Guest Brian+Sue Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 Our relative, Alfred Reid (Corporal, RFC) is listed by CWGC as serving in No1 Res Sqn. He died 5/5/1916 and is remembered at Basra Memorial. We have information about the Battle of Kut-al-Amara and the involvement of the Australians as the Mesapotamia Half Flight which disbanded in March 1916. Can anyone tell us anything about this unit in which Corporal Reid served. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 19 July , 2004 Share Posted 19 July , 2004 Brian and Sue Corporal A Reid (862) of No 30 Sqn RFC died of enteritis on 5 May 1916. He was taken Prisoner of War after the fall of Kut al Amara on 29 April. Cpl Reid was a direct entrant to the RFC on 1 September 1913. By August 1914 he was an Air Mechanic II with No 4 Sqn. He was apparently not awarded the 1914 or 1914/15 Stars, so he may not have gone to France with the No 4 Sqn - perhaps he was sent to Egypt instead? No 30 Sqn RFC was formed in Egypt on 24 March 1915 from RFC personnel who were there for the defence of the Suez Canal. On 26 November 1915 the unit was relieved ay the Canal by a flight from No 14 Sqn and then moved to Basra in southern Mesopotamia. During the seige of Kut No 30 Sqn carried out numerous supply drops to the garrison - perhaps your relative was attached to the defending army in some sort of air/ground liasion role. I hope this helps. Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest stevenbec Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 Mate He could also be amoung the ground crew for this Sqn as were a number of Aussies attached to 30 Sqn who like your relation were captured and died from abuse/illness during their captivity. S.B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killratio Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 Brian, Sue, If you can get hold of a copy of "Guests of the Unspeakable" by White it will be well worth your while. It tells much about Turkish prision camps etc. The author was captured early on and spent much of the war in Turkish captivity. regards Darryl Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stevedrew Posted 20 July , 2004 Share Posted 20 July , 2004 Brian & Sue, As Darryl (hi mate) suggested, "Guests of the unspeakable" is well worth getting, as you may find some valuable background information on your relative. A very good read. Steve Drew Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brian+Sue Posted 21 July , 2004 Share Posted 21 July , 2004 Many thanks to Steve, Darryl, S.B, and Gareth for all your helpful info. Gareth, where did you get those details, they help provide us with a fuller picture of Alfred. We'll be looking for a copy of 'Guests of the Unspeakable'. Thanks again folks. Brian+Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Brian and Sue The two books I looked at for information on Cpl Read were: 'Airmen Died in the Great War' by Chris Hobson, ISBN 0 871505 81 X. This has brief details of every airman and airwoman who died while serving in the British and Empire air services - RFC, RNAS, AFC, RAF and WRAF. 'A Contemptible Little Flying Corps' by McInnes and Webb, ISBN 0 948130 98 9. This has a short biography of all pre-War other ranks of the RFC. With respect to events in Mesopotamia up to and including Kut, you might like to try second hand shops and libraries for a copy of Russell Braddon's 'The Siege', ISBN 224 61793 1. It's a good account that is quite readable. There's one mention in the book of a Cpl W H Candy of the RFC who also joined in 1913 and served in No 4 Sqn before ending up in Mesopotamia, where he died as a PoW - a similar history to your relative. Best wishes Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Brian+Sue Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Gareth Thanks for the additional book titles and ISBN codes, do you have thr ISBN for 'Guests of the Unspeakable', we are unable to locate it on major UK and Aussie bookstore sites. I'm attaching a photo of Alfred who probably had such high hopes but must have died insuch appalling circumstances. God bless him. Brian+Sue Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted 22 July , 2004 Share Posted 22 July , 2004 Brian and Sue Thank you for sharing your photograph with us all. My 1990 reprint copy of 'Guests of the Unspeakable' has the ISBN 1 86315 000 5. Cheers Gareth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
droberts Posted 6 February , 2007 Share Posted 6 February , 2007 The following might be of interest to you. Townshend was advised to evacuate the aircraft from the seige as they would be quickly targeted by artillery and therefore of no further use to him. They were used to drop in a tiny amount of supplies thereafter. His effective strengths for the RFC on 15th March 1916 are 3 British officers 41 british OR and 11 indian OR. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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