Types of Empire defenders—Local feeling—Dealing with Kurdish raiders—An embarrassing offer of marriage—Prestige by aeroplane—Anniversary of Hossain the Martyr—News of the Armistice—Local waverers come down on our side of the fence—Releasing civil prisoners—Farewell of Bijar—Down country to the sea and home.
I have often wondered if the British who stayed at home, through force of circumstances rather than any reluctance to participate in the Great War, can have had any conception of the varying types of men who helped to uphold British interests in this remote and little-known corner of the Asiatic Continent. Here, then, are a few of them taken at random!
There was Hooper, an Australian Captain, who in civil life was a farmer on a rock-girt island off the Tasmanian coast, and had been through more than one big push in France. Williams, also an Australian officer, was a Rhodes Scholar from the University of Adelaide. He commanded Persian levies, made a hobby of dialects, and was always eager to try his growing wisdom teeth on such abstruse problems as "How the camel got his hump," or, "Why Jonah gave the whale indigestion." But he was a goodlad, was this youthful pedant, a fearless soldier, and an untiring worker who, in a few months, gained a surprising knowledge of colloquial Persian. Then there was Seddon, a Government land surveyor from New Zealand, who also had looked on Red War in Flanders. In cold weather, of all times, he was always shedding surplus garments, until there was a positive danger of his arriving at the stage of the "altogether." Seddon was fiercely intractable on the subject of hygiene as applied to clothing, and would hear of no compromise where his cherished principles were concerned. It was said that he was wont to lie awake at night planning new curtailments in his winter kit. Still, there must have been some wisdom in his methods, for, although thinly clad during the early winter months, he was always in perfect health, and escaped the pulmonary maladies which proved fatal to so many others who looked askance at him and his hygienic, minimum-clothing theory.
We had Gordon Wilson who came from the Argentine to enlist at the outbreak of the War and attempted to leap the age-limit barrier. His ardour was somewhat damped on being refused by the Home Authorities. But, nothing daunted, he went to France, joined the Foreign Legion, and saw a good deal of fighting. He was afterwards transferred to a British Field Battery and given a commission, and lost no time in winning the M.C.
In the 14th Hussars was a lieutenant named Voigt,an Afrikander born, who had gone through the South African campaign. One day, riding with Voigt and his troop of Hussars in a "punitive" expedition against raiding Kurds, I asked him casually—and quite forgetful of the momentous past—with whom he had served in South Africa. He replied with the flicker of a smile on his broad, sun-tanned face, "I was with Louis Botha's commando." And such is the material out of which has been woven our thrilling island story!
Up to the moment of the Turkish collapse, towards the end of October, many of the notables of Bijar were inclined to be dubious concerning our possibility of success. These cautious individuals shaped their conduct accordingly. They "hedged" very carefully, to use a sporting phrase, and, in order to avoid all risks, backed both sides. One wealthy Persian resident whom I particularly remember was lavish of lip-service. He would call round to the Mission Headquarters at least twice a week to assure us of his ever-enduring devotion, and of his hopes of success for British arms. About the same time he would be sending off a courier to the Turkish commander in our front telling him that he was his devoted servitor and that it would be a blessed day for all True Believers when the Infidel British were driven out of Persian Kurdistan. So much for Persian duplicity. Our "friend" was a confirmed "pulophile," which is an impromptu Perso-Greek expression for "money-lover," and, while awaitingour military downfall, he had no conscientious objections to seeking to rob us right and left in wheat transactions.
On the whole the various Kurdish chiefs kept their peace pact with the British, and for a time strove hard to walk in the path of honesty and to cease from annexing their neighbours' flocks and herds. But occasionally temptation proved too strong to be resisted, and there would come a recrudescence of pillaging and violence. The Mandumis and the Galbaghis were the chief offenders. Their subtle imagination was never at a loss for a plausible pretext to condone their lawlessness. Once, when Mandumi tribesmen attacked a British post at an outlying village called Nadari, a certain Mustafa Khan, the chief of the guilty raiders, sent a very apologetic letter pleading for forgiveness, and pointing out that the regrettable occurrence arose through a "misunderstanding" on the part of his tribesmen who possessed an inordinate love of well-conditioned sheep. Times were hard, and if the poor Kurds were not to be allowed to replenish their larders by the time-honoured method of pilfering, then, in the name of Allah, he asked, what was to become of them? This curious and essentially Kurdish plea of "extenuating circumstances" was backed up by a letter from the tribal Mujtahid, or priest, who wrote that he was a simple man of God saying his prayers regularly and knowing little of secular affairs. His tribesmen had evidently been maligned by theirenemies—"May the Evil One pluck their beards!" He had always exhorted his people to remain friendly with the British, and would continue to do so.
On this occasion Mustafa Khan escaped with a fine and a reprimand, but he was obviously looking for trouble, and it soon overtook him. He became very insolent. Some of his men stopped and robbed the British native courier, and the Chief sent a message that he would soon come and raid Bijar itself. There was nothing to do except to teach Mustafa Khan a much-needed lesson. However, before the salutary drubbing could be administered, Mustafa and his men, throwing discretion to the winds, and forgetful of their oft-repeated promises to be of good behaviour, got completely out of hand, cleaned out several Persian villages, and indulged in a veritable orgy of lawlessness.
Then Mustafa, with consummate skill, having no case of his own, set about abusing the other side. He blamed the hapless villagers, and accused them of having killed two of his Sowars who had gone into the Persian village to "purchase" corn. The villagers in question, he remarked, were liars, and the sons of the Father of Lies—"May perdition be their lot!" But this time his defence of provocation was found to be unjustifiable; a richly deserved punishment was meted out to him, and for long afterwards he led an exemplary life.
