Contents
Author's Preface / v Gbnkral Introduction / vii
Part I The "Hush-Hush" Army (May to November, 1918)
With Introduction By Major-General L. C. Dunsterville, C.B., C.S.I., General Officer Commanding Dunsterforce, 1918
Chapter I Eastward Bound to the Tigris The War Office -The Fourth Army Headquarters before Amiens -The "fast" convoy-Submarine attack-Malta-Alexandria - Cairo-The Australian Cavalry - Suez-The Red Sea Aden - Captain Cockman - Muscat - The Straits of Ormuz - The mouth of the Euphrates / 5-23
Chapter II Mesopotamia, the Land of the Rivers The great Euphrates River-German obstruction of navigation Bussrah - The port and its growth - The I.G.C.-Reflections on past prosperity and present prospects of the country - The river steamer - The rivers - Their transport value and difficulties - Troops' accommodation-The junction of Tigris and Euphrates-The Garden of Eden-Ezra's Tomb - Amora Loss of a man overboard - The desert Arabs and their camps - Their horses-Distant mountains of Persia - Kut - River windings - Report G. H.Q.-Bagdad-Orders to leave at night-Hospital-Convalescent home-Commander-in-Chief's house-Town and bazaars of Bagdad - Army Boxing Final -Departure by Decauville Railway / 24-40
Chapter III Persia: The Road and the Famine Railhead camp at Ruz -The Foot - hills - Khanikin-A.S.C. post - Entry to the mountains-The Tek - i - Gehri Pass, Ascent of Convalescent camp-Dinner on edge of precipice-The upland country - Brigand - infested country round Kirmanshah - Camp at Kirmanshah - The convoy - The Rock of Bisidun - Darius cuneiform inscription - Modern lorries and ancient bridges Bivouac in the open - The Asadabad Pass-Oil deposits Russian preparations for defence - Hamadan - Famine horrors-Relief work-Persian gun-fire-Biblical scenes the site of the Book of Esther-Ancient Ecbatana of Herodotus, Alexander the Great, Ruth, and Boaz to-day-Burning of the petrol dump - Road to Kasvin - G.H.Q. Hush-Hush Army-Billet-Ordered to relieve Armenians surrounded 300 mites west - Build armoured car - Jungalis-Battle of Menjit - Ordered to command convoy to force the passes to Caspian Sea / 41-62
Chapter IV The Caspian Sba - Advance to, Reliep of, And Sieg of Baku the convoy - the upper pass -Through the Jungalis in the lower pass - The sea at last - Kazian, the end of the road-Sickness - An oil tank as a transport-Bad weather-Bolshevik gunboat - Baku Harbour-The city-Preceding events-Services lent to Caspian Republic-The Government appoint me Controller of Ordnance-Difficulties-The arsenals, armament, and ammunition-The Armenians-Project to cut Turk communications-Constant attacks-Decide to with draw Government refuses to consent-Prospects of capture - Plan to blow up ammunition - Turks hesitate-Resistance continued - I acquire a German flat-The end approaches / 63-86
Chapter V Evacuation: The Steamer "Armenian" Enemy shelling-Work of the Armenian-Preparations for raid on enemy communications - Turk deserter's information the final attack - Preparations for evacuation - State of the quays -Guarding the arsenal pier-I traverse the quays to obtain reinforcements - Our H.Q. sentries -Permission to shift for myself - arrangement of signal - The Commissaire - His treatmcnt - e -Getting the breech-blocks-Massacre by Tartars-Withdrawal of our last pickets-The Turks in the town - Withdraw my guard from pier - Another Commissaire - The Armenian casts off - The hospital ship passes - The anchor is lost - Find and speak the Kruger at last-Follow her out -Trouble on board - Challenged by the guardships They open fire-Trouble with the captain -Trouble with the crew - At sea-Triumphal entry into port-The Chief's congratulations / 87-rn6
Chapter VI Homeward Round--The Armistice The cargo of the Armenian - Kasvîn - Journey to Bagdad - The order of the day-Journey to Bussrah - To Suez-To Taranto - Paris on Armistice Day - Fourth Army Headquarters - London / 107-118
Part II Intelligence in Transcaucasia (February to August, 1919) With Introduction by General Sir G. Milne, G.C.M.G., Etc., Commander - in-Chief, Army of Black Sba
