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The Diaries of General Lionel Dunsterville 1911-1922 |
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1918 January 6th Sailed off into the great unknown at 2 p.m.
on the "Baroda", leaving poor Daisie
forlorn at the Carlton Hotel. She returns to Peshawar to-night. None of my
Staff were able to catch the boat and I have only Sergeant Watson, my Head
Clerk with me. I am on a Special Mission, vastly important and interesting.
God give me strength, courage and intelligence to carry it through to a
successful issue. I am to be a temporary Major General and to have the full
Staff of a Division. Topham of the 15th Sikhs is my
A.D.C. Colonel Arnold of the 26th Cavalry, commands the ship. January 12th Arrived Basra after a beastly rough voyage
with everyone sick. I just managed to eat my meals, but was very miserable.
The poor Bengali troops were horribly sick, and wished they had never
enlisted. Captain of the ship - a good fellow, Simpson Jones. We arrived
about 2.30 p.m. I went ashore and met my old friend Sir George Mac.Munn, who is now commanding the Lines of
Communication here. He put me up and I drove round with him in his car, to
see the wonderful development of this once little, now big port. January 13th Motored all round, saw docks, etc. also by
launch on river - a very wonderful development far out-doing the tales of the
Arabian Nights - they have the right man in MacMunn,
keen and imaginative. January 14th More explorations in this wonderful new
Basra with a six mile river frontage, camps, docks, ship-building, if I tried
to describe my impressions I should fill this book. I have been waiting for
Sir Hamilton Grant, Indian Foreign Secretary, to arrive, as he is to go up in
the steamer with me. He arrived to-day. Slept on
board the steamer where I have a magnificent cabin, as large as my private
office in Peshawar and can open all my boxes and study maps etc. The
magnitude of this enterprise does not weigh on me, but it is a big
thing. Steaming up river all day in this wonderful land of Chaldaea, Babylon, Nineveh and Abraham - fallen Empires
all around are represented by mud heaps. The Turk has treated the country
vilely, under us it will again blossom into the Garden of Eden, the Arabs and
Jews are white men like us, of the race of Shem. Basra people are quaint and
children often wear just the ordinary European woman's kit, a little out of
date. They seem enormously happy and one gets only smiles instead of the
sulky looks of India. The children salute, shout
"hurrah!" and "good evening". January 15th Started at 7.30 a.m. with Grant on board,
Captain Dunning as my A.D.C., arrived Kut el Amara 6 p.m. January 17th Dined with Col. Gordon Brown commanding al Amara. Met Sir Percy Cox - started in train 9 p.m. a
rather sleepless night with jolts and bumps. January 18th Arrived Baghdad 8 a.m., breakfast with Sir
P. Cox. Staying with the Commander-in-Chief, Sir William Marshall,
met Stuart Wortley, Q.M.G. and several other old
friends. I have a tough job in front of me - it is difficult to get through
Persia with things as they are, and arriving at Tiflis safely, there may
still be great obstacles to overcome. This is a beautiful house on the banks
of the Tigris, and it is romantic to hear the waters of the ancient river
lapping on the bank below my window. In the forward journey there is the risk of
traps by tribesmen, or German and Turkish plots. In Tiflis, German paid
assassins or truculent politicians. But God is with us always and I thank him
for an intensely happy life with my beloved wife, even if it terminates at
53. January 19th Owing to the secrecy of my arrangements, I
am called the Commander of the "Hush, Hush Army". I blossomed into a
Major-General yesterday - as it was obviously foreseen Daisie
had made the holes for the new resplendent stars. After fixing up all plans
to start. I get a wire to say that Enzeli, my
destination on the Caspian Sea has been seized by some horrid fellows called Jangalis (a very suggestive name) who are intensely
anti-British and are in the pay of Germans. It will have to be plot and
counter-plot. These long journeys are full of dramatic
change. I am just waiting to jump off into darkness and eternity for a space,
with a fair hope of emerging on the far side, and here I have a pantomime
with string band and as I stand on the verandah at
night, the romantic Tigris flowing as it has flowed for many thousand years,
and the moon-light on the water, and everything good the world holds except Daisie to share the beauty and romance of it - but women
have no romance! January 23rd Been in bed a couple of days with real bad
influenza - seem to be reviving to-day. Daisie
telegraphs frequently and longs for news from me, but my brain is full of men
and horses, guns, rifles, equipment, ammunition, supplies, petrol,
motor-cars, aeroplanes, clothing, cold, snow, marches, languages, tribes,
politics, information and rumours, spies, pro and anti, finance, routes,
tactics, strategy, geography, history. January 24th Still an invalid, but very glad this came
on now instead of on the journey - I am simply straining to be off - this
delay is terrible, but I am sure it is good. When I start on Sunday it will
be a good start, and a good start is half the battle. I have had to wait also
for Duncan who was my Brigade Major in Peshawar and now comes as A.Q.M.G. -
he will be invaluable. Another reason for delay has been the kaleidoscopic
changes in the situation as each item of information comes in. I have to get
my party through 600 miles of Persian territory on a bad road with few
supplies, which means thinking out food and petrol schemes far ahead and
measures for protection against Kurds, Germans and Turks. My task is as difficult for one man as any
Napoleon ever undertook. I am as strong as Napoleon in my confidence in
myself, but unlike him, I have my strength only in God, who I feel and know
directs and guides me as He has every day of my life - I have never felt more
certain of any of the material facts of life than I do of this spiritual fact
- and yet I am far from being what Christians would call a "good"
man, I am full of "bad" and I know it. Also quite unlike Napoleon,
I find it impossible to place myself on a pedestal, this was a great asset to
him - in fact, it made him. To me the all important fact is my own
paltriness and the only cheer I get is that I may be less paltry than some
others - without being pharisaical, I dislike
putting my religious thoughts into words. It is where words quite fail one,
and what one writes is not exactly what one feels. Any such writing regarding
oneself, looks so pharisaical
and priggish. 9 p.m. Just getting into bed, my first experience of air-craft
bombs - enemy aeroplanes bombing like mad all over the place which seems very
vulnerable in the bright moon-light. Anti-aircraft guns firing, but no
search-light - a very chance aim. One has far less sense of danger than when
the simple rifle shot whizzes through camp at night on the frontier - being
hit by a bomber seems so very much like winning the Derby Sweep which one
never wins. January 25th Thank goodness, Duncan and Stork arrived. I
wonder if anyone will ever realize what a forlorn hope my mission is? I am proud and glad to have it and I think I can
accomplish what I am told to, but that thought is based only on my optimism
and not at all on calculation. If I were appreciating the situation for
another man, I should say "can't be done", but I can never say that
for myself. I agree with Government that it is worth trying and the loss of a
few lives etc., is a trifle compared with what may
be gained. I am up against a hostile-neutral, almost anarchical Persia and a
possible hostile reception from out own friends,
the Russians. The Turks at Kifri are within 50
miles of my road at the start, and one aeroplane, if it spots us, gets the
lot as we cannot defend ourselves from the sky. We pass through 600 miles of
barren, cold country, between 5000 and 7000 feet, and no supplies, and
through Kurds all the time who are the same sort of independent robbers that
the Afridis are. January 26th Farewell lunch with Stuart-Wortley - got rid of my Indian servant and took on Pte.
Galton of the 1st Oxford and Bucks. January 27th 41 cars, first party left Baghdad 7 a.m.,
Hurrah for the great adventure! 93 miles to Khanikin,
arrived 5.30 p.m., road not too bad. We all tucked up for the night in an old
ruined Turkish bakery, no doors or windows, we slept on the floor and were
very comfy - not many fleas. January 28th Crossed into Persia through Kasr-i-Shirin - our posts all along - a beastly day, rain
and sleet. Road bad, last cars not in till 5 o'clock. At Pai-tak
they had hot bully soup stew and tea waiting for us. Quite Alpine and snow
all around, a beautiful land with broad valleys among barren hills, lovely
clear trout streams. All towns and villages ruined, burnt and demolished by
Turks and Russians, inhabitants very glad to meet people who do not burn,
rape, or destroy. All fruit trees cut down, willows and almonds, everything
devastated and the people dying of famine. We passed one poor fellow who had
just died by the roadside. The children take morsels of bread from your hand
like pie dogs it is very depressing. What a vile thing is man.
Slept in the ruined houses of Pai Tak village once a fine place. Such a bitter gale
blowing, but all well and cheery. January 29th Rained all night and sleet, and the roofs
leaked and it was not very comfortable and not very good for my beastly cold.
I meant to start at 6.30 a.m., but thought it better to give the men a hot
meal and start later, so we got off at 8 a.m. It took us 4 hours and a half
to do the 4 miles to the top of the pass, pushing the cars up. At the top it
snowed - I halted there to let the columns close up and left at 1.15 p.m., no
sooner started than down came another heavy snow-storm and the cars got stuck
every 100 yards - so I gave up the venture and put in for the night in the
old ruined caravanserai of Surkhadise Khan, a Cecil
Hotel to us, but really more like a pig-sty. January 30th The oaks here are like the Himalayan Oak,
but not evergreen - acorns enormous, 3 inches long, and over an inch in
diameter. They make flour out of them. Started at 8 a.m. weather cleared, but
much snow on the ground. Snow got deeper and deeper, and we only did about a
mile an hour, all pushing and digging - so I gave it up and returned to the
old Serai - which seemed quite snug. The country is
absolutely full of partridge and there were marks of snow-leopard. Two dead
horses in the serai! January 31st Sent touring-cars unloaded to explore -
they took 2 hours doing 6 miles and reported deeper snow - it seems hopeless
and I must stay here. Meantime the Turks are beginning to hear about us which
is the most unfortunate aspect of the delay - a
German plane flew over the Serai at 2 p.m. today, I
thought he was going to drop bombs, but he flew on. I suppose he was out to
reconnoitre and report and we shall get the bombs to-morrow. It is a hopeless
situation, but I am an optimist and never without hope - I
feel sure that God will guide us through. Tactical problems are so
easy to solve, but these are far greater problems. Shall I start to-morrow?
If so, how far can I expect to get? How much petrol expended? Will I be held
up in the snow, unable to get forward or backward? One has to make a decision
and stick to it, so I decide not to move to-morrow. But every day's delay
gives the Germans more time to arrange to thwart us. What an example of how
weather affects military problems. I have realized this all my life, but
never hoped to have such a bad actual situation. I am in bed with bad cold on
chest. The old one I had in Baghdad which would have been cured but for this
vile weather. February 1st Cold better but still a worm. Weather fine,
but snow not melted. I intend to start at 4 a.m. to-morrow while the snow is
frozen. The German plane that flew over yesterday was downed soon afterwards
by one of ours, so his information about us never reached and we were saved a
bombing. February 2nd Left at 4 a.m. Sari Mil. 7 a.m., Karind 10 a.m. Harunabad 2
p.m., all cars in by 3.30 p.m. The Serai was very
dirty, so we turned the Kurds out amicably and took private houses which were
just like those in any Punjab village. It was very beautiful winding up the
narrow Pass through the snow by moonlight - we had to get out and push here
and there and the first 2/3rds of the road Karind
to Harunabad was wet clay and very difficult. Last
third quite good, only because it was dry - this place was one of the resorts
of Harun-el-Raschid of
the Arabian Nights, hence its name. All the road is between 4000 and 5000
feet above sea-level and it was very cold. February 3rd Breakfast 5.30, left 6.30, arrived
Kermanshah 1 p.m. The Russians sent 2 Kuban Cossacks to show us the way.
Billeted in a beautiful Persian house, with Persian carpets etc., very pretty
garden with 2 fountains, jasmine, roses etc., not out, of course. Met Col. Kennion, the Political here, Capt. Greenwood, his assistant,
Mr. Redmond, civil political, Mr. Hale, Manager of the Imperial Bank of
Persia - all interesting people. Had lunch and dinner with the Kennions, she is a charming woman and acts as his
secretary. Kermanshah is the first large Persian town we have seen,
population 50,000 and it is not much knocked about though the Turks burnt a
few houses before they left. The Kennions were very
kind and actually produced a bottle of champagne to celebrate the occasion.
