02 Dec 1935 - HQ, 5th Inf Div, Tobruk

[Diarist]

We avoided everybody by having a very early breakfast and took off before 8 o'clock. Our pilot had radioed ahead who was on board so Major-General Geoffrey Howard, GOC 5th Infantry Division was waiting for us at RAF El Adem. It is located 10 miles south of Tobruk. "Good to see you again, General Howard." I introduced my wife and we drove with him to his headquarters. Nothing had really changed although many of the craters had been filled in and rubble had been cleared from the streets.
"How long do you intend staying in Tobruk, Sir Robert?"
"Only a few hours. I've planned to be in Alexandria this evening. I only want to clarify orders coming from London in case you have any questions. I would also be grateful if your staff could locate Major Al-Khouri. He was my deputy when I commanded the Libyan battalion for 24 hours."
"I'll get the information for you, Sir." We arrived at HQ, 5th Infantry Division and we held a meeting in a small conference room. He and I got on well together during the conflict so his introduction was very jovial.
"Yes, the young major has returned as an even-younger cabinet minister and I am a bringer of good news. Not later than 6 months from now one of the new 2nd line divisions will take your place here in Libya and you'll be going home to England. Secondly, an armoured division is being formed in the Middle East. 5th Infantry Division will be providing cadres for the new 5th Armoured Division. You already have your 15th Brigade working with the 6th, RTC. They will form the 5th Armoured Brigade as outlined in this document. Cadres from the three infantry battalions will be used to form a new battalion within each regiment. The new battalions will then receive troops from the regiment's TA battalion, if there is one, plus fresh recruits. Your reconnaissance battalion will also provide a cadre for the new division's armoured reconnaissance battalion. When you are back in England three more battalions will be raised from three of the six remaining infantry battalions then assigned to 5th Armoured Division's second motorized infantry brigade. It's all in this document." I handed General Howard a second, thicker dossier. "There is plenty of reading material here for you."
"It appears to be all straight forward," General Howard commented. "Has it been decided who will command the new brigade?"
"Yes. Richard O'Connor. He'll be arriving in Alexandria next month. This is an opportunity to have your good majors given an LTC's slot, etc. Questions?"
"When will this begin?" The XO asked.
"It's already happening in Alexandria with 15th Brigade. Combined Operations is selecting promotable officers and NCO's for the new battalions and brigade HQ."
"I do have questions concerning the captured Italian equipment."
"That is my third and final topic, General. Good, modern equipment will be separated and issued to our own forces. Don't forget spare parts and a lot of ammunition. Secondly we shall need enough equipment for a Libyan Infantry Division formed along British lines - add on 20% to everything. Then there is equipment that is totally unserviceable. That has to be thoroughly destroyed and disposed of. Ensure that it can never again be used for weapons. The remainder is to be orderly packaged and shipped to Italy to re-equip their new army. Did I miss anything?"
"And who decides what's what?
"Your armourers or don't you have any assigned to the 5th?" I asked Sally if there is anything else, There wasn't. "So, Gentlemen I need to say hello to someone." To Sally, I'll see you in the restaurant later. General Howard, could I borrow a car and driver, please and could you entertain my wife until I return?
Now to visit my former deputy commander.

[Diarist]

It was great to see my former deputy again. He was still the XO and the lieutenant-colonel who replaced me was still the commander. "Are you on vacation?" he asked.
"No. This my new uniform. I'm now a cabinet minister in the Ministry of Defence. I'm travelling to Alexandria and Palestine so I thought I'd drop in and say 'Hello' since I'm in the vicinity."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you. Can I borrow your XO? I'd like to buy him lunch and introduce him to my wife."
"Of course, but send him back sober."
"Will do."
"Where are we going?"
"To the former Italian Officer's Club. It's now our Club."
"I can't go in there!"
"Why not? You are an officer and you are my guest."
"Arabs are not allowed in there."
"Time to change that, my friend."
"The Officer's Club please, sergeant." He hesitated. "Have you forgotten the way?"
"No, Sir."
A lieutenant at the entrance started to protest so I showed him my credentials. "The major is my guest. Does he need to sign in?"
"I have to ask the manager, Sir."
"I accept that as a 'no'. Have the manager speak to me at General Howard's table." We walked to the general's table. "Have you met Major Al-Khouri, General. My former XO. Sally, this is the Libyan officer who gave me the Luger pistol." Al-Khouri answered in Arabic. "He says you are very pretty."
A major was standing at the table trying to look important. "Can I help you, Major?"
"I must inform you that Arabs aren't allowed in here, Sir."
"Says who?"
"Club Rules, Sir."
"Then you need to change those stupid rules? Starting now Libyan officers and their wives will be allowed in here. Is there a problem, Major?"
"The rules are based upon a standard format used Empire-wide."
"Libya is not part of the British Empire and won't ever be. It's being treated as a Protectorate and will become a sovereign state in the near future. You should consider putting a few Arabian dishes on the menu and don't forget the food should be 'Halal', that's kosher."
The major was looking towards General Howard. "I outrank Generals. Do you know what this is?" Giving him a document from my wallet. "It's a comply first, complain later document. If you wish to complain the telephone number is Winston Churchill's. Feel free to complain and I promise you that there will be a response. Within 48 hours you will receive new orders for you to report in to a training centre in England. When you have completed the course you will be a private in His Majesty's Army. My document, please. You are dismissed."
I motioned to Al-Khouri that he take a seat. "No alcohol." To the others, "I promised his commander that I'd send him back sober. Can we speak alone for a moment, General?" We left the table. "The British Army came here as liberators not as conquerors. We freed Libya from Italian fascism. We are not occupiers, we are guests in Libya and we need bases in an independent Libya. All British soldiers here, from generals to privates are ambassadors and should act as such. Unless the Nazis have taken over in London we don't have Nuremberg Laws here. We are not the Master Race and Arabs are not sub-human.
Libya will soon be a sovereign nation. What will they think of us if we treated their officers like dogs, their NCO's as if they are 'unclean'. We want Libya to be a friend of the British Empire. Is that so difficult to understand? The last thing we need is another Palestine, or a another Egypt for that matter. So what's on the menu. I'm famished." We went back to the table and translated what I had said into Arabic.
"That reminds me of what you said the first time we met."
"..and that seems ages ago."
"What will you be doing in Alexandria, Sir Robert?"
"I'm here primarily on a fact-finding mission but I am also introducing myself to various people and checking up on projects in the region, the armoured division for example."
"Palestine is a real mess and it's worsening."
"It is and I don't want the British Army stuck in the middle of a civil war. I'm hoping to come up with a plan to help relieve the tensions but it won't be easy."
"I don't envy you, Sir."
"Well you need to hope that nothing happens in the next 6 months or your stay here might be extended. The 5th Armoured Brigade needs to get operational as soon as possible."
"What about the 51st in Sudan/Eritrea?"
"They are earmarked for Egypt if the problems there worsen. The Egyptians appear to have the situation under control though. I'll know more when I talk to people in Alexandria."
After lunch I gave MAJ Al-Khouri Orde Wingate's telephone number. "He's recruiting people for a special task force. You'll be in the British Army with better pay and other conditions. If you know others who may be interested recruit them too."
After another short conversation with General Howard we continued our journey to Alexandria. Geoffrey Howard is a good officer. I like him.