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 M^rs. 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 M^rs. 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