Remembered today

[Malcolm]

Details

Surname MARKEY

Firstname Peter

Service Number 9204

Date Death 16/04/1916

Decoration

Place of birth Glasgow

Other 1st Bn.

SNWM roll THE HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY

Rank Pte

Theatre of death Mesopotamia.

Casualty Details

Name: MARKEY, PETER

Initials: P

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Private

Regiment/Service: Highland Light Infantry

Unit Text: 1st Bn.

Date of Death: 16/04/1916

Service No: 9204

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: Panel 35 and 64.

Memorial: BASRA MEMORIAL

Cemetery Details

Cemetery: BASRA MEMORIAL

Country: Iraq

Locality: unspecified

Visiting Information: NOTE: Whilst the current climate of political instability persists it is not possible for the Commission to manage or maintain its cemeteries and memorials located within Iraq. Alternative arrangements for commemoration have therefore been implemented and a two volume Roll of Honour listing all casualties buried and commemorated in Iraq has been produced. These volumes are on display at the Commission's Head Office in Maidenhead and are available for the public to view. The Commission continues to monitor the situation in Iraq and once the political climate has improved to an acceptable level the Commission will commence a major rehabilitation project for its cemeteries and commemorations. THE COMMISSION STRONGLY ADVISES THAT THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE SHOULD BE CONTACTED BEFORE ATTEMPTING TO VISIT IRAQ. Their details are as follows: Travel Advice Unit Consular Division Foreign and Commonwealth Office Old Admiralty Building London SW1A 2AF Tel: 0207 008 0232/0233 Fax: 0207 008 0164 Website: http://www.fco.gov.uk/ Opening Times: Monday to Friday 09.30 - 16.00

Location Information: Until 1997 the Basra Memorial was located on the main quay of the naval dockyard at Maqil, on the west bank of the Shatt-al-Arab, about 8 kilometres north of Basra. Because of the sensitivity of the site, the Memorial was moved by presidential decree. The move, carried out by the authorities in Iraq, involved a considerable amount of manpower, transport costs and sheer engineering on their part, and the Memorial has been re-erected in its entirety. The Basra Memorial is now located 32 kilometres along the road to Nasiriyah, in the middle of what was a major battleground during the first Gulf War. The Panel Numbers quoted at the end of each entry relate to the panels dedicated to the Regiment served with.

Historical Information: The Basra Memorial commemorates more than 40,500 members of the Commonwealth forces who died in the operations in Mesopotamia from the Autumn of 1914 to the end of August 1921 and whose graves are not known.

No. of Identified Casualties: 40658

1st HLI were in 3rd Lahore Division.

Attempt to relieve Kut 1916.

The Battles of Bait Aisa and Sannaiyat, 17 - 22 April 1916

Despite the disappointment and heavy losses in the attack on Fallahiyeh, General Gorringe had little option but to continue the effort to relieve the desperate garrison in Kut.

Lake and Gorringe conferred. They agreed it would take too long to drive saps up to the enemy lines from the existing British positions, which would be the best systematic way to attempt an attack. The only option would appear to be to try to outflank the enemy line by attacking at the Sinn Aftar Redoubt on the Turkish right near the river, on the right (south) bank.

On 12 April, 3rd (Lahore) Division, advancing across belts of inundated ground intersected by deep cuts, drove in the enemy's advanced posts east of Bait Aisa and occupied their outpost line. Further small advances were made on the next two nights.

The main Bait Aisa position was attacked at 6.45am on 17 April by the same Division, attacking with 7th (Ferozepore) and 9th (Sirhind) Brigades. So swiftly did the infantry attack that the British artillery fire was still falling in the main Turk trenches when they reached them. As soon as the shellfire lifted onto more distant targets, the soldiers of the Punjabi, Mahratta and Burmese battalions moved in with the bayonet. More than 200 Turkish soldiers were killed in this ferocious attack, and 180 were taken prisoner. The 13th Division was ordered to relieve the Lahore that night, preparatory to continuing the attack next day.

Aye

Malcolm