Richard Haking

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Sir Richard Cyril Byrne Haking, GBE, KCB, KCMG (1862 - 1945) was a British General in the First World War.

A professor at the Staff College prior to 1914, he was given command of the 5th Brigade on the outbreak of war in August, and travelled to the Western Front. On 14 September he received a head wound that required three months' recuperation.

On his return to duty he commanded the 1st Division from December to September 1915. He then moved to command XI Corps, where he remained until the end of the war.

Haking acquired a reputation as a "butcher" while the fighting was still taking place (a commander willing to fight battles of attrition - felt to be pointless and resented by those who served under his command). Although other First World War generals have also gained this label, this has principally occurred after the war ended. For example, during the Battle of the Somme he launched an attack by 15th Brigade during the Battle of Fromelles that had little discernable tactical purpose and became a fiasco - and almost two whole battalions were lost as casualties. This earned the undying disgust of its commander, Brigadier-General Harold 'Pompey' Elliott.

After being sent to reinforce the Italian Front after the Battle of Caporetto from November 1917 to March 1918, XI Corps was returned to the Western Front, and was stationed at Bethune. It was almost immediately engaged by the assault in the German Spring Offensive of that year. Overall, the Corps protected the Channel ports, although some sections of the Corps were all but destroyed. In particular the 2nd Portuguese Division suffered 7,000 casualties and 300 officers (out of a divisional strength of 20,000) in the Battle of Estaires.