398:, in which the Germans supposedly rendered their own dead soldiers into fats. This story was circulated in several British and international newspapers in 1917. After the war Charteris allegedly claimed in a public speech that he invented it when he deliberately switched captions on two German war pictures: one image showed soldiers killed in battle being taken away for burial, while the other showed horse carcasses being delivered to a processing factory behind German lines. One of his subordinates created a fake diary describing the use of the factory. This was to have been planted on the corpse of a German soldier, to be "found" as proof of the story, but this plan was eventually dropped. Charteris's comments caused a media outcry.
33:
362:, who became the B.E.F.'s Chief of Intelligence briefly in early 1918, testified to the efficiency of the organisation he inherited from Charteris when he replaced him after his dismissal. Bourne argues that although Charteris was wrong about the wider issues of German morale and manpower, he was effective at predicting enemy troop deployments, immediate plans and tactical changes. In Bourne's view, he was not Haig's "evil genius", but rather shared Haig's innate optimism and did nothing to undermine it.
92:
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351:
poor German morale based on interviews with prisoners, and of German manpower shortages based on statistical analysis of their paybooks, which gave a German soldier's age and year of callup. These reports were influential in Haig's decisions affecting the conduct of military campaigns, and were increasingly criticised by Major-General
299:
In August 1914 on the outbreak of World War I, whilst still at the junior officer rank of captain, Charteris was appointed an Aide-de-Camp to Haig, whom he accompanied to France with the
British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F.). In September 1914 Haig issued him with an order to establish an Intelligence
350:
Charteris was sometimes described as Haig's "evil counsellor", and has been blamed by some historians for Haig's errors, with the accusation that he had a propensity in intelligence briefings to provide assessments of the German situation that gave Haig what he wanted to hear. He produced reports of
407:
has written that
Charteris's claim to have invented the story is "demonstrably false" in a number of details. However, it is possible that a fake diary was created but never used. Nevertheless, this fake diary, which Charteris claimed still existed when he made the comments has never been found. In
323:
Charteris was brash, untidy, and liked to start the day with a brandy and soda. He was a sort of licensed jester (known as "The
Principal Boy" due to his rapid promotion) amidst Haig's staid inner circle. In Walter Reid's view he comes across as likeable and able in his own writings, including his
452:
He published three books in his later years concerning his military service, 'Field
Marshal Earl Haig' (1929), 'At GHQ' (1931), and "Haig" (1933) (a condensed version of the 1929 biography). His writings were considered controversial. He had not kept a diary at the time so 'At GHQ' consisted of
402:
says that all the evidence suggests that the story originated in newspaper reports about a real factory for rendering animal corpses. Charteris may have concocted the claim that he invented it in order to impress his audience, not realizing a reporter was present.
453:
papers, notes and letters from the time re-written into diary form. He confessed to sometimes amplifying from memory but by and large the reconstructed "diary" is consistent with records which he kept at the time, e.g. his entry for the
308:. Despite being fluent in French and German Charteris had no background or formal training in intelligence work. He remained in Haig's retinue engaged in this work when I Corps was enlarged and converted into the B.E.F.'s
377:
was recalled to France to replace
Charteris. Charteris' final intelligence reports correctly predicted a German offensive in Spring 1918. Charteris was moved to the job of deputy director of Transportation at GHQ.
347:, began to have doubts about Charteris in the role as the B.E.F.'s Intelligence Chief after an incident in February 1917 when he failed to censor an interview given by Haig to French journalists.
472:—widely held to be the source of the Angels of Mons legend. However, examination of Charteris' original letters gives evidence that these entries and/or dates were falsified, leading
312:
in
December 1914, and then on to the B.E.F.'s General Headquarters, when Haig was appointed Commander-in-Chief in December 1915, where Charteris was promoted by Haig to the rank of
1082:
1112:
416:
He was awarded the C.M.G. in 1919. He served as
Director of Movements and Quartering in India from 1920 to 1921, then as Deputy Adjutant- and Quartermaster-General of
1077:
985:
878:
Entry for the stained glass windows dedicated to the
Charteris's at Tinwald Church, Scottish Military Research Group website, published online 9 January 2007.
32:
154:
135:
817:
515:
He married Noel
Hodgson in October 1913. They had three sons, all of whom became officers in the British Army (one of them, Euan, was killed in the
853:
1122:
1087:
944:
287:
at India HQ 1909–10, then 1910-12 was GSO2 on the
Operations Section of the Indian General Staff. When Haig was appointed to Corps Command at
1072:
697:
1137:
1117:
1027:
441:
214:
186:
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letters to his much younger wife Noel (the "Douglas" frequently referred to in his letters is their infant son. He is cited by the
284:
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889:
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545:
291:
in 1912, as Assistant Military Secretary Captain Charteris was one of the trusted officers who found a place in his retinue.
