The Defence of Duffer's Drift

Book excerpt: "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" was first published in 1907, as an essay in small unit tactics for junior leaders in the British Army. Its author, Ernest Dunlop Swinton, based the essay on his experiences in the Boer war in South Africa. The book has become a classic, familiar to generations of British and American soldiers from their professional military education. The premise for Swinton's essay is "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" by Lieutenant Backsight Forethought and his fifty-man platoon. The Drift is a difficult piece of ground and Forethought expects an attack in the near future. In a series of dreams, Forethought tries repeatedly to defend the Drift, only to make fatal mistakes. However, with each new dream, Forethought has the opportunity to learn from his errors in the previous dream. The result is an insightful exploration of small unit tactics and leadership that is as useful today as it was when first written. Swinton's prose is simple and accessible. The lessons of each defense are summed up at the conclusion of each chapter. "The Defence of Duffer's Drift" is very highly recommended to the junior leader, whether officer or NCO, as an amusing but realistic lesson in tactics.