Correspondence between Field Marshal Lord William Birdwood and Lady Janetta Birdwood, 1915 - Part 19

3) with sea that is bound to be rough & under heavy fire
of all sorts. However we will get over all that if it has to
be done. 
I do think it is most awfully good of that old Mrs. Stedall
to be so nice to you & I will certainly try & see the son if I can. He
is probably at Mudros now as the 2nd Mtd. Division is
resting there. They are under Genl. Peyton in Byng's Corps
on my left when on the peninsula. You didn't tell me the
results of Judith's visit to Dr Goss - what had he to say
about her eyes? Nothing bad I hope. You evidently had a
great run round when in town & I'm so glad you saw Mrs
Onslow & Mrs. Cobbe. I am waiting to write to the former until
I can get a photo I expect shortly of her boy's grave. I enclose
a letter for you to see I got from Capt. Lloyd's wife, who I think 
I told you I met in Cairo -  Such a very nice woman & great
friend of dear old Gen Dighton's.  Lloyd hasn't yet come
back here & I doubt if he will do so for some time yet.
I hear Mrs. Sheen went out to Walter & they both left there
for England about the 7th of this month as he was invalided for
3 months. Do write to them & find out where they are & if
possible see him, for he is such a dear good fellow &
I'll be very glad to get him back in due course.  I hear

he has had a bad time of it, as he has had neuritis added
to all his other troubles.
In case you didn't see it I enclose a photo which appeared
of me in the Illustrated which may be of interest as it I am with
Wangard's friend Admiral Thursby on the "Queen" - his flagship
from which I made our landing at Anzac on 25th April. He is
a dear good fellow & is now Commanding a Squadron working with
the Italians in the Adriatic.  
I'm so glad you continue to see so much of Australians & it's 
always gratifying to know they appreciate anything we can do 
for them here or at home - Fancy your having actually heard the 
Zeppelin bombs & I am indeed thankful you were not any nearer 
than you were! for those bombs are terribly powerful things 
as a good many men know to their cost. 
Later.  I am afraid that Lord K has after all decided that 
I am to take over the command of all Sir Ian's late force while
Genl. Monro is to combine this & the 'troops' at Salonika. It means
I have to leave Anzac & my old Staff & troops, & can only see them
occasionally instead of daily.  I'll go over & see them as often
as I can, but with 2 other Army Corps to look after, I'll not have 
very much time for them - & there is always the sea to get over to get
at them - all right in the Summer, but pretty beastly now, as I
know after 2 very horrible days yesterday & today in Destroyers!!
Goodbye my own little lamb - I only just have time to catch 
the mail - All my love. From your very loving old Will.

Head Quarters
M.E.F.
15 Oct 15. 

My own darling Jenny Jane,
Things have suddenly altered since I last
wrote you a day or two ago - & I rather feel not for the
better. I got a wire yesterday from Sir. Ian saying I was to
come over to Imbros at once to see him on very urgent matters.
I was as a matter of fact taking my first real quiet day in
bed since I have been here, as my insides had suddenly gone
wrong - nothing to worry about, but the Doctors told me that if
I could lie still for 48 hours I should be absolutely right, while
if I knocked about as usual I might get bad, so I
thought at best to stay in bed to avoid the temptation of
doing a lot! However of course I had to get up & come over 
here at once, to find that poor old Sir Ian had been recalled
and that a General Sir C. Monro has been appointed from
France to succeed him - & that pending his arrival I was to
take over the whole command here pending Monro's arrival.
It is a great upheaval - Sir Ian goes today when I take over.
I must say, I shall miss him very much as no one
could have been kinder or more considerate to me than he
always has been & he is such a dear good fellow &
gentleman. He has too often been asked to do the 
impossible here - whether these might not have been achieved

I will not say, but from the first the difficulties &
strength of the Turkish army has evidently been under-
estimated from home, and the final success aimed at
has been impossible with the troops at our disposal- So it
is hard lines that he should be sacrificed in this way - he
is I must say most wonderfully good about it - No ranting
& raving that it is someone else's fault etc. but just 
saying that he has not been fortunate enough to succeed 
& that there is an end to it - He of course must feel it
very much, but shows it much less than I thought he would.
Col. Pollen his A.M.S. takes this letter home with him & I
can't say how good be has always been to me - and both
say they so much want to see you when they get home
so I hope it may be managed. He has made an A.1. Mil. Sec.
always so thoughtful & courteous, and doing all he could
for everyone, that I shall really miss him. He has
quite loaded me up with things on going - a beautiful
"Maud Allen" combined Cape & waterproof sheet - warm
gloves - A very nice combined muffler & balaclava cap
made for him by old Lady Muir - & several other things
which he now finds he doesn't want, but which will be
useful to me here in the winter. It is awfully nice of him,
& I think he is one of the kindest hearted fellows
I know. I only wish the new man would take him
on in the same capacity as I know he would find

