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Remembered Today:

Major A.G Boldero 3rd SLI /2nd Dorsets Mesopotamia , photos-documents


beestonboxer

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Norfolk house Kut where 2nd Bn Norfolks were quartered June 1915. Not so easy to see but there are two artillery pieces in position.

nfkhse.jpg.c8c265c39a43911f7c80dde24f5e8fb5.jpg

 

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41 minutes ago, charlie962 said:

It says Amara (ie way downstream) rather than Kut-el-Amara ?

 

               59bc07b9db340_mapmespot.JPG.b63a60845a8f721b7e2c2d4933ff6ef8.JPG

 

Charlie

Thanks for pointing that out Charlie my mistake.

Regards Tim

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  • 2 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Anyone any ideas would love to know I passed it by Trajan and he believes it to be an official document of some kind , a translation even a part would be of interest.

Thanks Tim

let1.jpg

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I can ask around. Will get back to you if any luck.

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Found someone, just sending the image to him.

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3 hours ago, seaJane said:

Found someone, just sending the image to him.

Many thanks Sea Jane I look forward to hearing from you. Could well be nothing of any sort of importance at all but Major Boldero seemed to think it  interesting enough go in to his album.

Thanks Tim

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Hi Tim,

 

Glad I've found someone!

 

The academic to whom I sent it can read the blue script at the foot of the page but not the rest. Any chance you can send a higher definition image direct to me? I'll pm you my e-mail.

 

sJ

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On 8/16/2017 at 20:33, JMB1943 said:

Wonderful photos and information!

I am currently re-reading "The Siege" by Russell Braddon (the story of the debacle of the siege of Kut al Amarah)

so the mentions of the Dorsets, Norfolks and Ox & Bucks LI etc are of great interest.

Please keep on with the postings.

Regards,

JMB

I have just stumbled on this thread and have a quadruple interest.  (i) I read "The Siege" a few years ago - a very interesting, no-holds-barred account of a truly dismal episode; (ii) I have learned from Kim more about (and seen new photos of) my distant relative R S Moberly, attached to 1/32 Sikh Pioneers in Mesopotamia; (iii) my grandfather Capt Hugh de Lisle Penfold served with 2 Bn 9 Gurkha Rifles in the advance to Baghdad in 1917 (part of the 37th Brigade of the 14th British/Indian Division); so (iv) the amazing photos posted by beestonboxer are highly relevant.   Thank you!

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 26/08/2017 at 18:55, beestonboxer said:

Thought I would throw this one in and ask the Question what is the contraption the soldier is standing next to ? it looks somewhat sinister to me but probably all very innocent and obvious once explained.

Having just read a Mule Corps War Diary for Mesopotamia there is a note therein of an Indian driver who deserted, was caught a couple of days later and:-

               20th March 1916   ..Punishment of 30 lashes awarded by SGCM to No 96 Driver Karam, Elahi, promulgated and inflicted.

 

 So it was us not them! There were a number of desertions recorded and even 13 years penal servitude did not stop them.

Charlie

Edited by charlie962
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  • 2 weeks later...
On 19/10/2017 at 12:20, charlie962 said:

What news on the Turkish document?

Sorry it took a while Charlie, my contact in Freiburg University had to visit Iran and has alas, only sent me a transcription so far, which has just arrived. He says "It is about the dismissal of a servant due to his breath problem (mainly shortness of breath). His body is examined by different doctors who have mentioned their notes clearly."

 

In case there is anyone who can translate this I include it, but otherwise - I hesitate to be a nuisance - is there any chance of a closer/sharper image of the different sections of the letter? 

 [Main text] Kur (?)…Muhafız Bölüğü Kumandanlığı Nefes (?)----------- Aliyesine

Maruz-ı Bendeleridir

Bendeleri Salman (?) di- sakin olub her nasılsa iki mah evvel buradan muhafız bölüğüne naklim icra edilmiş olub da buranın ab ve havasına imtizaç itmiyerek vuçuduma arıza olan hastalık  (khastalik) ve tengi nefes bulunduğuma nefeşi nashi lütfen ve merhameten burada bulunan sıhhıye doktoru/ doktori vasıtasıyla mu‘ayene icrası husuna içab edenlere emr ve [vücut?] buyurulmasına istid‘a ve istirham ederim olbabda emr ve ferman hazreti men lehül emrindir.

