Arthur Paget (British Army officer)

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Arthur Paget (British Army officer) bigraphy, stories - British Army general

Arthur Paget (British Army officer) : biography

1 March 1851 – 8 December 1928

General Sir Arthur Henry Fitzroy Paget GCB, GCVO, PC (Ire) (1 March 1851 – 8 December 1928) was a soldier who reached the rank of General and served as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, where he was partly responsible for the Curragh Incident.

Curragh Incident

Main Article: Curragh Incident

With Irish Home Rule due to become law in 1914, the Cabinet were beginning to contemplate some kind of military action against the Ulster Volunteers who wanted no part of it. French (CIGS) and Seely (Secretary of State for War) summoned Paget to the War Office for talks. Paget’s letter (19 October 1913) suggests that he wanted “partial mobilisation”.Holmes 2004, p169

The following spring, Paget was sent a letter by the secretary of the Army Council warning that “evil-disposed persons” might attempt to seize weapons. Paget reported that he was drawing up plans to protect arms depots as ordered, but warning that large-scale troop movements would exacerbate the situation. Paget was summoned to London for a meeting with the Cabinet Committee on Ireland and other officers.Holmes 2004, p174-5 On the evening of 18 March Paget wired Maj-Gen Friend that the troop movements were to be completed by dawn on Sunday 31 March. Paget was summoned to another meeting on 19 March at which Seely declared that the government was pressing ahead with Home Rule and had no intention of allowing civil war to break out, suggesting that the Ulster Volunteers were to be crushed if they attempted to start one. Paget said that he would “lead his Army to the Boyne” – French immediately told him not to be “a bloody fool”.Holmes 2004, p176-7

Paget travelled to Dublin that night in a state of high excitement, having been given no written orders (it is unclear whether or not this was because there were things which the politicians were reluctant to put in writing). The next morning (Friday 20 March), Paget addressed senior officers at his headquarters in Dublin. Three different accounts (written by Paget, Fergusson and Gough in his memoirs “Soldiering On”) exist, but it is clear that Paget exacerbated the situation. Paget claimed that with French’s assistance he had obtained “concessions” from Seely, namely that officers who lived in Ulster would be permitted to “disappear” for the duration, but that other officers who refused to serve against Ulster would be dismissed rather than being permitted to resign. By Gough’s account, he said that “active operations were to commence against Ulster” and that Gough – who had a family connection to Ulster but did not actually live there – could expect no mercy from his “old friend at the War Office”. French, Paget and Ewart had actually (on 19 March) agreed that officers with “direct family connections” to Ulster should be left behind. In effectively offering his officers an ultimatum, Paget was acting foolishly, as the majority would probably have obeyed if simply ordered north. Paget ended the meeting by ordering his officers to speak to their subordinates and then report back. Gough did not attend the second meeting in the afternoon, at which Paget confirmed that the purpose of the move was to overawe Ulster rather than fight, but at which he claimed that the orders had the King’s personal sanction. Holmes 2004, p178-9

Paget informed the War Office by telegram (evening of 20 March) that 57 officers preferred to accept dismissal (it was actually 61 including Gough). On the morning of Saturday 21 March Fergusson toured units, assuring them of his own unionist sympathies but urging them to do their duty – this action had a good effect. Paget did the same but his speech was described by one colonel as “absolutely unconvincing and inconclusive”. Holmes 2004, p179-80

The elderly Field-Marshal Roberts later learned from an interview with Seely (21 March) that Paget had been acting without authority in talking of “active operations” and in giving officers a chance to discuss hypothetical orders and attempt to resign. This news helped persuade Hubert Gough to remain in the Army, albeit with a written guarantee (which the government then repudiated) that the Army would not be used against Ulster. Holmes 2004, p181-3