CHAPTER IV
Before describing the events in which the Lahore Division, the first to arrive on the scene of action, took part, north of La Bassée, it is well to take a look at some of the Commanders and Staffs who left India for France, and to study the types of Indians which constituted the Army Corps.
The Chief Staff-Officer was Brigadier-General H. Hudson of the Indian Cavalry, son of General Sir John Hudson, who had commanded the Bombay Army years previously. An able soldier with much Staff experience, he later commanded a British Division, and then became Adjutant-General in India. He had served on my General Staff in India when I commanded the Northern Army, and was as good a friend as he was a Staff-Officer. He was promoted Major-General after Neuve Chapelle. Whatever his rank he was always known as “Huddy.”
Major J. R. Charles of the Royal Engineers had served on the General Staff and previously soldiered with me on Frontier Expeditions.
Major J. A. Longridge of the Indian Army later became a G.S.O.I. A splendid character, brave and modest, loyal to the core, and a perfect type of English gentleman, he was killed in the trenches in 1916.
The Chief of our Artillery was Brigadier-General F. Mercer. I seldom call men by anything but their surnames, but with Mercer somehow it was natural not to do so. He was always cheery and happiest on horseback, and such men are a useful asset in war. He afterwards went as Chief of Artillery to the First Army.
My Engineer Chief was Colonel H. C. Nanton of the Royal Engineers. As good an officer as you could find in that line, he was a worker whom nothing could tire, full of new ideas, never happier than when in a trench devising methods for saving the lives of our men, or arranging how best to destroy the Huns, and for choice in the trenches nearest to them. Day or night Nanton’s one object in life was to be hard at work doing his duty.
Colonel Treherne, our P.M.O., lived to save lives; he was one of the most conscientious men I know.
And so I could go on adding names of good comrades, men of the stamp of Colonel A. Peck, Major H. L. Tomkins, Assistant Military Secretary; Major W. L. Twiss of the Indian Army, and Major Barclay Vincent, 6th Inniskilling Dragoons; all since risen higher in rank and in the estimation of their Corps Commander of those days.
Some there were in high places “over there” who, when we first arrived, commiserated with me on the fact that we were a scratch lot on the Headquarters of the Corps; but one advantage I did possess and that was, that they were all men who knew the Indian soldier inside out. Camberley may turn out Napoleons, but it cannot provide them with the knowledge which is an absolute essential in dealing with Indian troops.
The commanders of the two Divisions belonged, one to the Indian and the other to the British Service. Lieut.-General H. B. Watkis of the Indian Army commanded the Lahore Division and was the first to arrive in France. Always an earnest student of his profession, on him fell the brunt of the German attack on Givenchy in December 1914. Watkis had a difficult task in those days, and that Sir John French singled him out as the only General among us all in the Indian Corps to be mentioned by name, in the body of his early despatches, was a high tribute.
Brigadier-General Cobbe, V.C., of the Indian Army was Chief Staff-Officer to Watkis; he had served with me in Ashanti in 1900, being severely wounded and earning a D.S.O., which he supplemented in later years with a Victoria Cross in Somaliland—a staunch friend, as modest as he is brave. He served later on the Corps Staff, and left us in 1915 to serve on the Staff of the 1st Corps, and later commanded an Army Corps in Mesopotamia as a Lieutenant-General.
Colonel G. Hodson was A.Q.M.G. of the Division. A hard-riding polo player and one of the cheeriest of soldiers, he died of wounds received in Gallipoli; another name inscribed on the Roll of Honour of that famous corps, the Guides, in which he had passed most of his life. The name of Hodson is known throughout India, since the days when the leader of Hodson’s Horse scoured the northern plains and leaving a landmark in Indian history before the walls of Humayun’s Tomb near Delhi, fell in the final triumph of Lucknow.
The Ferozepore Brigade of the Lahore Division was commanded by Brigadier-General R. M. Egerton, another of the Guides, another scion of a name known wherever the British flag floats in Hindustan. He served with his Brigade until it left for Mesopotamia, and there joined in the heavy fighting, receiving a K.C.B. and K.C.I.E.
Major-General P. M. Carnegy of the Indian Army commanded the Jalandar Brigade; son of another Indian General, he brought with him the tradition of a British family which had made that historic land its temporary home. His Brigade Major was Major Hugh Hill of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers; I met him a week before he was killed in the trenches in 1916, and the last words he said to me were: “Your son will do all right.” No one who knew him is likely to forget this gallant English gentleman.