Kur (?) Muhafız Bölüğü afrad(?)

Majd aqa (?) ‘Abd al-Wahhab

2.     [Short text in black] Muayenesine emr buyurulmak marazıyla huzur-i ‘ali Kaymakam der cümle arz ve takdimlerimizdir

Muhafız Bölüğü                                                                                   

Kumandanı [The date of 220 or 330 is shown; perhaps referring to 1330/c. 1914 ]

3.      Mustad‘i ...ilayh [ dark blue text]

Ve zayıf vücut ve asap ve tengi nefes ‘illatdina mubtala olub aykiay ...tabdil hava ...mohtac oleh...

Hasata hana-yi Tabibi (Khasta Khana-yi TabibI)

Doktor Efendi ...onur(?) [ light blue with signature]

Kaymakam

5.      Stamps

Top: [ Lunar, full moon and star(symbols of Islam) in which has been written in Arabic: Rashad (true religion/right guidance) and basmala al-rahman al-rahim/In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful)

Middle: [In Turkish..can't make this out]

Bottom: [ ….makhsus ‘ilm ve khirad (...for the knowledge and wisdom)]

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On ‎09‎/‎11‎/‎2017 at 17:04, seaJane said:

Sorry it took a while Charlie, my contact in Freiburg University had to visit Iran and has alas, only sent me a transcription so far, which has just arrived. He says "It is about the dismissal of a servant due to his breath problem (mainly shortness of breath). His body is examined by different doctors who have mentioned their notes clearly."

 

In case there is anyone who can translate this I include it, but otherwise - I hesitate to be a nuisance - is there any chance of a closer/sharper image of the different sections of the letter? 

 [Main text] Kur (?)…Muhafız Bölüğü Kumandanlığı Nefes (?)----------- Aliyesine

 

 

 

 

Maruz-ı Bendeleridir

 

Bendeleri Salman (?) di- sakin olub her nasılsa iki mah evvel buradan muhafız bölüğüne naklim icra edilmiş olub da buranın ab ve havasına imtizaç itmiyerek vuçuduma arıza olan hastalık  (khastalik) ve tengi nefes bulunduğuma nefeşi nashi lütfen ve merhameten burada bulunan sıhhıye doktoru/ doktori vasıtasıyla mu‘ayene icrası husuna içab edenlere emr ve [vücut?] buyurulmasına istid‘a ve istirham ederim olbabda emr ve ferman hazreti men lehül emrindir.

 

 

 

Kur (?) Muhafız Bölüğü afrad(?)

 

Majd aqa (?) ‘Abd al-Wahhab

 

2.     [Short text in black] Muayenesine emr buyurulmak marazıyla huzur-i ‘ali Kaymakam der cümle arz ve takdimlerimizdir

 

Muhafız Bölüğü                                                                                   

 

Kumandanı [The date of 220 or 330 is shown; perhaps referring to 1330/c. 1914 ]

 

3.      Mustad‘i ...ilayh [ dark blue text]

 

Ve zayıf vücut ve asap ve tengi nefes ‘illatdina mubtala olub aykiay ...tabdil hava ...mohtac oleh...

 

Hasata hana-yi Tabibi (Khasta Khana-yi TabibI)

Doktor Efendi ...onur(?) [ light blue with signature]

 

Kaymakam

 

5.      Stamps

 

Top: [ Lunar, full moon and star(symbols of Islam) in which has been written in Arabic: Rashad (true religion/right guidance) and basmala al-rahman al-rahim/In the name of God, the Compassionate, the Merciful)

 

Middle: [In Turkish..can't make this out]

 

Bottom: [ ….makhsus ‘ilm ve khirad (...for the knowledge and wisdom)]

 

Many thanks Sea jane for taking the time and trouble to follow this up for me very much appreciated.

Tim 

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  • 1 month later...

