Sheikh Sa'ad

[Skipman]

Am looking for any links to websites, and information in general on the battle of Sheikh Sa'ad

It looks like there is a half decent image of the battlefield, on google earth.
If my Coordinates are close?

32°33'56.49"N 46°18'53.04"E

Cheers Mike

[Guest]

I already have this; With a Highland regiment in Mesopotamia

Mike

[liliasodell]

Other than brief mentions in books, the best account I have is in 'The Advance of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force Under the Command of General Sir Edmund H H Allenby' - originally published 1919, but now in 'photostat' reprint, ISBN 1843425785 (the original is marginally better if you can afford it, as the maps are a bit sharper and have some colour points, whereas the reprint is black and white). Do you have this? If not, I'd be happy to let you have the relevant passage relating to movements and activity around Sheikh Sa'ad.

There's probably something in the Wavell history of the Palestine Campaigns, unfortunately I can't easily get at my copy at the moment. If you don't have a copy yourself, let me know and I'll see if I can lay hands on mine and take a look. Eljo.

[Guest]

Many thanks for that. i would appreciate, anything you could help me with. Four of the men I am researching, were in the 2nd Black watch, and involved in the battle.

I will pm you shortly. I do not have any of the books you mention.

Cheers Mike

[Guest]

I found this HERE

On Friday 7 January 1916 the

‘Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad’ was fought, at a point where the Turkish Army had

established a camp which held approximately 4000 troops. During the battle, the

1st/5th (Territorial Force) Battalion advanced towards the enemy, but as with the

other units also attacking the entrenched Ottoman forces during the battle, it did

so without the help of supporting artillery, it being in stark contrast to the

opposition, as the battalion came under extremely heavy artillery bombardment.

As the day wore on the battalion started to suffer increasing casualties, which

included the death of the battalion Adjutant, 24 year old Lieutenant Hugh S.

Marchant, from Matfield, Paddock Wood, Kent. In addition to the loss of the

Adjutant, the Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel J. M. Munn-Mace was

wounded, as was Major Eric Clarke. Archibald was one of the thirty seven other

ranks in his battalion who were killed in action at Sheikh Sa'ad on Friday 7

January 1916. Despite the Turkish forces which were encamped at Sheikh Sa'ad

being in clearly an advantageous position, at the end of the day the position

remained a stalemate. Under the cover of darkness, several intelligence

gathering patrols were sent out from various British and Empire units, all of which

on returning to their lines reported that the enemy forces had by that time

withdrawn further up the river Tigris. The Turkish commander General Nur-Ud-

Din had taken the decision to make the move, which a number of commentators

have referred to as having been carried out very quietly, and probably swiftly. No

one knew why the Turkish commander had made the strange decision to move

his forces from Sheikh Sa'ad,’ but as the result of same he was sacked was only

a few days later on January 10 being replaced by Khalil Pasha. The month

before the ‘Battle of Sheikh Sa'ad’ was fought, General Nur-Ud-Din when

commanding the besieging force at Kut-al-Amara had attempted to offer General

Sir Charles Townshend immediate terms of surrender. He sent one of his Staff

Captains under a white flag, with a personal letter outlining his demand which

was rebuffed, and the Turkish Captain was sent back with a scathing retort

written by General Townshend. As all the 37 members of the 1st/5th (Territorial

Force) Battalion who died on Friday 7 January 1916 at Sheikh Sa'ad, are

recorded as having been killed in action, perhaps the way that they lost their lives

could in truth be described as being fortunate. British casualties at Sheikh Sa'ad

were over 4000. The provision of adequate medical capacity and supplies had

not been high on the list of priorities for the limited transport from Basra, and the

under equipped Field Ambulances struggled to cope. The Meerut Division had

the capacity to cope with 250 casualties, but were faced with thousands. More

than 1000 wounded men were still lying out in the open, with barely even basic

first-aid administered to them, eleven days after the cessation of the fighting and

the Turkish departure. Of these, approximately 100 were also suffering from

Dysentery, and many of those who had been wounded during the ‘Battle of

Sheikh Sa'ad,’ later sadly succumbed to their woundings.

Mike

[Guest]

Using Geoff's CWGC Cemetery Engine.

CWGC Cemetery's Iraq

Mike

[ander11]

Many thanks for that. i would appreciate, anything you could help me with. Four of the men I am researching, were in the 2nd Black watch, and involved in the battle.

I will pm you shortly. I do not have any of the books you mention.

Cheers Mike

Hello Shipman I am also researching the 2nd Battalion Black Watch, Is there anything I can do I be glad to help .Send me a a Pm to let me know what you are looking for???

Best reguards

Ian

[ander11]

Hello Mike, one of my friends found this link and passed it on to me, It might be of use to you.

http://content.yudu.com/Library/A1p01y/Medals16Sep10/resources/351.htm?skipFlashCheck=true

cheers Ian

[Guest]

Thanks Ian, looks interesting.

Cheers Mike

[ander11]

Thanks Ian, looks interesting.

Cheers Mike

I thought that would be of interest

Ian

[Guest]

Ian, I didn't take a good look at until this morning. WOW! That is excellent information, and have never seen that before. Am extremely chuffed at that, and thank you very much. Just goes to show, there is always more out there. :thumbsup:

Mike

[Guest]

941 L/Cpl Peter McNee DCM

Mike

[PPCLI]

Hi Mike,

If you still have a copy of my book, then the story of brothers Hugh and John Rennie (p156-159) will give you detail of the battle from the 1st Seaforth Highlanders' viewpoint.

Cheers,

Stuart

[Guest]

Hi Mike,

If you still have a copy of my book, then the story of brothers Hugh and John Rennie (p156-159) will give you detail of the battle from the 1st Seaforth Highlanders' viewpoint.

Cheers,

Stuart

Hi stuart. I do indeed still have my ( signed ) copy of your excellent book. I will have look.

Any new ww1 projects in mind?

Cheers Mike