Description
Object description
British private served with 15th Bn London Regt in GB, 1914; served as officer with 4th Bn South Wales Borderers in GB, Gallipoli and Mesopotamia, 1914-1917; POW in Turkey, 1917-1918
Content description
REEL 1 Background prior to outbreak of war, 1895-1914: family's military connections; education; return from Switzerland on outbreak of war, 4/8/1914. Recruitment and training with 15th Bn London Regt at Buckingham Gate, London, 8/1914: necessity of bribe to recruitment officer; question of white feathers; parents' reaction; recruiting route marches; buying own uniform; promotion to corporal. Concentration on mess etiquette during officers training at Doncaster, 12/1914-1/1915. Commission into 4th Bn South Wales Borderers, 1/1915. Recollections of period at Inkerman Barracks, Woking, 1/1915-7/1915: training; relationship with other ranks and officers.
REEL 2 Continues: Voyage out on Megantic to Mudros, Lemnos, Greece, 7/1915: prior issue of khaki drill; relationship with other ranks; turning hoses on Maltese 'bum boats'; coaling ship at Alexandria, Egypt; crowded nature of Mudros Harbour and consequent sewage discharge. Recollections of conditions of service, lifestyle and daily routine in H12 trench sector south of Gully Ravine, Helles, Gallipoli, Turkey, 15/7/1915-30/7/1915: landing at V Beach; move inland to relieve part of 29th Div in front line; nature of Gully Ravine and terrain; nature of trenches; latrines; fly problem; food rations; removal of corpses; prevalence of dysentery; stand to.
REEL 3 Continues: indiscriminate night time rifle fire during first night; religious nature of Welsh troops; water supply; supervising sentry duty and story of sentry asleep in Mesopotamia; sniping; question of shellfire; question of adequacy of training; morale; opinion of Turks; value of war experience in contrast to divisions thrown straight in at Suvla, 8/1915; evacuation to Mudros. Recollections of unit's role as left covering force for Left Assaulting Force during Battle of Sari Bair, 7/8/1915-12/8/1915: secrecy; prior landing and concealment at Anzac; nature of plan; terrain; preparations; night march from Aghyl Dere to Damakjelik Bair; reports of ruse by which Australians and Royal Navy captured Old No 3 Post; capture of Damakjelik Bair.
REEL 4 Continues: capture of Damakjelik Bair; story illustrating initial confusion; digging in; view of Suvla and Anzac operations including suspected sighting of Kemal Ataturk; failure to link with Suvla units; gradual advance to higher ground; casualties; ignorance of operation's failure; missed opportunity to capture Hill 60, 7/8/1915; naval support; food and water rations; reaction to death of father (Sir Charles Napier); state of unit. Detachment to mainly mixed unit beach fatigue party under Levine at Anzac, 8/1915: duties; contrast between New Zealand and Australian troops.
REEL 5 Continues: Story of receiving back wound and evacuation on Franconia to GB, 8/1915: nature of wound; jaundice attack; question of kit. Recollections of visit to Gallipoli, 1928. Period of hospital and convalescence, 9/1915-12/1915: bank cashier's knowledge of unit casualties; civilians' attitude. Posting to training battalion at Kimmel Park, 12/1915-3/1916. Recollections of voyage with draft on Royal George to Basra, Mesopotamia, Turkey, 1916: review of unit's movements and Mesopotamia campaign; taking T E Lawrence aboard and later speculation as to his mission. Recollections of voyage in P Boat to Kut el Amara, 3/1916: fever attack.
REEL 6 Continues: grounding and necessity of unloading artillery shells to refloat. Situation on rejoining unit on right bank of Tigris at Kut, 3/1916. Wound in buttocks whilst on reconnaissance patrol and evacuation on barge lashed to P Boat to Amara, 4/1916: question of medical arrangements; ironic death of sunstroke specialist; return to unit. Recollections of conditions of service and lifestyle on right bank in Sheikh Saad sector, 5/1916-10/1916: situation; effect of hot weather; high sickness rate; precautions to stop Arab theft of rifles; terrain around Tigris; rations; hot summer; daily routine; story of night exercise and Indian officer's; occasional detachment to left bank outpost; concert parties; question of effect of absence of women.
REEL 7 Continues: fatal accident during Lewis gun demonstration; fatal accident during undisciplined firing on left bank outpost duty; night temperature drop during autumn. Period reorganising 13th Div at Amara, 10/1916-12/1916; race meetings; comparison of climate at Amara and Basra; separate senior officers mess run by colonel; relationship with other ranks and Arabs. Recollections of operations in Kut area, 12/1916-2/1917: march up to front line, 12/1916: view of armoured cars; rain storms; advance to River Hai, 14/12/1916; attempt to cross Tigris at Hussani Bend, 20/12/1916; various attacks in area of Hai Salient and Dahra Bend including attempt to distract Turkish watch dogs, overall superiority of British forces in area and personal morale
REEL 8 Continues: various attacks in area of Hai Salient and Dahra Bend including nature of Turkish trenches and personal morale; organising Lewis machine gun positions to cover successful crossing of Tigris at Shumran Bend, 23/2/1917; resulting Turkish withdrawal, 2/1917; distribution and relative merits of Vickers and Lewis machine guns. Recollections of advance to Baghdad, 2/1917-3/1917: nature of operations and state of unit; Royal Navy supporting operations on Tigris; Ctesiphon Archway; aborted plan to use armoured barges for crossing River Diyala; presence of Edmund Candler; view of surrender of Baghdad, 11/3/1917. Recollections of advance on left bank to Adhain, 2/1917-4/1917: changing terrain above Baghdad; visit to Baghdad to supplement rations; situation; constant movement.
