Training the Staff of the EEF

[ddycher]

Arranged in Nov / December 1916 the Staff School at Mena House was established “for the training of regimental officers recommended for Staff employment”

The school was commanded by Lt.-Col. Harold Micheal Biddulph (Rifle Bde) with permanent instructors Maj. JAW Spencer (Rifle Bde) and Maj. R.L. Macalpine Leny (16th Lancers).

Biddulph, Spencer and Macalpine-Leny were sent out specifically from the UK for this purpose. Biddulph arriving last week in December 1916 but Spencer and Macalpine-Leny were both were on the HMT Ivernia when it was torpedoed and sank 1st Jan 1917. They both survived the sinking and after a detour via Malta they arrived early January 1917. The sinking caused first the course at the school to be delayed and this did not start until 15th January 1917 rather than the 5th as originally planned.

The program was set for 4 courses, each of five weeks. The classes were made up each of 15 staff officers from the EEF and 15 from the Salonika Army. All officers under instruction were put up at the Mena House Hotel.

Try as I might I can not trace a single officer who went through these courses although ultimately some 75 officers of the EEF apparently did so.

I do know that for the first course 12 vacancies were allotted to Eastern Force and 3 to Western Force and that subsequently there were occasional vacancies allotted to officers from the Egyptian Army. Initially candidates were submitted to Lyndon Bell, as the CGS, for selection in December 1916. Candidates had to have had a previous attachment to Staff for instructional purposes. On completion of the course the officers returned to their unit and names were held at GHQ against future positions.

Like-wise I have been able to determine no detail on what was actually taught there.

The Staff School was disbanded in June 1917.

At the end of these courses Spencer and Macalpine-Leny went onto the staff of the 75th Division. Macalpine-Leny (who has be written about before on the forum

remaining there for the rest of the war whilst Spencer went on to serve under Bartholomew at EEF GHQ.

Does anybody have any ideas re possible officers under instruction or where I might find any more detail ?

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Further to this Murrays final despath states that three courses were run. First two shared with the Salonika Army and the thrid solely EEF. That means circa 60 EEF officers went through Staff School at Mena House.

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Have spent the better part of the day browsing through the EEF GHQ War Diaries and have been able to put a better picture together on the Mena House Staff School. Have copied in my notes below verbatim. As yet I have not been able to determine any detail on what was actually taught there either in the internal or "outside" lectures

Does anybody have any ideas where I might find any more detail ?

Regards

Dave

*****************************

Arranged in Nov / December 1916 the Staff School at Mena House was established “for the training of junior regimental officers recommended for Staff employment” The program was set for 4 courses, each of five weeks. The classes were to be made up each of 15 staff officers from the EEF and 15 from the Salonika Army. All officers under instruction were put up at the Mena House Hotel.

The school was commanded by Lt.-Col. Harold Micheal Biddulph (Rifle Bde) with permanent instructors Maj. JAW Spencer (Rifle Bde) and Maj. R.L. Macalpine-Leny (16th Lancers). Biddulph was exchanged for Lt.-Col. C. M. Davis DSO. Davis left for England on the P&O Medina on the 30th November.

As yet I dont know who was C. M. Davis was.

Biddulph, Spencer and Macalpine-Leny were sent out specifically from the UK for this purpose. Biddulph arriving last week in December 1916. Macalpine-Leny (and Spencer ?) left England around 15th December and were both were on the HMT Ivernia when it was torpedoed and sank 1st Jan 1917. Spencer and Macalpine-Leny were instructing in Staff Duties at Clare College, Cambridge prior to being appointed to the Staff School at Mena House.

I dont know where Biddulph came from yet.

The establishment of the Staff School was sent for War Office Approval on the 11th January. Spencer and Macalpine-Leny both survived the sinking of the Ivernia and after a detour via Malta they arrived in Egypt on the 12th January 1917. The sinking caused first the course at the school to be delayed and this did not start until Monday 15th January 1917 rather than the 5th as originally planned. Whilst waiting for Spencer and Macalpine-Leny to arrive Biddulph took the Salonika Officers on a trip to Eastern Force to familiarize them with desert conditions.

The nominal role of officers selected to attend the first course was sent to Biddulph on the 12th January 1917 and the start date set for the 15th. In the first course 12 vacancies were allotted to Eastern Force and 3 to Western Force. Initially candidates were submitted to Lyndon Bell, as the CGS, for selection in December 1916. Candidates had to have had a previous attachment to Staff for instructional purposes.

