The relief of Assiut - March 1919

[ddycher]

All

This is an off shoot of Michaldr's thread on the Assiut ~ Minieh train murders of March 1919.

I am relooking at events in March and April 1919 and specifically the river column led by Brig.Gen. Hubert Huddlestone.

By the beginning of March the 75th divisional HQ was at Alex. w/ one bde at Heliopolis and another at Ismailia. Huddleston in command of the 232nd Bde.

The arrest of Zaghlul (leader of the Party of Independance) and 3 other leaders on the afternoon of March 9th sparked off an active bedouin rebellion. This kicked off with students protesting on the 10th in Cairo. On the 12th Allenby leaves for the peace talks in Paris and Bulfin takes command in Egypt. The disturbances are spreading out from Cairo and Martial Law declared. This continues and by the 14th 13 killed & thirty wounded in rioting in Cairo. There are continued attacks on British troops with a soldier murdered in Kaliab. More worrisome was the attacks on the road, rail and water transport routes. 2 trains en-route to Cairo attacked by 2~3000 strong mob (see Michael's thread). By the 15th the riots have extended to Upper Egypt and see's A.T. Smith of the Egyptian State Railways murdered in Wasta. British residents also coming under seige in Beni-Suef. The 16th rioting continues to spread with the worst of the day in Minet el Qamh. By the 17th Cairo is now effectively cut off /isolated. 14 killed and 24 wounded in rioting in Alexandria and riots kick off in Rosetta. With things coming to a head Bulfin relocates to Cairo to take personal command (General Watson was in command at Cairo upto this point). The 18th saw residents at Beni-Suef relieved by boat from Cairo. The Assiut ~ Minieh train murders Michael refers to and the start of serious riots in Assiut. Things at Assuit go from bad to worse and by the 23rd and 24th there is wide spread burning and looting, notably of Coptic shops. Fighting is now openly taking place between the Bedouin, natives and British troops On the afternoon of 24th the Mudir (Communal Head) telegraphed Cairo that ammunition was short and position was dangerous.

Bulfin orders Huddleston to lead a punitive column up river. This being 1 of 16 coloumns ultimately put into action to quell the disturbances. Huddleston headed up river with 250 Irish Rifles aboard the Hamburg American S.S. Victoria and Puritan and other misc. craft. This was a river born column pushing its way up the Nile. Huddleston's role was one of the four responses that General Bulfin put into motion on arriving in Cairo. By collecting river boats, he was to lead a small column, by water to Assuan to evacuate the families of European officials and bring them to Cairo under escort.

I have no details of the coming together of the column or why the Irish Rifles were selected. Nor do I know when it set off or its departure point. I do know that the force was fired upon from the banks at Shalash at 9.30am on the 24th. This led to teh wounding of Lt.-Col A.W. Hazel ref'd in the other thread, who later died of wounds. Hazel's movements before joining the column are unknown. In response to the sniping Huddleston landed a small party and the crowd was dispersed. Huddleston then continued upriver arriving at Assiut at Mid-day on the 25th. By the 27th March Huddleston, still in Assiut, was in touch with troops being sent north from the Sudan. By the 29th Huddleston is able to confirm that things are quietening down in Assiut and by the end of the month Huddleston is able to claim that his troops have restored order in the town. Huddlestone's force was relieved by Shea's larger Column which was marching on Assuan from Westa on the 2nd April.

75th Divisional HQ was moved to Ismailia on 5th April and the 75th division spent the rest of its existance garrisoning the Eastern Delta upto the Suez Canal. The 232nd Bde was disbanded on 17th October 1919.

I have found it difficult to locate more details on Huddleston's column and I would like to pull together a better picture of events at Assiut.

Anyone know anymore ?

Regards

Dave

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

There was a lot going on at that time.

Aussie accounts are in the official History and a book I have called "Australians and Egypt 1914-19" by Suzanne Brugger, but it deals with the actions by Aussie troops during the Egyptian Rebellion, I could find no direct mention of the old Camel Corps commanding officer of aussies, Huddleston.

Sorry.

S.B

[AndyR]

Hi

My grandfather, J H Beverland, a doctor with the 163 Indian Combined Field Ambulance, was in Assiut in early April.

Info from the war diary:

29th March – Cairo MENA CAMP

30th March – RODA ISLAND

31st March – RODA ISLAND– All arrived at EL WASTA and remained on board overnight.

31st pitched camp at village of GEZIREN EZ MASADA

6th April – R NILE near BENI SUEF – Tied up to the east bank of the Nile opposite El FASHN

7th April – R. NILE EL FASHN to EL SHEIKH HASAN- Collected sick and wounded

8th April – R. NILE EL SHEIKH HASAN TO MINIA – Difficult in shallow waters, arrive at MINIA around 1900hrs

9th April – MINIA – Personnel disembarked 0630 hrs, animals on board to proceed with B Section detailed for ASSIUT.

Divided in three sections (i) ASSIUT (ii) DAIRUT (iii) MINIA

9th April – MINIA – B Section re embarked on S.W with equipment + rations O.C Capt BEVERLAND RAMC

14th April – B Section arrived at ASSUIT about 0800hrs 12.4.19. Company site was given by Brigade Major. Disembarkment commenced at 0900 and was completed. Casualties being treated by B Section

1st May 1919 – MINIA – H P Dawson RAMC took over duties of B Section from Capt BEVERLAND J H RAMC

2nd May – MINIA – Capt Stanley RAMC and Capt BEVERLAND RAMC departed to report to DDMS for demobilisation and are struck off the strength

I’m afraid this is just after the period you’re interested in but I have a number of photographs of the journey and of Assiut that may be of interest. I’ll post them over the next few weeks.

Andy

.

[AndyR]

Found the photos quicker than I thought!

9 titled on the Nile and 9 titled Assiut.

These must all date to April 1919.

[AndyR]

[AndyR]

Part of the report from B section after their arrival at Assiut and received at Minia on 14/4/19:

The camp site is near the first bridge-lock over the IBRAHIM CANAL on the side of the road between the bridge-lock of the ASSIUT BARRAGE. Between this road & the River NILE is a large park with numerous trees. On the other side of the road is a large school. All troops are either in the school or camped in the park. The school infirmary is already in use as a hospital (military). No building was allotted to B Section as the hospital accommodation is considered by O.C. ASSIUT sufficient for present needs. Indian dressing cases are being treated by B Section. Indian & British sick being both accommodated in the school infirmary.

[AndyR]

Last group shows the camp.

I've always thought there must be a story behind the last photo - does anyone know who might have been buried at Assiut?

That's all - hope they are of interest.

Andy

[ddycher]

Andy

Many thanks for sharing. Great pictures. Have back through my notes and cant find any leads as to who may have been buried in the Park. Graves don't look recent so would appear that these are earlier. Will dig further and post if I find anything.

Regards

Dave

[corisande]

Newspaper reports are "confused". The Times does not mention Huddleston by name, but has quite a lot on the situation if you search by the place names

[ddycher]

Thanks Corrisande.

There is a lot of ambiguity in news reports of the time. Into the 4th week of March UK papers were still downplaying the rising as a "small local show of nationalism". Re the clippings above : the ref's to Huddleston speaking in high terms of the Police Administrator (mamur) have always confused me. Ultimately he was executed on the 15th June for his part in the riots. Behaviour of the Assiut police later came in for much criticism even to the point of being held responsible for the train murders of the 18th.

Regards

Dave