Letters received by Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood, 3 January 1917 – 14 December 1917 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Finalised
Accession number:
RCDIG0000018
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

30 SRUTON STREET ponooi N. 26.1.17 Dear Eenr Bridwood it is &ight blet e I Think I send two caberfia Know That today tantralia, which I reprodine from menon now. 1. Defence melloi. Meduae Board cestilies me fit Howo sevie in thire weetes inpit geveral seice for six mouth. undensted Though 50C ast sae difficult about Employing e Aushralie meannhile. I ulmit an juntly sntilled suck employmend as recommnded oy him hut prepared aeore Sapland if recesiar though climate advene to halth. Have asked Iir Willian Ssome 1 Seri inta se un. K Sir william Foine Meleous. Prease see cable sent by me on this Late to Defencey meebomone uelative tomy imploy I while infit active sevise. Sen unery
30 SRUTON STREET Vor will thiis see that I have asked the Dept in Australia D recafne whad I regod mt as an eguitalle wight, The more so as yor have specifcally recommnd it A Dmay, I woued like to add thad I till think Anstralia roed be peatly benepted by homing. Goc A1t for Cagland hummbly uoheme I coud thit uoder yen. P improne & he prescnt cound &thms. have reason & believe that do the wort the scowr officer here would be preenid at jurh an aoraageent eupt Sir K. moor, as towhore ouns L have no I am of coue the seacor Knowleaf. ofieer of the Communnualtl mil foces dewing & 1t. officer, Lefe vapted the seae & & thenfore Rrde thal it Anstralia him no Tuntille work for mre there for wile men aow &orse them to give wre charp here. I will wist & it the war losts to The antroumn the climate. home sotala the firld again. conndet reds werican. Beim Mi.
AUS Headquarters. Second Army. Cir 111 tt uio nmnummmin d917. near Biidaunh. Heny Mny mans. hi yon kind deai. Coverlilahions: It his necy good of yon.L eat. hiile an I. oppiecivli yunn. Messoges. hos veiy sore indied not h Zei. fon homeis ho Ca. Sictie. 7
Os hob underseaudl. it an all. Hiase remunhir. Ir t all tny frends for .Comnin. fon evn. mire. Richeun.
30 Mrnton S6 we 3.2. 1 Ders General Thannk yon for goine two letters of 17th & & still mor froom the Kind Kogs fon cabled 38th Tan) t& the munten about mre. I am somy yo do not afroe with mrn adtiom in catling unull or radhor with whet I cobled, but I felt (s fel itile. That it ught to be doore. At any oate there it is & I miust stund by it. I resignine thooughy That you had to gave the Munster gon riw alout mores work at Salishory whother it affected my chonnes in not: as indend it must aune yon hod decided not to apfoont a CoC in Inglond for the adt. There I thint Legges dloing objection is bering reculled to Ancunlia is thal he considers the male to be the resull of a mitaken oure about his healthe, & that be is to suffer fo the Mistake. I do not Ruonn whether be shams mn feeling that 9.H.Q. taled us both rather cavakierly, & my cmority towhother regulars are ticated in the same wond. As the action was taken. 1 thite myseld thubt Emyth was more drom entilled 6& Division & 1s me be is as completily A.I.p now as it he hnd sailed with us from “Autralian: his appountint cut
quetly be rscuted by anyou I am sovrny to cawn That gunn chest is again hombling yon. Tou must not get ile for Mc Amnc without yon is hardly Hombeble Little on ron whip the iden of grnng evidence before the Comminnoon, fus are not liteily to iscrfie & fon comnne au will gave mre the The ondead chance of seem frn again soon. Wile fon per imuube me to white with all good unhes to zonnet Tuu st snuu. fronsan. Ween Br wil Bridwod KeSI et itc