I have not been able to track down a list of the attendee's for the first course.

The list of outside lectures for the first week was approved by the 13th January and these lectures commenced on the 16th. No details on the curriculum uncovered as yet.

Lynden Bell visited the Staff School on the 18th and noted that Spencer and Macalpine-Leny were not in the best of health. He apparently made back up arrangements in case either became incapacitated.

The final syllabus of outside lectures for the first course was sent to Biddulph on the 21st January.

On the 24th January permission was granted to extend the first course to account for the delay in starting and to allow completion of the course.

On the 28th January the appointment of two additional instructors GSO2 and DAQMG was approved by the War Office. On approval GHQ asked Salonika to send a replacement / substitute for Spencer as GSO2. The DAQMG was to be found locally by the EEF.

On the 1st February GHQ advised Salonika that their candidate for second GSO2 should arrive in country no later than 21st February as second course was due to start on the 26th. On the 5th February Salonika advised that Major (TBD) Garcia had been ordered to report to GHQ on the expiration of his leave in the UK.

A quick check has not yet found who was Major Garcia ? No gazette of his appointment to GSO2 and no notification of his arrival prior to start of 2nd Course. Still not sure if he ever actually did arrive. I have not been able to find any ref to a DAQMG being appointed from within the EEF either.

On the 11th of February a roll of officers selected from Salonika for the second course was forwarded to Biddulph. These officers (13 of them) along with 7 batmen arrived at Kantara on the 13th February. They were to stay at Kantara until the 24th February. The names of the EEF officers selected for the 2nd course were published on the 17th February. It is unknown if any of the promised vacancies were allotted to officers from the Egyptian Army.

Like the first course I have not been able as yet to track down the names of the attendees.

The first staff course finished on 20th February.

On the 23rd February Biddulph received the locations for the outside lectures for the 2nd course.

On the 16th March GHQ confirmed to Eastern Force that if operations were started then the courses at Mena and Zeitoun would, with a few exceptions, be broken up and officers returned to their units. They further stated that officers and instructors from the schools would be made available to Eastern Force. The 2nd course was subsequently broken up early on the 21st March and officers returned to their units.

On the 29th GHQ confirmed that the 2nd course would not re-assemble given the uncertainty of events at Gaza and that the Salonika Army contingent should return to Salonika. There was no further Salonika attendants at the school before it was broken up.

As yet I have been unable to determine Biddulph, Spencer and Macalpine-Leny's movements between the 21st March and the start of the third course. Events at the school through April are unknown.

On the 3rd May the attendants for the third and last course were approved by Lynden Bell and orders were issued for all attendants to report to Mena House by 4pm on the 6th May. There were >40 attendee’s on this course rather than the previous 30 and all of them came from the EEF. Course was to start on the 7th. This time I do have a copy of the list of attendee's and this shows :

5 x 2/Lieut.

17 x Lieut.

19 x Capt.

6 x Maj.

...can supply names and units if anyone is interested.

Sir Archibald Murray states in his final dispatch that 3 courses of 6 weeks were ultimately held. He states that the first two courses were shared with Salonika Army but the final course was solely the EEF. I now know that >70 officers of the EEF went through the school.

Bde Staff (atleast all adjutants) for the newly created 74th Division were trained at Zeitoun not apparently at Mena House and Mena House was disbanded prior to the forming of the 75th Division Brigades. However given that Officers on graduation went back to their units – these are considered likely candidates

On completion of the course the officers were either assigned immediately to Staff positions or returned to their unit and names were held at GHQ against future positions.

On the 6th June guidelines were sent to GOC each force as to how to progress Staff training on the early demise of the Staff School.

On the 8th of June Biddulph was asked by GHQ for him to submit “any notes or remarks” to be added into a report for the War Office on the work of the Staff School. These to be born in mind should the need for another training establishment of this type be needed again in the future.

I am still looking for copies of Biddulphs response and the final report to the War Office.

On the 13th June Biddulph was sent his instructions for the closing down of the Staff School on the 19th June 1917. The final course finished the day before on the 18th June.

The Staff School formally closed at 12.00 on 19th June at which point all arrangements between the government and the Mena House Hotel ceased. Anybody (instructor or student) staying at the hotel passed this point did so at their own cost. Horses and Grooms went to Kasr El Nil barracks, motor car back to GHQ and all paper and stationary to Alexandria. All files and correspondence were forwarded to the current GSO1. Other rank postings were dealt with by the DAG office.

