The Real Reason Why Our Forces Will Never Have Everything They Need to Fight a War

The news that half of our army and navy have considered quitting over the failure to provide proper equipment will be no surprise to readers of this blog. What is more difficult to work out is how those responsible for the failures to provide sufficient supplies of adequate equipment can explain away such incompetence. I found a sort of an answer during a recent holiday in Greece. Re-reading a book, I first read long ago, I found it contained some very insightful writing on the failures that bedevil our military and it is worth sharing.

“The origins of this awful failure were complex and manifold; they stretched back through long years of peace and carelessness. They could be traced through endless ramifications of administrative incapacity - from the inherent faults of confused systems to the petty bunglings of minor officials, from the inevitable ignorance of Cabinet Ministers to the exactitudes of narrow routine. In the inquiries which followed it was clearly shown that the evil was in reality that worst of all evils - one which has been caused by nothing in particular and for which no one in particular is to blame. The whole organisation of the war machine was incompetent and out date. There was an extraordinary overlapping of authorities, an almost incredible shifting of responsibilities to and fro.”

This is not of course an attempt by anyone to explain the current situation. It is in fact an extract from Lytton Strachey’s classic book Eminent Victorians and refers to the failures to provide adequate medical facilities in the Crimea which led to Florence Nightingale’s service there. But it seems to be as true today as it was in Victorian times.

“Errors, follies and vices on the part of individuals there doubtless were," Strachey wrote. "But, in the general reckoning, they were of small account – insignificant symptoms of the deep disease of body politic – the enormous calamity of administrative collapse.”

Who, reading that, could argue that the British administrative system is any different today?

Emminent Victorians by Lytton Strachey is published by OUP, price £8.99

Comments

[william29]

On hearing that on D day plus 20 there would be (1) one vehicle per 4.84 men, Churchill demanded a meeting with Montgomery. Montgomery who put much stock by his intelligence officers, was soon to hear of this. Churchill arrived at Monty's HQ, he was greeted by the C in C who told him that he would not be allowed to speak to the staff, "I cannot allow you to do so, my staff advise and I give the final decision, I have made that decision and will not go back on my word, I could never allow it - never, if you think that is wrong, that can only mean you have lost confidence in me" Later Monty introduced Churchill to his staff, it is recorded Churchill said " I am not allowed to talk to you gentlemen"!

Churchill a man of words: Wrote in the C in C's autograph book:

On the verge of the greatest adventure. I record my confidence that all will be well, and that the organizations and equipment of the army will be worthy of the soldier and the genius of their chief.

Some have said Churchill mentioned the organization and equipment as a way of recording a dig at the levels.

[Tom Cully]

I am an ex-Serviceman of 22 years.
Our Forces are being let down big time by a government who put them into theatre by lies and their incompetence. We should have a Defence Minister who has served in the Forces and knows what he is talking about. We ought to put some of the "visiting MPs" who go to Afghanista/Iraq on "Jollies" and ensure they spend a couple of nights being under siege and fire at all times of the day and night.
Then they ought to ride in and use the outdated and inadequate equipment our Forces have to use on a daily basis, risking life and limb.
Then we pay them buttons for these conditions. Is it any wonder they want to leave the Services??

[William29]

It was said many times when things got hectic that when going on duty you would meet yourself coming off duty ! This government appears to treat the service, police and the NHS as a business, when there is a lull cut back. I would wager that one of the concerns that these wonderful service people have is that there are just not enough of them. There are sinister things bubbling away under the surface throughout Europe, the rise of right wing politics being one, I hope we are not going to be caught wrong footed again. The just in time system so beloved of accountants (buy it when you need it -money on the shelf) does not work with complex organizations - where commbat arms have to train together. Human life has been seconded to the balance sheet, that is the unforgivable truth.

[Mark Etherton]

By 'inciteful writing' do you mean writing that incites people to do something about the problems exposed?

[Mick says: What a stupid error. Thanks for pointing it out Mark. Havent the faintest clue how I came to write that.]

[William29]

Shortage of kit, should have gone for the simple explanation, the MoD have lost it, I've a hunch - it will be under a stack of misplaced laptops. tagged Secret, Confidential and for your eyes only. All catalogued in the MoD 102, copies of which are available on the train,taxi and in Naval Officers cars.

[Rod]

The acronym 'MOD' covers a multitude of sins. When we talk about laptops being lost or money spent on taxi fares it's 'MOD' as if it is simply the prerogative of the Department of State in Whitehall. But it isn't. these statistics cover the 'real' MOD - ie. the Armed Forces as a whole. That is from the lowliest civil servant in Main Building to the pointiest infantryman in Helmand. I've been in the Army nearly 30 years and I have to admit I find it extraordinary that it's taken so long for the British Public to get behind us. I wonder if it will be the same when a more popular government is in power?

[Tony]

The organizational skills of the government contain elements of "Alice in Wonderland".