Genexal Aeadquertexs. Hesopotanian Bspeditionary Porce. 5th Pebruary, 1917. 1 dear Pery uety Mharhs Eox Jour Lotter, oh1ch 1 wad Mery Led to 80t, and for the kind congratulations which 1t contained. 1 can assure yon that the latter are appreciated very thoroughly by me. 1 think that 1 have been very Iucky all through the mar, and any success which 1 may have not w1th has been due entirely to thoso that 1 have had under my command. Pirst my splendid brigade 1n Prance, then my nagnificent division at Callipoll and here, and more recently the Corps and now the Army in thIs Courtry. Things are going tiptop w1th us out here now. Men 1 first took over cormand 1t was clearly nocossary to spend Sone time In organising and developing our resources. Much Spadework had been done towards this end, but nuch still renalned to be done, and 1t seened quite evident to me that 1t was useless to attengt to take the offensive unprepared. 30 me Spent 35 months in strenuous preperation, during which tine 1 lived on the I. 02 C. and went into everything Versonally. By that tine we had developed our resources in the may of river, rall and road transport inmensely, and we had accunulated a substantial reserve of stores of all kinds, ine luding supplles, whereas reviously we had had to live day by day fron hand te nouth. This made one Eeel JustlEled in uaking a pove Sorwerd, and since the middle of December we have been hard at 1t making steady progress and always arlving the Tarks before us.. We have stte bs
2] have established ourselves securely on the 11ne of the IAI an important watermay, the possession of which heans much to oth 3idos - and we have evicted the Turks eron positions oxtonding about ten alles 1n length on the right bank of the T1GRIS which they prevlously held. The fighting has been East and Purlous, but tough and determlned fighters as the Turks aro, and they are eertalnly narvel lous stickers when they mean business, our men have over and over again proved thelr superiority, and have come, as the results show, nost trlumphantly out of the ordeal. 1t 18 a real Joy to command an Arny w1th such a 2lne fighting spirit and such determination, and with everyone putting thelr backs into 1t and pulling wholeheartedly together me need have n0 fears as to the result. 1t 1s not only the fighting troops that have done so Maenlficently, though Indeed the work of the reglmental offleers, N.C. Officers and Men has been beyond pralse, but their offorts would have been qulte onavalling 1f 1t had not been for the anclllary services and on the I. 02 C. The perfornance of those under the Indescribable difficultles egisting locally nust, 1 feel sure, alnost constitate a record, for -to take one 1ten -We are supplying a force which takes olose on 500 tons dally to feed by a single 2"6" 11no, and whllst doing so are actually bullding up a still greater reserve erom day to Da7. Our great difficulty 1s to get at the Turks, who have chosen thoir position very oleverly, and now that the rains have begun are protected on almost every side by rivers or marshes. But we shall continne to 21nd sone moans of getting at then and of keeping then busy, although the state of the ground Sron tine to tine nakes novenent inposstbe TN 2 M.M... I one 522 sahed bt
53-] The Turkish losses have been very severe throughout the Iast month, and Ear ear hoarler than ours, 1n spite of the Pact that we have always been attacking. Their counter-attacks Five us our chance, and then the superiority of our artillery, and our plentiful anaunition, coupled with the grit of the Inlantry, tells. S0 y0n may realise how happy 1 an in my command, and 1 andn cemp here in the aidst of the troops close behind the Tentre of our 1inc. Ploase forgive this hurried 11nd, which 1 an dictating during the pauses 1n our fighting, but 1 wanted to say how much 1 appreciated your kind letter. m. With. te 4 iue In O erem. Rt. eind. Wos. 805 Liout.-General Sir VIllian Birdwood, K.C.S.I., K.C.H.G., C.B., C.1.E., D.S.0.] 1st Anzac Corps, British Army in the Meld, 2 NAMCE. 12 EEEdrA Srtence TTEs mem
Shurtpore House, Jidworth, Hants. & Het 1911 Nild. sar General Phave youd letter to hand advisered wealt the me. proposal to appout ccamf as mig successor. nt Cardley say it P reed. hao come as a ven great disappountenent&. if carried into effect great. do me at will. infustice. I apprecate four letter and undeed

