Having a good war during a bad year: Herbert Hart in 1917

Abstract

To have ‘a good war’ may be defined as ‘making the most of the opportunities presented to one during wartime’. This article focuses on one man who had a good war between 1914 and 1918; with a particular focus on 1917. In 1914 Herbert Hart was a small-town solicitor and officer in the part-time Territorial Force. By the end of the First World War he was a much decorated and highly regarded brigadier-general. The factors that led to Hart having a good war and how they can be seen at work during his career in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force are assessed in this article. How having a good war and becoming a senior officer changed Hart’s experience of war on the western front and the trajectory of his life are also examined.