Met also Colonel Bicherakov, commanding the few
loyal cossacks who have not deserted, about 300. He
is a Caucasian, a good fellow and badly wounded. Colonel Lazar Bicherakov February 4th A day of disasters. God up 3.30 a.m.,
breakfast 4.30. left at 5.30. Splendid day, Lt. Georgiev of the Cossacks comes with us as a guide.
Difficulties began at once. It was dark when we started and one of the cars
dropped into a ditch and broke something which delayed us for 1½ hours - when
every moment was precious. Reached the Kangavar Pass
5,600 feet (snow) about 12 noon. We had to get out and push every single car
over the Pass one by one - it took us 3 hours. Reached Kangavar
4 p.m. Here the kind Russians had a hot meal waiting for us, which took us an
hour to eat, but I did not grudge the delay, as I thought with a hot meal
inside us we could take whatever chances might lie before us. Left Kangavar 5 p.m., darkness soon came on, the road was
often no road, and there were risks of cars losing their way, however, we
eventually reached Asadabad and got cars and all
tucked in about 9 p.m. Some Russian chupattie, some
cheese and rum and a very welcome bed. The drivers are splendid Englishmen
and grouse about nothing - they were on the go from 3 a.m
to 10 p.m., 19 hours, and were quite cheery. Ready to start to-morrow at 7,
get over the big Pass 7600 feet and hope to reach Hamadan about 11 a.m. There
will be lots to do there. February 5th Woke at 5 a.m. and found, good Lord what? Out
of last night's beautiful blue sky heavy snow and it is snowing still at noon
- height here about 5000 ft. - we shall be buried soon and God only knows
when we are likely to be able to get over that big Pass. One has to take what
comes and I do not complain, but it is sad - one could have staked all one's
money on that blue sky. We luckily had tucked ourselves in very comfortably
into the big serai which is not too dirty.
Officers, 3 or 4, in the small rooms about 15' by 12', lying on the ground -
and there are decent fire-places. Men sleeping in the cars and in a cow-shed
where we do our cooking, all cars parked in the centre. One must be grateful
for such decent accommodation which I think magnificent, but the guide-book
says: "No accommodation for a European." The headman called on me
and I returned his call. The Russians have small posts all along here, but
those who were here have deserted, and there are none. We have had no
opposition yet, only one shot was fired at the last
car as we were coming in to Kermanshah. February 6th Weather fine, spent day trying to make a
road over the pass - it is thawing which makes slush and our serai is beastly and dirty. We will get through to-morrow
I hope. February 7th Snowing again, confound it, and all yesterday's
work spoiled. I determined to ride over with Duncan and no escort - all went
well - snow in drifts 12 to 15 feet - got men working both sides. At Zajha a Russian officer Lieut. Zypaloff,
took us on in a motor to Hamadan, where we arrived at the Mc.Murrays,
Imperial Bank of Persia at 4.30 p.m. A lovely house and every comfort which
made me unhappy, thinking of the others in the old serai
at Asadabad. General Shore meets me here from
Tiflis to explain the situation. February 8th More snow and more snow. It is awful. Had
long talks with Shore, Goldsmith, Mc.Murray, Bartellot, Rowlandson etc. re this doubly, doubly ,complicated situation in North Persia and in the
Caucasus - it is enough to make one's brain reel and thoughts continued all
night and destroyed sleep. Shore looks utterly nervy and broken down,
Rowlandson also. Called on Russian General Baratov.
February 9th General Baratov
returned my call and spoke for 3 hours without taking breath re the Russian
evacuation, Russian financial requirements and Russian tactical
considerations. I do much listening and the time is not yet for me to talk.
The road ahead is reported dangerous and every animate and inanimate thing is
out to stop me, but if you face the obstacles they disappear as a rule.
Turkish, German and Austrian agents, all over the place, and hostile
Bolshevik soldiers several thousand, blocking the road between here and Enzeli - it is lively. February 11th At last the cars got over, dragged by
coolies - they got in about 4 p.m. and the men were very hospitably
entertained by the American Missionaries. All officers dined with the Mc.Murrays, a party of 20 and very jolly, singing and an
impromptu dance afterwards with Mrs. Mc.Murray the
only lady. February 12th Such an appalling lunch with the Russian
officers - General Baratov made a long speech and I
replied in a short one, thinking it was all over. But he made 11 more. He
toasted us, the British Army, our wives and families, our regiments, the
Baghdad Army, the capture of Baghdad, the Union of the Churches, General
Maude, General Marshall and many others, 1.30 to 5.30. My brain was rotted
with platitudes, and my interior disturbed with endless food and drink. I was
very cautious with the latter, but just sipped some very poor and sour Persian
wine. Then Gen. Baratov and I kissed each other,
and we were free at last - a whole day wasted - Weather fine - Terrible
reports of enemies barring my way down the road. Turks, Germans, Austrians
and the Jangali tribe. Well, well - we must just
trust in God and see for ourselves. What chaos - the world is a large lunatic
asylum - when and how will it all end? General Nikolai Baratov February 14th Left at 5.30 a.m., arrived Aveh, 1.30, Duncan and I had lunch with the Russian
Commandant - such awful arrack to drink. The Pass 7600 feet high, we crossed
easily. February 15th Left at 7 a.m., arrived at Kasvin 2 p.m., staying with Goodwin, Bank and Consul, Sir
Charles Marling and Col. Napier - Minister and Mil Sec. Teheran, came to
confer with me - very interesting talk. There never was such a terrifying
situation - but one is not paid to be terrified. The Caucasus seems already
to be in the thick of civil war - and Persia also on the verge. My port of
embarkation is in the hands of Persian revolutionaries and my port of arrival
in the hands of Russian and Tartar anarchists. Kasvin
is a filthy, filthy town, and full of disorderly Russian soldiers. But
beautiful fruit gardens all round - I have at last seen a pistachio-tree -
after meeting the liquorice bush in Mesopotamia - and some beautiful coloured
tile domes in the town. February 16th Through a terrible 60 mile defile, worse
than the Khyber and over a long snow Pass, road good, reached Mendzil where we put up at a house calling itself a
hotel. Met many Bolshevik soldiers and had long talks with them, but there's
not really much the matter with them after all, but lack of discipline which
leads to disorder and murder. February 17th To Enzeli. We
stayed half an hour at Resht to see the consul there. He says the situation
is very bad. After all this horrible snow and hills and no trees, we ran 50
miles through the most lovely country, beech forests, chestnut, cyclamen,
primrose, scented violets, snowdrops, and strawberries in quantities - a
lovely country. Towards the Caspian it gets flat and boggy, and one passes
through rice-fields. Enzeli is a port with a huge
fishing industry - very interesting freezing works. The town is entirely
Bolshevik and they have a very good and orderly organization - but we were
prisoners from the moment of our arrival. The Revolutionary Committee sent me
a message desiring my presence at 8 p.m. at their meeting. I was dining at
that hour with Mme. Hunin, the wife of the Belgian
Customs Officer, so I took no notice of it which was the wrong thing to do.
At 9 o'clock the President and one Member bearded the lion in his den and
turned up at the house insisting on seeing me. I sat in a room with them and
they proceeded to cross-examine me as to the meaning of this armed British
party suddenly descending on them, my destination, my aims etc. I answered
briefly and agreed to meet the full Committee at 11 to-morrow.
February 18th Revolutionary Committee Meeting, Soldiers
and Sailors all very pleasant and "comrady"
and well behaved. Each questioned me in turn and tried to get me to reveal
secrets and to contradict myself - I hope I got through all right. I insisted
that my mission was not political and not anti-Bolshevik, and that they must
let me go to Tiflis. They said they would take every possible step to prevent
my getting there - the Caucasus being against the Bolsheviks and they could
not permit us to pass through - and if we left here we would be caught by the
Bolsheviks at Baku. They possess the telegraph and everything. They put
sentries on all the ships to prevent my leaving and they have a gun-boat
ready to sink us if we try - our house is guarded night and day and the
situation is absurd - the mission has ended and there is nothing to do but to
get out of it with all speed. February 19th Always raining here - a beastly place. I
asked to meet the Committee again at 11 a.m., and found them again very pleasant
though they had a big armed guard to frighten me and I thought they might try
to take us prisoners, but they did not. I informed them that I quite took
their point of view, that I agreed to return at once and begged them to help
me with petrol etc, which they agreed to do. I have an army of 40 Chauffeurs
and 1 armoured car, and am not prepared to take on 4000 Russians, so there's
nothing to argue about and I do see their point of view very clearly.
I foresaw all this from the very start - the mission was two months too late
and could only end in failure. February 20th Left Enzeli 5.30
a.m., glad to get away, rather anxious work. Arrived Mezgil
5.30 p.m., weather fair - Many of Kuchik Khan's
soldiers looking very fierce on the road but no one fired at us and we fired
at no one - the Russians as they march down the road, are fond of loosing off
their rifles at nothing and this keeps one rather on the qui vive. February 21st Tried to leave at 6 a.m., but it was a day
of disasters - no sooner started than we had a delay of 2 hours for repairs,
then later 3¼ hours, got over the pass all right, failed to reach Kasvin, but put up for the night in a decent isolated serai half-way between Kuin and
Buvnak - not at all bad and not quite in ruins. February 22nd Glad we got over the Pass yesterday, we
woke to find it had been slowing all night and we left in a heavy snowstorm -
but only 24 miles to go and got into Kasvin at 12
noon to the Goodwin's house. All sorts of uneasy rumours here - the situation
is a ticklish one and there is a strong anti-British agitation. On our entry
into Kasvin we were greeted with a volley which
made me prick up my ears, but it was only Bolsheviks joy firing. February 23rd Heavy now storm
last night, finer to-day. Unable to leave owing to repairs to cars. February 24th Left Kasvin at 8
a.m. There is always so much firing in Kasvin that
it is like a battle going on, but I suppose they aim in the air as no one
ever seems to get hit. A fine day for a change and the road in good order. We
arrived at the dirty little house at Aveh at 2 p.m.
and found it half occupied by Cossacks and in an appalling state of filth.
Just this side of Nahavend we found a beautiful
spring from which we filled our bottles. Had a long talk with the Cossacks on
the road. Talking of the disorder in the Russian Army even before the war,
one of them said "If you indent for sugar they send you ammunition and
if you ask for ammunition they bring you sugar" - I asked about their
felt boots, had they a pair each - no, only one between 20. Why? Oh, there
were a lot of them for issue, but instead of issuing them the Commandant sold
them to the Persians. The hot sulphur springs at Abi
Garm were interesting, the
bath was very hot, much hotter than I would have like to have got into. I am
frightfully disappointed at having to go back like this, but I am convinced
that very few men could have extricated the party from the ridiculous
position they were in and I am glad to be here without losing a car or a man
- 40 cars are a great anxiety and after 1000 miles one cannot expect too much
from them. February 25th Left Aveh 6.30
a.m. Arrived Hamadan 7.30 p.m. The pass was deep in snow for 6 miles, but the
Northward moving Russians had had to cut through it so we were not blocked,
but it took 6 hours to do 6 miles! February 26th What comfort in the nice house of the Mc.Murrays - such a sleep and such a rest - The vile
weather continues and it snows again. I hear Bartellot had to abandon his cars and ride from Kermanshah,
likewise Offley Shore - it is a marvel how I have
brought these 40 cars over this 1000 miles of bad
road and 7 snow passes without losing one. Now we are permanently blocked
with heavy snow on the passes each side of us. Sent many cables Home, but no
reply yet. As what I have suggested amounts to a change of policy in Persia,
I suppose they have had to have a Cabinet Meeting about it and that will
cause the delay. They want me to go by the Tabiz
road - how little they understand the situation. I should have to be taken
prisoner or shot the first day, or take a force big enough to fight. The
people we are out to help seem a worthless lot and cannot pull together. The
Armenians and Georgians hate each other and the Tartar hates them both. I
shall never cease to marvel at our escape from Enzeli
- I expect they are now cursing their foolishness in letting us go. Each was
trying to get the other to fire the first shot and neither dared, but the Red
Guards who arrived from Baku just as I left, would
doubtless have done it, and they had us cold. If I had stayed another 24
hours it would have been all up. Thanks be to God!