On the 22nd of June instructions were drawn up re the disposition of the attendees of the last course. 10 officers were picked to fill immediate vacancies on Staff and the remainder, with the exception of those who had shown themselves unsuited for Staff employment, were sent to their respective formations which instructions that they should be attached to various Staff’s for a further period and that the usual monthly reports on these officers should be submitted.

At the end of these courses Spencer and Macalpine-Leny went onto the staff of the 75th Division. Macalpine-Leny (who has be written about before on the forum

remaining there for the rest of the war whilst Spencer went on to serve under Bartholomew at EEF GHQ.

Biddulphs subsequent movements I am still working on.

**************************

[ddycher]

2nd Lieut's from the 3rd Course :

5 x 2/Lieut.

2/Lt Alan Copland Williams - Warwick Yeomanry / 5th Mounted Bde / 2nd Mounted Division. Finished the war a Capt in the Warwick Yeomanry. Not thought to have subsequently served on Staff.

2/Lt A.N. Law - 1/4th Northants / 162nd Brigade / 54th (East Anglian) Division. Finished the war as a Capt in the Northants. Not thought to have subsequently served on Staff

2/Lt R.F. Lyne - Lyne was serving as an ADC to TBD (possibly Girdwood) at the time. He had been since 22nd Aug. 1916. He was promoted to Lieut during the course and then appointed Adjt in the IV Welsh Bde at the beginning of July and act’g Capt at the beginning of August. He remained Adjt until August 1918. Thought to have served with the IV Welsh Bde / 74th Division and on the disbandment of the 74th Division moved as a Capt to the 3rd Welsh Bde, RFA

2/Lt Hector William McJannet - Capt “C” Bty, 261st Bde. M.I.D. Hector McJannet died 28th October 1918, aged 25. He is buried in Cairo. Not thought to have ever served on Staff.

2/Lt D. Thompson - Staffs Yeomanry / 22nd Mounted Brigade /1st Mounted Division / Western Frontier Force. Not yet located a D. Thompson of the Staffs Yeomanry- Need to explore further.

This gives :

1 from 1st Mounted Division

1 from 2nd Mounted Division

1 from 52nd Division

1 from 54th Division

1 from 74th Division

Regards

Dave

[ddycher]

Lieut's on the 3rd Course :

17 x Lieut.

Lieut. Frank Elliot Beavan - Welsh Horse att’d 25th Royal Welsh Fusiliers / 231st Bde / 74th Division. Promoted to Lieut during the course he was at that time Adjt of the 25th RWF. Served as a Major and 2nd in command of the 10th Royal East Kent Regt / 230th Bde / 74th Division. Awarded the DSO. Finished the war a Major in the Welsh Regiment. Not thought to have ever served on Staff.

Lieut John Henry Frederick Benford - 1/7th Essex / 161st Bde / 54th Division. Was the Adjt of the 1/7th Essex from Oct. 1916 to June 1917. Awarded an M.C. Served as a Staff Captain from 10th June 1918. Served as a temp. Maj and DAQMG on the HQ of the 5th Division from Jun 1919.

Lieut. Lewis Byron - Served as Capt and Adjt in the Natal Mounted Rifles - joined the West Kent Yeomanry as a probational 2nd Lieut / temp. Lieut in May 1916. Was at the time of the course w/ West Kent Yeomanry / 10th Royal East Kent Regt / 230th Bde / 74th Division. Was appointed Staff Capt. on 17th July 1917. Att’d to a TBD HQ unit as a Staff Captain from 30th January 1919.

Lieut B. C. Covell - S.S.O, Alwar Imperial Service Infantry / 20th Indian Infantry Bde. Appointed to Staff Captain 19th December 1917.

Lieut. James Marmaduke Eshelby - Railway Transport Office, General List. On Staff as a Railway Traffic Officer Cl. GG from 21st June 1919

Lieut. F. V. Harris - Royal Fusiliers att’d 10th (or 11th London Regt) / 162nd Bde / 54th Division. Coy Commander from 16th November 1917. Not thought to have ever served on Staff.

Lieut. Reginald Douglas Jebb. - 1/4th R. Sussex / 160th Bde / 53rd Division. Appointed Staff Captain on the 14th July 1917.

