Dr Peter Hodgkinson: Evolving Meritocracy in the BEF

The British Army went to war with a cadre of officers who had been promoted largely on the basis of seniority. With the rapid promotion of junior officers and the influx of civilians, did a meritocracy establish itself? This talk focuses on the development of a skill-based partial meritocracy within infantry battalion command. Who were the men who commanded the infantry battalions of the BEF in 1918? What were their qualities and how were these developed?