British military leader Douglas Haig was commissioned a cavalry officer in 1885. He served in the Boer War from 1899 to 1902 and with the outbreak of World War I, was appointed an Army Corps Commander and in 1915, Commander of the British Expeditionary Forces in France. Haig was criticized for the high numbers of British casualties during the Battles on the Western Front. However, he remained commander of all British forces throughout the war. Bibliography: De Groot, Gerlad. Douglas Haig, 1861-1928. Winchester Mass: Unwin Hyman. 1989. Terraine, John. Douglas Haig The Educated Soldier. 1990. Cooper Leo.