Chapter I "Rast Again" - Salonika, Constant, and Batoum Rationing at home - Meet Sir G. Milne - Appointed Special Service "Intelligence" Officer to G.H.Q., Constantinople - Morris left in England-Railway journey during French demobilisation - Rome - Rest camp at Taranto - Grecian Archipelago - Mount Athos - Salonika- Kit lost-Journey from Salonika to Constant - Catalja Lines-Constantinople - Palace of Constantine - Old Stamboul - Galata - The Grande Rue of Pera - St. Sophia-Adrian's Roman Wall Carnival in Pera - Down the Bosphorus -Varna - Samsun - A mine at sea - Batoum / 123-139
Chapter II The Caucasus - Afthr The Armistice The Czar's Imperial train - Party on board - Journey to Tiflis Georgia and its capital-British Advanced Head quarters My duties and establishment - The Azerbaijan frontier - Tartar brigands-Conditions in Tiflis - The main chain of the Caucasus -The Georgian Road - Queen Tamara's summer palace - The Russo-Georgian frontier - Russian brigands-The Ingoush tribe - Orders to equip a train and go to Kars - Snowed up - Conditions at Kars-Escape from Kars-Report to Commander - in - Chief at Batoum-Further orders / 140-162
Chapter III Eastern Anatolia - Trebjzond And Erzeroum Orders - Appointment with Commander - in - Chief at Kars-Leave Tiflis-The Advent of "George "- The Rion Valley - Batoum again - Landing at Trebizond The Zigana Pass - The Kharshut Valley - The Vavok Pass - Baiburt-The Khop Pass Bivouac in snow-The Upper Euphrates -Erzeroum - The Kars Road - The Russo - Turkish frontier - The Saganli Mountains - Kars again - Return to Erzcroum - The fortress town - Kiazim Karabekir - Difliculties -"George" and the camel-Reinforcement reaches Trebizond / 163-183
Chapter IV The Russo-Turkish Frontier-Trouble Brewing Visit from General Beach-Interview, with Kiazim Karabekir Pasha - Plans for repair of railway -Our supplies looted. Start for Trebizond - Beautiful camp - Our rein for cements Hidden guns discovered - Return to Erzerourn "sick" - Our party augmented - Plans for removing armament - Arrival of Mustapha Kemal - Reports of trouble on frontier - Joined by Russian officers, also American naval officer and others Leave for the frontier - Railway blocked - Night journey on a trolley-Armenian Generals at Kars-Leave for the South Hussein, the Kurdish Mountain Chief -The race down the pass / 184-205
Chapter V The Russo - Turkish Frontier - Kurds And Armenians Cross the Aras - Reception at Khagizman - The town - The general situation-Omar Aga, the Kurdish brigand - Interview - We run out of petrol - Return to Zivin - Position in Olti District -Camp in the Olti Hills - Eyeeb Pasha - His troops - Moslem refugees - Robbers punishment -Machinegun practice - Kurdish national game - Kurds going into action - Our car attacked and corporal shot-Return again to Zivin / 206 - 224
Chapter VI The Turkish Armistice a Fiasco - Foundation of The Nation. List Party Arrangements for evacuation of Turkish armament-Rumours of Erzeroum Conference - s -Turks refuse consent - Proceed to Erzeroum - Cable Commander - in - Chief, Constant - Cable Tiflis re Armenian atrocities on Moslems - Meet Commission appointed to investigate - Taken prisoner by Kurds - The armament is stolen - Commander - in -Chief's cable order to evacuate my men from Turkey - Proceed to Erzeroum Interview with Kiazim and Mustapha Kemal - Result of Conference - The Nationalist Pact - Halt at Sarikamish Ordered to Constant-Tiflis and Batoum - An American destroyer - Report to Commander - in - Chief-Orders for home - Dinner at Therapia - The Turkish train - Roumania and Bucarest - Journey to Trieste, Paris, and London / 225-243
Part III In Kemalist Turkey (October, 1919, To November, 1922) With Introduction by Lieut - Gen. Sir Charles Harington, G.B.E., K.C.B., Etc., Commander-In-Chief, Alied Forces in the Near East
Chapter I London And Constantinople Interview with Sir Henry Wilson - Interview with Lord Curzon Reception of my reports-My instructions-Journey via Paris and Rome to Taranto-Embark on a hospital ship - Call at Salonika - Passage of the Dardanelles-Orders to fit out a new party at Constant-"A" mess -Organisation of my Mission - Their training - Adrian's Aqueduct - The Forest of Belgrade -General Sir Tom Bridges - General Sir Henry Wilson-Admiral Webb-Admiral de Robeck - Dinner on the Iron Duke - Fox - hunting - Golf - A fire - ship in the Bosphorus - Loading mules on the transport-Sail for Trebizond - Landing in Anatolia / 249-264