182:
1036:
1032:
433:
429:
217:(1892). His older brother, also called Archibald Hamilton Charteris (1874-1940), was Professor of International Law at the
369:, where a German counter-attack had retaken almost all the British gains. By the end of 1917 Charteris was known as "the
171:
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340:
313:
273:
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998:
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successes, such as "the master hoax" of World War I, being the story of the existence of a German corpse factory
493:
1102:
1044:
942:
AIM25: Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, King's College London: CHARTERIS, Brig Gen John (1877-1946)
464:
going strong through the 2nd Corps". If authentic, this may be the earliest account of the rumour, predating
460:"At GHQ" also contains a letter from Charteris with the date 5 September 1914, noting that "the story of the
457:
which he states was "not an attempt to win the war at a blow", and that "weeks of hard fighting" lay ahead.
829:
206:
408:
fact Charteris's comments later gave Adolf Hitler rhetorical ammunition to portray the British as liars.
317:
309:
304:
Headquarters, Haig's Command, with the aim of providing operational information on the activities of the
158:
139:
850:
221:, and was suspected with the other brother, Francis James Charteris, Professor of Materia Medica at the
344:
365:
An official inquiry blamed intelligence failures by Charteris' Department for the near debacle at the
825:
473:
437:
395:
328:
as the source for the saying 'Military Intelligence is a contradiction in terms', in his 1931 memoir
179:
941:
355:, intelligence advisor at the War Office. Haig kept him on after his inadequacies had been exposed.
366:
301:
222:
484:
Charteris died at the age of 69 on 4 February 1946 at his home, 'Bourne House', in the village of
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210:
245:
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and Elizabeth Gilchrist (Nee Greer). He was from a distinguished academic family. His uncle was
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571:
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476:, among others, to suggest that Charteris was using the Angels rumour for propaganda purposes.
454:
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However, the historian John Bourne has stated that Charteris was methodical and hardworking.
339:
later commented on how Charteris' "vitality and loud-mouthed exuberance" made him unpopular.
202:
798:
780:
762:
667:
226:
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501:
444:. His areas of political interest were in farming and the welfare of British war veterans.
305:
218:
714:
The First Casualty: The War Correspondent as Hero and Myth-Maker from the Crimea to Kosovo
8:
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233:
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His will was valued for probate at £6,895 4s 11d (around £360,000 at 2024 prices).
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Rumours of Angels: a response to Simpson, Folklore, April 2004 by David Clarke
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in 1907, and was the outstanding graduate of his year in 1909. Major-General
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38:
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125:
387:
868:
Entry for Charteris in the 'Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'.
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in December 1893, and on graduating received a commission into the
197:
Charteris was born on 8 January 1877, probably in Glasgow, son of
993:
241:
59:
586:"Life story: John Charteris | Lives of the First World War"
572:"Life story: John Charteris | Lives of the First World War"
980:
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General Headquarters from 1915 to 1918. In later life he was a
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in Germany. He was fluent in the French and German languages.
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European Powers in the First World War: An Encyclopedia
386:
Charteris was also associated with some notable allied
316:
in 1915 at 38 years of age. Haig also awarded him the
201:(1840–97), Regius Professor of Materia Medica at the
592:
1083:
Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George
209:(1835-1908), Professor of Liberal Criticism at the
136:Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
1113:Graduates of the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
926:. Vol. 11. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
1054:
653:
651:
649:
647:
645:
643:
641:
639:
637:
280:, then Chief of Staff India, became his patron.
236:from 1886 to 1891, then spent a year studying
1078:Companions of the Distinguished Service Order
999:contributions in Parliament by John Charteris
634:
938:, essay on Charteris written by John Bourne.
890:"Compute the Relative Value of a U.K. Pound"
411:
492:. His body was buried in the graveyard of
232:He received his early formal education at
215:General Assembly of the Church of Scotland
31:
797:
779:
761:
743:
666:
320:for his work on his H.Q. Staff in 1915.
251:
918:
731:Propaganda and the Ethics of Persuasion
268:, where he joined the British Imperial
1123:Graduates of the Staff College, Quetta
1055:
815:
728:
724:
722:
543:
428:Charteris left the Army in 1922. From
1088:People educated at Kelvinside Academy
986:John Charteris (British Army officer)
687:John Charteris at First World War.com
373:". In January 1918 Brigadier-General
162:(January 1877 – February 1946) was a
16:British brigadier general (1877–1946)
1073:British Army generals of World War I
954:
1138:19th-century British Army personnel
1118:Bengal Sappers and Miners personnel
719:
544:Tucker, Spencer (7 December 2018).
423:
13:
957:Architect of Victory: Douglas Haig
751:. 14 December 1920. p. 12302.
14:
1149:
974:
525:2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment
500:, which also displays a memorial
440:British Member of Parliament for
1008:Parliament of the United Kingdom
979:
924:Dictionary of National Biography
510:
258:Royal Military Academy, Woolwich
90:
1133:Military personnel from Glasgow
882:
871:
862:
844:
809:
791:
787:. 26 August 1921. p. 6774.
