Allenby

[michaeldr]

This is by way of being a follow-up to the Murders on the Assiut-Minia train

Allenby to Curzon

Telegram No.711

Cairo

4th May 1919, received 5 May

My telegram No.590

It is clear that an attempt will be made to work up a press campaign against alleged atrocities committed by British troops in Egypt.

A printed report respecting punishment of certain villages near railway line just south of Cairo has already been published by Giza Provincial Council; it seems villages involved are Bedrashein, Aziza and Shobek. Troops are said to have burned entire villages, raped women in the streets, shot and looted. In fact, after prolonged provocation, destruction of railway material, and sniping a search was made at night for arms. Portions of villages were accidentally set on fire, women were naturally frightened, but no more. It should be noted Egyptian villages are made of mud, with roofs of dry, cotton stalks, and contain nothing of value from European point of view save hoarded money and gold and silver jewellery, which natives hide in ground. Village fires are constant occurrence, regarded as natural, if annoying features of everyday life.

Another case likely to be taken up is that of Saft-el-Meluk village, whence villagers ambushed and killed three and wounded five British troops without the slightest provocation. Soldiers were naturally enraged, and were with difficulty persuaded not to take matter in their own hands. Villagers having refused to assist identification of murderers, a number were collected in an orderly manner and flogged, this punishment undoubtedly saving them from far severer reprisals by troops.

Extremists are apparently using models for documentary propaganda British And French Blue Books dealing with German atrocities in Belgium and Northern France (*), for no regret whatever was expressed at massacre in March last year of unarmed British officers and men in train in Upper Egypt, British railway officials at Wasta attack on Peni Suef, and siege of British and American residents, including missionaries, women and children, at Assiut, which if successful would unquestionably have led to massacre on large scale.

These incidents and wanton destruction of communications could only be met by forcible repression. Troops showed most praiseworthy restraint, and in opinion of foreign witnesses, and even natives, measures taken were not sufficiently drastic. Former have expressed unstinted admiration for calmness shown by our troops under great provocation in Cairo, and Greek Minister has reported in this sense to his Government.

Total number of natives killed during whole period of disturbances is estimated at under 1,000, including casualties among Bedouins settled in Nile Valley (as opposed to tribes of the desert who behaved well), who in March started open armed insurrection in southern and western provinces

Capital is also being made out of bombing by us from aeroplanes of certain villages where headquarters of insurgents attacking Assiut were established, and on armed bands of natives firing at Nile steamers

These are represented as atrocities on defenceless villagers.

British casualties for period are approximately seventy-five (exclusive of Indian casualties), including a number of brutal murders of isolated unarmed British soldiers by mob of natives armed with sticks and knives, and sniping at patrols and sentries.

[quotes from 'Allenby in Palestine – The Middle East correspondence of Field Marshal Viscount Allenby' selected & edited by Matthew Hughes, Army records Society/Sutton Publishing, 2004 ISBN 0-7509-3841-2]

* An example of the sort of book referred to here by Allenby can be seen at http://www.archive.org/details/egyptiandelegati00pari

You will note that the publisher is the Egyptian delegation to the Paris Peace conference. Allenby had allowed certain leading Egyptians to leave the country in the knowledge that they would then make their way to Europe and eventually try to present their case for greater independence to the Peace conference. Allenby's predecessor, Wingate, saw this as 'misplaced leniency' and 'one of the principle causes for the present situation.'

Allenby's job here was a difficult one and he described his position in a letter to his mother

"The situation has been very dangerous; and though better now, still contains many elements of danger. You may expect to see my action pretty freely criticized; but I don't mind that. I am absolutely sure that, whether successful or not, I took the right steps."

On the whole a difficult transition from war to peace and from military commander to civil administrator, but I think that in the circumstances Allenby made the transition well and with an open mind in his new world of politics; writing to Curzon a month earlier Allenby had said "... it is a great pity that HMG refused the Delegations last winter. Egypt complains – with some truth – that she, who has been loyal throughout the War, is refused the right of being heard; whereas that right has been accorded to Arabs, Syrians, Palestinians, Jews and even Cypriots."

[Guest]

Thanks for this, interesting addition to Allenby.

Kim