2nd Manchesters, Hillah, Iraq, 24th July 1920

[Mark Hone]

While reading a book on Britain's role in the Middle East I came across mention of a military disaster I had previously been unaware of: the ambush of the so-called 'Manchester Column' at Hillah in Iraq on 24th July 1920. I found a very full account of this action at:

http://www.kaiserscross.com/304501/315743.html

2nd Battalion the Manchester Regiment suffered grievously in this affair, losing over 100 killed, many of them apparently dispatched by the Iraqi insurgents after they were captured. A number of medals were awarded for the action, including a posthumous VC to Captain George Stuart Henderson DSO, MC and Bar of the Manchesters. This highly-decorated soldier hailed from Jedburgh in the Scottish borders. Although the account says that many of the British soldiers were recent recruits and that most of the experienced men had already been demobilized, there must have been a fair number of Great War veterans involved, like Captain Henderson. Have any Forum Pals done any research on this or have relatives who were involved? 

Edited 5 March , 2019 by Mark Hone

[clive_hughes]

I have one Anglesey-related casualty in Pte. Robert Arthur Stewart.  He had previously served overseas as 21545 in the Highland Light Infantry; transferred to the MGC as no.14128; then to the Manchesters as no.89339.  Presumably in August 1920 he was renumbered in the new Army system as 3513855; though this was a technicality, as though he was already dead, he had been initially posted as missing.  

 

His widow according to CWGC (Basra Memorial) was resident in Menai Bridge, Anglesey; but he isn't on the main local War Memorial and as yet I haven't researched it further.

 

Clive

Edited 4 March , 2019 by clive_hughes

[Mark Hone]

Thanks. I'm trying to find out if any of the fatalties were local to me. 

Edited 5 March , 2019 by Mark Hone

[MaxD]

Basra Memorial Manchesters Ju-Sep 1920 to be trawled through here as a start:

https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-dead/results?regiment=Manchester%2BRegiment&cemetery=BASRA%2BMEMORIAL&dateFrom=01-06-1920&dateTo=01-09-1920

 

There may be other places to look.

 

Max

[derekb]

I was given a memorial plaque by a lady friend of the family, it was for a member of her family who she didn’t really know anything about.

 

He died during the debacle.

 

He hailed from Liverpool, I did some research on him, if it is of any interest to you I can dig it out.

 

derekb.

[Philip Wilson]

There  is a useful account of the action at Hillah in 'George Stuart HENDERSON - The Story of a Scottish Soldier 1893-1920' by R.KING-CLARK first published in 1975. Well worth reading.

 

Philip (OMRS 943)  

[Mark Hone]

Thanks. I shall check it out.

[Smith 565]

I've been interested in this action for a number of years, principally from a medal point of view.  A database of known participants in the Hillah action along with sightings of their medal(s), and of medals where the presence of the soldier at Hillah cannot be confirmed is here:

 

http://www.britishmedals.us/resources/extant.html

 

I'm at present in the process of updating the work to include other medal entitlements. Most of these will obviously be from the Great War, but there are some earlier and some later entitlements.  Contrary to the green and inexperienced view of the participants, so far I have found that a high percentage had seen previous active service.

 

Regards,

 

Geoff

[Mark Hone]

Fascinating stuff, Thank you very much, Geoff. As you say, the evidence contradicts the idea that the majority of the 2nd Manchester men were raw recruits. 

Edited 12 March , 2019 by Mark Hone

[Kimberley John Lindsay]

Dear All,

Henderson's medal group was originally mounted as worn (as shown in an OMRS article which mentioned the King-Clark publication).

However, the group is now loose, and the family has decreed that it be displayed in a Manchester museum...

Kindest regards,

Kim.

[stiletto_33853]

Taken from the scrapbook of a 1st RB soldier serving in Iraq 1920

[Guest]

Mark

 

This is a late reply to your original thread, my Grandfather was at HILLAH, with the 2nd Battalion Manchester’s. As you know many reports state raw recruits, my GF was ex 2nd Bn South Lancs and joined the Manchester’s in Boulogne 1919.

 

43851 Pte Arthur Mack South Lancs

90048 (renumbered 3514079)  Pte Arthur Mack 

 

After his his service with the Manchester's he joined the East Lancs RFA renamed 52nd (Manchester) Field Regiment RA in 1924 and served until 1941.

 

I am in possession of his GSM.

 

Regards

 

Liam 

 

,  

[Mark Hone]

Thank you.  Very interesting and another riposte to the 'raw recruits' idea. 

[Steven Broomfield]

Seeing this, I remembered that the History of the Prince of Wales's Own, The Scinde Horse (Col E B Maunsell) mentioned this, as one of the antecedent regiments, 35th Scinde Horse, were present. Maunsell refers frequently to the youth and inexperience of the Manchesters ('... men little better than recruits ...') but does comment favourably on the fact that most of the stragglers his men picked up still had their rifles. Incidentally, besides their OC (Major Connop, who was a pre-war soldier), the 35th had only two experienced British officers (both wounded fairly early in the action); the Ressaldar Major was also killed early on.