Nabi Khan was another Kurdish freebooter who gave considerable trouble before he was finallysubdued and made to see the error of his ways. From the point of view of stature and general physique he was one of the finest looking men I have ever seen. He stood a good 6 feet 4 inches in his socks, belying the prevailing idea that the Kurds are of small stature. In an evil moment for himself, he threw in his lot with the Turks, and for a brief period made things right merry for the British. He fought like an enraged tiger in defence of his village stronghold, but was put to flight after suffering severe loss. He thought the thing out for a couple of weeks, and then, like the old sportsman that he was, came in and surrendered, saying that he had lost, and was ready to pay the full price. It is easy to be generous to a chivalrous foe, and Nabi had been all that, so he found that he had not thrown himself upon our mercy in vain.
I well remember the morning that Nabi surrendered. His name and his fame had preceded him to Bijar, and, as he strode down the Bazaar with a belt full of lethal weapons, his very appearance inspired terror in the breasts of the pusillanimous Persian traders, and they bolted for cover like so many scared animals. In addition to his stature, Nabi was a man of handsome appearance. He had a bold, open countenance, and was brief and blunt of speech. Brushing past the startled Persian janitor, whom he disdained to notice, he made a dramatic entry into the Political Office at Bijar. Flinging his weapons on the table, he exclaimed, "I have beenfoolish; aye, misguided by evil counsellors; I have lost, and am here to pay the price. Do with me what you will. But you may tell your Shah that I regret the past and am willing to make amends." Peace was arranged with Nabi Khan, and the pact he kept very faithfully, becoming one of our most ardent partisans in the difficult country and amongst the turbulent folk over whom he held sway. He policed his district, and did it very thoroughly, proving a veritable terror to evildoers; and he suppressed Turkish propaganda with a vigour that demonstrated his real earnestness in the British cause.
After the manner of his kind, as a further evidence of his good faith, and in order to set a time-enduring seal upon his treaty of friendship, he was anxious to negotiate a Kurdish-British matrimonial alliance. After a good deal of preliminary verbal manoeuvring, he definitely broached the project, and suggested the giving in marriage of his daughter, a very comely damsel, to the Political Officer. The latter was completely taken aback and, not being a Moslem, had visions of all sorts of unpleasant legal complications should he ever set foot in England with a supplementary wife. However, he faced the trying situation with commendable fortitude, and cast about for a means whereby he might be enabled to retreat with honour, and without offending Kurdish susceptibilities. Nabi was tactfully informed that, while the offer was much appreciated, the acceptanceof a Kurdish bride would entail no end of complications for at least one of the parties concerned, as an unsympathetic British law had long set its face against bigamy. In fact, isolated enthusiasts in khaki who, as a relief from the tedium of trench life, had sought to popularize plural marriages in England had been rewarded by a term of imprisonment. This was news indeed for the benevolent-minded Nabi, but he did not insist further, and the incident terminated happily.
The Kurds are in many respects as simple as European children of tender age. They had heard much about the wonderful flying machines of Faringistan, and, never having seen an aeroplane, were inclined to be sceptical, and to treat reputed aerial adventures as so many "travellers' tales." A Kurdish chief came to call on me one day seeking enlightenment. He had seen automobiles, and admitted that they puzzled his primitive brain. "Why," he asked honestly enough, "is the horse put inside the box, and why does this strange creature prefer petrol to barley by way of food?" It took a long time to knock into his head some primitive notion of motor traction. Then he inquired, "Is it true that in Faringistan, as currently reported, men make themselves into birds and soar in the air like eagles?" The reply, as they say in Parliament, was in the affirmative, but the Kurdish seeker for knowledge remained frankly incredulous. A few days after the conversation, a youthful Scottish aviator, who wasfamiliarly known as "Little Willie McKay," arrived by air from Hamadan in order to give Bijar and the Kurdistan hill-folk a taste of his quality. It was a day of days, and inaugurated a new era in the local Mohammedan calendar, for it marked the flight of the terror-stricken Faithful towards a place of safety away from the aerial monster that, appearing from out of a clear sunlight sky, swooped down on the town. The youthful McKay was a noted aerial stunt artist, and he executed an extensive and varied programme for the edification of those of the astonished onlookers who had steeled their courage to the point of sticking it out. The houses are flat-roofed, and here the spectators assembled to watch the show. As the aviator nose-dived occasionally, it was amusing to see the celerity with which they dropped flat on their faces, fearing lest they should be caught by the talons of the "man-bird" and carried off heaven knew where. Later on, at the local aerodrome, the people came, timidly enough at first, to peep at the monster; but they did their sightseeing cautiously from a respectful distance, and it was only necessary for the engine to throb once or twice fretfully, and for the propeller to revolve, to bring about an instantaneous stampede. Thenceforth no one ever doubted that the British were miracle workers, and had at their disposal an unlimited supply of magic to assist in the overthrowing of their enemies.
The Moharran, or anniversary of the death ofHossain the Martyr, is an occasion for the display of great religious fervour by the Shi'ite Moslems. It fell on October 17th, and the Bijar Bazaar was closed and the houses draped in mourning. It is perhaps the only day in the year when the average Persian looks in deadly earnest, and when his fanaticism is aroused to such a pitch as to make him at all dangerous to persons of other creeds. There was a procession through the streets, and the chief incidents of the martyrdom were re-enacted by a devoted band of Shias. The "body" of the Sainted One was carried on a bier and, in order that the finishing touch of realism should not be lacking, the covering of the bier was plentifully bedaubed with blood, while the head of the "corpse" was enveloped in gory bandages. Themise en scènewas completed by the addition of a local troupe representing Hossain's wives and adherents who, according to legend, were also put to death by the hated rival sect, the Sunnis. The followers in the procession, in a burst of religious frenzy, gashed their faces or bodies with swords or knives, and, with blood streaming from the self-inflicted wounds, were not exactly a pleasant spectacle to look upon. A Persian youth employed at the British Headquarters was one of those who achieved religious merit and local distinction on the occasion. Having volunteered for the role of follower, he had his head cut open by a local barber, and off he went to join in the quasi-religious ceremony. In the afternoon he was back at his jobwith his poor damaged head swathed in bandages and feeling very proud indeed of his exploit.
