CHAPTER 31
‘How long you been back from Trans-Caspia - one week?’ Barber barked at Fernee then without looking up from a paper he was writing, ‘Sit down.’
‘About,’ Fernee’s mouth opened.
Barber interrupted, ‘that's not important. I want you to go back immediately first to Ashkhabad and then to Baku. The situation I believe, and India agrees, has both worsened and got more confused since you were there. The Turkish threat to Bolshevik Baku appears to be increasing. Bolshevik revolutionaries still hold power in Tashkent. However it seems that our anti-Bolshevik friends govern the area from Merv in the east to Krasnovodsk in the west and control all the main railway stations between those towns.’
‘Sounds like these Bolos may be in retreat, sir.’
‘I hope so. Now go to Ashkhabad and find out the all you can about its government. See whether the funds we gave General Blavatsky will be used wisely. Any news on his return there?’
‘He’s still resting but he told me that he will return soon, probably leaving next week.’ Fernee tried to sound positive.
‘Let us hope. You send your report to me post haste from Ashkhabad. Then Captain Fernee, you will proceed to Baku and learn whether the Bolos and the Armenians are going to hold out against the Turks. General Muncerville meanwhile is continuing to try and get to Baku from Northwest Persia. The general is still being stymied by this Persian tribe the Jangalis and by the Baku government – see when he is going to sort everything out.’
‘What exactly is General Muncerville to do when he gets to Baku, sir?’
‘He hasn’t got either a sufficient number of troops, or soldiers of the right type, to fight the Turks or the Germans. Therefore the general’s job is to train and support the locals, including both Bolos and Armenians, to or in, their fight against the Turks and, or, the Germans.’
‘We might train Bolos?’
‘Well most of the Baku Bolos are Christian Armenians and their opponents are Muslims, surely I don’t have to spell out what that means?’ Barber looked at Fernee.
‘No, sir,’ Fernee said glancing at Statham who sat motionless - the poor man never got to say much. He was probably going to get the blame if Blavatsky did not leave Meshed soon.
‘General Muncerville is the responsibility of General Dexter based in Baghdad; he is not my responsibility. I do not want to rely on General Dexter, the War Office or even the Foreign Office for information. You will report full, accurate and reliable information. What you find out and tell me will affect decisions that I have to make here. Do not let anything prevent you from doing what I have told you. Here are your orders carry them out faithfully and to the letter.’
Barber nodded at Statham who passed over an envelope. Fernee opened the envelope and took out a piece of paper. The orders were brief so clearly they were the work of Statham he mused as he read:
1: Determine whether the Ashkhabad government will be able to hold the railway line from their town to Merv, in Eastern Turkestan, against the attacks that can be expected from the Bolsheviks based in Tashkent.
2: Find out on what has happened to all the cotton stocks since your previous visit.
3: Persuade the authorities in Baku to accept the offer of British military help against the Turks. This help will be available in the shape of General Muncerville and his British troops who currently are waiting just across the Russo-Persian border. It is to be hoped that General Muncerville will be in Baku before you. If he is not then action 4 below
4: Obtain a large-scale map of Baku Harbour to
a) Aid General Muncerville’s Muncerforce arrival by ship from Persia;
b) Plan the mining of the harbour if Muncerforce fails to get to Baku before the Turks.
Fernee was pleased to see that his idea of mining Baku harbour had been accepted though no doubt if it had to happen and was successful in stopping the Turks crossing the Caspian he’d get no recognition. ‘There is one thing sir, Captain Mawle. London had sent him to blow up an important bridge,’ Fernee wanted to add not code and decode verbose telegrams by a pompous windbag of a general. Mawle had made Fernee promise he would request Mawle’s presence on the new mission.
‘You are not going to give me a diatribe about Mawle and his bridge, are you Fernee? Because you reported that it did not exist. Colonel Statham checked it in our Military Files and he says that it doesn’t exist. Whoever sent him on this wild goose chase to blow up a non-existent object should be shot. Ah, I see. You just want to take him with you for company, don’t you?’
‘Of course not, sir, but he could be useful if we have to mine the harbour.’
‘Well he’s a waste of time as a cryptographer so you can take him along as your no 2. As for mining the harbour how would he do that? You will not be able to take explosives with you.’
Fernee sat in silence debating the point and was saved by Statham. ‘There are numerous oil wells in the area so there will be explosives around those. We know an Armenian army is opposing the Turks so maybe they will have explosives they could give Mawle.’
Fernee decided not to inform either of the senior officers facing him of Mawle’s lack of explosives experience. ‘Sounds like a good idea, colonel.’
