Showing 1360 results

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, General Officer Commanding British Forces in Italy, on the military situation on the Italian Front, notably the takeover of the Montello section of the front line by British troops. 2pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Herbert Charles Onslow Plumer, General Officer Commanding, British Forces in Italy, outlining the situation in Italy following the Battle of Caporetto and the transfer of eleven Allied divisions to the Italian Front, notably reports of the fighting in the forward zone on the Piave line; the plan of the French and British to move their troops forward into the area around Vicenza, and from there to take over the Northern zone from Italian control; a meeting with French Gen Ferdinand Foch, French Army Chief of Staff, to arrange concerted action if the Italians break; the strength of the French divisions, and their artillery. 4pp.

Letter to Robertson from temporary Gen Sir Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 2nd Bt, General Officer Commanding, 4 Army, British Armies in France, notably on the progress of five new divisions in 4 Army, including details of the training of officers at various schools behind the lines, and the replacement of several commanders. 4pp.

Letter to Robertson from temporary Gen Sir Henry Seymour Rawlinson, 2nd Bt, General Officer Commanding, 4 Army, British Armies in France, giving a brief description of the performance of the British troops in the successful Battle of Bazentin Ridge, 14 Jul, on the Western Front. 2pp.

Letter to Robertson from temporary Gen Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, British Military Representative at the Supreme War Council, Versailles, requesting further information as to British units on the Western Front, in order to counter French arguments regarding the extension of the British front in France and Belgium. 3pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Henry Hughes Wilson, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, notably on the reduction of the BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) from ten to six divisions following ratification of the Versailles Treaty; plans for the future of senior officers of the BAOR (British Army of the Rhine). 2pp.

Letter to Robertson from temporary Gen Sir Henry Sinclair Horne, General Officer Commanding, 1 Army, British Armies in France, sympathising with Robertson's eye infection. 3pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund (George) Barrow, Military Secretary to the India Office, on the possible despatch to India of two British divisions now in Egypt, and doubts in the India Office as to the wisdom of an offensive campaign on the North-West Frontier; requesting the provision of guns and ammunition to the Idrisi on the Red Sea Coast. Including copies of telegrams between Robertson, Gen Sir Beauchamp Duff, Commander in Chief in India, Charles Hardinge, 1st Baron Hardinge of Penshurst, Viceroy of India, and the Rt Hon (Joseph) Austen Chamberlain, Secretary of State for India, concerning the proposed Indian Army offensive on the North-West Frontier against Afghanistan. 7pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on the preparation for, and progress of the offensive on the Palestine Front (3rd Battle of Gaza), notably the attack on, and capture of, Beersheba, 31 Oct, and a successful attack by 54 Div and part of 52 Div, on the outer defences of Gaza; the difficulties which could be caused on the Palestine Front by recent Allied defeats at Caporetto in Italy. 3pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on operations in Palestine, notably emphasising the need for the requested reinforcements of men, aeroplanes and heavy artillery; a report by Capt Thomas Edward Lawrence, Official British Advisor to Faisal Ibn Hussein, on the harassment, by the Northern Arab Army, of Turkish communications; intelligence reports of Turko-German activity in the Italian zone of Tripoli. 2pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on operations in Palestine, notably describing the pursuit of Turko-German troops towards Jerusalem, especially fighting near the Jerusalem-Nablus road; outlining his plans, once reinforcements have been brought up, for an attack to the north of Jerusalem to gain the Jerusalem-Nablus road and Bire; details of supplies, weather, health and manpower needs. 8pp.

Two copies of a letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on the progress of the offensive in Palestine (Third Battle of Gaza), notably the attack on, and capture of, Beersheba, 31 Oct, and a successful attack by 54 Div and part of 52 Div, on the outer defences of Gaza. 10pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, notably on the arrival of Brevet Lt Col Archibald Percival Wavell, Liaison Officer between Robertson and Allenby; his ongoing policy to make the Turks believe the main Allied attack in Palestine will be upon Gaza; his desire to appoint temporary Brig Gen Guy Payan Dawnay as sub-Chief of General Staff to the Egyptian Expeditionary Force; the appointment of a Commission to work out labour and manpower problems in Egypt. 2pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on the clarity of the War Cabinet's instructions [concerning operations in Palestine]. 1p.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on operations in Palestine, notably describing the condition of the railways and roads around Jerusalem; his establishment of a good defensive line between the area north-east of Jerusalem and the sea north of Jaffa, and his intention to consolidate that position and develop effective communications; a brief description of his future plans to push north to Jordan and south against the Hedjaz railway; the movements of the Turkish Army and the small likelihood of its launching an offensive; his views on the practicability of establishing foreign administrators in Palestine until the military situation is stabilised; problems of the occupation of Jerusalem, not least the difficulties of supply and the danger of rain leading to starvation, the character and behaviour of Georges Picot, and his request to assume the rights and dignities enjoyed by the French Representative in Jerusalem before the war, and the danger of religious riots in the city. 8pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, expressing regret at Robertson's departure from the War Office and the post of Chief of the Imperial General Staff; a visit of Lt Gen the Rt Hon Jan Christian Smuts, South African Representative on the British War Cabinet, to Palestine and Egypt to discuss operations there; recent operations in Palestine, notably a push into the Jordan Valley and the capture of Jericho, and a proposed plan to link up with the Arabs at the Hedjaz railway; a meeting with Capt Thomas Edward Lawrence (T E Lawrence), Official British Advisor to Faisal Ibn Hussein, concerning British cooperation with the Arabs. 4pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, notably outlining his plans for an attack on the Turkish defences at Gaza, Palestine, in Sep, giving details of an extension of the railway lines to provide ammunition and supplies, methods of ensuring water supply to the troops, and the organisation by Capt Thomas Edward Lawrence, Official British Advisor to Feisal Ibn Hussein, of a large scale Northern Arab Army attack towards the Dead Sea. 6pp.

Two copies of a letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, mainly regarding the visit to Constantinople of Kaiser Wilhelm II of Germany and the possible motives for it, including a boost to the morale of the Turkish troops, and an attempt to undermine the liaison between the British and Arabs. 7pp.

Letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, notably requesting Capt Richard Granville Hylton Howard-Vyse as Brig Gen, General Staff, of the Mounted Corps; asking Robertson to reconsider his refusal to allow the formation of an Australian Light Horse Bde; questioning the practicality of Lt Gen Sir William Riddell Birdwood, General Officer Commanding, 1 ANZAC (Australian and New Zealand Army Corps), British Armies in France, retaining control over the Australian Expeditionary Forces; the move of two garrison battalions from the Egypt Delta onto the Palestine Line of Communications; the need for Capt Thomas Edward Lawrence, Official British Advisor to Faisal Ibn Hussein, and the Northern Arab Army to be prepared to advance by Sep; a request for the sanctioning of the doubling of the railway line as far as Rafa. 3pp.

Two copies of a letter to Robertson from Gen Sir Edmund Henry Hynman Allenby, General Officer Commanding in Chief, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, on the death of Egyptian Sultan Hussein Kamel and the accession of Ahmad Fuad; the progress of Allenby's preparations for an attack on the Turkish defences at Gaza, Palestine; the insistence of the French Attaché that a French officer should accompany Capt Thomas Edward Lawrence in his dealing with the Arabs of the Hedjaz, and Allenby's refusal. 10pp.