The commander of the Sirhind Brigade was Major-General J. M. Brunker, Royal Artillery. He was detained in Egypt with his Brigade on the way to France, but joined in time to take part in the battle of Givenchy in December 1914.
The Divisional Artillery was commanded by Brigadier-General F. E. Johnson, one of those who act on the principle that “whatever thine hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might.”
I am not writing a despatch, but just jotting down the names of comrades who come to mind; men who took part in our daily lives, whose watchword was duty, and who will, I am sure, forgive me for recording their names here, for they were as true as they were modest.
The Meerut Division was commanded by Lieut.-General C. A. Anderson, late Royal Artillery. A typical Irishman and a fearless soldier, he understood the Indian character well. No better man than “Paddy” Anderson could have been selected for a Division. His chief amusement was to visit the trenches, and if you wanted to find him you could not do better than make for the front line closest to the Germans. I do not believe there was a single General in the Expeditionary Force who so often visited his men in the trenches. On one occasion I was looking over a map with him at his advanced Headquarters; a few shells were going over or dropping within an uncomfortable range, when one planted itself close alongside us; Anderson at that moment had his pencil on a particular spot on the map; without moving it he just looked up and said with a strong Irish accent, “Pip-Squeak” (small German shell), and went on with his remarks. It was his way, nothing disturbed him. At Givenchy, Neuve Chapelle, Festubert, and on the day of Loos, “Paddy” Anderson did splendidly; he succeeded me in command of the Indian Corps in September 1915, and shortly after orders were issued for the break up of the Corps and it moved to Egypt, Mesopotamia and East Africa. After the Indians left France, Anderson was given command of a British Army Corps on the Western Front.
To prove how little was known about us at G.H.Q.; during an important action Anderson was placed under the orders of a junior General of a British Division, and informed that the officer concerned had been given the temporary rank of Lieut.-General. But Anderson was already a Lieut.-General, which Headquarters had evidently been quite unaware of, for the order directed that “Major-General Anderson, etc., etc.” As four of the Army Corps were at this time commanded by Generals all junior to him, it was going a bit strong to reduce him still further. I think I am correct in saying that Anderson was the only Corps Commander of those days who was not given any French or foreign decoration, nor did he ever get one.
Anderson’s Chief Staff-Officer was Colonel C. W. Jacob of the Indian Army. A very thorough officer, who later commanded the Dehra Dun Brigade and the Meerut Division, and on the departure of the Indians from France was given a British Army Corps with the rank of Lieut.-General.
Brigadier-General H. D’U. Keary of the Indian Army led the Garhwal Brigade. A bold horseman and good sportsman who had often first passed the post, ridden down the wiry black buck, landed record fish in the upper waters of the Irriwaddy, and shot every kind of game, Keary impressed one by his quiet manner. He assumed command of the Lahore Division in January 1915, and at the second battle of Ypres gained the unstinted praise of General Sir Horace Smith-Dorrien, then in command of the Second Army. Keary took his Division to Mesopotamia, earned his K.C.B. and K.C.I.E., and characteristically refused command of a Division in India, preferring to serve on in the field with the men he had led in action. Later he was given the Meerut Division in India and transferred to the Burmah command.
Brigadier-General C. E. Johnson, Indian Army, was in command of the Dehra Dun Brigade, and later commanded a Brigade in India; and the last of the Indian Brigades, the Bareilly, had for its Chief, Major-General Forbes Macbean, formerly of the Gordon Highlanders, who had served in Kabul, Tirah (where he was severely wounded), and South Africa.
The Artillery of the Division was in the competent hands of Brigadier-General A. B. Scott. He had served in South Africa, and later received his promotion to Major-General and command of a Division.
Lieut.-Colonels P. Twining and C. Coffin were the heads of the engineering branches of the two Divisions, and those who knew them felt safe in their hands.
The Field Brigades of Artillery were commanded by Colonels L. G. F. Gordon, Ouseley, and Maxwell in the Lahore, and L. A. Gordon, Potts, and Tyler in the Meerut Division.
Lieut.-General Sir Locke-Elliott, who had retired from the Indian Army after holding the appointment of Inspector-General of Cavalry, was at first attached to the Army Corps as Technical Adviser, and later on for all Indian troops in France. Locke-Elliott’s name as a horseman was a household word in India.