The situation all round is bad, but here, at least, we can put up a fight - I
have implored Baghdad and London to send troops, but they take no notice. February 27th No cables from Home. General Baratov came to see me with General Lastochkin
- a long interview about 3 hours. The Caucasus Government have ordered him to
return to the Caucasus and the other officers, a ridiculous order in view of
the fact that the Bolsheviks hold Enzeli and
informed me that they had condemned Baratov to
death - I must get all these superfluous officers back to Baghdad, but a
certain number I can employ to man the 3 guns and work the wireless. There
are 9 barrels of petrol we passed, lying on the Pass 60 miles from here and I
meant to salve them at once, but it always snows and I cannot risk the cars
getting snowed up. February 28th Snow again, and always snow. Our chauffeurs
are playing foot-ball to-day against the Persian Christian boys - to-morrow
the officers play the civilians of the town. February 29th No cables yet from the Home Government -
situation in Persia is dangerous and I have to be ready to meet attack.
Revolutionaries in the town and social democrats trying to stir up the people
against us. To-day is the first and I hope not the last fine day, a beautiful
blue sky and quite a spring feeling. Coming over the Asadabad
Pass yesterday, a Russian convoy of ammunition lost 30 mules and 6 men froze
to death - glad I was not as bad as that. March 2nd
March 3rd People seldom trouble to record those
things or they would discover how silly it is to believe in omens! I slept
like a top and there was no sort of firing or trouble. Several wires to-day. Bicherakov offers to escort my party through, but he is
an Ossietin and out simply to fight for the Ossietins against the Bolsheviks which has nothing
whatsoever to do with my aims. We had a very pleasant combined service with
the Americans. Called on the Governor Nizam-es-Sultanat
and met there another Teheran Official, who spoke French, Haji
Saad-es-Sultanat, the better man of the two. A
pleasant hour's conversation from which I gather that the former is a
sympathiser with Kuchik Khan - though, of course,
he did not say so, I judged it merely from his face. March 4th Persian political news confusing and
disturbing. Two Russian Aviation officers came to me from Baku with offers of
help, but when I cross-questioned them and it came down to bed-rock it was evident
they could not help me and very much needed help themselves. They had, as
usual, fantastic ideas, among others, that of capturing one of the Caspian
Bolshevik gun-boats with one sea-plane - it is all very like Alice in
Wonderland. A dull cold day and the white snowy landscape bores
me to death. We hear that our mail is at last being brought up. March 5th Heavy snow-storm,
had a long talk with Revd. and Mrs. Hawkes about their missionary work, he has been here for
36 years. Wild alarmist rumours - about Kuchik Khan
and Anti-British demonstrations in Teheran - and Russian dislike of us
turning into actual hostility. March 6th Heavy snow. Interesting visit to a big
land-owner, Anti-Democrat. Amir-i-Afgham - fine old fellow, but probably a bad lot - visit
rather spoilt by unexpected attendance of the Deputy-Governor who came to
spy. March 7th Fine weather. The Governor and the Karguzar returned my call. We had a very interesting
talk. The Governor said: "as you are the most democratic people why on earth
are you against the democrats here?" which was true. We are backing, as
usual, the wrong horse. I wish I could persuade the Government to tackle
famine relief and support the democrats - I have cabled this to London. March 10th Major Bartellot
arrived en route to Teheran and brought, at last, some post and I had the
enormous pleasure of 6 sweet letters from my darling Daisie
- but only up to Jan. 24th and I had hoped to get as late as the middle of
February. I go on calling and returning calls on Persian officials and
noblemen and I am sure this helps to keep the situation quiet. The Governor
is a democrat and a supporter of Kuchik Khan, a
weak man who wants to make his pile and sail with the wind. To-day the big
landowner from Sheverin called on me - Amir-i-Afgham, a fine old, rich,
non-political, type - certainly anti-democratic - he is rough and ready and
hates the Governor. He is called the Black Fox. Brings with him a horse to
carry his hookah, with a brazier of burning charcoal, nearly setting the
saddle alight. He captured two Turks yesterday, but let
them go as harmless - the country is full of Turkish escaped prisoners from
Russia, trying to get home. March 13th Fine day, but March winds and everything
looking just like an English spring. At last an important cable from Home
facing facts and altering everything. I am now no longer on a Mission to the
Caucasus. They recognise, as I suggested, that Persia must be held first. So
I am no longer independent. I am under Baghdad, and they are told to shove
troops up here as soon as they can, and as far as I am concerned, the sooner
the better. But Baghdad are very sticky and take a long time to get a move on
- I asked for armoured cars a month ago, and now they "contemplate"
sending them. Until the troops arrive things are dangerous as the population
are naturally in a ferment and that is the time for
the political agitator to get to work. I wanted to see the Persian Governor
but he was too ill to see anyone which simply means that he is quite well, but
"lying up". March 16th Heavy snow and everything all buried again
in white. The Enzeli Bolsheviks have come up here
to get money from the Bank and other purposes. They are very different people
here, the situation being reversed, and they sing very small. They say they
love the English and hate the Germans and despise Kuchik
Khan. They offer us tons of petrol (which we shall never get) and say that on
their return they will insist on Kuchik releasing
the Resht Bank Manager (Oakshot) and the Consul (Maclaren) whom he arrested the other day. Mc.Murray says "You allowed Kuchik
to loot the bank and now you come to me to cash a cheque. I won't cash
it." So they are very unhappy as it is a big cheque for 300,000 krans. This snow to-day will block the Sultan-Bulak Pass and they will have a job getting back. Coming
from a Sunni country, India, where the Shiah is a
despised worm, it is interesting to live in a Shiah
country and see the reverse of the picture. Here they talk of "Mahomendans" meaning Shiahs
only - Sunnis are Sunnis and outside the pale of Mahomedanism,
the Shiah feeling appears even less tolerant than
the Sunni. March 17th Is this to be another case of "too
late"? - if nothing has yet happened I honestly believe it is as much
due to my policy of ingratiating myself with the people as anything else,
that they are quiet so far - But it is vile being helpless without troops.
German and Austrian Agents plot against us - the town is full of Turks, the
Bolsheviks or Red Guards have a plot to seize the Bank and I could not stop
them with my 40 Chauffeurs. It is just all bluff, my 40 Ford cars, which are
an appalling element of weakness - strike the inhabitants as death-dealing
machines, and my brave chauffeurs, who hardly know one end of a gun from another,
look like fine soldiers. But distances are enormous - we are over 300 miles
from Baghdad - Persia on the verge of a revolution with the cry "kick
out the Europeans" and no troops. I have done my best, in sending fierce
cables, and the War Office are at last awake to it, but Baghdad is very
lethargic. The War Office want me to obtain command of the Caspian Sea - I've
thought of that all the time - I could seize the gun-boats with a small
force, but can't they see I must have at least one port? If I can get Bicherakov to capture and hold the Menjil
Bridge, Resht and Enzeli I might do something - but
he is not up to it. March 19th A wind almost enough to blow the roof off -
a little snow last night and so cold to-day that the coolies refuse to work on
the aeroplane Ground. Snowing hard later. March 21st An amusing morning examining the German
prisoner Eric Wiener and his Turkish guide. He says he hates the Turk because
he believes it was he who gave his disguise away when he was travelling as a
woman. His only request was for some decent bread, but I told him that we had
all been eating Turkish chuppaties for 2 months and
could get nothing else. He was evidently bearing important despatches but had
destroyed them. What horrible times we live in, I live in such appalling
contrasts and it is only by contrast that we can realize. This famine is
perfectly awful. I have just walked through the town and I gave alms to the
extent of my purse, perhaps about 40 krans, 2 krans to each beggar, but
there were thousands of of them and I suppose they
must all die. In the bright sunshine in the middle of the road lay a little
boy of about 6, quite dead, with his face buried in the mud: the others seem
quite callous. And then from all this misery I come home to a beautiful house
and sit in a luxurious drawing-room after a good tea and listen to the most
beautiful violin music played by a Russian Officer (Ostrovsky),
and my German prisoner tells me he wants to get back to his wife - and it all
seems so wicked and senseless. I believe the famine here could be put right
with a million pounds, and what is that in a war that costs us 7 million a
day. I have asked the War Office to give me £20,000, a month for road-making
and that will help a little. March 23rd Yesterday we went down to choose a new road
to the flying-ground. The Persian Government have answered the Ministers'
note in the most uncompromising terms and there is going to be trouble. They
refuse to admit British troops and order them to leave, they practically
support Kuchik Khan - a change of Cabinet seems
probable, but the next one will vote the same way. I wish to goodness they'd
send me some troops - I cannot put up much of a fight with 40 chauffeurs
however plucky they may be. I sent down to-day 10 cars to Kermanshah to fetch
up I hope 30 men of the Hants Regt. that will be a beginning, but if it snows
they will not get through I'm afraid. I hear they have announced in the town that
they mean to have a shot at me, I only wonder they haven't done it a thousand
times already - God will see that my life terminates when He wills. Meantime
I cannot possibly shut myself up. March 24th We always have our little services with the
American Missionaries. We can get no news from Tiflis and they all seem
fighting like cats and dogs there, poor devils - and starving. Daisie may be glad I never reached there - and I also
feel that the chaos had reached too great a pitch for me to restore order -
Yet perhaps I might have helped - God willed otherwise. Kasvin seems to be in a
dangerous state, but I can do nothing till the 29th, if they can hold out
till then. I am sending Colonel Bicherakov with his
Cossacks to hold Kasvin, but he cannot get there
before the 29th - it's a race between him and Kuchik
Khan's men. March 25th These are terrible times, indeed, with all
the awful anxiety here - not for myself, but for my
work and my responsibilities - we get the very worst war news. The big battle
on the French front has begun and we are being pushed steadily backwards -
please God we are preparing a counter-blow somewhere else, but from our point
of view in Persia the news comes at the very worst time. Famine relief too,
has broken down, it is impossible to control the poor starving wretches, and
officers giving out tickets are mobbed - and order cannot be kept so it has
to stop. The strong fight for the tickets and resell them to others. A dull
gloomy day with sleet and wind, and no aeroplane arrived. I have issued a proclamation in the town in
Persian warning the people that the agitation against the British is only got
up by the politicians. That we do all we can to help the people, and our
wheat purchases are not local so do not affect the famine. March 27th A beautiful day, yesterday alternate
sunshine and snowstorms. Everything, everything, everything seems always
against us, but it always pans out for the best in the end though "the
end" may be when all this little lot are scuppered. I have denuded
myself of nearly all my men and cars to meet crises and now I am a helpless
crisis myself. The cars I sent to Kasvin ought to
be back to-morrow, but they got snowed up on the Sultan Bulak
Pass. The cars I sent to Kermanshah, due to return with men of the Hants:
regiment, have not yet reached Kermanshah, held up by bad weather and a
broken bridge. Meantime if I were attacked here I have no fighting force, but
10 officers, 2 batmen, 2 clerks and 10 chauffeurs and 1 armoured car. March 29th The aeroplane arrived all right yesterday and
gave a good show that impressed the people. To-day the democrats have
engineered a run on the Bank - if it goes broke we're done. Meantime Baghdad
will not get troops on the move and things are very serious indeed. To-day I
hope to get in a few men of the Hants and there are about 100 of the Cossacks
still here if there is a row, but I want a squadron of cavalry and a couple
of guns. The Germans and Turks are drilling the Kurds in the mountains close
by, with the intention of swooping down on the towns, and I cannot stop them,
and the famine is awful. It all makes me feel very, very old. But God is with
us always. The news from France is bad, still retiring. Only from Baghdad the
good news that we have captured 3000 Turks on the Euphrates. April 1st Such a day of talk. Haji
Saad-es-Sultaneh, whom I like very much and who
talks French, called on me - then General Baratov
with a lot of questions, some so very simple. I offer to send him down to
Baghdad, as he cannot return to the Caucasus. He says, "Could I get
command of a Division?" I said "I'm afraid quite impossible."
