Month: March 2024

Four notable characters feature in both Churchill’s Abandoned Prisoners and Liberating Libya. The first three were a courageous soldier, a distinguished diplomat and a political titan. The soldier, Brian Horrocks, was one of the last British prisoners to be released from Moscow in World War I and then earned an immediate DSO commanding XIII Corps in the western desert during World War II. The diplomat, Miles Lampson (later Lord Killearn), was the last British Consul with Admiral Kolchak in 1920 and the first British Ambassador to Egypt (when the appointment changed from High Commissioner). The politician, Winston Churchill, did more than anyone to secure the release of the prisoners from Moscow and later as Prime Minister, stayed with the Lampsons in Cairo while he met General Horrocks for the first time (and then told Monty to sack him).

The fourth character was, however, more prominent in both books through the strength of his “ready pen”. Francis McCullagh was heralded by the great newspaper editor, WT Stead, as having “a potent influence of the policy of Great Britain”. He was a worthy successor to William Howard Russell and could be described as the finest War Correspondent of his generation. His influential writings about Bolshevik Russia and Italian Libya are extraordinarily powerful, but what sets him apart are his “fearless spirit” and intrepid adventures in Tripoli and Moscow. These culminated with his arrest, torture and interrogation in Lubyanka by the Tcheka during the Easter weekend of 1920. For those thinking of Evan Gershkovich at this time, Francis McCullough provides some hope and inspiration for a happy ending.

Francis McCullagh in Russia

Easter Week not only marks the most important time in the Christian calendar, but also one of the most important events in World War II, the Siege of Tobruk. This small Libyan port had been fortified extensively by Mussolini during the Italian occupation, but was captured by the dashing Richard O’Connor on 21 January 1941. However, after O’Connor departed from the Western Desert, the Allies overextended themselves and Erwin Rommel swept them out of Libya – apart from the Australian 9th Division, based within the 16 mile perimeter of Tobruk.

On Easter Tuesday, the Commander-in-Chief, General Wavell, flew to the enclave after conferring with the Foreign Secretary Anthony Eden, who was in Cairo attempting to pull together a Balkan Alliance. Wavell was met by Brigadier John Harding (later Chief of the General Staff) and Major General Leslie Morshead who persuaded the CINC, as they toured the fortifications, that Tobruk could be held. That evening, Wavell walked into the Garrison Mess and recognised George Whittaker behind the bar (made famous in the book To War With Whittaker). The General said that he was sorry His Lordship was missing and bought Whittaker and each of the other stewards a whisky before heading back to Cairo.

Two days later, Rommel launched a devastating assault that continued throughout the Easter weekend. The result was victory for the Southern Hemisphere (with some help from the Royal Horse Artillery) and a thoroughly deserved posthumous Victoria Cross for Corporal John Edmondson from Wagga Wagga, who died of his wounds after saving the life of his sergeant on Easter Sunday. He is buried in Tobruk war cemetery with over 2,000 other Allied soldiers.

After the war, the media quickly forgot about the strategic importance of this action. However, the Easter battle was inspirational because it showed for the first time in the war, that the Blitzkrieg could be defeated. In many ways, the siege was a microcosm of the whole war and the successful resistance against all odds encouraged millions of British citizens who followed it avidly on the radio and in newspapers at a very difficult time for the country. It seems to me that in 2024, when industrial war continues to shape the world, the spirit of resistance witnessed in Tobruk remains as relevant as ever.

Australian Memorial at Tobruk

1916 was a very bad year for the Allies in World War I, but on St Patrick’s Day that year there was some good news from the Libyan desert. Before the streaks of sunshine rose in the East, the second Duke of Westminster led a convoy of 43 vehicles into the barren Sahara in search of a hundred Royal Navy Prisoners of War held by the Sanussi Army. The determined Duke began at a speed of 40 miles per hour, but by midday, his progress had slowed to 12 mph due to punctures and navigation halts. After 80 miles, of doubt and uncertainty, they eventually arrived at Bir Hakeim to find the emaciated prisoners and their fox-terrier pup, Paddy.

The Commander of the Western Frontier Force, Major General William Peyton, wrote a Victoria Cross citation for the Duke (and for Hugh Souter who had attacked an Ottoman machine gun force in February) but these were downgraded to DSOs in London. Peyton petitioned the King and Lord Kitchener on behalf of the two officers, but was told that the Army in France was very jealous of honours given elsewhere and the fact they were not regular officers did not help them. For his trouble, Peyton was subsequently sent to France as Field Marshal Haig’s Military Secretary!

The Public Accounts Committee and National Audit Office are, to my mind, the most important voices of reason when it comes to assessing Government policy and decision making. So when the PAC suggested, after the Budget this week, that the government does not have a credible plan to fund the MoD and pointed to a black hole in defence spending, we should take notice because the lives of our soldiers, sailors and air personnel are at stake.

But what was not clear was whether the chairwoman of the cross-party PAC was blaming the government, or the MoD. Most of the programmed money for the Armed Forces is allocated to Defence Equipment, but a large chunk is spent on infrastructure, information technology and training individuals and formations. Capability, which is what the tax-payer funds each year, is not just about ships, aircraft, tanks and missiles; it also includes the complex concept of readiness, i.e. what do we have in the locker for various scenarios with extended timelines. This concept is based on the UK’s secret Defence Planning Assumptions.

Sadly, these assumptions are flawed in several ways. For example, there is the forlorn hope that NATO Allies will fill British gaps if the balloon goes up. Other fallacies include the idea that reserves will come to the rescue of regular formations and that Defence Industry can ramp-up supply overnight. But perhaps the most deluded assumption can be summarised as “it will be over by Christmas”. One thing the wars in Ukraine, Afghanistan and Gaza have demonstrated is that modern wars need long term commitment and to succeed, you have to think beyond the day after tomorrow.

Combined Services Planning Team – Thinking Beyond Tomorrow

Twice in the past two months, the British Army has attempted to raise the profile of Defence Spending with off the record briefings by senior retired officers, but sadly I don’t expect their efforts to be rewarded this week.

In the battle for local council funding, health, social care and education, energy, transport and housing, the plight of the armed forces appears to languish at the bottom of voters’ priorities. Before 9/11, I spent 18 months touring the country explaining to audiences made up of local opinion formers how tax-payers money was being used. That digital presentation, which was based on real-life experiences, opened eyes to an exciting world that people didn’t know about. The feedback (which was monitored independently) revealed that the subtle messaging managed to persuade many civilian gatekeepers and local media correspondents to support the armed forces in the battle for funding.

A recent newspaper article suggested that due to reductions in the past decade, the British Army is no longer rated as first class by the USA. This sad fact is not disputed, but neither is it likely to make any difference this week when the focus of the Chancellor is on tax cuts and domestic issues. As we look through our binoculars at the coming budget, any uplift is likely to be put towards Security assets, rather than military hardware and as ever, the devil will be in the detail…