Wilfrid Spender - The Great War

The Great War

In July 1914 Spender, as a retired officer, was told to hold himself ready to take up an appointment with the eastern command in Chatham. He returned to England and, after the outbreak of war, was transferred as general staff officer to the new 36th (Ulster) Division. He served with the Ulster division until 1916, and was present at the Battle of the Somme, when he won the Military Cross for his part in the assault on Thiepval. He also won the DSO and was mentioned in despatches four times. In 1916 he was promoted Lieutenant-Colonel, and served with General Lord Cavan's corps, and then at advanced general headquarters working under Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig (later created Lord Haig).

He was strongly opposed to accepting a six-county option for the partition of Ireland, and on these grounds he declined an invitation from Carson to contest an Ulster constituency at Westminster. About the same time he gave some support to moves to launch a national party in England — "to promote Reform, the Union and Defence" — and considered seeking nomination for parliament in a constituency in Devon or Cornwall. Following the war he joined the Ministry of Pensions in London, but in 1920 he was approached by Carson and Craig and asked to return to Belfast to help reorganize the UVF. The result was the formation of the Ulster Special Constabulary. In 1921 he became Cabinet Secretary in Northern Ireland and, in 1925, permanent secretary at the Ministry of Finance. He opposed any discrimination on religious grounds in the civil service, but was unable to prevent Unionist members of the Northern Ireland parliament dominating the selection boards for other ranks. He was never a member of the Orange Order, despite claims to the contrary from certain quarters.