Then he asked: "Supposing Great Britain declares war on Russia?" I
replied, "Well, you'll be a prisoner, and I'm sure very happy in our
hands." The weather alternates between snowstorms and warm sunshine - so
does the political situation. At the present moment I am in the sunshine.
Last night there were rumours of trouble in the city - this morning I was
asked to stop the Governor issuing arms to the rabble to attack the English -
now Kuchik Khan says he wants to make peace with
the English, the Governor says he is our very best friend - and I also hear
there is a chance of my getting through to Tiflis - so the sun shines indeed
for the moment. Kuchik Khan April 2nd There is a sense of unreality in life when
one lives in the scenes of bygone Kingdoms - down below in Mesopotamia,
English soldiers are handling bricks from Babylon with Nebuchadnezzar's seal
on them, the Turks are just beyond them in Nineveh, and here I live in the
town of King Darius, King Cyrus and the Great Alexander. How paltry human
life seems. 2nd party arrived Zagha and we sent out
a motor to bring in our mails. I purposed to call on the Governor, but he
made excuses - didn't want to see me, I suppose, as he is harbouring one of
the Persian revolutionaries just returned from Turkey. That's the very man I
want to see. April 3rd 2nd party arrived - called on Governor at 2
p.m. and had the Foreign Office man, Haji Saad-es-Sultaneh there to interpret. He was late and I found
I could quite easily get on in Persian with the Governor. We talked of many
things. He asked if I trusted him. I know that he has been arranging for
Kurds to attack us and turn us out, but I told him I had heard all sorts of
wicked things about him, but would not believe them because he was so nice. I
told him to advise the Teheran Government to ask for British troops instead
of stopping us, otherwise they would have the Germans instead. I also said he
might advise the Mejliss to close its doors for ten
years and stop all this rot about politics while they created an Army -
politics are no use without soldiers to back the policy. April 4th Several of my officers have been shot at in
the last few days, but never hit. I have written to warn the Governor that I
shall have to defend myself and will not be responsible for consequences. The
Governor called on me and promised his aid - not worth much, perhaps. April 7th Town quite quiet. My policy has succeeded
well so far. Two aeroplanes were to have arrived yesterday, but failed to
come. April 8th What a Babel. I
talk English to my orderly in the middle of my Persian lesson, I receive a
letter from the Governor which I have to answer in French and a Russian
soldier calls in the middle to complain of a loss of money - and two days ago
I was talking German to a German prisoner. I read last night a letter in Gurmukhi from Sunder Singh, a Subadar
in the 36th Sikhs, and I spoke Pushtu yesterday to
the one and only Afghan in Hamadan, and Hindustani to two Indian deserters!
Left the Mc.Murrays' comfortable house and moved
over to mine, where I live with Col. Duncan and Capt. Topham,
my A.D.C. If one allowed oneself to be worried by these fearful plots and
rumours, one would get no sleep. The Democrats in the town are plotting to
shoot me and also to down us by a sudden attack. The Kurds, close by, are
being stirred up by the Turks to wipe out the English at Hamadan and
Kermanshah, and Kuchik Khan with the Germans and
the Baku Tartars, threatens to destroy us all - Col. Bicherakov's
Cossacks, whom I sent to Kasvin, are the only thing
between us and disaster, and I cannot get Baghdad to wake up. I intercepted a
letter yesterday from a big man in Teheran to Kuchik
Khan, full of treachery and implicating even the Prime Minister! April 10th I get my old fits of giddiness worse and
more frequently as I get older - generally about an hour after breakfast, so
I suppose it's a form of indigestion - to-day I nearly tumbled down, some day
I shall quite - as my father did on more than one occasion. Situation to-day is bad. I sent Colonel Bicherakov with his cossacks to
save Kasvin against the Jangalis
which he has so far done. This morning the Persian Government have ordered
the Russians to leave at once and the fat is in the fire - Our Government is
now at last compelled to do something either to fight or to withdraw from
Persia. Baghdad beat their own record yesterday. As
I have now some British troops I wired asking for "a butcher and a baker".
They have replied "For what purpose do you require a butcher and
a baker?" April 14th Still in our warmest clothes and fires
burning. Church Service as usual. Political situation complicated, I am quite
genuinely friends with the Governor here, but my friendship is, I am afraid,
more genuine than his. We meet every two or three days, and in the interval
correspond a good deal. I have now given orders to Bicherakov
at Kasvin to attack the Jangalis
at Menzil with his cossacks
and that I think, will bring the crisis to a head, for better or for worse. I
wished to wait longer, but the situation compelled me. I trust he may be able
to disperse the Jangalis and secure the Menzil bridge without actual bloodshed. I think the Jangalis will disperse when force is displayed. In the
end there must be blood-letting, but I want another ten days, if possible. April 17th Yesterday I sent a party to clear the snow
off the Asadabad grass and they found a caravan
just being plundered and captured the robber band complete! A Russian lorry,
en route Kasvin, was attacked on the road near Manian, 8 killed. I am sending Nizam-es-Sultan, the Governor of this town off to Teheran
to-morrow to see the Government and put some new ideas before them - after
having, in many interviews, shown him the meshes of German intrigue I hope it
will be of use, and I have promised to prevent anyone else bagging the vacant
Governorship during his absence. We have learnt to love each other so much
that he insisted on giving me two smacking kisses on departure! 4 more Russians murdered on the road by Aveh and I am anxious about the party I am sending to Kasvin. It is always Alice in Wonderland. I sent Bicherakov's fierce Cossacks down to take the Menzil Bridge from the Jangalis,
which should have meant awful blood-shed, instead of which I hear the
Cossacks and the Jangalis are sitting side by side
alongside of the bridge are quite friendly with each other! One minute I have
to implore Bicherakov not to kill too many and the
next minute I have to urge him on to kill at least some of them. April 21st Apricot is out and willows begin to have
leaves. Weather very wintry with frequent blizzards on the Passes. - still in our nasty warm clothes. April 23rd O Babel, Babel! An Armenian doctor (member
of Baku Committee) came to see me, I took him down
to the office. On the road I met a Turkish naval officer coming to surrender.
I went into the office and found Lt. Sokolov of the
Russian Navy waiting to see me, also Lt. Poidebard
of the French Army. In the hall was waiting a Persian Gendarme officer we are
going to use as a spy - and also a Greek merchant, who came with information
which he gave through the medium of Hindustani, our only common language. At last we got a mail with Daisie's letters up to March 21st. Poor Daisie! what a terrible time she
has been having - Living with the Starrs and Dr.
Starr murdered at night by Pathans, poor fellow. He
was stabbed in 5 places by men and lasted till the afternoon, when he died. May 1st Still fires and still in our warm clothing,
but leaves are appearing on the trees, and when the sun is out it is quite
warm. I am having a lot of trouble with the Russians,
they are so inexact - Baratov and Col. Bicherakov, - in their ideas. I must put everything on
paper and my fingers are very tired. Situation here is quiet. Turks are
coming into Tabriz and I do not know how to thwart them without troops. The
Squadron of 14th Hussars arrived on Wednesday and I sent them on to Kasvin on Monday. May 2nd Rode out to see the famous tablets of
Darius and Xerxes, his son, yesterday. I get a ride every afternoon now, and
am getting to know the country well. General Byron rides with me as a rule.
The War Office refuse to give me any more troops I asked for a Division, then
for a Brigade - and all they give me is 1 Cav. Regiment and 1 Infantry
Battalion to run the country against the Germans, Turks, Democrats and
Brigands, from Tabriz, Teheran to Kermanshah, an equilateral triangle with
the sides of 400 miles, or a bigger area than the British Isles. May 12th Left 7 a.m. for Kasvin,
140 miles, many breaks on road and only arrived Nahavend
at sunset. May 13th arrived Kasvin and had a long discussion with Col. Bicherakov on fresh plans - but the War Office will not
give me any troops. May 14th Left 9 a.m. for Teheran, arrived 5 p.m. A
very ugly, barren, road, parallel to the Elburz Mountains - capable of
wonderful fertility if irrigation were not just left to chance. Our entry
into Teheran caused some interest - the sign of the new régime
- the first glimpse of a British General in uniform. The crowd had a good
chance of admiring us as we were help up for a long
time by the police asking all sorts of questions at the barrier. Then through
a dusty and rather squalid city and thence into the Legation Garden - one of
the beautiful gardens in the world - as near as possible a Paradise on earth.
They have an Austrian gardener! Chenar trees,
lawns, fountains and ponds with water lilies, roses, etc. - not only very
beautiful, but such a contrast to the nasty surroundings. Teheran is
heavenly, but is an abode of devils. Lady Marling ill in bed, Sir Charles is
really an invalid. Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovitch has been living with them for a year - a sort
of refugee, 25 years of age, nice looking, but soft and no use to the
dynasty. Also met General and Mrs. Polovtsev. Both
very young, and she very pretty - the usual Russian worldlings
and probably a bad lot. (Bartellot was afterwards
killed by the Consul, Mc.Laren, for making love to
his wife) Bartellot I was glad to see (Mil.
attaché) also Stokes my G.S.O. I. Scott, the first Secretary, Havard Consul, Etter
Russian Member, Lecomte French (Eulenburg scandals!) Caldwell, American Col. Staroselsky, commanding the Persian Cossacks. I was tired
to death during my stay in Teheran, because there was never quiet one moment.
Ride with Bartellot before breakfast, then
interviews without ceasing till dinner time, then the other sort of dinner
party interview with each of the invités, and bed
at 1.0. I like French ladies because they curtsey to me when they are
introduced and they make me feel Viceregal! A
wonderful cuisine with an Italian chef - everything done in quite the nicest
way. I think Teheran is a nasty place. A nightingale sings outside my bedroom
at night and there is an atmosphere of lilies and languor and love in the
air, which, with no proper outlet, leads people to be rather nasty. The place
is full of Russian Officers who drink and gamble for huge sums at the
Imperial Club with Persian noblemen and any bounder with money to be
squeezed. I was glad to leave Teheran on Friday 17. Left Kasvin
on Saturday 18th, and arrived at home by Hamadan at 7 p.m. same day. I was
very tired and brought with me a collection of prisoners - Austrian, German
and others. I had to share my car with the Hungarian officer prisoner's wife
and baby - she had to pull up the car at every mile and be sick. And a very
pretty officer's wife, Sokolov, en route Baghdad.