‘Man might be of use after all. That leaves us one other thing. Where is the confounded man? Find out where he is, Colonel Statham will you?’
Statham knew better than pull a face so he got up and traipsed wearily to the door stuck his head out and asked the sergeant sitting at a desk something that Fernee could not hear. Statham then withdrew his head and closed the door turned and said. ‘The sergeant has gone to fetch him, general.’
Barber exhaled loudly and said to Fernee sharply, ‘thinking time for you captain make sure you do some. Colonel, I think you know what is happening, so don’t let me detain you because I know you are busy.’
Statham got up wondering why he had been needed at the meeting at all. He remembered he had written the orders and if Fernee had had any questions Barber would not have been able to answer them – and he would look a fool. Statham had no problems in seeing Barber as a fool, it was just a pity that he wouldn't be there to witness it. Statham saluted Barber nodded at Fernee and as he left the room he almost knocked down Wardle the British Consul in Meshed who simultaneously had arrived at the office door from the other side. Wardle clearly had no intention of knocking on Barber’s door he just blundered straight in.
‘Better late than never, Mr Wardle, have a seat,’ Barber jabbed his finger at the chair recently vacated by Statham. ‘Captain Fernee has a lot to do before he leaves. Brief him on the politics succinctly if you will.’
Wardle sat still for a moment his face reddening and only Fernee’s presence stopped him reprimanding Barber for his rudeness. Trying to keep an edge out of his voice he turned to Fernee, ‘when you go back into Russia I would like you to see whether there are any commercial opportunities for us. I know that this is not your main reason for going but it would help us if you see anything.’
Fernee opened his arms, ‘can you give me any examples of what you want, Mr Wardle?’
‘Whether anyone: asks if the British Government will be providing credit facilities to purchase our goods; mentions investment opportunities in the local banks; identifies what goods they cannot currently get but would like to in the future in other words, captain, find out anything and everything that could improve trade for us. We will need to pay for this war and we will need to take every opportunity to trade and earn what we can.’
Fernee wondered what else he was going to have to do. Perhaps they could ask him next to count the number of horses he saw on the street of each town he visited. ‘That shouldn’t be a problem, Mr Wardle.’
‘I’ll reiterate in front of Mr Wardle that your primary roles are military intelligence and the status of cotton stocks.’ Barber looked sternly first at Wardle then at Fernee, ‘Captain Fernee you will however do your best to obtain what Mr Wardle wants. I need detain you no longer.’
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br /> As Fernee was leaving the room he heard Wardle say. ‘Can I have a word general?’
‘Terribly sorry I am busy please would you book an appointment with my sergeant.’
As Fernee opened the office door he heard a chair being aggressively moved. With a face as black as thunder Wardle pushed past Fernee without a glance. As he closed the office door Fernee peeked at the general who was busy writing at his desk oblivious to everything.
Mawle later told Fernee when he saw Barber the latter just said, “You are going with Captain Fernee on his mission - try and be useful.” Barber barely looked up from his writing for the whole briefing except when uttering his final word - ‘dismiss.’
Sir Walter had begun to explain his consular work the day after Washbrook and Hutton's arrival in Kashgar. Sir Walter’s descriptions took the form of lectures and were given each morning to Edrich, Washbrook and Hutton. The British consul went through his duties at a pace that reminded Edrich of his first Latin teacher in school – slow, sure and everything in triplicate. One of the most interesting things they did was to discuss how Indian subversives had tried over the war years to penetrate India via Kashgar, and how they had been thwarted. Other than that subject Edrich realised the consular duties described by Sir Walter in Kashgar were no different to those that he performed in Shushtar. One day, Sir Walter agreed because of Edrich’s consular experience and Washbrook and Hutton lack of it, only the latter two need attend his future lectures. Washbrook complained to Hutton that he had the experience of the role but did not share his complaint with Edrich. Not having to attend the lectures gave Edrich increased time to learn Russian though Robbins made it clear he preferred Edrich’s time be spent painting.
Edrich was unsure whether the first two landscape paintings were completed to his satisfaction when Robbins saw them. Despite Edrich’s protests that he needed to tinker with the paintings, Robbins professed he liked them as they were and had them packed immediately for their journey to England. Edrich, secretly pleased with the reaction, would have liked an offer of payment for the paintings, not for the money itself but because he felt if someone paid for something they would appreciate it more. When Robbins asked him to paint a portrait of Lady Robbins, based on a photograph –Edrich reluctantly agreed but prayed that the mission would get the go-ahead before he could get very far. Sadly the prayer was unanswered.