Chapter II Anatolia in Winter Trebizond in winter - Camp at Hamsikeui - The Zigana Pass - Our house at Gumush Khaneh -Visit of Greek Bishop - The Vavok Pass - Persian travellers - My men exhausted - Bivouac in the snow - Reach Baiburt - Start for the Khop - Our Turk mountaineers - Their Chief and their oxen - The climb Ankers good work - Bivouac on the summit - Christmas night - Sunrise amongst the peaks - Casualties on the road - Reach Erzeroum / 265-281
Chapter III Erzeroum in 1920 Our house - The Army Commander - His orphan military school - The climate - The food - The wolves - I send some of my party in sledges to the coast - Our arrest - Destroy my papers -Surrounded by a mob - Play chess-Turk preparation for a military offensive - Kiazim Pasha leaves for the front - He is succeeded by Kiazim Bey - Teach the men Morse signalling Make and plant a garden - Peace terms are announced - Our cars are taken-Our officer is withdrawn - Our guards steal our food-We become ill and weak-Our Irish driver joins the Turks - Our Christmas festivities-We receive a box from the Americans at Trebizond-We are removed to the prison / 282-305
Chapter IV The Prison Some reflections - Armenian prisoners - The building - The new Commander - Our fellow -prisoners - The Armenian officers - Salah-a-din - A letter - My answer - Outside assistance Another letter - The surprise - The search - Its result Deprived of all literature - Salah-a-din's kindness-His books - Rumours of exchange - Visit of Headquarters Staff Officer - Order for our march to the coast-Our preparations - Lieutenant Hairie - Our lack of resources - Obtain credit from the "job master" - Our departure - Ilija - "George's" lameness-The hovel at Pernikapan -The Khop - Baiburt Khadrak - Gumush Khan eh - Zigana Khan - The pass - Hamsikeui-Trebizond - Our good treatment there / 306-326
Chapter V Prison Again The Fort at Trebizond-Good treatment-We are told we are to return to prison-Our officer's offer to send a letter to Constant- My dispatch - Our departure - Americans at Gumush Khaneh -Erzeroum Prison again - Kindness of the officer commanding the prison-My accounts and precautions - We are searched for money - Prince Toumanoff and his family - My model house - My dictionary - Permission to sit in the prison yard - s - The Bulgarian officer - The letter in a cigarette - Sketch of ancient mosque - Moonlight music Visit from Nouri Pasha - Otlwr visits -Ordered to the coast - Fighting on the Khop - "George's" speech - Billet at Trebizond - Maman - Colonel Baird arrives - We are taken on board H.M.S. Somme / 327-353
Chapter VI Exchange and Home Turks return my papers and box - Arrangements for exchange-British expect to receive 140 prisoners - Three only are forthcoming besides ourselves - I board the cruiser-The High Commissioner cables authority to exchange - Constantinople once more - Colonel and Mrs. Gribbon's hospitality - Admiral Sir Reginald Tyrwhitt - His imitation - The Chief-Our interview -Dinner with Embassy Staff - Accumulated correspondence - The men arc entertained at the Embassy Luncheon with Sir Charles and Lady Harington - Chief's cable to War Office - Reasons for refusal to see reporters Sail for Malta in the Centaur - The Achi Baba position in the Gallipoli Peninsula - Full - speed trial of Centaur - Malta Lord and Lady Plumer's kindness-The Palace at Valetta The castle - Cable from General Harington - Dinner with Sir John de Robeck -The Somme takes us to Naples Entertain our liberators - "George's" railway tragedy Paris - "George" rejoins - Arrive in London - Recommendation of men-Sir Henry Wilson-Collapse -Medical board's recommendations - New regulations - Visit to South of France-His Majesty receives our party at Buckingham Palace-Interviews with Lord Curzon at Foreign Office - Demobilisation-Pensions / 354-377 |