It was a dreadful arrival with one lady sick and one in hysterics and no one
to meet us and no arrangements made. I ran them both into Mrs. Funks drawing-room (hard on a missionary lady) while I ran
round to arrange things. I was dog tired, but had to go to a concert that had
been especially postponed for me. It was quite hot in Teheran and here it is
just a warm spring - we want half warm clothes and half summer clothes. 4th
party arrived at 11 a.m. 50 officers, 150 N.C.Os, Australians,
New-Zealanders, Canadians, South Africans - a fine lot, but tough, commanded by
Daisie's bother, Bob Keyworth. May 26th Latest news leads me to have another try at
Baku, so I leave here on Friday, 31st, join up with Bicherakov
and his Cossacks at Kasvin and then make war on the
Jangalis on the Enzeli
road - if we are not delayed we may get to Baku in time to save the town and
oil-wells from falling into the hands of the Turks and Germans, who are
racing up from Tiflis to get them. Are we to be always too late? It's not my
fault anyway as they refuse me all the troops and aeroplanes I need. May 28th The War Office wire absolutely forbidding
me to go to the Caucasus at the present time, so the Germans will get the
Baku oil, the Krasnovodsk cotton, the Astrakhan
wheat and the Caspian Sea. It is very hard and disappointing. I am to look
after Persia only. I suppose Percy Sykes' troubles in Southern Persia make
them anxious, then Kuchik Khan at Resht, the Turks
in Tabriz, the hopelessness of the civil war in Baku and the financial cost -
they cannot produce the money. I wired estimated minimum cost 5 million sterling a month. May 31st Goodbye to Hamadan for a time and perhaps for ever. To-morrow we go to Kasvin
- which is hotter, but more central for my work, as the Turks are coming down
the Tabriz Road. I got the first of my four aeroplanes to-day, and my eight
armoured cars will soon be here - and 1000 infantry are coming up in Ford
vans, so we shall soon be getting to work. Dined with the Mc.Murrays
farewell party. June 1st Arrived Kasvin
with 22 Cars, 14 hours run, 140 miles, no incidents. Very nice house here,
but hotter than Hamadan, still it is a beautiful place with Gardens and
nightingales and it is nice to have a couple of blankets at night. My troops
are getting all over the place, as I have so many different situations to deal
with. I have sent Wagstaff with 80 officers and men
towards Tabriz to worry the Turks and raise the Shahsavan
tribes - he can't get into Tabriz because the Turks are already there and I
have no troops to drive them out with. I have another party of 60 gone to Bijar to raise the Kurds and raid the Turks. I have 20 of
the Hants here, 1 Squadron of the 14th Hussars and 2 armoured cars: at
Hamadan 140 miles away I have another 100 Hants, 4 Armoured Cars. At
Kermanshah, 140 miles further away I have 8 armoured cars and 1000 infantry,
travelling in 500 Ford cars as a mobile column, and I have 3 aeroplanes. All
this to run 350 miles of road - keep the Turks out of Azerbaijan, help Bicherakov to knock Kuchik
Khan's revolutionary army off the Enzeli road and
try to save Baku from the Germans. I am trying to run Bijar,
180 miles west of this, Hamadan 140 S.W. Tabriz, 300 miles N.W. Enzeli-Baku, 400 miles N. and Teheran 100 miles East. The
Russian Officers that I take as refugees are a great source of trouble to me,
as I cannot find employment for most of them and they cost Government a great
deal of money. General Baratov, who commanded the
1st. Caucasian Corps, I sent down to Baghdad, but they are sending him back,
also General Lastochkin. Colonel Baron Meden and wife
go to Baghdad in a day or two, also Colonel Masoyedov
- and I have 25 others here, younger officers, whom I can employ though they
are not really of much use. I am now planning to march to Enzeli with Bicherakov's 1000
Cossacks and 1 Squadron 14th Hussars - to capture the Menzil
Bridge, Resht, and Enzeli and get over to Baku. I
do not know if Kuchik Khan means to fight. I sent
Colonel Stokes down two days ago with a flag of truce to see Kuchik Khan to tell him that I do not want to fight him,
but I will have the road clear, and I will have the prisoners released and he
can do what he likes about it. He will have to fight. I am anxiously awaiting
Stokes' return. June 11th Everything is all right so far, but I am
always skating on precious thin ice. The Governor called on me yesterday, and
to-day the Karguzar. My 2 aeroplanes arrived all
right from Baghdad, but have only enough petrol for one flight during the Menzil battle to-morrow. One armoured car got smashed up coming over the Sultan-Bulak
Pass; and one Russian lorry came to grief - several men injured, but no one
killed. The climate here is delightful, but rather a beastly wind. Nights are
cold and blankets are welcome - The nightingale sings and there are roses in
the garden, but I am very lonely. June 12th At last the first shot is fired. Bicherakov's detachment with the 14th Hussars and 2
armoured cars of mine attacked and captured the Menzil
Bridge and the Kuchik Khan bubble is burst. I first
sent over 2 aeroplanes with orders not to fire or bomb as I did not want to
begin. They were heavily fired at. Then 2 German officers came to parley, but
Bicherakov told them simply to clear all their men
out of the way. In the town here we have seized the telegraph office and and put in censors and stopped all cipher work, we
arrested 6 Persians and 1 Greek in league with Kuchik
Khan. Now all the rest of the town are down on their knees and begging not to
be arrested. They are mean-spirited. The Government might well have said
"what right have you to arrest Persian subjects when you are not at war
with Persia? What right have you to seize telegraph office etc?" I have
only about 50 men here and there must be at least 2000 armed Persians in the
town. June 25th I am off to-morrow to Enzeli
in the Caspian where I shall see Bicherakov and eat
caviare. With the last convoy I sent down the road,
Captain Dunsford of the Hants was killed and 6
wounded, but I hope they'll be quieter now. I have twice sent aeroplanes to
bomb K.K's Headquarters and that may help to cool his ardour. The town is
quieter and I have issued counter proclamations. July 1st Returned from Enzeli.
The down journey was quite uneventful and the country looked very different
to what it did in the winter. No shots were fired either out or on the return
journey, though several battles took place on the road in between while.
Stayed the night at Menzil - next day passed
through Resht and down to Enzeli. It was nice to
see the sea again - lived in the same quarters as before. Next day
sea-bathing on nice sandy beach and the Caspian was delightful. Long final
interview with General Bicherakov and final
settlement of plans in South and North Caucasus. Then long interview with Cheliapin the leader of the Revolutionary Committee who
wanted to arrest me in Feb., and was responsible for my not reaching Baku -
he is very stupid and not more amenable now than he was then. One can deal
with anything except blank ignorance. Finally he said: "I cannot continue
to talk with one who subjects himself to the domination of a King and a
Crown!" Left Enzeli same afternoon,
arrived Resht for dinner. Stayed next day interviewing new Governor, Sirdar-i-Kul, pro-Turk and pro-German, but now pro-me
(temporarily), arranged a great function for rehoisting
of British flag. All consuls present - troops armoured cars, Persian
official. I made speech, flag hoisted. Persian police marched past and
saluted flag. Persian Commandant made apology. Good fight at Iman-Zadeh-Hashem,
on the road outside the town - Gurkhas captured and
burnt a village and killed many of the enemy. Two officers took two Polish
women out for a drive in motor-car - silly asses. Drove straight into the
enemy. One officer 2 women killed, car captured. One officer escaped and now
to be tried by Court-Martial. July 10th Rather tired and weary after diarrhoea. We
have lost several men from cholera and a good deal of typhus and sandfly fever. The flies are awful. Days are hot but nights quite cool. The number of situations I have to deal
with is enormous. The Jilus and Armenians at Urmieh have long been entirely surrounded by the Turks,
but have bravely held out so far. Yesterday I managed to get an aeroplane
through to them. The aviator, Pennington, was received with an ovation, could
not move for half an hour, people kissing his hands and knees. As a result, I
hope to open up the road to Urmieh from Hamadan and
have asked the Jilus to fight their way down to Sain Kale to meet us. This is a new situation. Then, in
case the Turks get Baku I am sending a party over to Krasnovodsk
to see what can be done on the East shore of the Caspian and in Turkestan.
Then I still have the defence of Baku on my hands, and am anxious having had
no news of Bicherakov for some days. Then there is
the Turkish invasion situation via Tabriz doing pretty well. The Turks hold
Tabriz with 2000 men and I am bluffing them with about 20 and 1 armoured car.
Then there are the Persian Levies and the Irregulars which are not a great
success. They want pay, but don't want to fight. Then there is the internal
political situation. At Teheran there is a revolution going on, not very
dangerous so far. In the town here all is quiet, but all Persian officials
are pro-Turk. Then there is the Jangali situation,
which is doing well so far. We are bombing them by aeroplane again to-morrow.
My hands and head are very full. Then I am worried a lot by the question of
liquidation of the Russian debts, contracts with the Russian road Company, interviews
with Russian revolutionaries and schemes to help indigent Russian officers. July 4th [note: either this date or the
10th is wrong - I shall try to verify the correct date(s).] I went to Teheran and stayed with the
Minister, returned on the 7th, it was very beautiful there. The Minister, Sir
Charles Marling, was not happy and the moral atmosphere of the place is
unclean. I do not like the young Grand Duke Dimitri
Pavlovitch. The attitude of the old-régime Russians is very unpleasant, suspicious and
hostile. July 14th I hate travelling on Sundays and I always
find myself doing so. I left to-day by motor for Hamadan - a very good
journey - arrived there about 6 p.m., stayed with the Mc.Murrays.
I had arranged for an aeroplane to meet me at Hamadan and fly me down to
Baghdad. If it had not been for that I would not have undertaken the trip. I
want to get to Baghdad very badly to make them understand things, but I
calculated I could not afford to be away as long as a week. The aeroplane had
been unable to rise properly owing to the heat, it fell on its nose and they
will not send me another. They say I must get down to the flat first, and plane from there. July 16th Motor to Kermanshah, 150 miles, stayed with
Hale of the Bank - I have with me only my Russian A.D.C., Captain Bray, of
the 5th Russian Hussars, an A.1. useful man. July 17th Motor to Head-quarters of the 14th Division
at Mirjaneh - 200 miles bad road and very tiring.
Bateman Champain, an old friend, commanding, and
Major Nicholson, another old friend doing D.A.G. Very hot night. Had lunch
with 26th Punjabis at Ser-i-Mil en route. July 18th 4 a.m., flew 100
miles into Baghdad - some difficulty in getting off owing to heat, and not a
very good landing. Staying with General Gillman, Chief of Staff at G.H.Q. July 19th Interviews and interviews with all the
Staff Branches. My object is to persuade them to let me take on the Urmieh situation and save 80,000 Christians from being
massacred. Very hot but pleasant to see real civilisation and drink soda and
other good things. Romantic sleeping on a marble floor on banks of Tigris
with moon reflected on water - electric punkah. July 20th Left in Aeroplane 4 a.m. for Kasr-i-Shirin, 120 miles. I do not like aeroplanes - hot
air - rush of wind noise of engine beastly. Kasr-i-Shirin
is a very bad landing ground and rather jumpy work between high walls. Got
into motor and travelled 160 miles to Kermanshah. Lunch with Anderson of the
26th at Ser-i-hul. They
have done a lot of work on the roads which are much improved. July 21st Kermanshah to Hamadan with Chaplain. Met
General Ready. July 22nd Stayed Hamadan. July 23rd To Kasvin - a
dreadful journey. 4 hours' engine trouble. 6 punctures at last ran in by
moon-light on the rims to Kirk Bulak and telephoned
from there for another car which arrived at 3 a.m. and got us in by 6 a.m.,
on the 24th. Glad to be at home - sick of travelling. 780 miles in car
and 220 in aeroplane. While I was away much has been doing. The Jangalis have recaptured Resht and we had 50 casualties. July 28th Looks as if I might still have a chance of
saving Baku from Turks and Germans. The Bolshevik power has been thrown out
and I am going to try and get across the Caspian at last. I have frequent
interviews with the Bolshevik leaders and the Social Revolutionaries. The
former came to lunch - the latter are more amenable. July 31st Things are very critical in Baku and we may
be too late - I had two of the Bolshevik leaders to lunch, Cheliapin and Lazarev - not
very interesting people. It was amusing to see how they eat not only their
food but their principles. It was quite an entente party. August 4th Baku is on the verge of falling, but we may
be able to save it - I have sent Bob on and leave myself to-day for Enzeli. Arrived Menzil, the
little post-house there very uncomfortable with Baku and Resht refugees. August 5th Passed through Resht and had lunch there at
the tollgate and talked with Matthews and Moir who
have done very well. We recently bombed by aeroplane all the Gilan towns and I do not think they will attack again.
Resht is much damaged, but town seems quiet and no shots were fired at my
convoy. The country was more beautiful than ever, the wonderful 20 miles of
forest and the green rice-fields below. Arrived Enzeli
6 p.m., staying in the fisheries same old house. We have just arrested the
leaders of the Russian Revolutionary Committee and I think all will go well.