Bijar was very excited by the intelligence that arrived on November 1st. We received an official notification that an armistice had been concluded with Turkey, at the request of the latter Power, and that hostilities were to cease at once. The Governor made an official call to offer his felicitations, and to congratulate the British on their triumph over another of their enemies. He dissimulated his real feelings with great artfulness, for while openly professing joy at our victory he was sorrowing in secret that a Moslem Power should have been overthrown by an Infidel. Still, he made the best of it, and candidly told some of his intimates who were inclined to be tearful because their religious pride had been wounded by the success of our arms, that the British, after all, had shown more real humanity and compassion in dealing with the oppressed Persians than ever had their coreligionists, the Turks.
The Governor having set the example in offering his congratulations, all the local notables were quick to follow, and they told us what, curiously enough? we had never realized before—that throughout the long-drawn-out War they had always ardently wished for the complete triumph of the British. We accepted their assurances, although finding it difficult to reconcile them with many of their actions when our military fortunes were not of the brightest.
An official communication was sent off by messengerto the Turkish commander, informing him of the armistice, and inquiring if he were prepared to abide by its conditions and order a cessation of hostilities on his side. But the enemy had evidently had the news as soon as we had, and decided to end the war then and there. When our messenger reached the Turkish position, it was only to find the place abandoned, the commander and every man having gone, leaving no address. The messenger trekked after them for a day, but their haste was so great that he was unable even to come up with their rearguard, so he returned to Bijar with the letter undelivered. And that was the last we heard of the Turk in the region of Southern Kurdistan.
Everybody in Bijar was now our sincere friend and well-wisher. The Bazaar was beflagged in honour of our victory. Ours was the winning side, of that there could be no doubt. The Governor was more assiduous than ever in his professions of undying devotion, and he was always planning fresh schemes for manifesting his goodwill and friendship. He even hit upon the expedient of declaring an amnesty for Persians incarcerated in the local gaol. At his urgent solicitation, I visited the prison to decide upon the offenders who were to benefit by this generosity. It was a filthy, evil-smelling hole. Lying upon a stone floor were about a dozen offenders, all huddled together and chained like so many wild beasts. There was a Jew who had been arrested for debt. He wore round his neck a heavy iron collarlike the joug of the Scottish pillory. He speedily divined my mission, and was clamorously insistent that he should be the first to be set free. Chained to him were two Persians, one of whom had been arrested for manslaughter and the other for petty larceny.
In this foetid den, and near the trio already mentioned, was a young Persian girl of attractive appearance—an unregenerate Magdalene, as it turned out, who had been put in chains for a breach of the somewhat elastic Persian law governing public morality. She alone made no protestation of innocence and no appeal for release. Perhaps that was why I suggested she should be the first to have her fetters struck off and be set free. She seemed dumbfounded at first, but on realizing that liberty awaited her, she burst into tears, and showed her gratitude by kissing my hand. It seemed a pity to leave the other poor wretches, however guilty they might have been, to rot in this terrible dungeon; so I availed myself to the full of the privilege of the amnesty and asked that all should be liberated, including the loquacious Jew debtor. This was done, and the poor, dazed creatures walked out of the prison doors and once more breathed the purer air of freedom.
With the granting of the armistice to Austria came the welcome orders for the British force to evacuate Bijar and retire to Hamadan. On news of Austria's defection from the side of her German ally becoming known, the Governor arrived to offer fresh felicitations.But a shadow clouded his beaming self-satisfied countenance when he learned that the British were to withdraw immediately. He became greatly perturbed at the news, for he feared the ever-present menace of Kurdish incursions, and trembled for the safety of Bijar and the wealth of its Bazaar. "What will become of us all?" he asked in despair. "When the British go, the Kurds will come, and then——" He made a significant gesture across his throat.
The Governor returned next day with a deputation of the inhabitants to ask that a British garrison might be left behind to carry out the duty which really devolved upon the Persian Government, that of protecting its subjects against acts of lawlessness. He pleaded hard and earnestly. They would find fuel, food, and quarters free for the soldiers who were to remain. First he suggested twenty, then a dozen, and finally he said, "Take pity on us, and send a message by the lightning-flash (wireless) to the British King asking him to permit three of his soldiers to remain here to protect the people. Then the Kurds will never bother us at all." It was certainly a tribute to our worth and fighting value. Gently but firmly the Governor had to be led to understand that it was impossible. The soldiers had homes and wives in far-off Faringistan across the Black Water; their duty was done, and home they must go.
The deputation set off with bowed heads andsorrowing hearts. It was kismet, and the decree of Destiny could not be set aside.
The wealthier inhabitants, however, made every effort to save themselves and their worldly possessions. All available transport was bought up at enhanced prices, and an exodus from Bijar preceded the British evacuation.