REEL 9 Continues: importance of securing river bank bunds to prevent Turks flooding area; continuous movement; action in Jabel Hamrin sector; personal morale; food and water supply. Account of attack on Turkish positions at Adhaim, 30/4/1917: situation; success of initial attack on Turkish positions; Turkish POWs; dust storm, subsequent confusion and consequent surrounded isolated position; wound in side and capture with remnants of company. Recollections of initial treatment as POW, 5/1917: looting of boots by Turkish soldier; medical treatment; separation as officer from other ranks; camel ride and re-joining fellow officers; Turkish officers insistence that British POWs exchange uniform and equipment with Turkish troops; Recollections of journey to Kedos, Anatolia, 5/1917-6/1917: consideration and hospitality shown by officers of escorting 37th Regt.
REEL 10 Continues: consideration and hospitality shown by officers of escorting 37th Regt; horses provided for British officers; question of escape; Turkish officers' opinion of war and their relationship with Turkish other ranks; Turkish civilian anti-British demonstrations at Irbil; poorer conditions experienced on being handed over to Arab escort to Mosul; period in prison at Mosul including conditions and interrogation; motor journey to Nissibim and view of mistreatment of Armenians; rail journey to Aleppo and brief hotel accommodation; meeting British other ranks POWs working on construction of Taurus Mountain rail tunnel at Galibea.
REEL 11 Continues: crossing Taurus Mountains by lorry; refusal to pay for cart transport and consequent march to Kedos; earlier final separation from other ranks at Mosul. Recollections of conditions and lifestyle during period at Kedos POW camp, 1917-1918: reception; origins of fellow POWs; accommodation; absence of bedding; cooking arrangements and food rations; money allowance via Red Cross; latrines; drinks; restrictions on shaving; uniform; lice problem; restricted exercise area; recreations; illustrations of difficult relationship with eccentric Turkish commandant; officer's period of solitary confinement; Turkish guards; reactions to conditions.
REEL 12 Continues: story of drawing up list of complaints over conditions, its presentation during surprise inspection by senior Turkish officer and consequent improvements to conditions including furniture and expansion of accommodation space; recollections of presence of John Alcock; arrival of new commandant; background to initial refusal and later acceptance of parole arrangements; arrival of British officers experienced in POW life captured in earlier campaigns, 12/1917; Christmas celebrations, 25/12/1917; delay before family informed of whereabouts; importance of letter and parcel contact with GB; use of allowances to supplement rations from Turkish shops.
REEL 13 Continues: buying food and alcohol in Kedes; relationship with Turkish civilians; billeting and messing arrangements on arrival of experienced POWs; ability to cash cheques in Kedos; musical activities; preparation and performance of 'Maid of the Mountains' including making costumes, rehearsals, stage, audience and interruption of performance by fire in Kedos; POWs' fire fighting role during Kedos fire and effect on POWs billets; subsequent successful performance of 'Maid of the Mountains'; POW newspaper which interpreted Turkish news in Allies favour; lectures and recreations including walks.
REEL 14 Continues: swimming in Meander River; relationship with Turkish civilians; Turkish reprisals on village where British officer was shot at; clothing; state of health; question of effect of absence of women; question of religion and development of agnostic viewpoint; other ranks present as officers' servants; relationship with Turkish officers; minimal knowledge of Turkish; ignorance of fate of British other rank POWs taken at Kut, 1916; relationship with fellow POWs; question of escape; story of practical joke on senior officers; use of mulberry trees; situation following Kedos fire.
REEL 15 Continues: situation following Kedos fire. Recollections of journey to Smyrna, 10/1918: march to Usak; refusal to go to new POW camp and taking over control of events from Turks due to widespread acceptance that the war was effectively over; visits to brothel; friendly parting from Turkish commandant; train journey to Smyrna. Recollections of period at Smyrna, 11/1918: hotel accommodation; relationship with local English Levantine population; earlier Turkish treatment of English Levantines; story illustrating Turkish attitude to Germans. Return via Egypt and France to GB, 11/1918-12/1918: conditions; dispute with senior officers over demand by junior POW officers for equal treatment at Calais; reception. Demobilisation early due to wound record, 12/1918: attitude to Turks; brothers' war record; rejection of possibility of becoming regular. Involvement as vice president in Gallipoli Association.
