ddycher Posted 20 August , 2017 Share Posted 20 August , 2017 All Have spent the morning trawling through 1915 Gazettes to try to find the appointments of Edward Altham's Staff at the Levant Base. Tried every possible link I can think of and coming up blank. Anyone have any insights ? Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 20 August , 2017 Share Posted 20 August , 2017 (edited) Dave, A couple of snippets which may be of use In Col R H Breadon's 'The RASC - A history of Transport & Supply in the British Army' Vol.II, p.176/7 he mentions that the Director of Supplies & Transport was Brigadier-General R. Ford (ex-France) Lt-Gen Sir George MacMunn in his 'Behind the Scenes in Many Wars' (p.178) mentions that General Babtie VC was sent out “on direct behalf of the WO in the control of all Mediterranean hospital accommodation...........................When the Lavant Base was formed, Gen Babtie became part of that Headquarters.” good luck Michael Edited 20 August , 2017 by michaeldr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 20 August , 2017 Author Share Posted 20 August , 2017 Thanks Micheal. Didn't have either of them. Will try explore that thread. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaureenE Posted 20 August , 2017 Share Posted 20 August , 2017 Available online The Royal Army Service Corps: A History of Transport and Supply in the British Army, Volume II by Colonel R H Beadon 1931. Archive.org version Note: Catalogued Vol I Suggest if you want to keep this, you download it. Cheers Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michaeldr Posted 20 August , 2017 Share Posted 20 August , 2017 One more to add: The History of the Corps of RE Vol VI, p. 198 gives that 'The D of W, MEF - Brigadier-General E M Paul - became D of W, Levant Base..... Previously, the same history notes that when the Levant Base ceased to exist ".....the various service directors assuming functions normal to a L of C command." If all other avenues fail, is it possible to work back from this point to identify personnel? regards Michael Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 20 August , 2017 Author Share Posted 20 August , 2017 Got a connection Michael. Reginald Ford was DA&QMG in XV Corps. Went back to France with Horne. Lets see where this takes me.... Thanks Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 22 August , 2017 Author Share Posted 22 August , 2017 All Levant Base postings seem to appear alternitively under "Headquarters of Administrative Services and Departments" or under bigger groupings for either the MEF or Dardanelles Army. This makes it very difficult (atleast for me) to seperate. On the elusive hunt for the Gazette entry which lists the original Staff but no luck so far. Michaels leads above very helpful Edward Altham or William Babtie should factor but cant find. Ernest Pauls date for Deputy Director of Works predates the estbt of the Base in June and best I can work out is the Base absorbed some TBD formation including his role. In November Ernest Paul replaced A. C. de L. Joly de Lotbiniere who went to the Dardanelles Army. His initial appointment to Base also so far elusive. Reginald Ford a latecomer not joining the Base until October. What is helping me unravel it best is Michaels comments on L.O.C. Althams move to IGC of the MEF and the esbt of the Alexandria District along with the Cairo District and L.O.C. established under Watson seem to be bearing fruit. All seems too complicated though. Must be missing something simple. Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddycher Posted 1 September , 2017 Author Share Posted 1 September , 2017 All Seems the Base was established earlier than I thought. Have now dated it back until late February 1915. Staff concentrating there before a brief sojourn to Mudros and its subsequent return to Alexandria. I had always been working on the assumption that it was established as an independant command (this from all the politics between Maxwell, Altham and Murray). I was wrong. Now understand that it was only broken out after Monro's appointment in the October, staffing not clarified until the separating of the MEF and the Dardanelles Army and not formalized until Althams return in December. The movements in the QMG Staff across the commands are a real challenge to follow. As such Althams command functioned independently for only a very short time. Altham defines his Staff in a response to Murray - see separate thread on Murrays letters to Robertson. Seperating the Alexandria Base, the Levant Base, and the Alexandria District is proving not easy. The scale of operations at Alexandria at this time are simply staggering. The movement of the Staff to the Force in Egypt and MEF gives an insight into the cliques at play. Ultimately there were more "survivors" in the EEF Staff than I had earlier thought also. Thoughts ? Anyone else have an interest in this area? Regards Dave Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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