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Adventures in the Near East - by LtCol Rawlinson
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An extraordinary tale of adventure in the sideshow of the Midlle East
(Mesopotamia, Trans-Caucasia, Persia, Armenia, Turkey etc.
ADVENTURES IN THE NEAR EAST 1918-1922
by
A. RAWLINSON, C.M.G., C.B.E., D.S.O.
LATE LT.-COL. R.G.A., AND COMMANDER R.N.V.R.
IN THREE PARTS
With Introductions by
MAJOR-GENERAL
L. C, DUNSTERVILLE, C.B., C.S.I.
FIELD-MARSHAL SIR G. MILNE, G.C.M.G.
GENERAL SIR CHARLES HARINGTON, G.B.E., K.C.B., D.S.O.
General Introduction by
ADMIRAL SIR PERCY SCOTT, BART. K.C.B., K.C.V.O., LL.D.
JONATHAN GAPE 30 BEDFORD SQUARE, CONDON
CONTENTS
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
PART I THE 'HUSH-HUSH' ARMY
(May to November 1918)
WITH INTRODUCTION BY MAJOR-GENERAL L. C. DUNSTERVILLE, C.B., C.S.L, GENERAL
OFFICER COMMANDING DUNSTERFORCE, 1918
CHAPTER I
EASTWARD BOUND TO THE TIGRIS
The War Office - The fast convoy - Submarine attack - Alexandria - The
Australian Cavalry - Suez - The Red Sea - Aden - Captain Cockman Muscat - -
The Straits of Ormuz - The mouth of the Euphrates
CHAPTER II
MESOPOTAMIA, THE LAND OF THE RIVERS
The great Euphrates River - German obstruction of navigation - Bussrah - The
port and its growth - 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 moun- tains 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 Baghdad -
Army Boxing Final - Departure by Decauviell Railway
CHAPTER III
PERSIA: THE ROAD AND THE FAMINE
Railhead camp at Ruz - The Foot-hills - Entry to the mountains - The Tek-i-Gehri
Pass, Ascent of - Dinner on edge of precipice - The upland country - Brigand-
infested, country round Kirmanshah - Camp at Kirmanshah - The convoy - Modern
lorries and ancient bridges - Bivouac in the open - The Asadabad Pass Hamadan
Famine horrors Relief work Persian gun-fireBiblical scenes The site of
the Book of Esther - Ancient Ecbatana of Herodotus, Alexander the Great, Ruth,
and Boaz to-day - Road to Kasvin - G.H.Q. Hush-Hush Army - Billet - Ordered to
relieve Armenians surrounded 300 miles west - Build armoured car - Jungalis -
Battle of Menjil - Ordered to command convoy to force the passes to Caspian Sea
CONTENTS CHAPTER IV
THE CASPIAN SEA - ADVANCE TO, RELIEF OF, AND SIEGE OF BAKU
The convoy - The upper pass - Through the Jungalis in the lower pass - The sea
at last - Kazian, the end of the road-An oil tank as a transport - Bad weather -
Baku Harbour - The city - Preceding events - Services lent to Caspian - The
arsenals, armament, and ammunition - The Armenians - Project to cut Republic -
The Government appoint me Controller of Ordnance Difficulties Turk
communications - Constant attacks - Decide to withdraw - Government refuses to
consent - Prospects of capture - Plan to blow up ammunition - Turks hesitate -
Resistance continued I acquire a German flat The end approaches
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 - A quick and lucky shot - The Commissaire - His
treatment - 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
CHAPTER VI
HOMEWARD BOUND - THE ARMISTICE
The cargo of the Armenian - Kasvin - Journey to Baghdad - The order of the day -
Journey to Bussrah - To Suez - To Taranto - Paris on Armistice Day - Fourth Army
Headquarters - London
PART II INTELLIGENCE IN TRANSCAUCASIA
(February to August 1919) WITH INTRODUCTION BY FIELD-MARSHAL SIR G. MILNE,
G.G.M.G.,
ETC., COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ARMY OF BLACK SEA
CHAPTER I 'EAST AGAIN - SALONIKA, CONSTANT, AND BATOUM
Ratioing at home Meet Sir G Milne -Appointed Special Service 'Intelligence'
Officer to GHQ Constantinople 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 Adrians Roman Wall Carnival in Pera Down
the Bosphorus Varna Samsun A mine at sea - Batoum
CONTENTS CHAPTER II
THE CAUCASUS - AFTER THE ARMISTICE
The Czar's Imperial train - Journey to Tiflis - Georgia and its capital -
British Advanced Headquarters - My duties and establishment - The Azerbaijan
frontier 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
CHAPTER III
EASTERN ANATOLIA - TREBIZOND 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-The Khop Pass Bivouac in snow The
