The Tides Of War Pt. 10.5

David looked at Robert in a new light regarding his manipulations.

"I would be in sole command. What weapons would I be given and how many?"

Robert grew serious "you would only be answerable to me. As it would be hit and run, machine guns, and mortars, say eight Vickers Machine guns, and ten mortars with a thousand mortar shells to begin with. Two hundred .303 Lee Enfield Mark 1 rifles, there the same basically has the ones you have, and half a million rounds of ammunition."

David nodded, "The Ghurkhas how many and when?"

"I think it would be best if you went to Kana and recruited them yourself. From what the Prince said, they all would come, but only to serve under you."

"Pay and conditions for those who take part to be the same for all," David demanded.

Robert nodded "plus overseas allowances."

"Very well Robert I accept but only for so long has hostilities last."

Robert face cleared and he smiled, "agreed, you have formally been a member of the British Army for the last week. I sort off knew you would accept," he said ruefully, "you can pick up your uniform from Masons they'll make it for you. I took the liberty of cancelling your order with Henry," said with a broad smile on his face

When he told Susan that night, he could see the news upset her but she put on a brave face and accepted it.

"I'll have to go to Kana and see the Prince and organise passage for the volunteers. Will you be all right if I go," he asked.

Susan nodded "oh course darling, I'll see you when you get back to the Crater."

The next few days were hectic for David, with further meetings with Robert and sorting out his uniform. On the fifth day he sailed for Karachi.

Chapter 42

He was shown into the Prince's presence where he found Turin standing beside him.

Turin saluted him smartly with a wide smile on his face. The Prince was still lean but had a few grey hairs in his hair and beard that had not been there before.

The Prince gave him a hug, "my son it has been too long," he murmured.

After telling about Susan and the children and that his daughter now bore Yasmin's name he got down to business.

Turin insisted that he could have 300 Ghurkhas if he wanted them. But David said he didn't have enough salted horses for that number, adding, 'I have horses for a hundred, but the men must be volunteers' he insisted.

He agreed to ride out to the fort the following day and approach the men himself.

Over dinner that night with the royal family he learnt with sadness that the Horse Master had died two years ago. He told the Prince off Kahn's death and how he had saved him from the leopard, and that he now rode Zeus, Kahn and Sulkie's son.

Before he retired for the night the Prince presented him with a pair of ivory handled 1911 .45 Colt Automatic pistols. Explaining they fired eight bullets from a magazine.

'They were presented to me by an American Congress Man. But I have no use of such weapons."

The entire regiment was drawn up on the parade ground when David arrived at the fort. He entered the officer's room finding Hagar and Sultar along with others he didn't recognise. They all came to attention and saluted him. His throat constricted with emotion at this gesture.

Turin took over "the Colonel Sahib has need off a hundred fighting men, but they must be volunteers he has insisted, so we will address the regiment to find out who."

Before he could leave the room Sultar way laid him, "Colonel Sahib you will need a good second in command. Please except me for that post." He said earnestly.

"Sultar you're married." David replied.

"With respect Colonel Sahib so are you."

"I will have to speak with the Prince and Princess Yasmin about it first before deciding," David answered defensively.

Outside on the rostrum Turin out lined David's request for volunteers. Then David spoke saying that they would be facing superior numbers and that men were likely to die.

Turin said for those who would like to go take one step forward.

The entire regiment stepped forward has one man. David's eyes smarted with emotion at this.

Back in the office he said to Turin for him to select the men, suggesting that priority be given to unmarried men.

Turin smiled seeing the expression on David's face, "what did you expect from them, you are a legion in this regiment."

"I'm telling you now Turin, you are not going, the regiment needs you too much." David said forcefully.

He went on to say the men chosen men would need to bring their saddles, but not their rifles. They would be provided later.

Back at the Palace he was surprised when Princess Yasmin came into the room where he was talking to the Prince.

"David" she began, "Sultar says he wants to go with you."

David hesitated before replying, "Princess I told him he was married and had to consider you."

"But you have Susan and the children to consider too," she replied.

He frowned confused, "I don't understand what you are saying," he murmured.

"I'm saying my husband is a Ghurkha, he was born to fight, and you need an experienced leader to help you. So you must let him go, further has a dutiful wife and prospective mother, I shall accompany him."

David looked startled looking at the Prince and Princess, "the Crater is no place for a royal princess," he stuttered.

The Princess's eyes grew angry, "I have just completed three years at Oxford sharing a flat, before that I worked in the hospital here in Kana. Do you think so little of me that I need to live in luxury to be happy David? Beside which I now hold a medical degree and can help Susan in the hospital."

David looked appealingly at the Prince, who merely shook his head and laughed, "Don't look at me for help, she's made up her mind to go" he said grinning.

"Further" the Princess said "in future you will address me has Yasmin, not Princess, agreed."

David nodded weakly has she left.

"Who wears the trousers in that family I wonder," he said to a grinning Prince.

David left two days later to return to Mombasa, leaving Sultar in charge of bringing the others over.

Once back in Nairobi he wasted no time in gathering the professional hunters together and explaining what was happening in Europe and the fears off an approaching war, and the consequences to East Africa.

He went on to explain the lack of support in manpower in the event of war. He let the outcries and arguments die before adding that it was going to be a case off helping themselves.

"I intend to raise a commando, and train them to be an effective fighting force, so that we can fight back if we are invaded by German East Africa."