2) him so useful now that he knows all the troops 
here & the general run of things. 
Another man who goes is Genl. Braithwaite & for whom I am 
also so sorry & he feels it much. He is certainly an able 
man & has had a very difficult job to carry through. I'm 
afraid he certainly has made himself unpopular - why I 
don't quite know, but there is a general feeling against 
him. A short time ago they wired from home to Sir Ian saying 
they had heard this at home and asking if he didn't think it 
would be best to send him home & get out someone else. Sir 
Ian very loyal to Braithwaite refused to do this - had he  
agreed I think he would doubtless have been left here  
himself for another trial with a new Chief Staff Officer. 
As it is they both go. Braithwaite will doubtless get some 
other job at home or in France at once, & I do hope they give  
Sir Ian something too. 
Sir C. Monro comes out to a most difficult job which I  
do not envy him, for without more troops & more ammunition 
I do not think he can do anything at present, while it 
will take him some little time to pick up all the threads 
& grasp the whole situation - this hiatus in command is 
I think unfortunate. In a week I can do nothing - in  
fact it is not up to me to do so. I merely have to  
carry on till Monro arrives & in the mean time have 
some considerable responsibility without full knowledge, 
as I really know nothing of the details or disposition of

the troops beyond my own four Divisions & in case of any big 
attack might be a little at sea. It is just possible that 
the Turks might make this on the French, but I hope not during 
my short regime - especially as I'd rather not have to run about 
a lot till I am quite fit. 
Curiously enough Byng is senior to me & I hope will not have been hurt 
at my being put in to command over his head - however the direct 
order came out from the Cabinet through Lord K. & after all it is 
only for a short time. Sir Ian was awfully nice in saying that 
he thought I should have succeeded him altogether & wondered that 
this had not been done, but thought that possibly they did not 
want to remove me from the Command of the Australians - & as 
things are I must say I am quite happy that they I 
should have been left with them. 
Goodbye my little one. I do hope you will see Sir Ian & 
Peter - & I only wish they were both staying on. 
All my love to you always. 
Ever your very loving old 
Will. 

H.M.S. Cornwallis. 
Kephalos. Imbros. 
23 Oct 15. 
  
My own darling Jenny Jane. 
I am still here at head quarters in the 
proud position of Commander-in-Chief for a few days 
longer until Sir C. Monro arrives. That best of fellows, the 
Admiral here - de Robeck - seized me when I arrived & 
seeing I wasn't quite fit, insisted on my going at once on 
to a ship & here have I been very comfortable on this 
battleship - such a nice fellow in a Capt. Davidson in 
command, who has looked after me as I tell him Sir 
Ian described the fleet - as the Father & Mother of the Army. 
Just these few days has made a most wonderful difference 
to me & I am now absolutely right & myself again. My 
servant was very funny the first night I went on board 
& he saw nice clean sheets on my bed "This will be
a nice change tonight, Sir - it'll seem quite strange 

to have nice sheets again". I must say it does seem 
extraordinary nice having everything clean again - especially 
clean food & a real lovely warm bath. Davidson has been most 
awfully good in having custard puddings etc for me & I  
now really am as fit as ever & am going permanently on  
shore tomorrow. The last few days I have been there during 
the day to deal with work, as I find I have a good 
deal to do. As C-in-C I have great power in ways & can 
give commissions - temporary or permanent - on my own - a 
certain number of D.S.O's & Military Crosses quite on my own & 
any D.C. Medals - but of course only to men in this force. 
Also I am sorry to say I have to deal with & confirm many  
Courts martial. 
The Admiral has been off to Mudros, but comes back today. 
I've known nothing of the political situation in the Balkans 
which looks about as bad as it could be, but I suppose 
Monro will come out with full instructions from home.

I have had to wire home a full account to the  
Cabinet of my own views on the situation, which was not 
at all an easy thing to do when I am only in command for 
such a very brief period. 
I have a very nice fellow in a Genl. Ellison acting as my Chief 
General Staff in place of Braithwaite who went home with Sir 
Ian, Genl. Monro will bring his own man, who will I expect be 
a Genl. Kiggell who was with Sir Redvers & Lord K in S. Africa 
& is a first class & very nice fellow. Genl. Byng has of course 
been most awfully nice in serving under me as he is now 
doing, for he is of course much senior - While just fancy - I 
have just had a letter from poor old Sir James Willcocks asking 
if I will have him out to come & serve under me too!! 
He said he absolutely could not continue to serve any longer 
under Haig who bullied him so, that he finally had to 
decide to chuck it. I am so very sorry indeed for him  
as I know how much he will have felt it, & there is 
no doubt but that he is a good man. He was full of

enthusiasm for the way in which Lord K. had received him 
& for all his kindness, & was full of hope of getting another 
command in due course, but it is rather hard to see what he 
can get - unless he were to go to East Africa - and of course 
he couldn't well come & serve in my Army Corps. I do think  
though that he might well have come here when Sir Ian 
went & in pl his place, for I quite think he would have 
been the very best man for it - he has so much experience - 
Poor Sir Ian had to leave here the very day a new horse had 
been got ready for him & he was to have changed his Head 
Quarters from one to the other side of the Island. My servant described 
it as "a huge place" & felt sure I'd feel lost in it! As a  
matter of fact it is only 2 wooden rooms, but very nicely 
situated & will be comfortable enough. It is strange that I shall 
be occupying it as the first C-in-C - and proud I am 
to be doing so. I shall be quite happy though to return to 
my humble dugout at Anzac. It's horribly cold here 
just at present & I don't at all relish leaving "Cornwallis" 
permanently for the shore! For some extraordinary reason 
they have made no fireplace in the Chiefs quarters, the