DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY
B COMPANY, 442nd SIGNAL BATTALION
FORT GORDON, GEORGIA 30905

ATZH-LCB-B 17 Feb 12

MEMORANDUM FOR TECHNICAL DIRECTOR, WOBC

SUBJECT: Book Review on The Defence of Duffers Drift by Ernest Swinton

1. The Defence of Duffers Drift was written by British Major General Ernest Swinton. Swinton’s main focus was to portray a series of events or battles he commanded during the South African War, occurring from 1899-1902. As a brand new officer, Swinton was giving the mission to protect Duffers drift at all costs. With no combat experience, this young officer had to devise a plan to protect his soldiers and to successfully complete his mission. As one reads this book
It shows a person that they should never be discouraged by defeat; telling a story about a man who fails miserably so many times and chooses to never give up. Instead he keeps improving his tactics with each passing battle to come out victoriously in the end. This book would be great to recommend for anyone to read. After reading this book a person can see that everyone makes mistakes, but they will need to learn from them in order to rise above them. The lessons learned in this book do seem to carry out in today’s Army. First of all, Swinton talks above cover and concealment. That is one of the first things a person learns in the Army. The uniform would be a perfect example to start out with. You learn that the best way to defeat the enemy is by the element of surprise to gain an advantage. Another key point that is very common in today’s Army is an after action review. Swinton may have not called what he was doing an after action review (AAR), but in reality he conducted one with himself after each passing battle. He was focusing on improvements and sustainments in order to improve his tactics for future engagements. This book is a perfect example of why AAR’s are so important. After reading this book I will carry Swinton’s experiences over to my next duty station. This book helped me realize that it will be okay if I make mistakes just as long as I learn to rise above them and be victorious in the end.

5. POC for this