Launcelot Kiggell

Sir Launcelot Edward Kiggell, KCB, KCMG ( born October 2, 1862 in Ballingarry, † February 23, 1954 in Felixstowe ) was a British officer, Lieutenant-General and last used during the First World War from 1915 to 1917 on the Western Front.

Life

Kiggell was confidant of General Sir Douglas Haig and in 1914 promoted to Major General. He served until November 1915 at the War Ministry and was set up in December by Haig as Chief of the General Staff of the expeditionary force. Kiggell had no practical leadership experience by then and was a view supported traditional schematic invasive procedures. This proved in the course of the Somme battles as disastrous and heavy losses for the British Expeditionary Force, as Kiggell Haig urged to adhere to this rigid approach. Meanwhile, with the rank of lieutenant-general, to Kiggell increasing criticism of other staff officers looked whether this procedure exposed. In the late autumn of 1917 he visited after the fighting front and suffered a nervous breakdown.

After his recovery, he being in command as Lieutenant Governor of Guernsey in 1918.