He went on to explain about weapons, and pay and conditions, ending by saying, "I'd like you to think about it. But remember if you do join up then you have to obey orders just like any other soldiers. Talk about it amongst your selves, you know where I am if you decide to enlist."

When he got back to the crater he informed Rham about the hundred Ghurkhas who would be coming and who would need accommodation, leaving it up to him to start the building off a barracks for them. Next he spoke to Patar concerning the horses finding they currently had a hundred and twenty horses that had been salted.

The following day the builders from Nairobi arrived to start building a house for Sultar and Yasmin.

That night N'debi visited him; he talked to him about the chance that a war would break out in a few years.

"What I need to know old friend is what the German Askari's are doing over the river, how many are there, what weapons they have, where they camp."

"To find this out Bwana, you need the help off the Maasi, they have villages on both sides off the river."

"Could you speak to them for me N'debi and find out. They would be rewarded for such information."

He spoke at length with Martin regarding accurate maps off the area.

"Most off this part off East Africa has never been mapped. We will need good maps showing water holes, terrain elevations, ground conditions in other words maps that can give us the lay off the land."

"The best way to do that is too break the area up into five mile boxes, and survey it before moving on to the next box. It will take time to do it accurately, but if I can have a Matabele guide and a couple off Rham's men I could start immediately."

David thanked him knowing Martin had the necessary equipment and knowhow to accomplish it.

Susan and the children returned the following week, at the welcome home party he told her off Yasmin being pregnant but would be arriving with Sultar soon. Her face broke out in a wide smile, 'I must go into Nairobi and start to get furniture and material for their home before they arrive' she gushed, happy to be involved.

He drove Susan into the town two days later; whilst she shopped he went into the bar.

Stanley along with his son John, Bill, Ron and Hans, were there.

He took his drink over to them and sat down.

"So David" Stanley began, "so far there are forty-seven off us who are interested in joining your commando. Just what does it involve?"

David took a sip off his beer, before replying, 'At this stage, what we need more than anything is information on the enemy, accurate maps off the area we are likely to be active in. That's where you men would be invaluable, you know this land better than anyone. But most off that information is locked in your heads. We need to get that down on paper. Martin is going to start surveying the land, but it would help if some off you could go with him."

Stanley nodded, "The Germans don't take kindly to us crossing over to their territory, but there are places where it is done. The local natives despise the Askari's, they tend to bully them and take what they want. I have a few contacts with the locals who let me know if the Askari's are about."

David smiled, "that's what we need Stanley. We have about a year or two to prepare in, but I don't want them to know what we are doing. By the same token don't discuss this with anyone outside off those who volunteered, you can bet the Germans are doing something similar over here in preparation."

At this, the men looked startled at each other, has they realised what David had said could be true.

"There's one hundred Ghurkhas who fought for me in India who will be arriving in small numbers so has not to be conspicuous over the next month or so. They will be barracked at the Crater, and keep a low profile. We cannot allow the enemy to know we are preparing. What we lack in numbers, we make up in knowhow, regarding the land and speed in which we move."

By the time he left the bar Stanley and his son had agreed to accompany Martin for a week and then others would take their place.

Ten days later Sultar and Yasmin arrived along with twelve Ghurkhas dressed has servants and three Indian girls who were there has servants the locals thought. Knowing David and Susan had lived in India they put the arrivals down has royal friends visiting them.

Once at the crater the calibrations began, with Susan and Yasmin hugging each other and fussing over the children. Rham had organised a feast for the newly arrived comrades, which went on long into the night.

Sultar reported to him the next day, 'Colonel Sahib the next arrival of men is due in two weeks, they have been ordered to reach Nairobi in groups of four or five and make their way here."

"Thank you Major Sultar, and from now on you will refer to me has David or Colonel, Susan has Doctor or Susan, not Memsahib. That applies to all ranks."

"Very well Colonel" he replied a smile on his face.

Over the next four months, things began to fall into place. The rest of the Ghurkhas had arrived. The weapons from England arrived in three separate shipments. An armoury had been dug for them near the entrance to the crater, at the same time a rifle range had been constructed nearby.

The hunters had arrived at the crater in groups of four or five, and had been shown how to clean and maintain the .303 rifles and zero them in by the Ghurkhas, at the same time learning to respect the small hardy warriors.

Sultar had undertaken the task off showing how to operate the Vickers machine guns and mortars, which were a more advanced model than had been used at Khana Pass in David's day.

David's study had become a war room, were information on the enemy was correlated, at the same time to a large-scale map which was slowly being filled in has the time passed.

Information from England was becoming direr concerning developments in Europe.

Patrols were sent out consisting off a couple off hunters with four or five Ghurkhas in attendance, this enabled the new men to become familiar with the country and at the same time learn about the people and animals that roamed the land.

Patar had sorted out the horses for the men and paddocks for them.

Yasmin along with the three girls who it transpired were trained nurses joined Susan in the hospital. At her insistence it was made larger to house twenty beds.

Stanley was appointed a Captain in charge off the professional hunters. Rham was promoted to Lieutenant, second in charge off fifty off the Ghurkhas, with a Ghurkha called Tartrha in command who Sultar recommended.

Sultar took command of the final fifty. This made three troops off approximately fifty troopers. Nine Ghurkhas were held back has quartermaster and cooks, again at Sultar's suggestion.

Each rifle had a number given it after it had been zeroed to suit the individual trooper, which was placed in the armoury ready for use.

Uniforms had arrived, but apart from checking for alterations were kept in the Crater.

After long deliberation the group off troopers were called the 1^st Nairobi Rifles.

To be continued