Major the Right Hon. F. E. Smith, K.C., M.P., now Lord Birkenhead, joined us at Marseilles as Recording Officer to the Corps, and remained with us till after the battle of Neuve Chapelle. He was a keen observer and a brilliant writer. Had he been given a free hand, the story of our doings would have reached India from time to time, and whilst letting that country know something of the work of its soldiers, would at the same time have stimulated recruiting and cheered the populace; but those were the days of reticence; nothing could be told; the cinematograph and the Press were kept on a leash, and “F. E.,” as he is popularly known, was severely handicapped. All that could get past G.H.Q. was sent on, whilst he and I were continuously being goaded by all those who cared to send something more exciting than a bare statement of facts. However, he kept an interesting record and one which has since been turned to good use in compiling the history of the Corps. He had as assistant Major St. G. Steele of the Indian Army, and with him also Captain the Hon. Neil Primrose, a capital companion in the field. “F. E.” is a keen soldier at heart. He had no opportunities of doing anything but his own job, but to do that he never failed to accompany me on all kinds of missions. On one of these occasions, when he accompanied me in the trenches, his stature was very nearly the cause of some other than he filling the place of Attorney-General in the Government; and rather in the spirit of a schoolboy he was very often away in places where business did not carry him; one day his horse was shot under him, but he turned up unhurt, and was always in the highest spirits. He was held in high esteem by Lord Kitchener, who frequently consulted him on important questions.
And last, but not least, were my two A.D.C.’s, Captain A. P. Y. Langhorne, R.A., and my only son, Lieut. J. L. Willcocks, the Black Watch. The boy has served throughout the war, winning a D.S.O. and M.C. Langhorne had served with me for years on the Indian Frontier, earning a D.S.O. in 1908. A sterling soldier and a loyal friend, he is now a Lieut.-Colonel, and has added a Military Cross to his D.S.O.
On the departure of Sir Frederick Smith to become Attorney-General, I was given Lieut.-Colonel J. W. B. Merewether of the Indian Army as Record Officer, and he remained with the Corps till it left France. He was an old regimental comrade and a man full of energy and wit: a clever writer and a very entertaining companion; his presence at our Headquarters was much appreciated. He was constantly with me when I visited billets, trenches, etc., and he acquired a very detailed knowledge of all that went on in the Corps. He devoted his whole time to visiting officers and men of every unit and collecting all the information he could gain. The results have been embodied in the book, The Indian Corps in France, compiled by him and Sir Frederick Smith, dedicated to His Majesty the King-Emperor, and published under the authority of His Majesty’s Secretary of State for India in Council. Particular care has been taken to bring to light the individual actions of officers and men throughout the time the Army Corps was in France. He deserves well of the India Office and the Indian Army in general. After the Corps left France Merewether was given the C.I.E.
It is interesting to analyse the different types of races of which the Indian Army Corps was composed. The Christian, the Mahomedan, and the Hindu were ranged in the service of the King who ruled the greatest Empire known to history; this in itself is a remarkable fact, but far more remarkable was the reason; it was this, that they all felt in their hearts that the cause was just, and in feeling it knew they were fighting for the right. Had it been otherwise it could never have been achieved.
England was represented by the 2nd Battalion of the Leicesters and 1st Manchesters, both regiments which could not be surpassed in the field. Ireland furnished the Connaught Rangers, like all Irish corps specially dear to me. Scotland sent us three battalions, the 1st Seaforths, 1st Highland Light Infantry, and 2nd Black Watch, fine specimens of that fighting race. It is sufficient testimony to them all to say, that they not only formed the backbone of the Army Corps, but their example in the dreary trenches, and in the battle, served as a beacon which guided their Indian comrades.
Of the Indians who served with me in France, the Gurkhas were the first in the permanent trenches to bear the shock of a German attack. They laboured under great disadvantages in taking over trenches too deep for their stature, and that at a time when rain and slush made it impossible to remedy the defect. They took time to accustom themselves to the uncanny conditions, but the soldier from Nepal has a big heart in a small body; he has the dogged characteristic of the Britisher; he will return if he can to a trench from which he has been driven, and it will not be so easy to turn him out a second time. After the first shocks they pulled themselves together. Taciturn by nature, brave and loyal to a degree, the Gurkhas ended, as I knew they would do, second to none.
