It was my proud privilege to command these men, and it is my highest reward that I had their confidence; I ask no other. It was palpable to me after the formation of the New Armies that whatever might be the outcome of our doings in France, my own days as Commander were assuredly numbered. It would in my belief have been the case with any man in command; that it fell to me was chiefly because I happened to be the man. It is of interest to note here that Lord Roberts, during his visit to the Corps, had given me some very valuable advice, and promised that he would bear me out in anything I did acting on that advice. I followed it out, for it was the only way in which the best could be got from the Indians. Alas! he did not live to help, when his help was sadly needed; and though it eventually led to my being relieved of my command ten months later on, I do not regret it for a moment, for it was my duty; and in the consciousness of having done that lies a man’s greatest reward. I will quote some of what he said from my diary of the same day. He told me that it was absolutely necessary to remember that the Indians must be used with discretion and not flung into battle indiscriminately. He gave me his reasons fully, and told me it was my duty to keep those in higher command reminded of this, and that even if it was an unpleasant task, it still must be done. He added very positively that it was only fair to the Army, to the Indians themselves, and, above all, to the British battalions in the Brigades, who, he added, “will have to bear a heavy burden in any case.” No words of mine could possibly sum up so truthfully and exactly just what was necessary, and to those who know the trials they endured, it will be clear that these were the only conditions on which the Indian soldiers could be asked to give of their best in Europe. I write this four years after the event, and hence any spirit of personal recrimination has, I hope, disappeared; but what can never disappear is the sense of wrong done by the public to the men who served under me, and served so well. For, what were the facts? Whilst the British forces were daily improving in man-power, we were going downhill; whilst the type of British recruits was daily getting better and the best manhood of these islands was gradually being drafted into their ranks, ours were deteriorating. Whilst in England the whole country was watching and encouraging her men to join up, India was kept in the dark regarding the doings of her soldiers and we had to take whatever was sent us. The whole conditions were different.