To Reason Why

by Denis Forman

The second instalment of Sir Denis Forman's life story. Recounting his war experiences, he describes how he became friends with Lionel Wigram, and how together they ran a guerrilla campaign in the Italian mountains which ended tragically.

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 1992

About the author

Sir Denis Forman was the British Director (1949–1954) and later Chair (1971–1973) of The British Film Institute.

Educated at Pembroke College, Cambridge, Forman had a distinguished military career during the war before moving into the film and television industry. He was Director (1949-1954) and later Chair (1971-1973) of The British Film Institute.[1] He was Chairman and Managing Director of Granada Television, and also for nine years the deputy chairman of the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden in London.

Reviews

[Ben Vos · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read (too) many memoirs of British forces fighting in ww2, mostly officers, this stood out very positively for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the author has used other sources and clearly has an excellent recall of impressions and things said at the time. More importantly, his character seems to have been such that his recollections come across as very grown-up for his age at the time. Forman was obviously worldly-wise, perceptive as to the faults of British Army methods and usefully cynical. Often this enables his memories and turn of phrase to be extremely funny. Many officers' memoirs are bursting with naivete as to war, the character of mankind and their own capabilities. This is no less true than Forman's experiences, and it is sad of course, that killing and the death of friends, turned so many young British boys into colder men in a few months in the 1940s. But I prefer Forman's style. His frankness, particularly with regard to his own callousness and sexual exploits, have a touch of caddishness about them which bears witness to their honesty.

The second major point of interest here is the affection of the author and his close working relationship in Italy, to Lionel Wigram, one of the most interesting British soldiers of the war. He was a pioneer of modern battle training for British infantry and made controversial (but well researched) points about morale that saw him demoted. There is so much that might have been done that wasn't, but Wigram never the less achieved a great deal and this book explains how his character and drive were key to that. I can't speak as to how quantatively important Wigram's practices were, but the hundreds of battle school graduates surely benefited greatly. If you are interested in British army methods during the war, and stasis vs reform dynamics within an army at war, this book is a useful source as well as one of the very best memoirs I've read.

The only minor criticisms and they're not serious include that there is little detail on the men serving under Forman. This may not be of interest, but just be warned that this is one man's memories essentially of a personal journey. It's no heartwarming platoon journal. And secondly, the maps are less than perfect. Not enough to detract from a five star rating though. Great work and massive respect to Forman, a clear sighted and morally and physically brave man.

[Joshua Green · Rating 3 out of 5]

An enjoyable read of a rather out of the ordinary tale. Forman gives a great account of the state of the British Army and life as a junior officer prior to deploying to Italy. He touches on unique issues that many may not be familiar with such as the cap badge or regimental rivalry that is rife in the British army. Many of the class issues associated with joining particular regiments and also of how much influence senior officers can wield over a subordinates career. Perhaps the most enjoyable aspect of to reason why was the detailing of the hero Lionel Wigram and the struggles he had as an outsider trying to change the British Army for what he perceived to be better. Forman probably does over state his own involvement and antics in the book and you do get a sense that some of the more daring aspects of the book have been exaggerated ever so slightly. To reason why though in my opinion falls short of what it really wants to do which is highlight how the lumbering beast that is the Army staff are slow to change and stuck in there ways and in many cases get in the way of good soldiers and officers conducting a war. A good read for those who know some of what is happening in Europe at the time but there is no need to be an expert on the North Africa or Siciliy campaign to enjoy this book.

[Martin Samuels · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an unusual autobiography, as in many ways the lead character is someone other than the author. Although this book is the second volume in Forman's autobiography, covering his experiences during the Second World War, it's main purpose is to describe the time Forman spent with Lionel Wigram.

Wigram was a key figure in the establishment and development of battle drill, and was Chief Instructor of the Battle School (later the School of Infantry) at Barnard Castle. Having achieved a leading reputation and rapid promotion, from pre-war captain in the Territorials to acting rank of lieutenant-colonel, Wigram had become a major influence on the approach to training of the entire British Army - yet he did this without having ever been in combat. In order to address this deficiency, he was posted to the Mediterranean in mid-1943 and observed the invasion of Sicily, where he found himself commanding a variety of units. Based on this experience, Wigram wrote a report, summarising the lessons he had learned and suggesting a range of improvements to training, tactics and structures. The fact that he was clear that battle drill was wrong in a number of aspects and required change suggests an openness of mind. By contrast, his rapid rise and unorthodox approach had created enemies within the system, who conspired to convince Montgomery that he was driven by negative intentions. Montgomery summarily dismissed his findings and cancelled his temporary rank, posting him as a company commander to a battalion on a quiet sector of the Italian Front, coincidentally the same battalion in which Forman was by then serving. Only a few months later, Wigram was killed, leading a unit of Italian partisans.

The book focuses on Forman's experiences as a wartime-commissioned officer, languishing in a far-flung outpost in the Orkney's until he managed to arrange to be sent to Wigram's Battle School. Inspired, he then persuaded his own local commander to put him in charge of an equivalent training facility for his own unit. Again, it is striking that this was all done prior to his gaining any combat experience. Like Wigram, he felt the absence of this greatly and secured a posting to Italy, where he again met Wigram.

The book has particular value in that it gives a real insight into Wigram's activities and personal motives, quoting as it does from many of his private letters, reporting the conversations between Wigram and Forman, and including, in a series of appendices, copies of Wigram's infamous report and the internal correspondence within the higher reaches of the army that led to his downfall.

Two things stand out from the book. First, that much of the Battle School movement was driven by officers with no experience of combat, despite the significant number of officers available who had seen combat. In some ways, this feels reminiscent of the position in 1915 with the Kitchener Armies, which found themselves training almost without benefit of prior military experience. Second, the book gives a vivid picture of the experiences of a battalion in a backwater, offering an insight that contrasts with the more usual focus on the events of major battles. Perhaps surprisingly, even in such relatively quiet circumstances, the attrition rate of officers and SNCOs seems to have been quite high.

For anyone interested in the Battle School movement, this book offers an important insight into the rise and fall of the initiative, and a sidelight into the culture of the professional officer corps.

[James Kemp · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is more than just an infantry officer's memoir. Denis Forman was closely involved in the Battle School movement that transformed the British Army's infantry training during the second world war. He then went on to serve alongside Lionel Wigram (the primary proponent and intellectual leader of the Battle School movement) in Italy. The story is as much about Lionel Wigram as it is about Denis Forman himself.

However one of the stand out pieces for me is the honest treatment of how men deal with battle. The psychological impact and how unreliable things become is often not mentioned in most memoirs, there is an unspoken need not to embarrass anyone, or bring up things better left to lie. This book manages to discuss it without shaming anyone.

Also, the appendices have copies of the reports into the lessons from the Sicily campaign drawn by Lionel Wigram. Not published at the time because they were too controversial.