The Dogras are quiet, steady, clean soldiers, of refined appearance. A Dogra battalion always turns out smartly, and this was noticeable even in the mud-laden swamps of Flanders. They felt the first bitter cold of November 1914 more than any other class, but they faced it bravely and rendered great service.
The Sikhs are a fighting race, the Khalsa or chosen people as they style themselves. Of all Indian soldiers I know the Sikh the best and have served with him in every imaginable condition. He does not so readily imbibe discipline as many of the other classes in the Army. He has grievances born of his own imagination, and can be troublesome when it is most inconvenient for him to be so, but he is a fine manly soldier, will share your trials with genuine good humour, and can always save something in cash out of nothing. In France some of the first fighting by Indians was done by Sikhs, as I shall relate. My own motto with Sikhs is to give them all they deserve, and we owe them much, but not to spoil and pamper them.
The Jats are strapping big men as a rule, slow in movement and decision, with some of the characteristics of the Sikhs (with whom they are closely connected). They always impressed me as stubborn fighters; not brilliant, but very reliable. They did good work in France.
The Pathans have quicker wits than the other races. They can see the light side of things. They do not always answer to a call as readily as some of their comrades, but are possessed of an innate chivalry which, although it makes them quickly resent whatever may be opposed to their own ideas of honour, does not prevent them from behaving like good soldiers when appealed to. Their élan is their chief asset.
The Punjabi Mahomedan did well all round during the war. He proved himself a reliable soldier. The mistake made in some cases in India was to enlist men who had no claim to join the Army. There is a line of demarcation which is well understood by those who enlist this class, but was frequently glossed over in order to get recruits. Careful selection is an essential if units are not to be handicapped in war.
The Garhwalis as a distinct type were being tested for the first time in Class Corps. The 1st and 2nd Battalions of the 39th Garhwal Rifles did splendidly on every occasion in which they were engaged. In fact they surprised us all; not that we did not expect them to do well, but they suddenly sprang into the very front rank of our best fighting men. At Festubert in 1914, and at Neuve Chapelle, nothing could have been better than their élan and discipline, and they at once established a reputation which will live in India.
After a long experience of the Indian Army, I do not think that what are called Class Regiments (i.e. composed of men all of one race) are the best, or in many cases even desirable. With the exception of Gurkhas, Mazbi Sikhs, and Garhwalis, I think the other races of Northern India are at their best in war when formed in half battalions or companies and mixed with other classes. In the case of Gurkhas I only know one example of their being mixed with other races, and that was a company of the Guides. Their case, however, stands on a different footing, as it was a Corps which was stationary in ordinary times of peace, having its Headquarters at Mardan on the North-West Frontier, and besides the Guides were an exceedingly very fine corps. I would advocate an exception to the above statement, and that is, in the case of some of the battalions, the Class system might, in recognition of their distinguished services during the war, be given a further trial. The reasons for what I advocate are complex, but the truth is to my thinking undeniable. Perhaps I shall be met with the statement that this has been disproved by the Class Regiment system in this war. I do not agree, on the contrary in my opinion it has been proved, and I have seen much proof of it.
The different races have their own characteristics; by mixing them you get a combination of élan, stubbornness, and endurance; you make it easier to maintain one form of discipline for all classes; and while giving full play to each religion and its prejudices, you eliminate the narrow-mindedness that springs of clannishness in Eastern peoples. Moreover the mixed battalion system makes it easier to introduce gradually the lingua franca of India throughout a Corps, so that the loss of British officers will not mean an absence of Europeans who can talk the language of their men. This is in any case a difficult matter under any system, but with Class Corps it is a quandary.
What then is the remedy with Gurkhas who speak a language absolutely their own? In this case we can do our best to make Hindustani understood as far as it can be, and for the rest, to encourage in every way a knowledge of their language amongst British officers of the Indian Army who can be persuaded to learn it. The Indian Army without these fine fighters would be like a twinscrew steamer minus one screw. Means can be found to keep the ship in trim.
I have endeavoured to give some general impressions, formed in a long life of soldiering and also during the year I commanded the Indian Corps in the war, of my associates of all ranks. Many names, both British and Indian, will appear in this narrative, and some of them I hope may come across this loyal tribute from one who bears them in happy and honoured memory.
To the friends of those who have passed away no words of mine can adequately express the admiration I feel for the brave comrades I am writing of. They have left behind them imperishable memories, which are a precious inheritance.