Killing Times by David Fraser

Author:David Fraser
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781448207220
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Published: 2019-11-23T00:00:00+00:00

Cosmo had so far had what was called a ‘good war’. John had, of course, followed his activities of which Hilda, who adored him as ever, had been as fully appraised as anybody, which was not much. He had reported for duty in India, as an officer (with a full nine months’ commissioned service behind him, some years before), and instead of being immediately dispatched to England to join a battalion of his regiment, destined as it would have been for France, he had been attached to the Headquarters of some Indian Army formation, based upon his extraordinary, albeit superficial linguistic ability. Cosmo could learn a language as quickly as most people can learn a tune. His method in such things was to decide that he wanted to go somewhere (in wartime this implied wishing to be attached to some specific part of the Army) and then to suggest, with sorrow, that the Staff or troops would fare better if some of them could speak the language of the country. ‘Nobody does,’ he would be told.

‘Well, of course I speak it a bit, as you probably know - ’

‘You speak it, Paterson?’ And a little later, no doubt - ‘Hang on, Paterson. The Colonel wants to see you.’

And then the indispensable Lieutenant Paterson would find himself with some improbable assignment that he thought would interest him. He would no doubt, that same evening, get busy with dictionary and locally recruited teacher. This had led him to Mesopotamia, where a small British Indian force had advanced from the Persian Gulf in the first months, in order to cover the oilfields. This was Turkish imperial territory and a nasty little campaign had ensued in the valleys of Tigris and Euphrates. Now, after earlier successes, the British were bottled up at Kut al Amara. The newspapers had recently sounded a sombre note. John had remarked that things sounded pretty beastly at Kut: worse than Gallipoli in fact. The garrison was isolated from the outside world by the Turkish army and it was not entirely easy for an amateur to understand why it had been allowed to place itself in that position. John looked at Cosmo.

‘Why aren’t you in Kut?’

‘I was told to try and get out with some messages. Then I was told not to go back. I was put on a ship and sent home. Told to go to the War Office. Seen some enormously important people. You couldn’t believe the circles you’ve married into, John.’

‘But Cosmo, why on earth hasn’t Hilda told me? I had a letter from her three days ago.’

‘I’ve not seen her. I only got home on Tuesday. War Box Wednesday. Some rather unrepeatable experiences in London on Thursday, preparatory to spending Easter at long last with my family, getting in touch with my little sister at Bargate, all that. Friday morning, summoned to War Box again. Go to Dublin. Sniffed round yesterday. Now got to see your Colonel Withers. He is yours, I gather?’

‘But why, Cosmo? What

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