Kut Death March

[matthew lucas]

I think the book "Black Bread and Barbedwire" has a chapter deal with one of the OR's captured at Kut.

yes it does a regular sgt major, makes difficult reading, mentioned allready about the fate of those that fell by the wayside, and al also the rapes of the young soldiers as well, not pleasent reading, the anuthor gets killed in the 20's on the nWF

matt

[bob lembke]

Braddon refers to Townsend living the life while his men starved or marched but he used these references as a tool to shock rather than how Townsend disregarded his men and did not care as to how the men were suffering ........... but the most disappointing fact of all is that Braddon didn't crucify the b..tard.

Andrew

In my reading of accounts by German officers serving with the Turks I have read mention German officers in Constantinople noticing Townsend having the free run of Constatinople and frequenting the best restaurants; they complained to the Turks that this was unseemly and Townsend's freedom to cavort was curtailed to some degree. The Turks were of course proud of capturing him and his division, and he was able to parlay that to a good lifestyle; "I have no dog in this fight", and don't know the details, but it would seem that he must have understood that his men were hardly in a comfortable position, to say the least, and he might have led a more modest lifestyle in solidarity. I am sure that the Turks loved to, in effect, show him off about the capital, and he seemed to play into this easily.

Bob Lembke

[Andrew Smith]

Hello Andrew,

Have you been able to find these copies of Reveille?

Cheers,

Shahane

G'day Shahane,

Sorry I have been busy researching my book and writing an article for the 114-18 Journal of the ASWW1AH which is due at the end of the month.

I did get into the roof but I didn't have those particular issues, found a few minor nests though I am going to the NSW State Library sometime this week so I will check out the articles then. The Dixon Library has the complete collection of Reveille.

I will get a photocopy of them and let you know the results.

Regards,

Andrew.

[Andrew Smith]

Thanks for all of the book references.

Regarding Townsend, a speech he made when he returned home he referred to having been "The honoured guest of the Turks".

Today July 13th marks the 93rd anniversary of the passing of my Great Uncle William Lord. I recently received a package from my Aunty in which clippings of newspaper articles of Townsend wereincluded. These belonged to my GG Grandmother. On top of one of the articles entitled "Flogged by the Turks" she wrote a single word;

Butchers

Andrew

[MartinCJ]

My Grandafther was in the RAMC and was apparantly according to family history captured at Kut but later released with wounded and sick and sent back by river to Basra

different versions of family history state he was first marched across the desert prior to being realeased.

i have tried traing his service records but to no avail

Is there any documentary evidence that anyone is aware of that would support the family history?

cheers

Martin

[tipperary]

My Grandafther was in the RAMC and was apparantly according to family history captured at Kut but later released with wounded and sick and sent back by river to Basra

different versions of family history state he was first marched across the desert prior to being realeased.

i have tried traing his service records but to no avail

Is there any documentary evidence that anyone is aware of that would support the family history?

cheers

Martin

Hi Martin and welcome you may get a better responce if you start a thread in soldiers with as much detail as you have on your grandfather, name and number if you have it there are a lot of knowledgeable people on the forum who may be able to help.john

[Ron]

<!--quoteo(post=1124487:date=Feb 20 2009, 01:48 PM:name=rob carman)--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (rob carman @ Feb 20 2009, 01:48 PM) <a href="index.php?act=findpost&pid=1124487"><{POST_SNAPBACK}></a></div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Andrew,

What was it that disppointed you so?

Rob.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

G'day Rob,

While the book has some strong points such as painting the picture of the seige and the conditions the men endured, it never really painted the picture of what a complete bounder Townsend was.

Braddon refers to Townsend living the life while his men starved or marched but he used these references as a tool to shock rather than how Townsend disregarded his men and did not care as to how the men were suffering ........... but the most disappointing fact of all is that Braddon didn't crucify the b..tard.

There is no mention to how the Indian troops suffered a great deal more under the cruel hand of those animals who masqueraded as soldiers of the Ottoman Empire.

The other disappointing aspect of the book was the little written of the air drops of barley and wheat even millstones that the men of the Half Flight and RFC carried out, he disregards what am amazing feat this was in its day, considering the aircraft that were being used.

There was no mention of the ingenuity of the air mechanics under the direction of Captain Winfred Smith, who erected mills so the could produce flour.

There are aspects of the death march that are omitted but thats just me being picky.

I found it disappointing.

Andrew

I don't understand the prejudice against Townshend that appeared after the First World War nor the reason why it survives after nearly a hundred years (see the above

post). Townshend had his faults but he was popular with his troops and was a skilful soldier. He was a prisoner of war like his soldiers and his treatment was in the hands of his captors - he didn't dictate the way he was treated to them His was the treatment that was meted out to most commanding or senior generals who were captured in that war, obviously more comportable than that of his troops. By the way, his generals who were captured with him were accommodated in a civilian house as he was and they had the sort of treatment that he had but they weren't attacked by critics after the war for betraying their troops.

My book (Battles on the Tigris published by Pen and Sword) gives a more balanced view. After writing it and spending a considerable time researching Townshend my conclusion is that if I met him I probably wouldn't have liked him very much - he was too big-headed for my taste but that shouldn't colour my conclusions about his

professional and personal qualities.

Ron

[Ron]

Hi Martin and welcome you may get a better responce if you start a thread in soldiers with as much detail as you have on your grandfather, name and number if you have it there are a lot of knowledgeable people on the forum who may be able to help.john

After the fall of Kut the garrison (those that could march) were marched up to Baghdad and were sorted out there. The British sent a ship up to take on board (22 officers and 323 rank and file) those who were deemed too sick to go into captivity. The march across the desert you mention could have been the journey to Baghdad.

Ron

[MartinCJ]

Thanks Ron

That does tie in with family mythology

Do you know of any documents or war diaries that can be viewed that relate to those lucky enough to be sent back

[Ron]

Thanks Ron

That does tie in with family mythology

Do you know of any documents or war diaries that can be viewed that relate to those lucky enough to be sent back

I have not looked into the circumstances surrounding the arrival of those who were repatriated from Baghdad. I assume

that they would have been taken back to Basra and probably from there to hospital in India. There may be documents at

Kew that relate to these events.

Best wishes

Ron

[Jo Mortimer]

I discovered today that my Grandfather - James Adams - of the Dorsetshire regiment was a POW survivor of Kut. Sadly I never knew him as he died in 1954, 2 years before I was born.

If anyone reading / researching comes across his name I would really appreciate any information no matter how small. I am of course now attempting to find anything I can, but I thought some help from experts would

be a good idea!

very best wishes

Jo Mortimer