 

He attributes the disaster to several factors:

 

Command: the Column Commander was a Brevet Lt Col of the Manchesters, his own CO commanding the Battalion

 

The conditions: 117 degrees in the shade '... and there was no shade'

 

The country - flat and open, but intersected with dried up canals, so ideal for Arab tactics while restricting movement for the British

 

Lack of experience: the OC of the 35th was the only officer with experience of fighting Arabs.

 

Due to various delays and slow decision-making, much of the fighting took place in the dark

 

Issues with the transport. 150 carts accompanied the column, so when the fighting started getting them away was nigh on impossible and incredibly disruptive. Only about 30 made it back to safety. (As an aside, though, looting abandoned carts did deflect many of the insurgents from attacking the retreating British

 

Delay in the artillery responding to the first attack. They were trying to contact Hillah by tapping into the telegraph lines; the result was that the insurgents were withing 2,500 yards before the artillery were able to shoot.

 

Lack of knowledge of enemy intentions or dispersal: there was no reconnaissance preliminary to the advance.

 

He also comments that the Manchesters lost close on 280 men, 70 being recovered from the Arabs subsequently. The 35th lost 47 men (including Followers), of whom 22 were known to be killed, or never returned. This included on British officer (Lt Bott) and the Ressaldar Major, Mahomed Azim ('... one of the ablest and finest Indian officers the writer had had the honour of serving with'). Casualties in horses amounted to 100, not including lightly wounded. Every British officer had two horses shot under him (Major Connop had three). 'Among these were some very valuable polo ponies'. All the 35th's Mess stores (Rs 1,200 in value) were lost, together with all the men's kit.

 

It makes sobering reading all round.

 

 

 

[Mark Hone]

Very interesting, Steven.  It is noticeable that the idea of the Manchesters being made up largely of inexperienced soldiers reappears in Maunsell's account but is called into question by other research, e.g. see Smith 565's post above. Unfortunately, it does not look as if the Excel spreadsheet he refers to can still be accessed. 

Edited 16 April , 2020 by Mark Hone

[Steven Broomfield]

I can't say Maunsell is necessarily an objective reporter (few regimental historians are, to be fair), and for a long-service regular Indian Army officer I suspect anyone with less than 5 years' service was a youth!

[8055Bell]

Hi Mark,

Have a look at this thread on the Manchesters Forum.  There's a link to the Roll of men who were present.

Not all 2nd Bttn men at Hillah were inexperienced.  They included a Boer War veteran.

Take care.

 

Tim

[Steven Broomfield]

No-one suggested all the men were inespcerienced, but looking at that spreadsheet, where ages are given, about 60% are 21 or under, and a large number of the rest are 22 or 23.

 

My suspicion would be that a lot of them would have been new soldiers: the battalion had been in France at the Armistice so would presumably have been stripped of a lot of men being demobbed and then rebuilt using Regulars and new enlistments before being sent overseas. As its destination was eventually India it would have been full of men with a decent length of service ahead of them.

 

The unit would certainly have had a leavening of Old Sweats but the number of teenagers in that list makes me suspect that a lot of the battalion would have been youngsters. 

[Jackie Webb]

Hi! Iv since found that my great uncle Private Timothy Smith died age 18yrs in July 1920.. He came from Wigan Lancs.

[Jackie Webb]

On 17/04/2020 at 13:46, Steven Broomfield said:

No-one suggested all the men were inespcerienced, but looking at that spreadsheet, where ages are given, about 60% are 21 or under, and a large number of the rest are 22 or 23.

 

My suspicion would be that a lot of them would have been new soldiers: the battalion had been in France at the Armistice so would presumably have been stripped of a lot of men being demobbed and then rebuilt using Regulars and new enlistments before being sent overseas. As its destination was eventually India it would have been full of men with a decent length of service ahead of them.

 

The unit would certainly have had a leavening of Old Sweats but the number of teenagers in that list makes me suspect that a lot of the battalion would have been youngsters. 

 

[Martin H]

Just found this thread after searching for information I found in an old church magazine. It is from St Margarets Church, Prestwich, nr Manchester. Concerns 3514338 Private Frank L Parker.  His family had just been officially notified (Jan 1923 magazine) of his death in July 1920. Have just a little bit more info on him if you are still interested in this subject.

[Jackie Webb]

9 hours ago, Martin H said:

Just found this thread after searching for information I found in an old church magazine. It is from St Margarets Church, Prestwich, nr Manchester. Concerns 3514338 Private Frank L Parker.  His family had just been officially notified (Jan 1923 magazine) of his death in July 1920. Have just a little bit more info on him if you are still interested in this subject.

Hi Martin! Thankyou for message..

Private Timothy Smith ( 52617) 2nd Bn

Manchester Regiment 

D.0.D

Died 24 July 1920

from Wigan Lancashire 

 

[Martin H]

16 minutes ago, Jackie Webb said:

Hi Martin! Thankyou for message..

Private Timothy Smith ( 52617) 2nd Bn

Manchester Regiment 

D.0.D

Died 24 July 1920

from Wigan Lancashire 

 

Thanks Jackie.  I suppose my post was really aimed at Mark Hone who started this thread.  Believe he is not too far from me in Bury and was asking for any fatalities local to him.