Lieut. Gordon Lloyd-Jones - Berks Yeomanry / Yeomanry Mounted Division. Promoted to Capt 16th July 1917. Appointed GSO3 1st December 1917 – served on Staff until July 1919.

Lieut. Clemont Hugh Weston Malet - Royal 1st Devon Yeomanry / 16th Devons / 229th Bde / 74th Division. Was Adjt w/ Royal 1st Devon Yeo but vacated the position on forming of the 16th Devons. Was appointed Adjt on 12th June 1917. Was appointed Staff Captain 19th July 1917 and served until December 1919.

Lieut G. J. A. Marc - 4th East Anglian Bde, R.F.A / 54th Division. Had been on Staff on a Special Appointment graded as a Staff Lt. since December 1916. Promoted to Staff Capt in Feb 1918. Finished the war as a Capt in the RFA

Lieut. Henry Rissik Marshall - Lanark Yeomanry / 12th Royal Scots Fusiliers / 229th Bde / 74th Division. Appointed to Staff Capt. 21st August 1917. Appointed GSO3 in September 1917. To Bde Maj. 10th December 1917. Relinquished his appointment as Bde Maj. 9th July 1918. Appointed to Captain on General Staff November 1918

Lieut. J. N. McMurdo - 1/6th HLI / 157th Bde / 52nd Division. Promoted to Capt 19th July 1917. Not thought to have ever served on Staff.

Lieut. F. W. H. Nicholas - 1/5th Bedfords / 162nd Bde / 54th Division. Appointed GSO3 25th June 1917. Appointed a Bde Maj. 7th November 1917 and served until August 1919

Lieut. Norman Shairp - Ayrshire Yeomanry / 12th Bn., The Royal Scots Fusiliers / 229th Bde / 74th Division. Appointed Staff Capt. To the 13th Mounted Bde. 24th June 1917

Awarded the MC. Died 113th October 1918 Aged 28. Buried in the Damascus Commonwealth Cemetery. (An epidemic of influenza and Cholera broke out shortly after British troops took Damascus. Is not known at this time if he died during this - requires further exporation).

Lieut Whiston (Lionel Frederick Henry Whiston) - 3rd Hussars att’d Buckinghamshire Yeomanry / Yeomanry Mounted Division. Was Adjt of the Buckinghamshire Yeomanry.

Appointed Staff Capt. August 1917

Lieut. C. R. Hartley - Duke of Lancaster’s Own Yeomanry / XXI Corps Cavalry Regt / 53rd Division. Served as Adjt 9th September 1917 – 1st November 1917. Unknown what position he held in 1918. Appointed temp. Major on Special Appointment 15th April 1919 – 15th July 1919

Lieut. George Philip "Guy" Lankester - 1/4th Northants / 162nd Bde / 54th Division. Appointed to Staff Grade Cl GG 27th November 1918

This gives :

1 from 52nd Division

2 from 53rd Division

5 from 54th Division

5 from 74th Division

2 from the Yeomanry Mounted Division

1 from 20th Indian Infantry Bde

1 from Railway Transport Office

So so far the course focused on the restructuring of the 54th Division and the fledgling 74th. No definite pattern emerging as yet apart from the obvious lack of any officers from the 29th Indian Infantry Bde or the recently arrived TF Bn's coming together as the 232nd, 233rd and 234th Bde's of the 75th Division.

Still no interest or thoughts folks ?

Regards

Dave

[Philip Wilson]

Dave

[2/Lt Alan Copland Williams - Warwick Yeomanry / 5th Mounted Bde / 2nd Mounted Division. Finished the war a Capt in the Warwick Yeomanry. Not thought to have subsequently served on Staff.]

There is Captain A.C.ALAN-WILLIAMS MC listed in Adderley:

2nd Lieut 21.9.14

Lieut -

Captain 1.6.16

wounded at Huj, November 1917 MC -'who though wounded, rounded up a lot of Turks with his revolver'.

A.D.C. in Palestine

Special Service 1918-19.

Will see what else I can find later this week.

Philip.

[ddycher]

Philip

Thanks for this.

I have him on the list as 2nd/Lt. Williams. A.C. Alan - Warwick. Yeo.

I had interpreted the A=Alan from the MIC Rolls but this looks like the same man. I would be interested who he was ADC to. He is atleast the second ADC on the third course (and I have only been through the 2nd Lt and Lieut's so far).

I will relook under Alan-Williams and see what else I can find.