773:
769:. 26 August 1921. p. 6775.
755:
737:
447:
264:in March 1896, and was sent to
1108:University of Göttingen alumni
805:. 16 March 1923. p. 2079.
706:
691:
680:
676:. 27 March 1896. p. 1964.
660:
578:
564:
537:
294:
1:
1093:Unionist Party (Scotland) MPs
381:
192:
37:Charteris being presented to
523:on 3 December 1942 with the
207:Archibald Hamilton Charteris
7:
733:. Broadview. pp. 73–4.
712:Knightley, Phillip (2000).
318:Distinguished Service Order
176:British Expeditionary Force
140:Distinguished Service Order
10:
1154:
959:. Birlinn Ltd, Edinburgh.
912:
816:Clarke, David (May 2003).
345:Secretary of State for War
1040:
1021:
1013:
1006:
826:Dennis Publishing Limited
396:Kadaververwertungsanstalt
131:
121:
111:
103:
83:
66:
46:
30:
23:
1098:Royal Engineers officers
856:10 December 2007 at the
530:
479:
412:Post-war military career
223:University of St Andrews
1128:British Army brigadiers
729:Marlin, Randal (2002).
211:University of Edinburgh
698:"Candid Charteris" in
517:North African Campaign
455:First Day of the Somme
283:Charteris was a staff
225:of the murder of Miss
1017:William Allan Chapple
988:at Wikimedia Commons
955:Reid, Walter (2006).
631:Matthew 2004, pp213-4
498:Dumfries and Galloway
274:Staff College, Quetta
252:Early military career
213:and Moderator of the
203:University of Glasgow
104:Years of service
1024:Member of Parliament
947:7 March 2007 at the
502:stained glass window
306:Imperial German Army
246:Göttingen University
219:University of Sydney
183:Member of Parliament
170:he was the Chief of
818:"The Angel of Mons"
488:, in the county of
420:from 1921 to 1922.
951:at www.aim25.ac.uk
803:The London Gazette
785:The London Gazette
767:The London Gazette
749:The London Gazette
673:The London Gazette
657:Reid 2006, pp156-9
496:Kirk (Church), in
326:Quote Investigator
234:Kelvinside Academy
1051:
1050:
1041:Succeeded by
984:Media related to
557:978-1-135-68425-9
400:Phillip Knightley
375:Edgar William Cox
367:Battle of Cambrai
314:brigadier-general
199:Matthew Charteris
148:Brigadier General
145:
144:
116:Brigadier General
1145:
1103:UK MPs 1924–1929
1014:Preceded by
1004:
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983:
970:
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906:
905:
903:
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896:on 31 March 2016
892:. Archived from
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841:
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832:on 16 March 2008
828:. Archived from
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424:Political career
360:Herbert Lawrence
337:George S. Duncan
335:Haig's chaplain
227:Marion Gilchrist
166:officer. During
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504:to his memory.
482:
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418:Eastern Command
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262:Royal Engineers
256:He entered the
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70:4 February 1946
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894:the original
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834:. Retrieved
830:the original
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716:. Prion. 105
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278:Douglas Haig
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172:Intelligence
164:British Army
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122:Battles/wars
98:British Army
72:(1946-02-04)
18:
1068:1946 deaths
1063:1877 births
997:1803–2005:
799:"No. 32806"
781:"No. 32437"
763:"No. 32437"
745:"No. 32162"
668:"No. 26725"
295:World War I
270:Indian Army
238:Mathematics
168:World War I
126:World War I
1057:Categories
470:The Bowmen
388:propaganda
382:Propaganda
341:Lord Derby
310:First Army
300:Office in
229:in 1908 .
193:Early life
62:, Scotland
53:1877-01-08
39:Queen Mary
353:Macdonogh
330:At G.H.Q.
289:Aldershot
185:(MP) for
107:1893–1922
79:, England
945:Archived
922:(2004).
900:18 March
854:Archived
836:13 March
84:Service/
994:Hansard
913:Sources
519:during
494:Tinwald
436:he was
343:, then
302:I Corps
285:captain
242:Physics
174:at the
60:Glasgow
41:in 1917
963:
930:
554:
490:Surrey
486:Thorpe
432:until
371:U-boat
240:&
132:Awards
95:
86:branch
77:Surrey
531:Notes
480:Death
157:
1037:1929
1033:1924
1026:for
961:ISBN
928:ISBN
902:2017
838:2008
702:1925
700:Time
552:ISBN
434:1929
430:1924
390:and
266:Asia
112:Rank
67:Died
47:Born
1043:Dr
527:).
468:'s
244:at
159:DSO
155:CMG
1059::
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747:.
721:^
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636:^
594:^
332:)
189:.
1035:–
969:.
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55:)
51:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
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