6 months ago Cheliapin was on the verge of
arresting me and I had to flee in haste - to-day he is on his way to Baghdad
and the Revolutionary Committee exists no more while I hold Enzeli. Bob is in the Baku and the news from there is not
so bad - we may be able to hold out. August 7th The Port here is quiet, but although we
have arrested and sent to Baghdad the Bolshevik leaders, we cannot yet get
real control of the port and the shipping, as I have very few troops and
cannot show force. In fact, the Bolsheviks or the Jangalis
or both together might attack me at any time and knock me out. One has to
take big risks but I must send all I can to Baku and keep only the minimum
here. I have had bad diarrhoea for some time and
on the road down I felt as if I were going to die - I determined to eat
nothing, but at the Nagober toll-gate I had to
accept hospitality and I was hungry, so I gave in and drank tea and coffee
and ate cheese and omelette. After that I nearly died again and gave up
worrying, so when we got to the Resht toll-gate and I was again tempted, I
ate everything I wanted. Bray suggested a Russian cure, vodka with pepper in
it, so I drank three pepper vodkas which were very consoling! and from that moment to this I have been as fit as a
fiddle - it was, I suppose, too much for the microbes. When one arrives in a new town, one is
deluged with interviews that tire one to death. Yesterday I had M. Hunin, head of customs. Khachikov
and Senizavin, controlling the Caspian fleet, Gendre, the Social Revolutionary, Dr. Araratiantz,
head of the Armenian National Council, Mr. Ogamiantz,
Soc. Rev. Alkhari - Bicherakov's
man; great schemes are propounded, but each is playing for his own hand.
To-day I have already had heaps of time-wasters, mostly Russian and British
refugees trying to get a job - (that is, money) out of me. Baku still holds
up and I hope Bob will pull through, but my reinforcements are small and time
flies. August 11th Very hot. We bathe in the Sea every morning
at 6.30 a.m. I interview people all day long. Complications increase frightfully.
Delays are terrible, no convoy ever arrives when expected and Baku just hangs
on a thread - all the cars break down and everything seems against me. In
addition to all the Persian strings, I have Baku, now Krasnovodsk
begs for troops, and Lenkoran, and Bicherakov at Derbend, and the
Russian colony at Meshed-i-sar
and the Jangalis threaten to attack here, and
everyone is against us - but God is with us. My temperament is a calm one or
I should go mad. Baku and all the others being to think I am leaving them in
the lurch. I am left in the lurch myself by Baghdad and by the motor-cars.
And I run all this with one half size Brigade - it's
worse bluff than any game of poker! S/S President
Kruger (b. 1902) August 14th I moved myself and Headquarters on board
the S/S President Kruger, where I shall remain, I expect, for some time. It
is cooler on board, I will rig up a wireless set, and I can then move at a
moment's notice anywhere up and down the Caspian. My sailor, Commodore
Norris, is extemporising a fleet - so far we have not taken any ships, but we
possess a 4 in gun arrived yesterday and 3 more are coming and we have naval
personnel about 160. The Officers on board and the crew seem a very decent
lot. We took down the Revolutionary Red flag and hoisted the old Russian
flag. August 16th Now the time has come to cross the Caspian
Sea we get on to stormy weather and we shall all be very sick. The mail boat
was unable to leave last night and we sail to-night. August 17th Arrived Baku. We lived through the roughness
all right and did not miss a meal. Day was cool and just a nice strong
breeze. August 19th Yesterday and to-day I visited the whole
front line, about 10 miles long, South on Sea to North where right flank is
open, enabling Turks to get round and make trouble in our rear in East of
peninsula. Armenian citizen soldiers very slack, no discipline and no
organisation, holding the line with a stiffening of the North Staffords on both flanks. We are gradually putting
British Commandants into the Armenian Battalions, and we have our officers
also with their Batteries. My car ran along the front for a while within 3000
yards of the Turkish guns, quite in the open, and they never fired a round at
us, so I suppose they are pretty short of ammunition. Our line is terribly
weak on the right, and that the Turks do not take the town shows they have
very poor spirit. Their batteries are only 6000 yards from the town and
harbour and they could shell us any minute if they wanted to. The oil-fields
are very interesting. Baku is a very fine town with splendid business houses,
but the surroundings are hideous and barren, and the tall chimney stacks of
the oil-works are dreadful to look at. I have interviewed the 5 Dictators who rule
the town, at an official reception - also the 10 members of the Armenian
National Council, also the C-in-C, Gen Dokuchaieu
and his staff, and had to have the latter to dinner last night. August 20th I attended the Russian Church Service yesterday
and I'm afraid the people looked more at me than at the holy images. To-day I
was cinematographed, so my features go down in history. To-night I sail for Derbend.
The situation here is critical from a military point of view, but good from a
political. But changes come rapidly and the present Government may be thrown
out any minute. Bicherakov is doing splendidly and
I feel I deserve credit for the one thing that I have trusted him throughout
against everyone's opinion. The War Office cable me
not to trust him, the Baghdad people do the same, all Russians do the same.
Had I not fought against their views the fat would, indeed, have been in the
fire. Bicherakov has been magnificently successful
so far, and all my success has been due to him. I am teaching the people here
to understand him. The Chief of Staff Avitisov, hates him, however, we have sent the Chief of Staff off
on sick leave and things will be better. Bob does very well in command here
and the scheme is one of those rare ones where an artillery man is the best
man. Got wireless on board and sailed at 9 p.m. for Derbend,
weather fine. We heard Alexiev had taken Astrakhan
which was good news, now we hear not A. but anarchist sailors from the Baltic
which is bad news. I am always being cinematographed and to-day I was filmed
while addressing some refugees on board a ship going to Krasnovodsk.
Baku is terribly weak and I hope it will not fall during my absence. Armenian soldiers
in trenches near Baku August 21st 4.30 p.m. we have just fought the first
naval battle of the Caspian, and not very nobly. Never got to Derbend at all. Just off Derbend
a suspicious looking vessel, probably Bolshevik, signalled to us to come
alongside. The Captain asked me for orders - I said is she any sort of ship
with authority to make such a demand. He said, No, it is the Usbeg, long since in Bolshevik hands - whereupon I said
"full steam ahead!" On this the steamer opened fire with some small
gun, probably a 3 inch, fired some 4 or 5 shots for a period of a quarter of
an hour all round us, and close, but no hits and we being able to steam
faster, got away. Changed course and now steam back to Baku to insist on
mounting guns on all ships - otherwise we shall get done in some day by one
of these pirates. August 23rd Fierce North Gale, but we weren't quite
sick, got into Baku at 3 p.m., awful dust storm. Bob came on board to report
all well. I begin my 35th year of service. I don't fancy I ever meant to stay
as long as that, but it has been 35 years of happiness and the last 21 with
doubled happiness. The Turks shelled the town at night, but did not do much
harm. We want to arm some of these merchant-men, but cannot get the
revolutionary Government to agree to it - they fear we might use our new
fleet to down them. It has suddenly turned quite cold and I suppose
the real hot summer is over. We get not butter or milk or fats of any kind -
I don't miss them at all but doctors seem to think they are necessary. August 24th There were one or two people killed by the
shelling last night and there was a most uncalled for panic. Left at 8 p.m.
for Enzeli. Weather fine. August 25th Arrived 3 p.m. I was to have tad tea with Kuchik Khan at Resht, but he cannot arrange before
Wednesday and I cannot wait so long - so I must again return without
accomplishing this important work. Enzeli is
looking very nice and clean. Bray is very ill and I sent him to hospital and
taken on Lieutenant Grosvald of the Russian Army in
his place - a good fellow, but not a patch on Bray. August 26th Sailed 8 p.m. for Baku, fine and calm.
Brought over a lot of Naval personnel and some 4 inch and 12 pounder Naval
guns which I hope to get permission to mount on Merchant ships. Water melons
bought in Enzeli for two roubles sell in Baku now
for 20 roubles, in India the price is 1 anna. August 27th Arrived in Baku 3.30 p.m. Bob came on board
to report. I am sorry that during my absence the Turks have made a successful
attack on our very weak right and have captured the Mud volcano - our losses
being 3 officers and 70 men of the N. Staffords
killed, and 11 officers and 35 men wounded. The attack was a very determined
one and had Baku troops been there I'm afraid Baku would have been taken. The
odds were 4 to one and we had no artillery support and the Armenian infantry
sent to support refused to go. As it is, the risk of the town being taken
is so great that I dare not keep this Diary by me any more,
so I have decided to send it by post to Mc.Murray
at Hamadan. Pencilled note: "The book was sent and
I had to keep further records in a separate notebook. "End of War Diary B, Begin C." September 1st Well Baku still holds out though truly it
is just a prolonged miracle - there is no order or discipline in the town,
the 5 Dictators Yermakov, Lemlin,
Verluntz and 2 others are as weak as water, they
are all young, about 25 to 30 and I do not believe in councils without
grey-beards. There is no order, discipline or organisation among the troops.
They retire whenever the enemy attack, and my troops
are annihilated owing to failure of support. I told some Armenian troops to
occupy a position already prepared and they entrenched because the enemy
were about to attack it. They refused to go, because the enemy were
about to attack it. Alice in Wonderland again. Yesterday a regiment was
ordered to the front. They held a meeting to decide whether to go or not. The
votes were 30% for and 70% against. The 30% were real stout fellows, and
opened fire on the 70% to punish them or compel them to go. The bullets
whizzed near one of our armoured cars who telephone to the Commander:
"If they don't stop I shall open fire on the lot of them." The
Commander replied "Please do!" Counterattack of “Dunsterforce” near Baku The town is shelled a good deal by day and
night, but the inhabitants are getting accustomed to it and the small shell
do very little harm except making a big bang and the sickly swains and their
haughty little girls continue their nightly promenade undisturbed. My steamer
on the wharf is the point most aimed at, but it is at the very end of their
extreme range and the shells fall short in the town and mostly in cemeteries
when the old dead are killed once more. Once shell destroyed a ship's boat
just behind the stern - a very good shot. I did not like the risk of the big
ammunition dump on the wharf just outside my porthole, so I wrote an urgent
note for its removal. While writing, there was a bang, and a shell exploded
absolutely in the middle of it, smashing open a case of shells and wounding
slightly 2 sentries and nothing more. The Commander in Chief, General Dokuchaev, is a good fellow, not strong, and in a most
difficult position. His Chief of the Staff Avetisov
(Armenian) is weak, ill, and useless. I have asked them to kick him out and
put in Stokes instead. The next Staff Officer, Van der
Fless is not bright. The Minister of War, Bogratuni, Armenian, has just had his leg amputated. He
is clever but not a forceful character. To-day the Turks captured Diga without much difficulty, though Diga
was a strong point as had promised to put up a stout defence. They go from
success to success and God only knows why they do not walk straight into the
town. They must be quite rotten, and if only I had troops for a
counter-attack I could destroy the whole lot of them. Unless they have the
bad luck to come against a detachment of my brave 900 (Warwicks,
Worcesters, Nr. Staffords,
Gloucesters) they just come through without
casualties. In vain I point out the harmlessness of artillery-fire except
when it is used in the intensity if the French front which the Turks can
never do. Casualties from Artillery are so far almost nil.
The question is how to save the wretched population from the impending
massacre - all these women and children (some 80,000 of them, I suppose) all
promenading every evening on the boulevards by the electric light and quite
unconscious that in any hour's time they may be having their throats slit by
the Turks. So I called a meeting in the Hotel d'Europe,
of the Dictators, the Fleet, the Army, and the Armenian National Council and
I exploded on them the following bomb:- "It is time to come to some final
decision regarding the fate of Baku. Surmises and hopes must be placed on one
side and only facts considered. The facts are as follows:-
My troops alone fight, they are only 900 and no more reinforcements are
coming. The Turks are in every attack victorious and can enter the town
whenever they have the pluck to come straight in. The town troops go from bad
to worse - I was present at a War Council last night when the General's plans
were overridden by a common sailor. Plans of that sort are valueless - I was
present this morning at the front when Binagardi
Hill was taken. At the moment when a small counter-attack could have retaken
the Hill. I found the entire citizen army loafing back into Baku with their
hands in their pockets and their backs to the enemy. I then again visited the
C-in-C. and discussed his future plans. I have since
thought the matter quietly over and my final advice to you is this: Why study
the map and discuss the value of positions when you know from experience that
your troops, when ordered to attack, invariably retire? That
being the case, why needlessly prolong the agony and risk the lives of
all your noncombatants? I will no longer throw away
in vain the lives of my brave soldiers. I am about to withdraw my troops
entirely and leave Baku to its fate - I will go to Krasnovodsk
and start a fresh and more useful movement in Turkestan. I will hold on till
to-morrow to give you a chance of negotiations. Send at once a flag of truce
to surrender the town to the enemy and suggest the following terms (but
strengthen your line first with every available man) If you will give us 48
hours to remove all our women and children and our forces from Baku we will
surrender the town to you intact. If you refuse we will fight to the bitter
end. Your losses will be heavy and we shall destroy all the electric power
stations and the irreplaceable machinery that pumps the oil to Batoum and which is the only thing that makes the town
worth capturing - you want the oil for the railways and for the Black Sea
fleet - and you will be foiled in that attempt and your efforts will have
been in vain." There was a great hubbub and excitement
among the members. Each knew that what I said was true, yet none had dared,
up to now, to put it in words. The town has been twice saved by a miracle
sent direct from God. On July 26th and August 5th. We cannot expect a third
miracle. After a little talk in which rather bitter remarks were thrown at my
head, I left them to talk among themselves and went off to see the C-in-C.,
then I returned and begged them to stop their silly talk - how they love
talking - and to act. I then went to see the War Minister who agreed with me.