I will continue to post some more photos later on, I just thought in the meantime I should include some of the newspaper reports which mainly include details of the fighting at Ctesiphon and the retreat to Kut el Amara.  The first titled "HARD FIGHT AT CTESIPHON ONE OF THE INDIAN ARMYS GREATEST BATTLES". An Officer with the Mesopotamia force in a letter home Writes- -

The campaign in Mesopotamia has been in process of metamorphosis during the last few months, and though the outside world has heard little of our doings, we are congratulating ourselves that, from what Mr Bottomely so encouragingly called " the Mesopotamian Picnic " we have passed through the various stages of side show, into almost a full fledged part of the main theatre of operations.

After the capture of Kut el Amara the Turkish government became nervous about the safety of Baghdad and despatched strong reinforcements southwards against the steady  advance of the British from Basra. After  the battle of September 28th Kut el Amara was established as the head of our line of communication, and the troops under General Townshend operated  from there to oppose any concentration of Turks to the north. This force has ably and gallantly carried out this duty allotted to it. Though now pressed back on their advanced position at Kut by greatly superior numbers of Turkish troops, drawn from as far north as Smyrna, they have in the last three months been continuously in touch with the enemy, fought several minor actions, and lastly in the battle at Ctesiphon driven four divisions of Turks from a strong and carefully prepared position and inflicted heavy losses on them.

This hard fought action will rank as one of the greatest battles in which the Indian Army has ever been engaged. Our troops , British and Indian, emaciated by the terrible hot weather, afterwards suffering from cold and constantly wearied by incessant work and incessant fighting, boldly faced enormous odds. Victory rested with them at the end of the day , but at such a price that further advance would have been too costly. For three days the force held to the captured positions until, further Turkish reinforcements having arrived from Baghdad, a withdrawal to the Kut el Amara position was determined on. This was carried out by General Townshend with the greatest success, and it speaks well for the spirit of the troops, under his command that in the face of overwhelming numbers, the retirement was carried out with cheerfulness and steadiness past all praise, and not even the prisoners of which 1,300 had been captured at Ctesiphon, were allowed to fall in to the hands of the enemy.

 

To be continued

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On 07/01/2018 at 10:23, beestonboxer said:

and not even the prisoners ........ were allowed to fall in to the hands of the enemy

Ironic. But then its a newspaper article. They may have hung on to the prisoners but there was an unfortunate barge-full of British/Indian wounded that had to be abandoned on the Tigris and left to the tender mercies of the Turkish and their followers. I am not sure if we know how many of these ever made it to a prison camp?

 

edit. We'd be talking about 400 or so men. There is a reference in both Moberly and Naval Staff Monographs to a barge load of prisoners being handed over by the Turks a few days later with the explanation that they already had their own hospitals fulll of their own wounded and couldn't possibly look after these extras.!  But I wonder what the basis is for this story? The Kut siege would have started and I've not seen any references to arrival of a barge-load (eg Major Barber's account) arriving at the town or even an account of a barge being allowed to pass down-river. Was it just wishful thinking ?

Edited by charlie962
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  • 10 months later...

Hi, I'd just like to congratulate Beeston Boxer on a wonderful piece of work.

I am currently researching a book about Charles Cowley, one of the heroes of the so-called Tigris Flotilla, and would welcome the opportunity to have a chat about our mutual interest. My email address is: sjsnelling AT sky DOT com and telephone number is xxxxxx.

As you will see, we are not exactly a million miles away from each other!

Look forward to hearing from you - hopefully!

Steve Snelling

Edited by Guest
Phone number removed for security
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Steve,

If, during your work on Charles Cowley, you ever come across Sub-Lt Lionel C.P. Tudway, I shall be very interested to know. Just one of those private passions!

I have read Edward Mousley's Secrets of a Kuttite which is my main source for him, and have read most of the readily-available books on Kut and the Tigris Flotilla. If you search for Sumana or Comet on the forum you will probably find my earlier posts.

seaJane

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On ‎15‎/‎11‎/‎2018 at 20:59, snellers said:

Hi, I'd just like to congratulate Beeston Boxer on a wonderful piece of work.

I am currently researching a book about Charles Cowley, one of the heroes of the so-called Tigris Flotilla, and would welcome the opportunity to have a chat about our mutual interest. My email address is: sjsnelling AT sky DOT com and telephone number is xxxxxx.

As you will see, we are not exactly a million miles away from each other!

Look forward to hearing from you - hopefully!

Steve Snelling

Thank you for your interest Steve I have sent you a message by email.

Tim

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