Upper Euphrates Erzeroum - The Kars Road - The Russo-Turkish frontier - The
Saganli Mountains - Kars again - Return to Erzeroum - The fortress town - Kiazim
Karabekir - Difficulties - 'George' and the camel - Reinforcement reaches
Trebizond I37-^5i
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 reinforcements - Return to Erzeroum 'sick - Our party augmented - Plans for
removing armament - Arrival of Mustapha Kemal - Reports of trouble on frontier
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
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 - Return to Zivin - Position in Olti
District - Camp in the Olti Hills - Eyeeb Pasha - Moslem refugees - Robbers'
punishment Machine-gun practice - Kurds going into action Our car attacked
and corporal shot - Return again to Zivin
CHAPTER VI
THE TURKISH ARMISTICE A FIASCO - FOUNDATION OF THE NATIONALIST PARTY
Arrangements for evacuation of Turkish armament - Rumours of Erzeroum Conference
- 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 arma- ment is stolen -
Commander-in-Chief s cable order to evacuate my men from Turkey - Proceed to
Erzeroum - Interview with Kiazim and Mustapha Kemal - Re£Sof Conference -The
Nationalist Pact-Halt at Sankamish - Ordered to Constant-Tiflis and Batoum - An
American destroyer - Report to Comman- der-in Chief - Orders for home-Dinner at
Therapia - The Turkish tram- Roumania and Bucarest - Journey to Trieste, Paris,
and London
PART III
IN KEMALIST TURKEY (October, 1919, to November, 1922)
WITH INTRODUCTION BY GENERAL SIR CHARLES HARINGTON,
G.B.E., K.G.B., ETC., COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, ALLIED 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 - Passage of the Dardanelles - Orders to fit out a new party at
Constant - 'A' mess - Organization of my Mission - Their training - Admiral de
Robeck - Dinner on the Iron Duke - Fox-hunting - Golf - A fire-ship in the
Bosphorus - Sail for Trebizond
CHAPTER II
ANATOLIA IN WINTER
Trebizond in winter - Camp at Hamsikeui - The Zigana Pass - Our house at Gumush
Khaneh - The Vavok Pass - My men exhausted - Bivouac in the snow - Reach Baiburt
- Start for the Khop - Our Turk mountaineers - Their Chief and their oxen The
climb Bivouac on the summit Christmas night Sunrise amongst the peaks -
Casualties on the road - Reach Erzeroum 209-2 1 9
CHAPTER III
ERZEROUM IN 1920
Our House - The Army Commander - His orphan military school - The climate - The
food - The wolves - 1 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 are removed to the prison.
CONTENTS CHAPTER IV
THE PRISON
Some reflections - Armenian prisoners - The building - The new Commander - 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 - Visit
of Headquarters Staff Officer - Order for our march to the coast - Our
preparations - Lieutenant Hairie - Our lack of resources - Obtain credit from
the 'jobmaster - Our departure - Ilija - 'George's' lameness - The hovel at
Pernikapan - The Khop - Trebizond - Our good treatment there
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
- My dictionary - Permission to sit in the prison yard - The Bulgarian officer -
The letter in a cigarette - Moonlight music - Visit from Nouri Pasha - Ordered
to the coast - Billet at Trebizond - Maman - Colonel Baird arrives - We are
taken on board H.M.S. Somme
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 Con-
stantinople once more Colonel and Mrs. Gribbon's hospitality - Admiral Sir
Reginald Tyrwhitt - His invitation - The Chief - Our interview - Dinner with
Embassy Staff-Accumulated correspondence - The men are 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 Cen-
taur- 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 - His Majesty receives our party at Buckingham Palace
GENERAL INTRODUCTION
By ADMIRAL SIR PERCY SCOTT, BART., K.C.B., K.C.V.O., LL.D.
I FIRST met the author of this book at the Admiralty early in 1915. I had then
just been given the task of defending London against attacks from the air, and
Mr. (now Lord) Balfour in- formed me that, while presenting me with this
appointment, he could not give me the means necessary to protect London. It did
not sound a very nice job, but in war-time one has to take anything.