Many thanks

Dave

[ddycher]

Philip

a quick google of Alan-Williams gave me this :

[Broken link removed]

Toggling backwards and forwards and you can access all commendations for the Warwick. Yeo. for the campaign. I had never come across this before.

His account of the action at Huj is quoted in "Hell in the Holy Land" by David Woodward. Can be accessed via Google Books.

Regards

Dave

[Philip Wilson]

Dave

Thanks the four entries for WkY in final column of your attachment are for the Affair of Huj. The Regimental History provides a fairly accurate list by way of appendices for Rewards, Orders and Decorations for WkY Officers and Men for the Great War.

Yes A.C. ALAN -WILLIAMS is your man on the 3rd Mena Course - he qualified for the 1914-15 Star as confirmed by his entry in WO. 329/2944 - five pages for Officers. WO329/2945 has 43 pages for NCO's and men of WkY. I have a copy of the former but not the latter.

There are at least three WkY Officers serving as ADC's, Capt.A.C.ALAN-WILLIAMS, Lieut A.D.HORDERN and Lieut J.C. LUCAS listed as such in Adderley.

In addition there are a number of WkY Officers on the Staff: Capt.Sir G.A LLOYD, GCIE, DSO, (later Lord Lloyd), 2nd Lieut the Hon J.P.MITFORD (later Lieut 1st L.Gds on Staff in France ) and Lieut C.M.ARMSTRONG - there may be others which I have yet to find on the EEF Staff.

Philip

[ddycher]

Thanks for this and the PM Philip

George Ambrose Lloyd (Lord Lloyd) makes for interesting reading and his appointment to GSO3 is actually captured in the same Speacial Appointment announcements in the Gazette as the appointment of Biddulph, Spencer and Macalpine-Leny. This did have me wondering for a while if he was associated with the Staff School at Mena.

Currently though I believe he was in London at the time of the first courses returning in May 1917 and working on the Picot -Sykes agreement. I had discounted his involvement although at a stretch I guess it is possible as Charles Long in "British pro-consuls in Egypt" states he spent time "with Allenby's Army before Gaza". Interesting cross over here with some reading I was doing on the hunt for the mysterious "Mr Hay" with Russell McGuirk...small world .... However if all this is not correct and he was possibly involved with the school I would appreciate any guidance.

Again many thanks.

Dave

[ddycher]

One of the Capt's (I will post summary later) of the third course was :

Brian Turner "Tom" Lawrence V.C.

A Boer War V.C he served on the staff of the EEF in an as yet unknown capacity 1917 / 1918. He had been badly wounded in France with the 18th Hussars and I do not know when he arrived in Egypt. The Gazette shows he was appointed a Staff Capt in March 1918 and then served on TBD HQ Staff as a Bde Maj. until March 1919 when he was appointed GSO2 on the General Staff. I can not find out with which Bde or what this GSO2 position was but he held it until the December of the same year when he returned to the 18th Hussars. Neither can I find who he served with through 1917.

Does anyone know anymore ?

Regards

Dave

[Philip Wilson]

There is a short write up on Lieutenant-Colonel Tom 'Posh' Lawrence V.C., in the Buckland, Dix and Wood Sale (The Upfill-Brown Collection) 4th December 1991 pages 46 & 47 which is somewhat sketchy when it comes to his WW1 service - have you seen this? If not I will pm it to you.

Philip

[ddycher]

Have found this on the web Philip.

Thanks

Dave

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear GWFs,

'Attached to a TBD HQ unit...'

What did TBD stand for?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

PS:

I am researching Lieut B. C. Covell, IARO, who was apparently the only Special Service Officer seconded to the Third Mena Staff School course. The only Australian was Horace Robertson, DSO, from 10th Australian Light Horse...

[Guest]

Mates,

Yes this started me looking at the AIF officers with the DMC, Anzac MD and Aust MD who gained appointments to staff in these formations but found none that show they went to any such course?

While I have been trying to confirm and identify the British officers who held these appointments before we took over these jobs I found no aussie or even NZ went to these schools.

Some Australians post war, went to staff collages in the UK and India, but none during the war.

S.B

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Steve,

Thanks for taking the trouble of looking around for other Australians, other than "Red Robbie" Robertson.

Robertson had not only been decorated with the DSO and was a forceful character, he was also a graduate of RMC Duntroon - and therefore ideal Staff School material.

