Part 14 (2/2)
The battalion numbers, owing to the hards.h.i.+ps we had undergone, were reduced from a strength of nearly 1,000 to about six officers and less than 150 men.
I can ill.u.s.trate the pettiness of at least some of the G.H.Q. Staff no better than by giving the following correspondence.
It will be remembered that I had reported to General Allenby in the Jordan Valley that the medical arrangements were not good. This apparently displeased some of the Staff, for they hunted up a private telegram which I had sent some months previously (on July 18th), addressed to the Secretary, Medical Committee, Jewish Regiment, London, in which I had said:--
”You should see Sir Nevil Macready. Am strongly advising base to be at Jerusalem.”
On discovering this mare's nest the D.A.G. sent the following memo. to General Chaytor:--
A. 13780. TO GENERAL CHAYTOR, Subject: Medical Headquarters, Arrangements for Chaytor's Force.
Jewish Battalions.
Please find attached herewith a copy of a telegram purporting to have been sent by the Officer Commanding 38th Royal Fusiliers.
Please call upon this officer to furnish his reasons and such explanation as he may have to offer for advising a course of action which concerns the C.-in-C. under whom he is serving, without reference to or obtaining permission from the C.-in-C.
(Signed)--MAJOR-GENERAL, _D.A.G._ G.H.Q. 1st Echelon, 17th September, 1918.
All this ado because I had simply sent a private telegram to the Jewish Hospital Committee months before to say I was advising a Hospital base to be set up at Jerusalem. This telegram was in reply to a cable from the Committee in London asking if special hospital accommodation could be provided for Jewish soldiers.
From the date on this memorandum it will be seen that G.H.Q. thought fit to send out such a communication on the very eve of the great advance.
It would have been much more useful if the Deputy Adjutant General had devoted his attention to providing Hospital accommodation for the unfortunate sick and wounded, instead of choosing such a moment to harry troops in the field engaged in a great offensive, the success of which meant everything to England.
There was no excuse whatever for this memo., because on the 26th June, 1918, immediately on receipt of the cable from the Hospital Committee, I had sent the following to G.H.Q.:--
38th Battn. R.F.
No. A/412/1/3.
31st Inf. Brg. No. 57d.
10th Divn. No. 1324A.
XX. Corps No. P.C.A. 563.
G.H.Q. 1st Echelon No. a/13780.
HEAD Q. 31st. Inf. Brg.
I have received the following cable from the Hon. Sec. Medical Committee for Jewish Units:
”The Matron-in-Chief Q.A.I.M.N.S. sanctions Jewish Nursing Staff for Service in Palestine. Can you arrange Jewish wards in existing military Hospitals or other special provision?
”Committee awaits reply.”
With reference to the above cable I have to state that when I was organising the Jewish Units in England, I had recommended a Jewish Base Hospital, and the A.G., Sir N. Macready, had sanctioned this, and given instructions, after I left England for Egypt, that it was to be based at Plymouth.
The A.G. probably misunderstood my intention when he based it at Plymouth, as I had intended that the Hospital should be based in Egypt or Palestine. I therefore wrote home and suggested that there was no need for a special Jewish Hospital in England.
I have no doubt that the above cable is the result of some negotiation with the A.G., and I would suggest that this matter be referred to G.H.Q., 1st Echelon, so that they may get into touch with the W.O., and find out what has been decided upon in this question. _Personally I would recommend that the Hospital should be at Jerusalem_.
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