Rathbone, Reginald Blythe (Oral history)

British officer served with 6th (Service) Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt, 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div in GB, Gallipoli Turkey and Egypt, 11/1914-2/1916; served as staff officer with 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia, Ottoman Empire, 2/1916-4/1916; offcer served with 6th (Service) Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt, 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, 6/1916-11/1918

REEL 1 Aspects of enlistment as officer with Loyal North Lancashire Regiment in GB, 1914: signs of approach of war at Düsseldorf, Germany, 7/1914; reaction to outbreak of First World War, 4/8/1914; commissioning into Loyal North Lancashire Regiment from University of Oxford Officer Training Corps, 28/11/1914. Aspects of training as officer with 6th (Service) Bn Loyal North Lancashire, 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div at Tidworth, Winchester and Blackdown in GB, 11/1914-6/1915: tactical training; story illustrating other ranks attitude; composition of 38th Bde; reaction to being left behind on unit's departure for Gallipoli, Turkey, 6/1915; period on attachment to 11th (Reserve) Bn Loyal North Lancashire Regt, 94th Bde, 31st Div at Billericay, 6/1915-8/1915. Aspects of voyage aboard HMT Mauretania to Mudros, Lemnos Island, Greece and landings at Gallipoli, Turkey, 8/1914-9/1914: prior news of unit at Gallipoli; kitting out and question of heat precautions; conditions; situation on landing at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, 6/9/1915; rejoining unit and posting to C Coy at Karakol Dagh; state of unit; prior knowledge of conditions. Recollections of operations as officer with 6th (Service) Bn Loyal North Lancashire, 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div at Gallipoli, Turkey, 9/1915-12/1915: move into divisional reserve at Lala Baba; prevalence of lice; story of how celebratory cheers over news of Battle of Loos started Ottoman Turkish Army artillery bombardment; move into front line at Green Hill, 10/1915. REEL 2 Continues: nature of trenches at Green Hill; reconnaissance patrols; story of fighting patrol, 12/1915; sniping activities; naval bombardments; strategic situation; casualties and medical arrangements; living conditions; communications; cigarette smoking; rations and supplementary sources; rest periods at Chocolate Hill; canteen; terrain; failure of attempt to court martial NCO found asleep on duty; story of later court martial in Mesopotamia, 1917; field punishments; contact with GB; opinion of Ottoman Turkish Army forces and role of Mustafa Kemal during landings at Suvla Bay, 8/1915. REEL 3 Continues: background to General Ian Hamilton's replacement by Lieutenant-General Charles Monro; effects of rain storm and freezing weather, 26/11/1915; impact of visit by Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude, 28/11/1915; arrival of reinforcements, 12/1915; Aspects of evacuation from Gallipoli, Turkey to Lemnos Island, Greece, 19/12/1915: reaction to evacuation; ruses to deceive Ottoman Turkish Army forces; later career of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude; relations with other ranks; opinion of Gallipoli Association, 1984; question of unit's overall casualties during First World War; question of reasons for failure of Gallipoli Campaign, 1915. REEL 4 Continues: period at Port Said, Egypt after evacuation from Gallipoli, Turkey, 1/1916-2/1916. Recollections of operations as staff officer with 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia, 2/1916-4/1916: appointment as staff captain to brigade, 2/1916; voyage aboard HMT Kalayan from Egypt to Basra; background to War Office taking over control of Mesopotamian Expeditionary force and later impact of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude; move up River Tigris to Sheikh Sa'ad, 2/1916; review of Mesopotamian Campaign, 1914-1916; wounding in arm at Um-el-Hanna, 5/4/1916; failure of attempt to relieve Kut-el-Amara; medical evacuation aboard HMHS Takada to Bombay, India, 4/1916; convalescence leave in India, 5/1916. Recollections of operations as officer with 6th (Service) Bn Loyal North Lancashire, 38th Bde, 13th (Western) Div, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force in Mesopotamia, 6/1916-11/1918: rejoining unit, 10/1916; Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude's involvement in planning of crossing by pontoon bridge to outflank Ottoman Turkish Army positions; review of campaign; medical evacuation after wounding to India, 12/1916-7/1917; problems during march with mixed draft to rejoin unit at Sindia, 7/1917; wounding in chest, 12/1916. REEL 5 Continues: living conditions at Sindi, 7/1917-10/1917; advance on Kirkuk, 10/1917-10/1918: movements; rations; successful outflanking manoeuvre; story of missing opportunity to claim medal; shortages of supplies at Kirkuk and consequent withdrawal to Mosul; story illustrating generosity of servant; receiving news of Armistice, 11/11/1918; comparison of conditions of service in Mesopotamia with Gallipoli, Turkey; stories relating to evacuation when wounded to India, 12/1916-7/1917; reaction to news of Lieutenant-General Sir Stanley Maude's death at Baghdad, 18/11/1917; writing letters to deceased relatives; importance of well maintained war graves.