For the average collector who does not have a huge budget, items with a direct link to famous military leaders do not come up very often. Normally these are the reserve of collectors with deep pockets, however occasionally items do appear with a direct link to a famous historical personage. Sometimes this is a little tangential, like this bag used by one of TE Lawrence’s officers, other times it is a more direct connection. Tonight we have an original letter sent by Field Marshal Haig:I added this letter to my collection completely by chance. I bought a regimental history of one of the battalions of the Duke of Wellington Regiment during the Great War for a few pounds on the market, in itself a very good find:It was only when I examined the book closely that I found the above letter pasted into the inside cover. The letter reads:

Dear Colonel Howat

In reply to your letter of 6^th inst: very much regret to say that my time is so fully taken up trying to help our ex-servicemen, that I am unable to write a foreword to your book.

With hearty wishes for the success of the History of the 1/4^th Battalion Duke of Wellingtons Regt.

The letter is then signed ‘Haig. FM.’:I have no reason to doubt the authenticity of this letter, having compared it to other known letters from Haig the hand writing is consistent, and the letterhead for the note paper is for Fairfield House, St Peters-In-Thanet:This was the address of Haig in 1920 and with the content of the letter relating directly to the book it all appears correct.

Field Marshall Douglas Haig was the commander of the British Expeditionary Force in France from Late 1915 until the end of the First World War. Following the end of the Great War Haig devoted himself to service charities, pushing for the amalgamation of charities and stopping a plan for a separate charity for officers, his efforts saw the foundation of the British Legion in June 1921. His Haig Fund and Haig Homes Charity continue to perform sterling work today.

It would be fair to say that following his death Haig has become a controversial figure. During his lifetime and at his funeral he was lauded as a great military commander, however during the 1960s this opinion was changed to portray him as a cold and unfeeling leader, unable to adapt to the new forms of war. This portrayal was most famously seen in the 1960s film ‘Oh What a Lovely War’ when he was played by Sir John Mills- the film saying as much about 1960s attitudes as about the Great War. Modern historiography is kinder to the Field Marshal, but the popular myth of him as a butcher remains in many quarters.Regardless of Haig’s reputation, this letter is a wonderful find and something I feel very privileged to have in my collection; a real and tangible links to one of the most important men of the First World War.