Although I had never met Toby Rawlinson before, I was acquainted with part of
his career. I knew that he had been in the lyth Lancers and had played polo for
England on many occasions, and that he gave up a soldier's life to let his
mechanical knowledge make a fortune for him in the early days of motor-car
racing.
This exciting amusement did not appear to offer Rawlinson sufficient chances to
break his neck; flying was more dangerous, so he took to that new pastime, and
his International Pilot's Certificate was the third one issued. He represented
the British Aero Club at the earliest International meetings on the Continent,
and he and Rolls were considered the most daring of fliers; they both crashed at
the International races at Bournemouth in July, 1910. Rolls was killed, but
Rawlinson recovered. He then went back into business, but gave it up on the
outbreak of war, and in August, 1914, put himself, his motor car, and his
machine- guns at the disposal of General Headquarters in France as a volunteer.
From that time the tale of his adventures, until I had the pleasure of meeting
him, would fill a big book. Eventually he got blown up, and ought to have been
killed, but he was not.
Knowing much about the character and ability of Toby Rawlinson, and as I had got
a job of building bricks without straw, I thought that he was the man to help
me, so I took him into the Anti-Aircraft Defence, and the inhabitants of London
owe him a debt of gratitude for his assistance in the defence of their city
against attacks from the air. For my own part, I can truly say that I could not
have had a more charming officer to deal with the more difficult the job I gave
him.
Colonel Rawlinson remained in the Anti-Aircraft Service until a more important
and more dangerous work was found for him. The ability with which he carried out
this work was signified when from a volunteer driver he eventually became a
Lieut.- Colonel and was awarded the C.M.G., the C.B.E., and the D.S.O., being
also four times mentioned in dispatches from the front.
His book tells the story of his adventures in the Near East in a singularly
attractive form; his account of capturing a Bol- shevik ship and piloting her
out of Baku Harbour under very difficult circumstances will astonish many
sailors. Four men against ninety-six enemy, with the only alternative of blowing
up himself, his four men, the ninety-six enemy, and the ship, with dynamite, is
a position that not many would enjoy; but it appeared to suit Rawlinson's
constitution, for he remarks that after thirty- six hours of it he enjoyed a
very good dinner.
There is, however, a very sad side to his story, which, I am afraid, will very
much distress many men and women of this country. Colonel Rawlinson put his
uniform on in 1914, and did not take if off until March, 1923. He was cast into
a Turkish prison for twenty months, and all but starved to death, as a
consequence of which his health is impaired for life. He was also stripped of
all he possessed by the Turks, including his two machine-guns which cost him
over £500 in 1914, and which had done such valuable service all through the war.
His grateful country, however, is now paying him 57pounds. 8 shillings for a limited number of months
only, and he has been refused any kind of compensation either for his
imprisonment or for the loss of his property.
It appears to me incredible that in a civilized country this should be
considered as an adequate recognition of such good and brave active service for
over seven years, and if such is the treatment laid down by the military
regulations for men who have readily given all they had to give for the service
of their country, I feel convinced the British public will not rest satisfied
until the regulations are altered and adequate compensation
AUTHOR'S PREFACE
FOR some time past many friends have been at some pains to impress upon me that,
having had so many adventures in so many queer places, and having now come out
of them alive and, if a bit knocked about, yet 'still kicking, I ought to write
down some account of my experiences, as they might prove of interest to many
people who have had no knowledge of the kind of life which it has for the last
few years been my lot to lead.
I therefore start by relating here that portion of my adventures which took
place subsequent to the spring of 1918, when I went East once more after many
years in other parts of the world.
Knowing nothing of how such a story ought to be written, I hope my readers will
bear with my inexperience of 'writing', in consideration of the variety of
experiences of other kinds which this book endeavours to put before them.
Political questions have been avoided wherever possible, and only introduced
where some knowledge of the actual conditions obtaining at the time becomes
necessary to enable the reader to appreciate the incidents related.
I am anxious to express my very grateful thanks to my late Commanders,
Major-General Dunsterville, Field-Marshal Sir George Milne, and General Sir
Charles Harington, for their uniform kindness to me at all times, and
particularly for the great honour they have done me in contributing the
introductions to the various parts of this book, of which they have each such
special knowledge, and I am more than satisfied if, when serving under them, I
have been able to carry out their orders in a manner which has met with their
approval.
My thanks are doubly due to my old friend and chief, Admiral Sir Percy Scott,
both for his general introduction to this book and for his great kindness to me
on many other occasions.
A. RAWLINSON
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