They talked till 8.30 p.m., and then agreed to my decision and promised to
act. But they went on talking all night and eventually changed their silly
minds. The Navy finally said: "We object to this cowardly plan. We
control the situation. You must never yield. If a single ship tries to have
the harbour we will sink her and then we shall turn our guns on to you on
shore." All very well for the brave Navy to say this when being on the
water, their own safety is quite secured. So we continue the defence. I am glad,
because every day we hold out is of great value to the Allies - I only fear
for the civil population in the dreadful sauve-qui-peut which I foresee. Help from outside seems impossible.
Will God really give us a third miracle? I have taken up my quarters ashore
now, in the Hotel d'Europe, because they might
think my remaining on board ship a sign of cowardice. September 2nd A lull - these stupid Turks - why don't
they take the town? I suppose it is just because they fear the destruction of
that machinery which would render their victory barren. September 3rd Shelling the town quite heavily last night.
The French Colonel Chardigny is very jumpy. I am
not naturally brave in the least. But I pray for the courage I have not got,
and that is the sort of prayer which meets with an immediate answer, and I am
as calm as if I were at Bishopsteignton. I never
can believe in the answer to prayer for material things, the other prayers
are always answered. Six well aimed shells fired at me personally on Binagardi Hill the other day while I was examining the
enemy's position, left me quite unmoved and the thought of any danger was
quite absent from my mind. There being no other firing but these 6 shots one
could hear the approach of each shell quite clearly and all one thought of
was what a harmless sounding noise it was for an instrument that was on the
point of exploding and tearing people to pieces. September 5th We still hold the town, I don't know how, one
can only believe in God's miracles, the time is not yet, but it may be any
minute. These Baku troops are terrible. Last night at sunset my Inspecting
officer visited the line and found at the most dangerous point and a probably
point of attack, no one, when there should have been 1500 men and 2
machine guns. In another place where there should have been a whole Armenian
battalion there were 75 men. Water melons cost 20 roubles, a bottle of
natural mineral water 4 roubles. 1 egg 2½ roubles - a small meal 50 roubles,
just one plate meat, one plate of pudding, and so on. My day is spent in
interviewing and squabbling with different people. I have had two serious
rows with the 5 Dictators, who represent the Government, but we love each
other now. They, poor fellows, have no real power which is in the hands of
the Committees and their position is very difficult indeed. September 7th Rather heavier shelling last night. Bray
was robbed of everything, including gold cigarette case and 6000 roubles, the
thief had to pass through my room in and out, and never touched a thing of
mine - I am perpetually surrounded with miracles, and God is very good - but
when I say that, I feel "smug" as if I were deserving of special
protection and Bray were not. The enemy made no attack? Why? still more
miracles - September 9th The enemy have a map of the town and are,
of course, accurately informed of my movements. They know I have tea on board
the Kruger at 4.30 p.m. And they have a spy observer here to direct their
fire. On Saturday at tea-time they began to fire and one could note the
careful observation, first shot near the cathedral, next more towards me, and
so, one by one till they got one straight between the masts that fell in the
sea a few yards away without exploding, then the observer signalled all
correct and we got 2 rounds battery fire straight on to the Kruger. But you
don't hit what you aim at, you hit the things near - so two steamers on the
next wharves were hit and all started steaming out into the bay. But the
Kruger, the cause of all the trouble, remained fast, and the firing ceased,
as they are not too well off for ammunition. I have Captain Noel with me
here, a fine fellow. He has been 6 months in prison with Kuchik
Khan, where he was in chains and flogged and was released after I had made
peace with Kuchik - he seems none the worse for his
troubles. I took him out to the front to see the position at Binagardi, and on the way back I found my H.Q. in the
Hotel d'Europe heavily being shelled. I couldn't
pull up the car and take cover in front of the fleeing populace, so we just
had to head straight into the storm - it was unpleasant with bricks and
mortar flying around, and the most terrific bangs, but I was very much
watched, so had to sit up and look as if I like it. As I reached the Hotel,
the firing was over - one shell had burst in Wither's bed-room next my Q.
Office - destroyed the room and hit no one. Two burst in the road and smashed
all the windows and a balcony, one set a house on fire alongside, but the
fire-brigade were out in no time, in very good order and soon got the fire
under control. Artillery fire is terrifying, but in a town its effect is very
small unless it is the big shells that no one in this country possesses.
Thank goodness and thank God for many mercies. Bicherakov's
first detachment arrived to-day from Petrovsk and
things, for the moment, look very good indeed. London and Baghdad keep on
telling me to leave Baku at once and I finally and
firmly refuse - so how it will all end I do not know. I have sent the
strongest telegrams that have ever been sent, but they contain nothing but
what is true and right and what can be substantiated. Both Baghdad and London
have been criminal in their outlook on the strategy, and even now they do not
seem to realize that the capture of Baku by the Turks is a far bigger thing
for them than the capture of Baghdad by us, was for us. In the evening I had
to attend an anniversary dinner for the battle of the Marne, given by the
Belgian Consul, who is an Armenian. The guests were some 12 prominent
Armenians, Col. Chardigny and one French officer,
one Russian, and the Armenian priest in full and very picturesque robes. The
table was quite a wonderful sight and the guests more so. There were many
speeches - too many - and I got away after two hours on a genuine plea of
work. September 10th Days are very busy. To-day I saw Lt.
Maurice of the French Army about certain secret matters connected with the
oil-fields, then Captain Noel about some mills that want shuttles from
England to increase supply, we to purchase increased supply and exchange for
grain in ports where cash is not accepted - we get back to barter in these
days, also about Noel's plans for the N. Caucasus where Pike has been killed
and I propose Noel takes his place. Then Mr. Clarke Head of the Food Control
about food supplies for population here, 300,000. Then Gendre,
the Social Revolutionary about his plots, then Araratiantz,
the Armenian about Armenian Army Reform, then Chardigny,
about wiring present situation to Paris - then Ragozin
about his plans, Albizzi about the Russian armed
cars. In the evening 5 p.m. a Georgian Prince re Tartar affairs and hopes.
Then a Committee meeting at the War Minister, Bogratuni,
reorganization. Then Captain Colmanautz, re the
situation in Erivan, Major Conrans en route to Bicherakov with instructions, Colonel Rawlinson re
destruction of Bridges. September 12th A woman was shot by her lover on the next
wharf at lunch time and her screams were dreadful - it was regarded as an
ordinary occurrence. These wicked Armenians never cease their Mahomedan atrocities. Last night they raided a Tartar
house and when Russian soldiers went to restore order, the Captain's son was
shot and the ship is in mourning to-day - No shelling yesterday. A nasty
lull. After many interviews I met, in the evening, for the first time, a
representative of the Daghestani-Mahomedans, who
put the Daghestani point of view very clearly
before me. We have restored order in the Arsenal and have the ammunition
supply well in hand. Machine guns and Artillery also - the present supply can
be made to last 6 months. September 15th I am always on the move on Sundays. Here we
are, on the Kruger, steaming back to Enzeli with
the remnant of the brave 39th Brigade. At last the crisis, so long waited
for, has come and gone, and God has been good to us. The final assault of the
Turks began at 4 a.m. yesterday, by 11 a.m. they were holding the heights
above the town and soon after were driving in our right. Our troops, the Staffords, Warwicks and Worcesters, fought magnificently and their 800 rifles
coupled with our artillery and the local artillery under our control - about
40 guns - bore the whole brunt of the battle against, perhaps, 7000 Turks -
the armoured cars too, did splendid work. At 4 p.m. I learnt that the Baku
troops were, as usual, retiring, instead of fighting, and leaving my troops
exposed. Bicherakov's men and his artillery did
splendidly - the Armenians were no use. I, accordingly, sent Bray with a note
to the Dictators informing them that now the situation was definitely lost, I
proposed to take my troops on board as soon as it was dark and sail for Enzeli. He found the Dictators in a state of bewilderment
and they practically said "Do what you please." At 10 p.m. we were just ready to sail, when
2 Dictators came on board, Lemlin and Sadovsky, with orders for me to send my troops back to
their positions and not to sail till I got their permission. I decided to
risk it with lights out, so ordered each ship to move off independently for Enzeli and if pulled up by superior force (a gun-boat for
instance) yield and parley. So far, I do not know the fate of the others. At
1 p.m. I was on the bridge with the Captain, the Commodore and Hoskyn - we tried to creep by the guardship,
but she twigged us and gave three whistles to stop, we answered 3 whistles
which meant assent; and then went full speed ahead. She was at anchor so
unable to chase, but she opened fire as long as we were in range and effected nothing. Brave sailors! Three pompom shot came
over the bridge and the man at the wheel dropped the wheel and ran like a
hare. The Captain an A1 fellow, took the wheel and
we carried on. And here we are in this beautiful scenery, moving merrily with
a light breeze over a rippling sea as if there were never any wars in the
world. In the meantime Persia has tumbled to pieces - Urmieh
has fallen, the Turks are advancing in Hamadan and Kasvin,
and goodness knows what lies ahead of us - chased from pillar to post. I sent
a very strong wire to Baghdad and the War Office, pointing out that their
policy was a bad one, but even then I could have got through if they had not
run even their "bad" policy badly. They object to my impertinent
criticisms, and state they would remove me from my command if they could do
so, but they cannot. My conduct will be gone into later - so I suppose I
shall be tried by Court Martial. Both yesterday and the day before they
shelled my H.Q. offices in the Hotel d'Europe very
heavily, and very well, one high explosive burst in the room next the hall
where we were all standing, blew everything to smithereens and killed no one.
I think the intention of the Baku
Government was, after we had done all the fighting for them, to use us as one
of their pawns for securing good conditions: "we will surrender to you
British General Staff, etc etc." It would have
been a great asset to them. While the fight was in progress I visited Gen. Dokuchaev, Russian C.-in-C. at
intervals throughout the day. He was driven mad by allowing himself to be worried by all sorts of nonentities and
spent most of his time answering telephone calls - good fellow, but useless.
I found Vosskresensky, whom I regard as quite a
worthless youth - actually holding him by the lappels
of his coat and shaking him, and I had to interfere and V. out of the way. I was very anxious indeed about the other
boats' adventures and thanked God very deeply when I found all in the harbour
except the little Armenian with which Col. Rawlinson had left loaded up with
ammunition from the Arsenal. Providence throughout guided us. The wharf from which I had originally planned the evacuation,
was, I now see, quite unsuitable, under shell-fire, and in full observation of
the town, who would have mobbed my soldiers. I was driven by circumstances to
the new wharf which was on the edge of town and extraordinarily suitable for
the purpose. September 16th A wire telling me to return to Baghdad. I
am not offended. I have done excellent work under trying conditions, and
produced very good results out of nothing in spite of apathy and
misunderstanding of War Office and Baghdad. But after my telegrams they had
no course but to relieve me and to try me, I suppose by Court Martial. Thank
God Rawlinson and his little steamer arrived all well after having run a
heavy gauntlet of fire. Armenian refugees a great problem. September 17th Settling up with my Russian friends and
handing over - A last bathe in the Caspian. September 18th Left with Hoskyn
and Bray to Kasvin. September 19th At Kasvin handing
over to General Thomson. September 20th To Hamadan. Such pleasure to be back again
in the hospitable house of the Mc.Murrays. September 21st Out to Abi Shini to see the Urmieh refugees.