30 BRUTON STREET, 
London W. 
26.1.17 

Dear Gen Birdwood 
I think it is right to let you 
know that today. I sent two cablegrams 
to Australia, which I reproduce from memory 
now. 
1. Defence Melbourne Medical Board 
certifies me fit Home Service in three weeks, unfit 
general service for six months. Understand 
through GOC  AIF some difficulty about 
employing me Australia meanwhile. Submit 
am justly entitled such employment as 
recommended by him but prepared serve 
England if necessary though climate adverse 
to health. Have asked Sir William Irvine to 
see you. Gen McCay 
2. Sir William Irvine Melbourne. Please 
see cable sent by me on this date to Defence 
Melbourne relative to my employment 
while unfit active service. Gen McCay.

 

30, BRUTON STREET, 
W. 
You will thus see that I have asked the Dept. 
in Australia to recognise what I report myself 
as an equitable right , the more so as you have 
specifically recommended it. 
If I may, I would like to add that I 
still think Australia would be greatly 
benefited by having a GOC AIF for England 
under you & that I humbly believe I could 
do the work & improve the present conditions. I have reason to believe that 
the senior officers here would be pleased 
at such an arrangement, except Sir N. 
Moore, as to whose views I have no 
knowledge. I am of course the senior 
officer of the Commonwealth Mil Forces serving, & 
the senior A.I.F. officer, Legge excepted. 
I therefore hope that if Australia has no 
suitable work for me there, you will even now 
advise them to give me charge here. I will risk 
the climate - &. if the war lasts to the autumn, 
hope to take the field again. Kindest regards 
Yours sincerely J W McCay

 

Headquarters, 
Second Army. 
Janr. 26th 1917. 
  
Dear Birdwood. 
Very many thanks 
for your kind letter 
of congratulations: it 
was very fine of you to 
write and I greatly 
appreciate your 
messages. 
I was very sorry 
indeed not to see 
your name in the 
last Gazette. I

 

do not understand 
it at all. 
Please remember  
me to all my friends 
in your Corps. 
Yours ever
Herbert Plumer

 

30 Bruton St 
W 
3.2.17 
  
Dear General , 
Thank you for your two letters of 27th & 
30th Jany, & still more for the kind things you cabled 
to the minister about me. 
I am sorry you do not agree with my action 
in cabling myself, or rather with what I cabled, but 
I felt (& feel still) that it ought to be done. At 
any rate, there it is, & I must stand by it. 
I recognise thoroughly that you had to give the 
minister your views about Morris work at Salisbury, 
whether it affected my chances or not: as indeed 
it must, once you had decided not to appoint a 
GOC in England for A.I.F. there. 
I think Legge's strong objection to being recalled 
to Australia is that he considers the recall to be 
the result of a mistaken view about his health, &  
that he is to suffer for the mistake. I do not 
know whether he shares my feeling that G.H.Q. 
treated us both rather cavalierly, & my curiosity as 
to whether regulars are treated in the same way. 
As the action was taken, I think myself that 
Smyth was more than entitled to a Division, & to 
me he is as completely A.I.F. now as if he had 
sailed with us from Australia: his appointment cannot 

 

justly be resented by anyone. 
I am sorry to learn that your chest is again 
troubling you. You must not get ill, for 1st Anzac 
without you is hardly thinkable. 
Little as you relish the idea of giving evidence 
before the Commission, you are not likely to escape 
the ordeal;  & your coming over will give me the 
chance of seeing you again soon. 
Will you please remember me to White. 
With all fond wishes to yourself, 
I am 
Yours most sincerely 
J.W.McCay 

Lt Gen Sir WR Birdwood KCSI etc etc 

 

General Headquarters, 
Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force. 
5th February, 1917. 
  
