Churchill's First World War leadership under fire

How should claims that Churchill was a bumbling medal hunter in the World War I trenches be assessed?

The charge is treated as overstated, given Churchill's willingness to lead from the front and his record of avoiding needless losses among his troops.

Sensational accounts of Churchill sell more readily than ordinary ones. The charge that he was unusually bumbling or eager for medals is treated as overstated compared with other officers of the period. His handling of troops matters because a glory-seeking commander might be expected to expose them to greater losses, which his record here does not show. He also led from the front when many senior officers did not. The same visible behaviour can be labelled medal hunting by critics or leadership by example by admirers, so the judgement depends partly on the observer's prior view.