1861. June 19. Douglas Haig born. 1880. Entered Brasenose College, Oxford. 1885. Joined 7th Hussars, British army. 1898. Served in Soudan, mentioned in despatches, and brevetted major. 1899. Served in South Africa. D. A. A. G. for cavalry; then staff officer to General French. 1901. Lieutenant-colonel commanding 17th Lancers. 1903. Inspector-general, cavalry, India. 1904. Major-general. 1910. Lieutenant-general. 1914. General, commanding First Army in France. 1915. Commander-in-chief of British forces. 1917. Field marshal. 1919. Created an earl. 1928. January 30. Died in England.
JOFFRE
THE COOPER'S SON WHO REMADE THE ARMIES OF FRANCE
"Let's name him Joseph," said Gilles Joffre to his wife, as they viewed their first child with much pride.
"That doesn't seem to be enough," responded Mme. Joffre. So unusual a baby deserved better treatment, she thought.
"Then how about Joseph Jacques? That's a good, sensible sounding name."
"That sounds well," she admitted, "but still it lacks something. I'll tell you. Let's call him Joseph Jacques Césaire."
"Sounds like a soldier," said the father.
"Well, who knows? Perhaps he will be a general some day," Mme. Joffre replied.
So the infant who lay quietly blinking on his natal day, January 12, 1852, was to be known as Joseph to his friends; but tucked away in his name for future reference was Césaire—as the French folk pronounced the name of the great Roman conqueror.