Military History

Theatre

Action/Battle/Other

First Battle of Kut

Place of Death

near El Hannah

 

Medals

Medal Citation (if app)

~

Enlisted Date/Place

December 1914 at Coventry

Other Information/Previous Regiments/Units

• Arrived in the Balkans on 11 Sep 1915
• The war memorial at Basra has been damaged over the last 30+ years and is currently closed.

Circumstances Leading to Death

The war diary shows that the battalion left Sheik Sa'ad on the 2nd April 1916 and marched to Orah. On the 4th they marched from Orah to Hannah. On the 5th April 1916 the 13th Division, which included 9th Bn Royal Warwickshire, commanded by General Maude, dashed forward, and, without a check, cleared the Turks out of their first and second lines at El Hannah. Allied artillery and machine-guns then opened on the enemy's third and other lines, and by 7 a.m. the whole position had been captured. The Ottomans then fell back to their positions at Felahieh and Sannaiyat which were three and six miles respectively away from Hannah. By this time the River Tigris had begun to rise and an immediate pursuit and attack became imperative because if it were to rise rapidly the Turks would be able to flood the whole country over which the attack would have to be delivered by breaking the "bunds" in front of their positions. Therefore between 7.15 and 7.30 p.m. that night the Felahieh position was bombarded, and then assaulted by the 13th Division, who, within two hours, had succeeded in capturing and consolidating the position.

The battalion suffered casualties of 34 killed, 8 died of wounds including William and 161 wounded. Out thanks to Lightbobs.com for the map etc.