On November 7th Colonel Bridges and his column bade farewell to Bijar. The inhabitants, or at least those of them who were too poor to take flight, turned outen masseto speed the parting troops. They had got to know and to admire the splendid British soldier who is always a gentleman, who had fought the battle of the Persian people against Kurdish brigand and Turkish regular, and whose ofttimes scanty ration he was always ready to share with any roadside starveling who crossed his path. The Governor and a numerous retinue rode for two miles with the head of the column. On a bare plateau, exposed to a keen, biting wind, and under a lowering sky, the last farewells were cordially exchanged. The Governor told us that the British had left behind an ineffaceable record for justice and generosity. I think it was sincerely meant and devoid of any exaggeration.
HARVESTING IN PERSIA.HARVESTING IN PERSIA.
It took seven days to reach Hamadan. The snow overtook us on the second day out, and the bitter Kurdistan winter set in with extreme severity. The Indian transport camels, unaccustomed to extreme cold, and not possessing the thick fur coating of theirAfghan brother, died in numbers, and the Indian Charvadars followed their example.
From Hamadan there was the long trek down-country and over the snow-clad Asadabad Pass. But the weather grew milder and brighter as we steadily dropped down from the high altitudes, neared the warmer plains of Mesopotamia, and left Persia behind us. At last came the day when our long overland journey was to end, and Xenophon's war-worn soldiers never cried more exultingly "Thalatta!" "Thalatta!" at the sight of the sea, than we did on reaching the shores of the Persian Gulf.
I am giving the following account of the work of the Armoured Car Brigade with General Dunsterville's Mission, not only because the Brigade deserves fuller mention than I have been able to give elsewhere in this book, but because some description of their operations will give a better idea of the difficulties of transport, stores, etc., with which the whole force had to deal. For my facts in this instance I have been allowed access to an official report by the men who actually did the work.
The Brigade, commanded by Colonel J. D. Crawford, was organized in squadrons of eight cars each. In addition it had a mobile hospital of fifty beds, and the usual supply column.
The Brigade had originally been known as the Locker-Lampson Armoured Car Unit, and its work in Russia in the earlier stages of the war is one of the most stirring stories of the whole campaign. For its present work, it began to mobilize in England during the latter months of 1917. The personnel was obtained by the transfer from the R.N.A.S. of officers and men who had been serving in the Armoured Car Unit in Russia.
Owing to the internal conditions of Russia, the personnel arrived in small parties at long intervals, the last party leaving Russia as late as March, 1918. The unit was made up to strength by the enlistment of personnel from motor and other munition works in England. The cars and material were all to be provided from England, and the necessary orders for their manufacture were issued without delay. The armoured cars were of Austin make, and mounted two machine-guns in twin turrets.
A demand for the early presence of some cars with the Mission necessitated the despatch of an advanced party, the last draft of which landed in May, 1918.
This party consisted of 21 officers, 450 other ranks, with 8 armoured cars, 24 lorries, 30 touring cars, 44 Ford box vans, 32 motor-cycles, and other stores and equipment.
That it was impossible to concentrate and fully equip the unit in England before despatch overseas was unavoidable, but unfortunate from the point of view of organization. The delay in the despatch of the remainder of the unit was a further misfortune. The absence of many of the specialist personnel and much of the essential equipment increased the difficulties with which the Brigade was faced. Some of the personnel and considerable equipment never reached the Brigade until it was withdrawn from Persia.
Of the personnel that did arrive nearly 40 per cent. had only joined the Army in January, 1918, weredevoid of all training, and had often no mechanical knowledge.
By May 15th the advanced party, together with such cars and personnel as arrived later, were concentrated at Hinaidi, and preparations for the move into Persia were rapidly pushed forward.
On May 14th a start was made to establish petrol dumps at Tak-i-Garra, Kermanshah, and Hamadan, and by May 15th these were sufficiently stocked to permit of the move of "A" Squadron, which left Hinaidi on May 17th. In connection with the establishment of these dumps it is worthy of note that the Brigade Peerless lorries were the first heavy lorries to cross the Pai Tak and Asadabad Passes, in spite of expert opinion that the road was impassable for heavy lorries.
It will be simpler to follow the actual operations of the Brigade if each series of operations, although concurrent, are dealt with separately:
1. Operations against the Jungalis.
2. Operations with General Bicherakoff's Force in the Caucasus.
3. Operations at Baku.
4. Operations at Zinjan.
OPERATIONS AGAINST THE JUNGALIS.
"A" Squadron arrived at Hamadan on June 7th. At this time General Bicherakoff's troops were concentrating at Manjil. The Jungalis under KuchikKhan were prepared to permit the Russian forces to continue their withdrawal to Russia, but were opposed to the passage of any British troops through their territory to Enzeli, a port on the Caspian. General Bicherakoff refused to sever his connection with the British, and prepared to attack the Jungalis who were entrenched covering Manjil Bridge. He applied to General Dunsterville for such assistance as he could give.
Orders were received by the Brigade on June 8th for all cars to proceed to Kasvin, to take part in these operations. The cars were much in need of overhaul after their long trip from Bagdad, and the work of getting them ready for the road was pushed forward as fast as possible, cars as they became ready being sent forward. One battery left Hamadan on June 9th, and the whole squadron was on the road by June 13th.
At this point the Rubberine tyres with which the cars were fitted gave considerable trouble, and failed to stand the wear necessitated by running over metalled roads. The average mileage per tyre worked out at 60 instead of 500 miles, and spares were soon used up. To obtain further supplies from railhead 400 miles distant necessitated a delay of at least ten days. By stripping some cars it was possible to maintain the others on the road, but by June 27th only two cars were mobile.
As regards the failure of Rubberines, it must be remembered that these tyres are solely intended forwork in action, and not for long-distance running. However, pneumatic tyres had not been sent from England, and efforts to supply the deficiency by local purchase failed. Some tyres were purchased, but it was not possible to get the necessary fittings to enable Warland rims to be efficiently converted to take the pneumatics.
