Rommel's first senior combat opponent in North Africa

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ClintHardware
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Rommel's first senior combat opponent in North Africa

#1

Post by ClintHardware » 13 Jul 2014, 09:27

We often read write ups of Rommels pre-North Africa experiences (rightly so) so I thought you might like to read something about the Brigadier whose dispositions at El Agehila and Mersa Brega were encountered by Rommel. Latham's artillery background must have caused him to have a particular interest in making sure that the 104th RHA could make the best use their 25-Pdrs. I found the following by searching for Latham on Google which also included information from the London Gazette:

Quote from my research begins:

Some details of Brigadier Latham’s combat experience can be gleaned from the history of the 9th Brigade R.F.A. It arrived at Marseilles from Meerut, India, in October 1914, and took up position on the banks of the La Bassée Canal covering Festubert. The main actions which involved the 9th Brigade R.F.A. included the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (10th March 1915) the attack on Aubers Ridge (9th May 1915), the Battle of Loos (25th September 1915) and the attack on Hohenzollern Redoubt. (13-24th October 1915).

In November 1915 the brigade was sent to Mesopotamia. The battery took part in the several attempts to relieve Kut-el-Amara and in the continuous fighting until the end of 1917, including repeated attacks on the Hannah and Sannaiyat positions, the occupation of Baghdad (March 1917) and an attack on Istabulet (April 1917). As Captain Latham he had taken on the onerous Brigade Major role in September 1917 in Mesopotamia. At the end of 1917, the Battery was sent to France once more and was involved in the 2nd Battle of Arras (April 1918) and the attack on the Hindenburg Line, west of the canal du Nord, south of Moeuvres (27 September 1918). The brigade returned to England in April 1919.

In 1924, Captain Latham was the owner and rider of the race horse Laddoux winning the Royal Artillery Gold Cup at Sandown Park.

End quote:

In the 1930s Latham had been tasked with leading and training Territorial Army Artillery units. Not sure if he had left the Regular Army or was attached to the T.A.

I did the digging because I was interested to see what if any combat experience Rommel's first officer opponents had had.
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Urmel
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Re: Rommel's first senior combat opponent in North Africa

#2

Post by Urmel » 13 Jul 2014, 14:20

Interesting. I guess it's fair to say that the Royal Artillery provided the brains in the Army operations, at least early in the war. :)

My other guess is that this early in the war almost every Brigadier and above would have served in World War I.
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ClintHardware
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Re: Rommel's first senior combat opponent in North Africa

#3

Post by ClintHardware » 13 Jul 2014, 17:25

Yes WW1 experience very likely as you say. Neame was a VC winner in WW1 and rose through the officer ranks post-war despite all the competition caused by under funding. Being an Engineer he was very much a man of logic and logistics - its a shame he gets very badly described for events far beyond his resources to resolve.
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