My dear General 
  
Very many thanks for your letter, which I was very glad 
to get, and for the kind congratulations which it contained. 
I can assure you that the latter are appreciated very 
thoroughly by me. 
I think that I have been very lucky all through the war, 
and any success which I may have met with has been due entirely 
to those that I have had under my command. First my splendid 
brigade in France, then my magnificent division at Gallipoli 
and here, and more recently the Corps and now the Army in 
this country. 
Things are going tiptop with us out here now. When I 
first took over command it was clearly necessary to spend 
some time in organising and developing our resources. Much 
spadework had been done towards this end, but much still 
remained to be done, and it seemed quite evident to me that 
it was useless to attempt to take the offensive unprepared. 
So we spent 3½ months in strenuous preparation, during which 
time I lived on the L. of C., and went into everything 
personally. By that time we had developed our resources in 
the way of river, rail and road transport immensely, and we 
had accumulated a substantial reserve of stores of all kinds, 
including supplies, whereas previously we had had to live day 
by day from hand to mouth.  
This made one feel justified in making a move forward, 
and since the middle of December we have been hard at it making 
steady progress and always driving the Turks before us. We 
have

 

-2- 
have established ourselves securely on the line of the HAI - 
an important waterway, the possession of which means much to 
both sides - and we have evicted the Turks from positions 
extending about ten miles in length on the right bank of 
the TIGRIS which they previously held. The fighting has been 
fast and furious, but tough and determined fighters as the 
Turks are, and they are certainly marvellous stickers when 
they mean business, our men have over and over again proved 
their superiority, and have come, as the results show, most 
triumphantly out of the ordeal. 
It is a real joy to command an Army with such a fine 
fighting spirit and such determination, and with everyone 
putting their backs into it and pulling wholeheartedly together 
we need have no fears as to the result. 
It is not only the fighting troops that have done so 
magnificently, though indeed the work of the regimental Officers, 
N.C. Officers and Men has been beyond praise, but their efforts 
would have been quite unavailing if it had not been for the 
ancillary services and on the L. of C. The performance of 
these under the indescribable difficulties existing locally 
must, I feel sure, almost constitute a record, for - to take 
one item - we are supplying a force which takes close on 500 
tons daily to feed by a single 2'6" line, and whilst doing so 
are actually building up a still greater reserve from day to 
day. 
Our great difficulty is to get at the Turks, who have 
chosen their position very cleverly, and now that the rains 
have begun are protected on almost every side by rivers or 
marshes. But we shall continue to find some means of getting 
at them and of keeping them busy, although the state of the 
ground from time to time makes movement impossible.  
  
The

 

-3- 
The Turkish losses have been very severe throughout the 
last month, and far far heavier than ours, in spite of the 
fact that we have always been attacking. Their counter-attacks 
give us our chance, and then the superiority of our artillery, 
and our plentiful ammunition, coupled with the grit of the 
infantry, tells. 
So you may realise how happy I am in my command, and I 
am in camp here in the midst of the troops close behind the 
centre of our line. 
Please forgive this hurried line, which I am dictating 
during the pauses in our fighting, but I wanted to say how 
much I appreciated your kind letter. 
With very many thanks for your kind wishes 
which are really important. 
Yrs sincerely 
I.S.Maude  
Maude 
  
To: 
Lieut. -General Sir William Birdwood, 
K.C.S.I., K.C.M.G., C.B., C.I.E., D.S.O., 
1st Anzac Corps, 
British Army in the Field, 
F R A N C E.

 

Bhurtpore House, 
Tidworth, 
Hants. 
7th. Feb 1917 
  
My Dear General 
  
I have your 
letter to hand advising 
me of the C-wealth 
Govts. proposal to appoint 
McCay as my successor: 
& I need hardly say it 
has come as a very 
great disappointment & 
if carried into effect 
will do me a great 
injustice. I appreciate 
indeed your letter and

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