As soon as the abnormal expenditure of Rubberines was experienced, arrangements were made to maintain a sufficient supply, and the cars were not off the road again on this account, although they consumed in one month 75 per cent. of the estimated year's supply. Considering that a single Rubberine tyre weighs 200 pounds, the strain imposed on the transport of the Brigade in maintaining a sufficient supply was considerable.
From June 13th to July 20th the cars were mainly employed on convoy duties, and for defensive purposes at Resht and Manjil.
On June 28th one armoured car was in action along the Kasmar road, supporting infantry who were attempting the rescue of an A.S.C. officer who had been captured by the Jungalis. Captain J. Macky was wounded in this engagement.
On July 20th the Jungalis made a determined attack on Resht, which they occupied. They, however, failed to drive back the British troops camped on the south-west outskirts of the town. Both the armoured cars of the Brigade and those of the 6th L.A.M. Battery took a prominent part in the fighting,and later in the relief of isolated parties cut off in the town. The street fighting was heavy and difficult. Trenches were dug across the road and barricades erected, but the armoured cars thoroughly proved their suitability for street fighting. Their moral effect materially assisted in clearing the enemy out of the town a few days later. Captain G. N. Gawler was wounded during the fighting.
On July 28th, to relieve the pressure at Resht, and to make troops available to assist in the defence of Baku, the Brigade offered to organize a motor machine-gun company from the personnel of "B" and "C" Squadrons then training at Hamadan, awaiting the arrival of their cars from England. The offer was accepted, and the company, consisting of sixteen machine-guns (with crews), left Hamadan on July 30th. The machine-guns and ammunition were carried in sixteen Ford vans, and the personnel in the Brigade Peerless lorries. It was decided that half the company should remain at Resht until the situation there improved, the other half proceeding to Enzeli to be in readiness to embark for Baku should the situation there permit.
OPERATIONS WITH GENERAL BICHERAKOFF'S FORCESIN THE CAUCASUS.
General Bicherakoff.s troops embarked at Enzeli on July 3rd. No. 2 Battery, "A" Squadron, was ordered to accompany them. In order to avoidpossible trouble with the Bolsheviks, they wore Russian uniform, but later were ordered to discard it. The force landed at Aliyat, south of Baku, on July 4th, and proceeded by rail to Kurdamir, which was reached at midnight, July 7-8th. The cars were immediately detrained, and by 4 a.m. two cars were in action on the Russian right, near Kara Sakal, and remained in action all day against the Turkish advanced troops.
Two reconnaissances were successfully carried out in this area under cover of darkness, during the night, July 8-9th, and the Turkish outposts engaged. A reconnaissance at dawn, 3.40 a.m., on July 9th, met with heavy machine-gun and rifle fire.
The Turks attacked the village of Kara Sakal at 5 a.m. Their advance was greatly hampered by fire from the cars which covered throughout the day the withdrawal of the Russian troops in this sector to Kurdamir. On two occasions, the Turks having deployed in the proximity to the road, the cars ran right up into the opposing lines of infantry, which they enfiladed, forcing the Turks to withdraw.
On July 10th the Russians, after a reconnaissance by the armoured cars, attacked, but failed to reach their objective. An enemy counter-attack was repulsed by the armoured cars, which eventually covered the withdrawal of the infantry to Karrar. A determined attack on the rearguard by enemy cavalry was repulsed by one armoured car, with heavy loss to the enemy.
The battery withdrew to Sagiri on the llth, and was employed continuously in reconnaissance from July 12th to 18th.
Owing to the defection of the troops protecting General Bicherakoff's right, he was compelled to retire to Ballajari, which was reached without incident on July 23rd. The armoured cars formed a portion of the rearguard and carried out one reconnaissance at Kara Su, without, however, meeting any enemy troops.
On July 26th one armoured car was ordered to carry out a reconnaissance along Shemaka-Baku road. This car failed to return. A force sent out to look for it found two bodies, which were identified as the driver of a Ford touring car, and a batman, both of whom were travelling in Captain Hull's touring car. Unofficial reports have been received that a British officer and four men were prisoners at Elizabetpol. No details as to what actually happened are available.
On July 29th the Turks took Adji-Kabul Station, to the south-west of Baku, and began an encircling movement to the north. General Bicherakoff, not wishing to be shut up in Baku, withdrew northwards. The armoured cars acted as rearguard, Kirdalana being reached at 6.30 p.m. From hereon the armoured cars travelled by rail to Hatcmas, which was reached on August 10th. Although the force was continually harassed by Tartars, the armoured cars took no part in the fighting.
On August 11th the cars were sent forward by rail to Kudat, to operate against the Tartars. The country being impassable for armoured cars, they returned to Hatcmas.
On August 12th a general advance was made on Derbend, but the cars still travelled by rail. The Bolsheviks retired from Derbend after desultory fighting, and the town was occupied on August 15th at 9.20 a.m.
The train on which the armoured cars were travelling was smashed in a collision south of Derbend, and the armoured car personnel were responsible for the rescue of many men, under conditions calling for gallantry and endurance. Two N.C.O's. received the M.S.M. for their gallant behaviour on this occasion.
The armoured cars were not in action again until the attack on Petrovsk on September 3rd. The armoured cars preceded the infantry at 4.30 p.m., and, driving in the Bolshevik troops, engaged a battery of 6-inch guns at close range, driving the gunners off the guns and capturing them. They pursued the Bolshevik troops through the town, driving some 600 of them into the hands of the Cossacks, who had got round to the north of the town.
