Volume I Part 6 (1/2)

_Now_ (in the train on my way back to Alexandria) I must have one more try at K about these Gurkhas! My official cable and letter asking for the Gurkha Brigade have fallen upon stony ground No notice of any sort has been vouchsafed to my modest request Has _any_ action been taken upon them? Possibly the matter has been referred to Maxwell for opinion?

If so, he has said nothing about it, which does not pro from Cairo; only no end of ca for these troops at all, and thinks I a not to put his France ypt ditto, I suppose I cannot possibly repeat my official cable andHere is cox and here are his htfully keen to come There are the Dardanelles short-handed; there is the New Zealand Division short of a Brigade If surplus and deficit had the same common denominator, say ”K” or ”GS” they would wipe themselves out to the instant simplification of the problem As it is, they are kept on separate sheets of paper;

too many troops too few troops Maxwell Haiving him an account of my inspection of the Indian troops and of how ”they made my mouth water, especially the 6th Gurkhas” I ask him if I could not anyway have _theo on to say, ”The desert is drying up, cox tellsmore and more brackish and undrinkable; and no other serious raid, in his opinion, will be possible this suht have added that once we open the ball at the Dardanelles the old Turks must dance to our tune, and draw in their troops for the defence of Constantinople but it does not do to be too instructive to one's Grandmother So there it is: I have done the best I can

_4th April, 1915 Alexandria_ Busy day in office Things beginning to hureat minds” K has proffered his advice upon the tactical problem, and how it should be dealt with, and, as I have just cabled in answer, ”No need to send you ot it in one, even down to details, only I have not shells enough to cut through barbed ith uns or howitzers” I say also, ”I should un and rifle ammunition The Naval Division has only 430 rounds per rifle and the 29th Division only 500 rounds which ht seem, to a civilian, a marvellous case of coincidence or telepathy were he ever to coestion is really one more instance of the identity of procedure born of a coreat deal together Given the sa seen eye to eye by each

Forgot to note that McMahon answeredhe had no objection to h yptian Gazette_ and ypt is not at war! No wonder he prefers the telephone to the telegraed hiypt is in the war area and, if it were not, McMahon can do anything he likes The _Gazette_ continues to publish full details of our actions and my only hope is that the Turks will not be able to believe in folly so incredible

_5th April, 1915 Alexandria_ Motored after early breakfast to French Headquarters at the Victoria College Here I wason toon to the ground, the French trumpeters blew a lively fanfare which was followed by a roll of drums Never was so picturesque a parade, the verdict of one who can let his eants of India, Russia, japan, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, China, Canada, USA, Australia, and New Zealand Yes, Alexandria has seen some pretty shows in its tireat Napoleon But I doubt whether the townsfolk have ever seen anything to equal the _coup d'oeil_ engineered by d'Amade Under an Eastern sun the colours of the French uniforaudy in themselves, ran riot, and the troops had surely been posted by one as an artist inWhere the yellow sand was broken by a nuroup, and here and there a line, of waving palms, there, on the knolls, were clustered the Mountain Batteries and the Batteries of Mitrailleuses The Horse, Foot and Guns were drawn up, Infantry in front, Cavalry in rear, and the Field Artillery--the farey; Zouaves in blue and red; Senegalese wore dark blue and the Foreign Legion blue-grey The Cavalry rode Arabs and barbs ht scarlet breeches

I rode down the lines of Infantry first and then galloped through the heavy sand to the right of the Cavalry and inspected the up with the six Batteries of Artillery On reaching the Saluting Base, I was introduced to the French Minister whilst d'Ai a short and eloquent speech

He then took command of the parade and marched past me at the head of his forces Were all the Houris of Paradise waving lily hands on the one side, and were these French soldiers on the other side, I would giveat the trot to the cadence of the trulitter of steel The beautiful, high-stepping barbs; the tre; the swords into the gallop; sounding the charge; charging; _ventre a terre_; out into the desert where, in an instant, they were snatched froh soared our hopes Jerusalem--Constantinople? No liht passed through the h their veins Loudly they cheered; hats off; and hurrah for the Infantry! Hurrah, hurrah for the Cavalry!! Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for the 75s!!!

At the end I said a few fareords to the French Minister and then galloped off with d'As, the bulk of the out ”d'A all sorts of things at the pitch of their voices

Almost lost my temper with Woodward, my new AG, and this was the thusness thereof:--

Time presses: K prods us from the rear: the Ad aling like drowning mariners in a sea of chaos; chaos in the offices; chaos on the shi+ps; chaos in the ca down the Seven Sisters Road The powers of Maxwell as C-in-C, Egypt; of the Sultan and McMahon, High Coypt, and of myself, C-in-C, MEF, not to speak of the powers of our police civil and military, have all to be defined and wheeled into line We cannot go rushi+ng off into space leaving Pandes fro experience Braithwaite believes in the principle as a student and ex-teacher of students And yet that call to the front!

We've _got_ to tackle the landing scheme on the spot and quick Luckily the problems at Alexandria are _all_ non-tactical; pure AG and QMG

Staff questions; whereas, at present, the proble me at the Dardanelles areto treat GHQ as Solomon threatened to treat the baby; ie, leave the Adin more or less into shape and send off the GS to pluck _their_ pidgin at the Straits

The Q people have still to commandeer offices for Woodward's men, three quarters of whom stay here permanently to do the casualty work; they have to fors for base hospitals and arrange for their personnel and equip sick and wounded back fro of the shi+ps, etc, etc, etc, _ad infinituht, the G Staff will sail off quickly and put their heads together with the Admiral and his Staff As tointo touch with the sailors, and the scene of action

All ell until the Co, but that ood old trouble--the trouble which muddled our start for the Relief of Chitral and ruined the Tirah Can Everyone wants to rush off to the excite line--(a spasht), and to leave the hum-drum business of the Base and Line of Communication to shi+ft for itself Braithwaite, of all people, was good natured enough to plead for the Adoodwill ast the charmed circle of GHQ if even now, at the eleventh hour, I would sweeten Woodward by bringing hi I said, yes, if he, Braithwaite, would stand surety that he, Woodward, had fixed up his base hospitals and third echelon, but if not, no! Next careat pertinacity he represented that his subordinates could do all that had to be done at the base He says he speaks for the QMG, as well as for the Director General of Medical Services, and that they all want to accompany me on my reconnaissance of the coasts of the Peninsula I was a little sharp with hi in the C-in-C's pocket lest they lose caste But I say the Departments must be where their work lies, or else the C-in-C will lose caste, and luckily he can still put his own Staff where he will

Finally, I agreed to take with me the assistant to the Director of Medical Services to advise his own Chief as to the local bearings of his sche out the sick and wounded; the others stay here until they get their several shows into working order, and with that my AG

had fain to be content

D'Aht Sir John Maxwell has just arrived

_6th April, 1915 Alexandria_ Started out at 915 with d'Amade and Sir John to review the Mounted troops of the 29th Division We first saw them march down the road in coluhorses and our wiry little Allies on their barbs and Arabs The RHA were superb

After seeing the troops I motored to Mex Caades There was a strong wind blohich tried to spoil the show, but could not--that Infantry was too superb! Alexander, Hannibal, Caesar, Napoleon; not one of theionaries like these The Fusilier Brigade were the heavier If we don't win, I won't be able to put it on the men