Battenberg's forgotten War Staff legacy

Viscount Lee, an Army officer who had worked with Battenberg and was First Lord of the Admiralty in 1921, described the Navy's late creation of a true War Staff. He credited Churchill with taking up the reform and singled out Battenberg as a distinguished sailor to whom the country owed more than it knew. Lee recalled sitting with the Board of Admiralty and being impressed by Battenberg's immense knowledge and grasp of the new system's practical details. His praise identified direct experience of Battenberg's work, rather than relying on reputation alone. Speaking while Battenberg was still alive, Lee chose to defend an officer whose contribution had been widely overlooked.