above all, stand up to the notoriously stubborn Haig. Herbert Lawrence was almost certainly the only officer to climb six rungs up the promotion ladder during the war.
a few weeks later, after creating a
favourable initial impression, he
was elevated to the crucial position
of Haig’s Chief of Staff. Promoted
to general, Lawrence was a calm-
ing influence during the hectic
retreat following the March 1918
German lightning offensive. Then,
as the lines steadied, his meticu-
lous attention to detail and careful
planning ensured that the British
regained the lost ground, incorpo-
rated increasing numbers of Ameri-
can troops and pushed forward to
victory in November 1918. Lawrence was knighted and showered with awards from the USA, France, Belgium, Serbia, Portugal, Rumania, and Japan. His successes were, however, tinged with sadness as both of his sons were killed in action.
Promoted
to general, Lawrence was a calming influence during the hectic retreat following the March
1918 German lightning offensive
130 HISTORICAL