“I haven’t got the gong yet, owing, I suppose, to Gen. Maude’s death, but they’ve made as much fuss over it as if we were—millions of V.C.’s. I’ve shaken hands with two Generals, and been in about half a dozen parades till I’m fairly fed up, and nearly said, ‘Keep the old gong and let’s have a bit of peace.’
“Well, I’ll think about drying up now. Am in the pink and quite fit; hope you are all the same, and that you, dear mother, are carrying on.”
| BAGHDAD CEMETERY |
| CAPT. F. NORMAN PAYNE’S GRAVE IN BAGHDAD CEMETERY |
Extract of letter from Colonel Richardson, dated 7th Cavalry Brigade, M.E.F., 15th November 1917.
”... We have just got back into camp for a short rest to re-equip, reclothe, and rehorse after two months of continuous trekking—we estimate that we have covered at least 500 miles since September 22nd—which culminated in a big battle on the 5th of this month, in which the Regiment again charged Turkish trenches, and two of the squadrons did very brilliant work.
“I have to report with great regret the death yesterday in Baghdad from cholera of Captain Payne, who last winter, you may remember, was in Billy’s squadron, and whose letters to his wife were of great interest.”
CHAPTER XIX.
WINTER OF 1917-18.
After the lamented death of General Maude the command of the British army in Mesopotamia devolved upon Lieut.-General Sir W. R. Marshall, K.C.B., K.C.S.I., who had been one of the two corps commanders during the advance on Baghdad.
In a despatch giving an account of the operations of the force during the winter which followed General Maude’s death, General Marshall explains in a few words the situation with which he had to deal when he took over charge. After paying a warm tribute to the work and character of his dead Chief, he writes: “When, therefore, I had the honour of being appointed as his successor, the moral of the army was magnificent, while organisation and training had reached a high level of efficiency. The Turkish army, on the contrary, was low in moral, and desertions from it were numerous and frequent; on the Tigris and Euphrates they had retreated out of rapid striking distance, and only on our right flank was there a good opportunity of hitting them.”