Aylmer Hunter-Weston
Lieutenant General Sir Aylmer Gould Hunter-Weston, KCB, DSO (23 September 1864 – 18 March 1940) was a British Army officer who served in the First World War at Gallipoli in 1915 and in the very early stages of the Somme Offensive in 1916. He was also a Scottish Unionist MP.
Sir Aylmer Hunter-Weston | |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | "Hunter-Bunter" |
| Born | 23 September 1864 |
| Died | 18 March 1940 (aged 75) |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service/ | British Army |
| Years of service | 1884–1919 |
| Rank | Lieutenant-General |
| Unit | Royal Engineers |
| Commands held | VIII Corps 29th Division 11th Brigade |
| Battles/wars | Second Boer War First World War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Venerable Order of Saint John Mentioned in Despatches |
Nicknamed "Hunter-Bunter", Hunter-Weston has been seen as a classic example of a "donkey" general; he was described by his superior, Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, as a "rank amateur", and has been referred to by one modern writer as "one of the Great War's spectacular incompetents". However, another historian writes that although his poor performance at the battles of Krithia earned his reputation "as one of the most brutal and incompetent commanders of the First World War" "in his later battles (at Gallipoli) he seemed to hit upon a formula for success ...(but) these small achievements were largely forgotten".