1st/4th hampshire regiment

[pete franklin]

Hello

Would any kind person out there have a copy of the war diary for the 1st/4th Bn, Hampshire Regiment for January 1916.

A copy for the month or at least the few days leading up to and including 21st Jan would be great.

Are there any casualties listed for the month.

Many Thanks

Pete

[charlie962]

Peter

 

Given where the 1/4th were serving at the time, tracing a war diary for some may be difficult. One company (A HQ) was trapped inside Kut-el-Amara, into the second month of siege. The rest were part of the Relief Force attempting to break through the Turkish lines to relieve their comrades in Kut. Many casualties around this time, both inside the town and with relieving forces.  A search for the Hampshire Regiment/Iraq/ 21/1/16  on CWGC gives 96 died for that day alone, mostly 1/4th and mostly those with the Relief Force.Are you looking for someone specific? I have started researching those captured at Kut and may have noted something.

 

Hampshire 'Expert' Marc Thompson may well respond to this thread. You might be better putting it under the Middle East thread?

 

Charlie

[pete franklin]

Charlie

 

Many thanks

 I was researching 200748 George Bradbury from Stanton Harcourt War Memorial

Pete

[charlie962]

He was almost certainly with the regiment as part of the relief force engaged that day at the Battle of Hannah. Failure and heavy casualties. Appalling medical follow-up. I see he is noted as presumed dead on that date. You will no doubt have seen that in Soldiers Effects his mother was named Honor as was his sister, which helps you confirm his family. I note that the Ancestry Public Tree done by Peter Bradbury has the correct ancestry, unlike one or two others.

 

Charlie

[pete franklin]

Charlie

Thanks for that.

Yes I did have the soldiers effects, there is also an earlier numbered record (681591) that gives his TF number and mentions 6th Poona,

had not checked the public tree yet as don't normally trust them without digging around to confirm them for myself

 

Pete

[Alan24]

The 1/4 Hants diary is quite difficult to read but this is my interpretation.

TNA war diary WO95/5146/7 gives this info...

Jan 21st HANNAH

Relieved at 2am. Marched out at 3.30am Bos 16 ORs 310.

Relieved 35th Brigade in support trenches at 6am. Attacked in support of 35th Brigade at 7.00. Attack unsuccessful. Brigade orders to return at dusk.

casualties...

officers killed 6, wounded 6, Dow 1.

ORs killed 24, Dow 7, wounded 124, missing 76. Total 231.

 

Alan.

[charlie962]

Peter

 

I remarked on the 'presumed dead' entry in Soldiers Effects because it would suggest his body was never recovered in this failed attack. Whilst one hopes his death was quick, he may well be one of those wounded who died a slow death from exposure during the following night on the battlefield.

Patrick Crowley's recent book, Kut 1916- Courage and Failure in Iraq, summarises the battle and aftermath succinctly. He states that the 1/4th Hants started the battle in 9th Brigade with 16 officers and 339 other ranks had casualties of 13 and 275 respectively. (Alan's post above  has ORs 310/231 ?)

 

This is a very overlooked 'side-show' campaign where there was desperate fighting, tremendous bravery, appalling conditions- mud, floods, heat, disease and a good deal of mis-management (on a scale that beats even the Western Front). If you read around the subject in researching your man you will appreciate just how much the average soldier suffered as a result, more than was necessary.

 

I believe that it was after these terrible losses that the remainder of 1/4th Hants joined 1/5th Buffs in the 35th Infantry Brigade to form a Composite Territorial Battalion.

 

Charlie

Edited 4 June , 2017 by charlie962

[pete franklin]

Gentlemen thank you for your time and effort on this one

Pete