Hillah Iraq

[Gordon Caldecott]

Hi,

I`m trying to find out more about Hillah and the VC action there during the Arab revolt. I believe that the Manchester Regiment were involved. Can anyone tell me any details about this action, or point me in the right direction.

Cheers.

[Gordon Caldecott]

I appear to be in a postion to answer my own question, but thanks for looking at my thread anyway....

Iraqi Jihad against the British, 1920

Under the terms of the Treaty of Versailles in 1919, the Arab countries of the old Ottoman Empire were put under the mandated control of the victorious allies. Britain became responsible for Palestine and Iraq (the former Ottoman provinces of Mesopotamia), while France assumed responsibility for Syria and Lebanon.

The arrangement was not popular with emerging Arab nationalists, and it was expensive for the countries holding the mandates. It cost the British government $18 million a year to maintain the resident garrison in Iraq of 25,000 British and 80,000 Indian troops.

In addition, there were four squadrons of Royal Air Force (RAF) fighter-bombers, which patrolled the lines of communication between Baghdad and Mosul, and supported the ground forces in internal security duties.

In early July 1920, growing resentment over taxation led to a series of uprisings against British authority. Nationalist propaganda and Islamic dislike of foreign rule fueled the revolt. But the spark came from Iraqi anger when fines and detentions were imposed for non-payment of the taxes.

In the province of Mosul, a British outpost was attacked and three British officers and 18 soldiers were killed before order was restored. But the worst violence was along the lower Euphrates to the south of Baghdad. In the holy city of Karbala, sacred to Shiite Muslims, a jihad, or holy war, was proclaimed against the British.

The towns of Samawa and Rumaitha were besieged by insurgents, a move that forced the British commander, Lt. Gen. Sir Aylmer Haldane, to deploy RAF aircraft in support of the ground forces.

Supplies also were air-dropped to the defending garrisons. It was the first time in British imperial history that air power had been used extensively in policing operations.

On July 7, Winston Churchill, minister of air and war, reported to the British Cabinet that operations had been successful: "The enemy were bombed and machine-gunned with effect by aeroplanes which cooperated with the troops."

During the course of the insurrection, the RAF flew missions totalling 4,008 hours, dropped 97 tons of bombs and fired 183,861 rounds for the loss of nine men KIA, seven men WIA and 11 aircraft destroyed in action.

On the ground, there were no pitched battles. Yet there were countless skirmishes and hit-and-run ambushes involving the rebels and the British and Indian security forces.

The worst incident came on the evening of July 24 near Hillah on the Euphrates south of Baghdad. Arab insurgents ambushed and almost destroyed (20 KIA, 60 WIA and 160 MIA) a British-Indian relief column consisting of the 35th Scinde Horse (two squadrons), 39th Battery Field Artillery and 1st Bn., 32nd Sikh Pioneers (one company), all under the command of the 2nd Manchester Regiment.

'For his bravery in leading his men in three counterattacks against the enemy who had opened fire from the eastern flank, Capt. George Stuart Henderson, commander of D Company, was awarded the Victoria Cross--the only award of Britain's highest decoration for gallantry to be made during the campaign.

Henderson, who had already been decorated with the Distinguished Service Order and Bar and the Military Cross, died from his wounds.

In a letter of commiseration to Henderson's parents, the Manchester's commanding officer, Lt. Col. Bache Wright, paid fulsome tribute to his fallen colleague: "If it had not been for his personal gallantry and the extraordinary way he inspired his men, I doubt if any of us would have been alive now. If ever a man did so, he died for his friends."

The revolt was brought under control at the end of October, but only after the garrison had been reinforced by an additional Indian infantry division deployed through Basra.

Arab losses were estimated at 8,500 KIA while the British and Indian casualties totaled 2,269:55 British and 371 Indian KIA, 100 British and 1,128 Indian WIA, 141 British and 310 Indian MIA and 79 British and 85 Indian POW.

A year later, in 1921, an Iraqi government was installed in Baghdad and the Hashemite ruler Emir Faysal became king of Iraq under British supervision and protection.