September 22nd Padre O'Connor. Holy Communion in the Mc.Murray's Drawing-room - just ourselves, then off for
Kermanshah. A very sad parting with this homely home and these good people of
incredible kindness and hospitality. Very hot and dusty - car at last broke
down 30 miles out of Kermanshah, but luckily just opposite the camp of the
48th Pioneers where we stayed the night very comfortably. September 23rd Kermanshah - stopping with Weir the
Political - My Russian A.D.C. is very ill again, I hope I shall not have to
leave him behind, as it would be very hard to do without him. September 24th To Tak-i-giri
G.H.Q. Camp at the top of the Paitak Pass. Met
General Gilman the Chief of the Staff and General Beach, Chief of the
Intelligence - they were not very communicative, but we talked on other
topics - our splendid advance up to Acre in Palestine. I do not at all
tremble for my fate, but I hate these sort of quarrels - I have insulted both
the War Office and Baghdad, and my action has been right throughout - I have
been quite misjudged and if I insisted on an inquiry others in high places
would get into trouble and not me - but I loathe these things. The only thing
that matters is one's own conscience and my conscience entirely congratulates
me. September 25th Arrived H.Q. 14th Division at Mirjaneh and stayed with General Frazer. Met Nicholson,
37th Dopas and George Gunning, 21st Cav. also Maclachlan, 40th Pathans
commanding a Brigade - such a nice atmosphere to be back once more among real
soldiers. September 26th To Baghdad - thank God for the last of the
Motor-cars for a bit after that 600 mile drive on a vile road. The Jilu refugees - poor things - blocked the road everywhere
and I feel half responsible for them though it was not my fault that
Government would not take up my Urmieh scheme.
Billeted in No. 2 Mess - Stuart Wortley. Dined with
the C.-in-C. September 27th Writing up despatches. Dined with General
Dixon of Rhodesia. The Marlings were there - glad
to be out of Teheran. Also Grand Duke Dimitri Pavlovitch, 27. now with a
Commission as Captain in the British Army, He is quite possibly the next Czar. He talked to me for an hour in gratitude for my
help to the Russians etc., and told me of the horrible things he has to
suffer at the hands of our blunt Englishmen. One Officer says: "the
Russians always run away, don't they?" and so on. September 28th Dined with old Westward Ho! boy - General Rimington, R.E.
whom I remember in the first 15 at school - a pleasure to meet after all
these years. October 3rd Dined last night with Stuart-Wortly - Left by train today at 8 p.m. for Kut-el-Amara. Arrived there at
6 a.m. on October 4th And sailed on board S/S Taraki.
Lt. Colonel Wilmer, R.F.A. a very excellent companion, shares my cabin, and
the 25th Punjabis, under Colonel Hunt, are on board - also Stork, my Staff
Captain - The Captain of the ship is new on this ship and we have endless
misfortunes - it is as well we are not in a particular hurry. October 5th Spent the whole morning manoeuvring with
steel hawsers on a sand-bank. Got off after some hours' work. Stuck again a
good deal and at midnight got into a regular dust-storm cyclone and were properly
wrecked, but nothing can really happen to these big, shallow, flat-bottomed
things, so we steamed on again quite cheerfully and got into Amara on October 6th at about 9 a.m. Very
hot and dusty and the flies are awful. Had to wait until night-fall for the
train. They did me very well, giving me a nice inspection carriage with a
kitchen where I could brew a cup of tea - Stork travelled with me and my
excellent Batman, Milam, 1/4 Hants Regiment. Slept comfortably and arrived at
Basra about 9 a.m., on October 7th where Colonel Senior of
my old regiment, the 20th very kindly put me up in G.H.Q., and took me all
over Basra to see the wonderful things they have been doing since I was last
there. October 8th Lunched on flagship with Admiral Gaunt - Dined
with Senior and General Sutton. Went on board the Egra
after dinner and shook the dust of Mesopotamia finally off my worn-out shoes
- no particular gladness or sorrow, but nice to think of meeting Daisie. October 9th Sailed at 5.30 a.m. Hot. With my face set
the other way time always seemed to fly - with my face set towards Daisie in Bombay every second seems like a year and the
five next days like 5 life times. A quaint Captain commanding the Egra - Captain Carre from
Guernsey, a tiny man, very religious, who says Grace before meals. The officers on board are simply
"terrors" truly we have reached absolute bed-rock - there is
honestly not one of them who would have been selected before the War for a
lance-corporal's stripe. War news is still splendid - we progressing
everywhere and Germany plaintively bleating for Peace. October 10th A quiet, restful day. Whether I am ill, or
whether it is just the reaction, but I can hardly drag one leg after another
and seem incapable of any physical or mental action - I just sleep and dream
and read and flop about and long and long for the too-slow flying hours to
pass - then when I meet Daisie I shall want the
hours to linger and they will fly like a whirlwind till we reach the grave. This war has made time fly - it seems
incredible that I have been a General for nearly 4 years and I feel so very
juvenile - in the rank. October 11th I met a youth from Sherborne
- Galfrid's new school and he tells me it is a very
good place. October 12th Weather much cooler now - as time gets on
it seems to creep, only the more slowly - still it is something almost
incredible to think that I can count the time in hours now instead of years,
months, weeks, or even "days." October 13th Very good Church Services. The Captain himself
"Carre" a religious enthusiast, took the
morning service. A quiet, pleasant, restful day, but longing for the morrow. October 14th Had to put on life-belts and stand to for
floating mines from 4 a.m. Rather dull work. Arrived in dock 8 a.m. Met Salusbury there, drove to Taj
Hotel and found not only Daisie, but her brother
Colonel Walter Keyworth, just out from home and met
by accident here - delightful honeymoon! The Marlings and
the Grand Duke are staying in this same hotel. October 15th Dined at Yacht Club with Salusbury. October 16th No Orders - enjoying a rest cure. October 19th My Orders came at last - not very brilliant
"To go home to England as soon as
convenient unemployed." October 22nd The Bobbie Lows are here and R.J.R. Brown and
A.C.Campbell, all washed up on the Beach. October 24th A whole bunch of my Russian Officers turned
up at the Taj Hotel - Col. Baron Medem, Col. Kordachevsky,
Colonel Andruskevitch, a most unlikeable fellow - I
asked the Band to stop playing after dinner and they sang and made speeches. October 25th Left for Pindi 4
p.m. October 27th Arrived Pindi 7
p.m. October 28th Motor car to Murree
took us 2 hours 10 minutes, arriving 11.30. Delightful to see Susanna again,
not changed, but grown. November 4th Very cold, Daisie
and I left by motor at 3 p.m. for Pindi and thence
train to Peshawar - Susanna and Miss Key remain
here. *** *** *** Pencilled note: "End of War Diary C. Return to page 132 Vol 10" 1918 Peshawar November 5th Arrived Peshawar 6.30 a.m.,
staying with the Rennies - I am glad we came here,
there is no spot on earth where we would have more friends and they are good
friends. Quite enough friends to keep us cheery - and I am
not down on my luck. The telegrams I sent the War Office were certainly
impertinent and much too strong, I see that now in cold blood, but they
should make allowance for circumstances and let me off with an apology -
their present treatment is certainly unjust. But what do all these petty
little private matters weight against the splendid war news - Austria, Turkey
and Bulgaria unconditional surrender! and the end of
the war - a victorious end - in sight. November 9th God is good to use that we
should always be allowed to be together on our wedding day - to-day is the
21st anniversary, and to-morrow we begin our 22nd year. November 12th Susanna and Miss Key arrived
from Murree by the early morning train and brought
with them the wonderful news of: PEACE AT LAST! and this
GREATEST WAR is over. We are so accustomed to war in
this fifth year that we can hardly believe the news. Meantime I have been more or
less forgiven and am to have command of a new Brigade at Agra - but I do not
believe now that the war is over that they will ever want any new Brigades.
Susanna and Miss Key are staying with the Bomfords
and we go over there also in a few days. We celebrated Peace at the Club
with a Champagne dinner party with the Rennies. November 14th Left the kind and hospitable
roof of the Rennies for our friends the Bomfords C.M.S. November 23rd The sensation of the War being
over is peculiar. I lectured at the Islamia College
to the students on Monday 18th, at the Club on Wednesday 20th, an address at
the Soldiers' Home to the C.E.M.S. on Thursday, 21st. On Monday we dine with
the Chief Commissioner, and on Tuesday I give a lecture at the Edwards
College. November 28th Yesterday a big Victory
demonstration and fireworks and also a huge fire in the Hindu quarter in the
city which did enormous damage. Rather tired of doing nothing, waiting for
orders and living on a very small rate of pay. November 29th Orders at last. Glad to cease
being unemployed. I leave for Agra to-morrow morning, visiting the Shrine at Makhad and my old friend the hereditary Saint on the
banks of the Indus (Pir Sahib Said Ghulam Abas) and staying a day
at Jhelum. November 30th To Campbellpur
where I spent the day. December 1st To Makhad,
arrive 5 a.m., then rode 9 miles to the shrine and went through the usual
prayers - Mahomedan prayers are very cheerful!
Stayed all day interviewed very old pensioner and then rode back and took
train for Campbellpur. December 2nd Arrived Jhelum 4 p.m. staying
with Elliott at the 20th Depôt, inspected the men. December 3rd To Meerut to report to the
Divisional Commander, General Nugent, stayed all day, arrived December 4th. December 5th To Agra, arrived 12.30. Met by
Col. Drayson 1/6 E. Surrey and my new
Brigade-Major, Capt, McCausland 45th Sikhs. Cecil
Hotel, very comfortable. Wire from the Commander-in-Chief to say that they
have bestowed on me the C.S.I Companion of the Star of India - for which I am
grateful. Also bought Bolton's car B.S.A. for Rs.7000.,
about £450. Wired for Daisie to come down on the
9th - a heap of letters to attend to. December 11th Daisie, Miss
Key and Susanna arrived. My horse arrived yesterday and very wild after the
train journey, threw me off twice. December 16th I am glad to say my horse,
Edward VII, threw the rough-rider off twice, so it isn't my bad riding, he
has just got a fit of the very devil. Left for Jhansi where I stay with Gen.
Poor commanding the Jhansi Brigade - see his training system and give a
lecture on N.W. Persia and Baku. December 18th Returned to Agra - Miss Key is
very seedy. I am busy inspecting the 7 units of the Brigade and have no time
for writing. December 19th My B.S.A. 5 seater-car, arrived from Peshawar - it runs well and is very
smart and satisfactory. Wore my mufti at last after a year of uniform and not
at all glad to get into it. December 24th My Russian A.D.C., Captain
Bray, of the 5th Death's Head Hussars, arrived to stay a few days with us. December 25th General Sir Arthur Barrett is
staying in the Hotel here and inspecting my troops at the same time, also
General Sir George Kemball from Mhow.
We had a very merry Christmas and this Hotel is just like home. We spend our
time sight-seeing and the car is very useful and runs very well. December 26th Dined with the Sergeants of the
1/6 East Surrey Territorials. A very fine regiment
commanded by an excellent man, Colonel Drayson, a
diamond merchant, and second in command Whitehouse, a dentist. Enjoyable
evening, but had to make speeches which I do not like. December 27th To Dholpur
with Colonel Dealy to see some barracks. Lunched
with the Raja, a nice young man of 26. Agra, in winter, is as big a social
turmoil as Simla - it will be nice to have a quiet
hot weather - Daisie has been here 16 days and she
has 160 callers already in her visitors' book! December 28th Inspected the 144th Regiment to
the Native Sate of Bhartpur - pretty country and
the road full of monkeys and peacocks. Source: http://www.gwpda.org/
Maps: Andrew Andersen, 2010 |
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