Mena Staff School only lasted three courses, and the number of students who were actually earmarked for staff appointments was miniscule - especially compared with the vast numbers of officers involved in the Egyptian Expeditionary Force (EEF) campaigns.

The Australians were certainly too busy involved with successfully fighting the war, to spare officers for a course (Robertson being the exception).

Unfortunately, I still do not know what TBD stood for - and now you have added DMC and MD...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[Guest]

Mate,

I sorry to say Horace Robertson is not one I've been able to check in any detail and have only the basic on him?

ROBERTSON Horace Clement Hugh Lt 10 LHR MG Sect to T/OC C Sqn 8-15 in charge at Hill 60 (G) prom Capt prom Maj OC B Sqn DSO MID Order of the Nile 4th class prom LtCol GSO (3) Yeomanry MD HQ to AAG AIF Egypt (attended Staff College at Camberley 1923-24 to comd of 7 MD Ex RMC cadet Later WWII 19 Bde 6 Div to Maj Gen Western Comd to CO 6 Div DSO 2xMID to LtGen Sir BCOF (1946-51) KBE Korean Order of Military Medal Taiguk and US legion of Merit retired 1954

Will need to do more on him now.

S.B

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Steve (aka fellow-Australian, Mate),

I have the book "Australian Brass: The Career of Lieutenant-General Sir Horace Robertson", by Jeffrey Grey (CUP, 1992).

It touched very briefly on his attending Mena Staff School - which was not an important event in the large picture, on the one hand. On the other hand, it ensured that officers like Capt. B. C. Covell, IARO, were slotted into Staff jobs, rather than being perhaps wasted in a regimental capacity in the Field.

Covell, after all (who had enjoyed first-class classical schooling and was a qualified engineer, but was a complete military amateur compared to Robertson) was Mentioned in Despatches, and had - as did Robertson, according to his biographer, A Good War.

I am still, Mate, at a loss regarding the abbreviations mentioned.

Perhaps you or other Mates can help solve these pesky matters?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[ddycher]

Kim

TBD in my originals is short for To Be Determined i.e. I didnt know at the time of writing.

Regards

Dave

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Dave,

Thanks for that: problem solved. (I had been racking my brains for a military phrase!)

My next chore is to obtain a copy of the page in the EEF GHQ telephone directory featuring Lt T/Capt B. C. Covell, IARO, who was a Staff Captain - but in what context?

The IWM might have a copy, but the AWM certainly does!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

IWM: Imperial War Museum

AWM: Australian War Memorial

[green_acorn]

............

Unfortunately, I still do not know what TBD stood for - and now you have added DMC and MD...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

DMC = Desert Mounted Corps

MD = Mounted Division

[green_acorn]

............ a copy of the page in the EEF GHQ telephone directory featuring Lt T/Capt B. C. Covell, IARO, who was a Staff Captain - but in what context?

The IWM might have a copy, but the AWM certainly does!

Kindest regards,

Kim.

Staff Captains were often suplementary officers assisting the "operations" officer at a brigade (ie: the Brigade Major) and higher headquarters. It was recognition that the amount of work was greater than the original manning.

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Green Acorn,

Very many thanks for your continuing interest and kind help.

This puts Capt. B. C. Covell in better perspective.

It remains odd that officers such as Covell disappeared from the Indian Army List (excepting their IARO and Vols entries).

Perhaps they were listed elsewhere?

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[ddycher]

Kim

Re. Beverley Covell.

You probably already have this but I ran through my Indian Army Lists and the only ref's I could find were short term attachments with the 46th Punjabis, then at Nowshera, and 53rd Sikhs on arrival in Egypt. Would appear he was initially posted to the 46th Punjabis and from there to Egypt. He appears to have stayed in Egypt when the 53rd Sikh's went to Aden. No further attachment details are given. No ref's for Alwar or Patiala Imperial Service Troops..

Regards

Dave

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear Dave,

Very good, well done! I had long been puzzling about 46th Punjabis.

Which Indian Army List has that detail (must have!)?

His entry in the IARO reference book, actually showed 2Lt IARO and training with the Durham Light Infantry, then attached to 46th Punjabis and Imperial Service Troops.

I found him with 56th Sikhs (who subsequently had Officer casualties at Aden), but, as you say, he stayed in Egypt (with Alwar Imperial Service Infantry) on Canal Defence as a Special Service Officer. Still later Staff School, Mena, then Patiala Sikhs and Staff Captain GHQ and an MiD...

Kindest regards,

Kim.