One armoured car was now immobile, owing to back-axle trouble, and was out of action until September 20th, when necessary spare parts were received from Baku.
The cars remained at Petrovsk till September 10th for overhaul, every facility and excellent workshops being placed at their disposal by General Bicherakoff.
On September llth the cars were sent to Temi-Khan Shuna, thirty miles south of Petrovsk, to co-operate in operations being carried out at that place against a mixed force of 600 Turks and 1,500 Dageshani Tartars. The operations fell through owing to an armistice being arranged on the 12th. The cars remained at Temi-Khan Shuna to maintain order until the 19th.
On September 18th three Russian armoured cars, which had been under the orders of the Brigade at Baku, and had proceeded to Petrovsk when the evacuation took place, were attached to No. 2 Battery.
On September 27th two armoured cars (one D.A.C. Brigade and one Russian) were ordered to embark to join Colonel Sleseneff at Briansk. The cars were disembarked at Starri Terechnaya by 11 a.m. on the 30th, and left for Alexandrisk, which was reached at 6 p.m. the same evening, moving to Marinova on October 2nd. Here touch was gained with General Alexieff by aeroplane.
The advance was continued, Seri Brakovka being reached on the 3rd.
The cars moved to Breedeekin on October 12th, reporting to the headquarters of the force (General Mestoulov), on the outskirts of Kislyar, at 8.30 a.m. onthe 13th. An attack on Kislyar was ordered for the 14th. One armoured car was ordered to precede the infantry attack, and clear the enemy trenches at 12 noon, after a preliminary bombardment. The car was driven forward until the wheels rested on the parapet, and the trenches were enfiladed, and the Bolshevik infantry fled. The car, whilst returning to bring forward the Russian infantry, was hit by a direct shell, which killed three of the crew and wounded Captain Crossing and the driver. At this point the Russian infantry panicked, and, failing to restore order, a general withdrawal was ordered to Breedeekin.
The personnel of the British armoured car was withdrawn to Petrovsk, which was reached on September 18th.
On October 26th No. 2 Battery, which had served with General Bicherakoff since July 3rd, was ordered to return to Enzeli to rejoin the Brigade.
During the whole period, Captain Barratt, R.A.M.C., was mainly responsible for the medical work with General Bicherakoff's force, and received the 4th Class of the Order of St. Vladimir for his work.
Captain Crossing, D.S.C., who had commanded this battery, received the St. George's Cross for gallantry, and also the 4th Class of the Order of St. Vladimir.
Lieutenant E. W. Wallace also received the 4th Class of the Order of St Vladimir, and several St. George's Crosses were awarded to the men.
OPERATIONS AT BAKU.
At the end of July the new Government in Baku asked for British assistance. One section of No. 1 Battery (two cars) and two sections of the motor machine-gun company embarked at Enzeli, arriving at Baku August 5th. The remaining section of No. 1 Battery and two sections of the machine-gun company were withdrawn from Resht on August 6th, embarking the same evening for Baku, which was reached on August 7th.
Owing to the presence of Bolshevik troops in the town, the armoured cars and machine-gun company did not proceed to the line. There were constant threats that the Bolsheviks intended to attempt to turn out the new Government by acoup de main. The armoured cars "stood to" every night, whilst machine-guns were located in various buildings commanding the streets leading to the quarter of the town in which the British troops were billeted.
In order to stiffen and encourage the local forces, British troops were sent into the line on August 9th. One section of the motor machine-gun company took up positions at Voltchi Vorota on the left of the line, co-operating with detachments of the Staffords. Efforts were also made to organize the Russian machine-guns in this section of the line, with some success. (The organization of the Russian machine-guns was later handed over to Major Vandenberg.)
On the same date two armoured cars and one anda half sections of the motor machine-gun company were sent to Zabrat, to take part in operations being carried out against Mashtagi. These two cars were constantly in action, handling very severely about 100 Turks who were found sitting and lying about behind a hedge.
The machine-guns took up positions in the Armenian lines. These machine-guns were taken forward, and then covered the advance of the Armenians. No serious attack on Mashtagi was, however, at any time made by the local forces.
One incident in this area is worth recording. At the request of Headquarters a Brigade Vauxhall Staff car was lent for the purpose of taking Tartar delegates to the front line, from whence it was intended that the delegates should make their way behind the Turkish lines and arrange terms with the local Tartars. Through some error, the car, also containing in addition to the delegates two sergeants of the Brigade, was sent on through the lines and captured by the Turks. Sergeant Miks was captured on this occasion. Russian born, he was a local linguist, and had gone through some remarkable adventures, whilst keeping under observation the movements of the Bolsheviks in Baku.
On August 14th one section of guns took up a position in the line at the foot of Griazni Vulkan, to the north-east of Baladjari Station. The next few days were fully occupied in the construction of machine-gun emplacements. Two armoured carsand a half-section of the motor machine-gun company were retained in Baku in reserve to maintain order in the town. On August 24th one of these armoured cars proceeded to Griazni Vulkan, where it remained in support of the line.
On August 26th the Turkish attack, the imminence of which was evident from the daily reconnaissance reports, materialized against Griazni Vulkan. The advance took place under cover of heavy and destructive artillery fire, which caused considerable casualties. The line at the point of the attack was held by 150 Staffords and four machine-guns of the Brigade motor machine-gun company. The attack was three times brought to a halt, the machine-guns doing great execution. One gun's crew withdrew their gun from its emplacement, which had overhead cover, and remounted it on top in order to obtain a greater field of fire. Enemy reinforcements coming up about 2 p.m. caused the troops on the right flank to fall back. The two machine-guns in this area, however, remained at their posts, and were last seen still firing, although completely surrounded.
