CHAPTER 52
The morning after the return of the Bolsheviks to Baku General Muncerville steamed into the harbour. As soon as his ship docked Muncerville hurried to the Europe hotel and demanded an immediate report on the current situation. He listened in silence as he was told: that the Armenian soldiery was deserting the front each day: that there was no barbed wire in front of the trenches and the latter were often aligned so badly that their occupants could only fire into the air. Muncerville looked slightly happier when he was told that the Turks remained immobile in their positions. Muncerville looked even happier when he was told that the Bolsheviks who had fled on the ships had been allowed to leave yet again for Astrakhan after they had handed over all their weapons and ammunition to the Armenians – which the general said prevented them cluttering the place up as useless articles requiring food. The twenty-six commissars who had made up the Baku Bolshevik Government however had been arrested and held in Baku.
Oakes then gave his report on intelligence matters. First, the bread flysheet and the failure of the police or his own contacts to yet find the Tartar suspect – the search continued. The bread fly-sheet had created anti-British feeling in the town but this was expected to dissipate following the general’s arrival. Second, many Muslims in the town were refusing to fight or, if they were pressed into fighting they were often deserting and taking their arms with them.
Keyworth and Oakes then joined together to complain about the lack of support they received from any of the new Baku Government’s officers. The two also complained that there seemed to be a committee for everything. Oakes, then described that when he gone to the police station to ask for help, to find the flysheet Tartar, five policemen sat round a table for two hours discussing the importance of this task vis-à-vis all their other commitments. One man had been assigned to the task of finding the Turkish agent to which Oakes said he expected a result by 1920.
Whilst Keyworth and Oakes were making their reports a ravenous Fernee was eating a less than hearty breakfast of two tiny eggs and some dry bread of indeterminate age in the hotel restaurant. Fernee had just wistfully finished his last mouthful of food and was taking a sip of thin coffee when Oakes’ batman arrived to inform him that Muncerville wanted him immediately. Fernee left the table with a backward glance in which he hoped that miraculously the breakfast he had just eaten might have reappeared.
The room that the mission had been using as an office contained only a tiny table pushed against a wall whilst on its other three sides sat Muncerville, Keyworth and Oakes. Once Fernee had been introduced formally to the general he was invited to sit down a procedure that took several minutes. The room was so small that to allow Fernee to sit, the table and chairs had to be reorganised. The two senior officers, Muncerville and Keyworth, kindly held papers aloft swaying this way and that until the table was placed in such a way that all four people could perch round it. When the senior officers plonked their papers down on the table some slid off. Keyworth and Oakes then bumped their heads together as they stooped in unison to pick them up. Fernee was just about to make a jocular remark but saw the general looking none too pleased at the shambles around him. Finally the four men managed to sit at varying distances from the table. The variable distance from the table related directly to the length of each officer’s legs, Oakes being closest and Muncerville furthest.
Muncerville told Fernee that he had had wonderful reports about his work and attitude from both the colonels. Fernee was just about to thank Muncerville when the latter held up his hand and reached for a telegram, which he then glanced at as he spoke.
‘I have here a telegram from General Barber in Meshed. It says in essence,’ Muncerville lowered the telegram and looked at Fernee, ‘where is my Captain Fernee? I need him to report to me as soon as possible. Please ask him to return to Krasnovodsk immediately. Muncerville put the telegram back on the table. ‘I would like you to stay here and work as my interpreter. How would you feel about that? If you say yes I will send a telegram to General Barber informing him that you are joining my staff. There will be fighting here.’
It took Fernee half a second to reply. ‘I would be more than happy to join you general and happy to see action.’
‘I must point out, captain, if you could return across the Caspian you will also find action there that might stop you returning to Meshed.’ Muncerville exclaimed.
‘Has there been another revolution and our friends have been overthrown?’ Fernee said fearing the worst.
‘No, General Barber has supplied military support of both Indian and British troops. Two days ago they were in action along the railway line.’
‘I would still rather stay here.’ Fernee looked pleadingly round the room.
‘Good man, Captain Fernee. For your information Colonel Keyworth will command our troops in the front lines. Colonel Oakes will draft a telegram for General Barber today telling him that you are to remain under my command. Colonel Oakes will be your commanding officer and your role will be that of gathering intelligence on the Turks and any agents that they may have here in Baku. Clear?’ Fernee nodded. ‘Good. Now, I am going to attend a meeting with the local government and you Captain Fernee, will accompany me.’