Kut POW

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smithy   

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Posted 15 February , 2003

My Grand Uncle was with the 10th Brigade 63bty RFA. He was taken prisoner at Kut and is buried in the North Gate cemetery in Baghdad. Name David Cobb 91155 he died 11/07/1916..How did you obtain a death certificate?

[charlie962]

20 hours ago, David Cobb said:

David Cobb 91155

David,

I'm not answering your question but I assume you have looked at the CWGC site and seen that David Cobb was originally buried at Yarbashi Cemetery,  Asia Minor and exhumed by the CWGC and transferred to Baghdad?

It does show that he must have done a certain part of that infamous death march. Any death certificate should be treated with a great deal of caution. The paperwork generally was the last thing that interested the Turks and was often produced in arrears and frankly made up. Particularly the cause of death. It is fairly remarkable that he had a marked grave.

 

Yarbashi was one of the railway work camps so it was probably a combination of disease, starvation and brutal working conditions.

Charlie

Edited 4 May , 2018 by charlie962

[MaureenE]

You can apply for a death certificate from the GRO, see the topic below, but it probably will not contain any additional information to the CWGC data mentioned by  charlie962 in the post above, although there is a possibility cause of death may be given.  You may be able to locate a record for him in the ICRC records, which sometimes give cause of death, for more details see the FIBIS Fibiwiki page  Prisoners of the Turks (First World War)

https://wiki.fibis.org/w/Prisoners_of_the_Turks_(First_World_War)

 

As Charlie said, death was probably a combination of disease, starvation and brutal working conditions, whether or not there is an official cause of death available. The  railway work camps were in very isolated rugged mountain terrain. Malaria was very bad in the area, and the medical facilities were probably non existent, or very poor. Food was restricted generally  (I believe there were generalised food shortages throughout Turkey) and specifically prisoners only received a food allowance if they were working.  I think conditions in some camps were better than others, depending on the German official in charge of the Camp, but it would be hard physical work for men whose general health would have been  very poor after the siege of Kut (very restricted food available) and a gruelling march.

Cheers

Maureen

 

Edited 5 May , 2018 by Maureene

[charlie962]

8 hours ago, Maureene said:

You may be able to locate a record for him in the ICRC records,

I had a look and nothing there. Not surprised because Turks didn't start submitting lists 'til later.

 

PW Long (book- Other Ranks of Kut) was also 63rd Bty RFA. His tale is fascinating but as well as having a lot of luck he was a survivor by nature. Well worth reading his book- reprint available through Naval Military Press.

 

Charlie962

[BullerTurner]

On 23/02/2003 at 22:35, MartinWills said:

As ever the railway fraternity, who probably are as great a bunch of anoraks as we are 

 

Is this what is known in business circles as "benchmarking"?

[MaureenE]

I have recently come across some Interviews with POWs in Turkey, on the IWM website, which I haven't  has change to listen to yet

• Interviews. Imperial War Museums.
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  • Listen to the 1984 interview with Jack William Callaway British gunner served as bugler with 82nd Bty, 110th Bde Royal Field Artillery in India and Mesopotamia, 1908-1916; present at siege of Kut-el-Amara, 4/1916; POW in Turkey, 1916-1918 . Catalogue number 8277
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  • Listen to the 1985 inteview with Joseph William Lennox Napier, British officer served with the 4th Bn South Wales Borderers in Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, 1914-1917; POW in Turkey, 1917-1918. Reel 2. Catalogue number 7499
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  • Listen to the 1984 interview with Thomas Edward Osmond British officer served with Royal Army Medical Corps in Mesopotamia, 1914-1916; captured at seige of Kut-el-Amara and POW in Turkey, 1916-1918. Catalogue number 8228 
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  • Listen to the 1976 interview with Henry Hampton Rich British officer served with 120th Rajputana Infantry in Mesopotamia, 1915-1916, including siege of Kut-el-Amara; POW in Turkey, 1916-1918. Catalogue number 766
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  • Listen to the 1969 Interview with Horace Wake British private served with 1/4th Bn Essex Regt in Egypt and Palestine, 12/1915-3/1917; captured during First Battle of Gaza, 3/1917 and POW in Palestine and Turkey, 1917-1919. Catalogue number 33526.

Cheers

Maureen

[charlie962]

Maureene, thanks

Charlie