The remainder of the infantry were forced to withdraw, but this order did not reach the remaining two guns, which only left their positions when they found small parties of enemy in rear of them. Fifty per cent. of the crews became casualties whilst withdrawing. Lieutenant Titterington, who was in charge, was compelled to use his revolver.
The armoured car in this sector, which, owing tothe impossible nature of the ground, had not previously been able to come into action, now covered the withdrawal of the remnants. These were reorganized by Major Ruston, a new line formed, and a further withdrawal carried out in good order to a line some 2,000 yards to the east. Fresh gun crews were immediately organized from batmen and other employed men of the Brigade, and sent forward to man the two guns that were left.
On August 27th the section of the machine-gun company was withdrawn from Voltchi Vorota, and received orders to report to the O.C. 39th Brigade, who took over charge of the Baladjari Sector on the evening of August 26th. The new line ran from Baladjari to Vinagradi. Two guns were placed in position at Baladjari and two on Vinagradi Hill.
The Turks had suffered so heavily on the 26th that they waited till the 31st before resuming their attack. During the interval reorganization was carried out, and, owing to heavy casualties, crews were only available for two sections of machine-guns and three armoured cars. One armoured car was immobile owing to magneto trouble, and did not come again into action whilst at Baku. The Turks attacked Vinagradi Hill on August 31st, and, as the flanks of the infantry were too exposed to permit of sustained resistance, they withdrew shortly after the attack developed. Orders again did not reach the two machine-guns in this sector, who maintained their position single-handed for an hour and a half,inflicting considerable casualties before they were forced to withdraw, owing to enemy fire, from the rear. They took up a fresh position on the railway-line east of Baladjari.
During the whole of the period of fighting two armoured cars and six machine-guns (reduced to four after August 26th) remained inactive in the Mashtagi area.
The capture of Dighiya on September 1st endangered the security of the force in front of Mashtagi, which accordingly withdrew. The armoured cars and machine-guns took up a position about 1,000 yards south of Balakhani.
The Turkish success made the evacuation of Baku advisable, and orders were issued for evacuation to take place in the evening. These were later cancelled owing to the attitude of the local authorities and Caspian Fleet, and orders issued for a last stand to be made on the inner defensive line.
The next few days were spent in building the necessary defences.
On September 1st the Russian armoured car section, consisting of two heavy cars mounting 3-pounders, and two light cars with maxims, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel the Marquis Albrizzi, were placed under the orders of the Brigade. They were mainly employed supporting attacks against Tartar villages on the right flank, which never materialized.
Between September 1st and 13th a generalconcentration of the Turks was noticed south-west of Baladjari. On the evening of the 12th an Arab officer deserter gave full details of the expected Turkish attack, which was to take place during the early hours of the morning on the 14th against the Voltchi Vorota Sector, a feint being made to hold the troops at Baladjari. The attack developed as stated at 6 a.m. on the 14th. The feint attack in front of Baladjari was heavily handled by our machine-guns and rapidly brought to a standstill. The main attack, however, against the local troops, progressed satisfactorily.
The two armoured cars from Baladjari were withdrawn to the Seliansky Barracks at the north-west corner of the town at 9 a.m. Their departure opened up the left flank of the position at Baladjari. This, together with the danger of being cut off by the main attack, forced the Baladjari detachment to withdraw at 1.30 p.m. They were covered by the machine-guns, which retired successfully, the last gun only leaving when the Turks were within 100 yards of their position, three members of the crew being wounded during the withdrawal. They took up a fresh position on the top of a ridge some 600 yards to the rear.
At 8 a.m. one armoured car was ordered out along the Voltchi Vorota road. It here engaged the enemy single-handed for two and a half hours, and though shelled intensively, managed to escape destruction by continuously moving in a figure ofeight in the very small space available for manoeuvre. This checking of the main attack allowed the Russian forces to be re-formed in rear and stiffened up with British troops. The remaining two armoured cars from Baladjari were ordered into action along the Baladjari road, with orders to prevent the troops withdrawing from Baladjari from being cut off. They were in action in this area the whole day, running up among the Turkish troops and inflicting very heavy casualties, destroying three enemy machine-guns and dispersing in panic some Turkish cavalry which were massing for the attack.
At 11 a.m. the machine-gun section from the Balakhani road was withdrawn, and remained in reserve throughout the afternoon near Seliansky Barracks.
At 5 p.m. orders for the evacuation of Baku were received, the armoured cars being disposed as follows, to cover the withdrawal of the infantry:
1 car on the Dighiyar road.1 " " " Baladjari road.1 " " " Voltchi Vorota road.
The withdrawal commenced at 8 p.m. and was carried out without incident, the last car arriving at the embarkation point at 10 p.m.
Owing to the still doubtful attitude of the local authorities and Caspian Fleet, it was considered inadvisable to delay whilst the armoured cars were embarked, and orders were issued for their destruction, as well as for the destruction of the motortransport which had accompanied the Brigade, and which had done most useful work in rationing the Brigade and other British troops in the line. The following cars were consequently destroyed:
4 Austin armoureds.6 Vauxhall tenders.3 Ford touring cars.2 Ford ambulances.18 Ford vans.1 Ford van (belonging to Wireless Section).
Kazian was reached on September 16th.
During the fighting leading to the evacuation the Russians' cars under the Marquis Albrizzi rendered valuable assistance, and covered the withdrawal of the local troops in the early morning of the 15th, and were eventually evacuated with General Bicherakoff's detachment to Petrovsk, where they were attached to No. 2 Battery of the Brigade.
OPERATIONS AT ZINJAN.
