Broken Sword: The Tumultuous Life of General Frank Crozier 1879 - 1937

by Charles Messenger

Brigadier General Frank Crozier (1879 - 1937) was a highly controversial figure in his day. As a young soldier he saw active service in the Boer War and West Africa before being forced to leave the Army because of financial irresponsibility. He tried to start a new life in Canada and then, on his return to Britain, joined the Ulster Volunteer Force. On the outbreak of war he became second-in-command of a battalion in 36th Ulster Division, becoming its commanding officer in autumn 1915 and leading it in action on 1 July 1916. He commanded a brigade with much success for the rest of the war.

Forbidden to stay on in the Army, he became inspector-general of the Lithuanian Army in late 1919, but resigned after six months. Made commandant of the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary at the height of the Troubles, he resigned in highly controversial circumstances.

After being made bankrupt for a second time, he was involved in the League of Nations Union and then turned to pacifism, becoming a founder member of the Peace Pledge Union. By now he had, through his writings, become a thorn in the side of the Establishment.

REVIEWS The author has done a fine job rescuing this interesting and controversial, flawed figure, Crozier - considered a fine front line commander of the Great War - from relative obscurity. The reader of this volume will gain a greater appreciation of the human element of leadership in combat, and will enjoy reading this absorbing account as much as the author seemingly enjoyed writing it. International Bibliography of Military History, published by the International Commission of Military History"

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Charles Rynd Milles Messenger was a British Army officer and writer. He served for many years in the Royal Tank Regiment (19 years as a Regular, 13 years as a Territorial) before becoming a military historian and defense analyst after his retirement from active service. In addition to having published more than forty books during his long career, he also carried out several historical analyses for the Ministry Of Defence and was a writer and/or adviser for several TV documentary series.