During the fighting at Baku a considerable concentration of troops at Tabriz enabled the Turks to advance towards Zinjan, driving our outposts at Mianeh across the Kufian Kuh.
Eight more armoured cars from England arrived at Hamadan on September 1st. In spite of the fact that the majority of the personnel for these cars had been taken to form the machine-gun company, the balance of personnel was rapidly organized and "E" Squadron formed. The cars needed considerableattention mechanically, and this was rapidly carried out, cars as they were fit for the road being despatched to Zinjan.
The serious threat to the main communications to Enzeli by this Turkish advance necessitated the consideration of a general withdrawal to Hamadan on September llth. In spite of mechanical difficulties, the Brigade offered to get the whole squadron to Zinjan immediately, and, further, to organize from batmen and cooks sufficient crews to man four machine-guns, the whole being carried in a Peerless lorry. This squadron and machine-gun section were concentrated at Zinjan by September 16th, and their addition to the small force justified a stand being made north of that place, and the orders for the evacuation being held in abeyance. Reconnaissances, in which one section 6th L.A.M. Battery played a considerable part, were pushed out as far as Jamalabad, where Turkish cavalry were engaged.
"E" Squadron had considerable trouble from back axles giving. The presence of armoured cars undoubtedly checked the advance of the Turkish troops beyond Jamalabad.
An additional twelve armoured cars left Bagdad on August 19th, arriving at Hamadan on September 1st. These cars also needed overhauling, and in view of the back-axle trouble experienced by "E" Squadron it was considered desirable to take down all back axles and thoroughly overhaul them. In the meantime the personnel of "D" Squadron was collected,organized, and trained. This squadron was stationed at Hamadan, for fear of any possible advance of Turkish troops from Urumia via Bijar.
A road reconnaissance towards Bijar was carried out by two armoured cars on October 3rd. These reported that the road was impassable, and the country unsuitable for armoured cars some sixty miles north of Hamadan.
On the formation of Norperforce on September 14th, it was pointed out that Persia did not offer opportunity for the employment of a large number of armoured cars, whilst there was great difficulty in obtaining the requisite petrol to keep the Brigade mobile. It was considered that the armoured-car work could be carried out by eight cars, especially as the approach of winter would make movement impossible. Much of the work would be in the nature of patrol work, and previous experience had shown that this was very expensive in Rubberine tyres. The pneumatic tyres for the cars had not up till that date arrived from England.
Accordingly, on October 2nd the withdrawal to Mesopotamia commenced.
There are one or two features of interest as regards the rationing worthy of record.
Owing to the heat and the rapidity with which fresh meat went bad, considerable difficulty was experienced in rationing convoys, which might be absent several days from main rationing bases. No tinned meat was available, and after several experimentsa successful method of dry-salting and sun-drying mutton was found. Meat thus treated proved very palatable when soaked and cooked, and kept even in the hottest weather for several weeks.
Jam was made from fruit purchased locally, and stored in earthenware jars, a jam ration being issued to the men the whole time they were in Persia. Crushed wheat proved excellent for porridge.
This excellent result was mainly due to the initiative and hard work of the Brigade Quartermaster, Captain Lefroy and his staff.
To sum up, the Brigade, in addition to entirely supporting its own personnel in rations, munitions, and stores of all kinds, afforded very considerable assistance in transport to Dunsterforce. It maintained all armoured cars which had arrived from England, working over 1,000 miles from railhead, and had all available personnel in the fighting-line as a machine-gun company at Baku, some 800 miles from railhead. The whole time it was solely dependent on its own efforts.
The work was entirely due to the magnificent body of officers and men forming the unit, who have worked throughout unsparingly in whatever duty they have been called upon to perform. The gallantry shown by the men of the machine-gun company in the fight of August 26th, when they stayed with their guns to the last, is enhanced by the fact that practically all these men had under eight months' service in the Army.
ADJI-KABUL,207
Afshar tribesmen,142,143
Agre Petros,137
Akhbar, Lieutenant,15,29,55,67,58,101
Alexandria,10
Ali Akhbar Khan,79,90
Aliullahis,84-86
Ali Elizan Pasha,159
Allen, Mr.,128
Alvand Mountains,112
Amarah,41-43
American Presbyterian Mission,84,89,106,128
Amory, Captain,172
Ardabil,175
Armoured cars,109,194,205,206,207,210,252et seq.
Ashar,23
Assadabad Pass,63,111
Azarbaijan,133,157,163
Bagdad,47-60
Baku,63,67,135,190,206,207,208,212,226
Baleshkent Pass,154,193
Baqubah,74
Baratof, General,70
Basra,18,19,20,21,22,24,29
Batum,135
Benik Suma,177
Bicherakoff, General,70,71,133,203,208
Bijar,227,232,246
Bisitun,107
Bolshevik activities,63,64,66,67,71,72,134,135,204,211
Bray, Captain,4
Bridges, Colonel,250
Byron, Brigadier-General,3,10,23,36,55,75,87,100,196
Cachagli Pass,178,179,182,183
Calthorpe, Sergeant,176
Cannibalism,118,119
Caspian Sea,62,63,68,71
Caucasus,67
Chesney, General,17
Chihar Zabar Pass,97
Cinema, native interest in,26
Cochrane, Captain Basil,175,182
Cooper, Captain,15
Cowden, Miss,84
Crawford, Colonel,194
Crossing, Captain,207
Derhend,207
Dervishes,98
Diala River,74
Donnan, Colonel,5,6,9
Dunsterville Force,2,60et seq.,74,112,133,198,212,225
Dunsterville, General,62,63,64,74,115,123,130,133,190,203,212,225