Expeditionary Force "D" mesoptamia

[ivorjbody]

This probably overlaps other postings on Mesopotamia, but did not know where to show it?   My father was Gerald Alfred Body

The 1/5th Buffs arrived in Mesopotamia on 1st December 1915, disembarking in Basra. However, according to the Medal Rolls, several men from the Battalion entered the theatre somewhat earlier, on 14th August 1915. I've tracked down the service records of a couple of these men, but there is unfortunately no further explanation, other than the fact that they joined "Expeditionary Force D".
591 / 240034 L/Cpl William Brunger
999 / 240067 Pte R J Butcher
1080 / 240098 Pte John Edward Reeves
1117 / 240119 Pte M J Richardson
1128 / 240132 Pte H G Hatcher
1209 / 240179 Pte F S Reed
1344 / 240260 Pte Walter Standing
1350 / 240263 Pte James Wenman
1417 / 240309 Pte Frederick Lancaster
1440 / 240328 Pte Gerald Alfred Body
1447 / 240331 Pte Cecil Wallace Laurie
1483 / 240346 Pte Ernest Moore
1635 / 240405 Pte P A Smith
1666 / 240425 Pte W J Head
1696 / 240446 Pte Charles Samuel Elkins
1754 / 240480 L/Cpl Harry Obbard
1784 / 240499 Pte Philip Christopher Simmons
1787 / 240501 Pte A Ottaway
1817 / 240519 Pte E T Penfold
2342 / 240668 Cpl W J Shelley
2372 / 240690 Pte Arthur B Fearn

A report in the local newspaper in January 1917, says that Simmons was actually among those besieged inside Kut, was taken prisoner by the Turks and died as a result of the hardships. So he was apparently on the inside while his mates were trying to get in. His official date of death was 28th September 1916.

[scobie79]

Hi ivorjbody.

I assume that you are searching for the reason these men from 5th Buffs were early arrivals in Mesopotamia. My grandfathers experiences with the East Surrey explains why.

1n the early months of the war the 5th East Surreys, along with other territorial battalions, travelled to India to release the regular battalions. Due to become time-expired at the end of 1915, grandfather was, being a young man, probably bored and frustrated at missing the fighting. So, when a call was made in the early summer of 1915 for 50 volunteers (a platoon) from most of each, if not all, of the territorial battalions in India for service in Mesopotamia, grandfather was one of those volunteers from the East Surreys.
The troops arrived in Mesopotamia in August, and grandfather's group of 50 were attached to the 2nd Norfolk battalion. Grandfather participated in the battle of Ctesiphon in late November, and had he not been slightly wounded and requiring time in hospital, he would have been besieged inside Kut with the 2nd Norfolks.
I feel it is almost certain a similar course of events affected your men from the 5th Buffs.
Hope this helps.

Regards,
Scobie

[ivorjbody]

Hi Scobie. Have put your reply on http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=73148#entry1867490 hope this is OK with you. Shame I did not get into this 24 years ago when my dad was alive. Could have heard such wonderful stories such, what happened Kut. Why he was an observer in the RAF and dropped bombs by hand on Arabs (that is the only thing he said to me except his best one trying to fire the machine gun through the aeroplanes propellers, which I believed for some time). About him being shot by the IRA as sentry on duty at the London and North Western Railway Hotel Blackwall Dublin on 21st of April 1921. Having volunteered from a 2nd ltd in the Buffs to a Cadet in the RIC. None us except probably mum knew he had been injured. Knew he was there, as his uniform was at home. I was told by one of the IRA attackers great grandson on rootschat all about this attack. Also I did a stupid thing, which my brother has never forgiven me for or for that matter forgiven myself. When he died we had a holiday in Clacton and one room was given up as a war museum and I asked if they wanted the log book I had when he was flying in India. I could have learnt so much from that.The first photo is my 2nd cousin x 1 with all the staff of Wittersham College farm and Wittersham Court. The second,  now Colonel John Body who I thought relieved Baghdad, in a newspaper report I have of the the battle, but some say General Maude was in charge?
ivor

[scobie79]

Hello again.

I have had lots of help from forum members in the past and so if I can help anyone in return in a small way,  I am very happy.

Regards,
Scobie

[ivorjbody]

Just in case anybody wishes to know. The Mesopotamia photo are all the farmer workers and male staff of Wittersham College farm and farmhouse renamed Wittersham Court. How the farm or the house was maintained with these people missing is a mystery, especially with the gardener Mr Packham for 70 years until late 1960's who was in the Buffs, then the Surrey Regiment at that time. With their mistress away assumed the servants looked after the house. Mesopotamia 1915

[IMBER]

Perhaps he was joking about firing a machine gun through propellers but for the avoidance of any doubt that was extremely common during WW1.

Imber

[ivorjbody]

This is what was said on the great war forum in reply to Scobie remarks. Why was one inside only by the looks of it and why was all except two discharged. One being my father who was probably promoted and then signed on to be a cadet in the Royal Irish Constabulary.This meant he earned a higher pay?
 
Many thanks for getting hold of the information. It goes some way to explaining things, but (and there's always a but!) I don't think it's the whole story. The men I originally posted about seem to have ended up as follows:

591 / 240034 L/Cpl William Brunger, discharged 17.5.19
999 / 240067 Pte R J Butcher
1080 / 240098 Pte John Edward Reeves, died of wounds 18.2.17
1117 / 240119 Pte M J Richardson, discharged 20.5.19
1128 / 240132 Pte H G Hatcher, discharged 20.3.19
1209 / 240179 Pte F S Reed, discharged 24.4.19
1344 / 240260 Pte Walter Standing, discharged 7.5.19
1350 / 240263 Pte James Wenman, discharged 7.5.19
1417 / 240309 Pte Frederick Lancaster, discharged 25.4.19
1440 / 240328 Pte Gerald Alfred Body
1447 / 240331 Pte Cecil Wallace Laurie, died of wounds 19.1.17
1483 / 240346 Pte Ernest Moore, discharged 25.4.19
1635 / 240405 Pte P A Smith, discharged 6.5.19
1666 / 240425 Pte W J Head, discharged 1.4.19
1696 / 240446 Pte Charles Samuel Elkins, discharged 25.4.19
1754 / 240480 L/Cpl Harry Obbard, discharged 26.4.19
1784 / 240499 Pte Philip Christopher Simmons, died PoW 28.9.16
1787 / 240501 Pte A Ottaway, discharged 25.4.19
1817 / 240519 Pte E T Penfold, discharged 8.4.19
2342 / 240668 Cpl W J Shelley, discharged 26.3.19
2372 / 240690 Pte Arthur B Fearn

So, most of these men were discharged at the end of the war. Only one (Private Simmons) seems to have died as a Prisoner of War. If they were all beseiged at Kut, wouldn't more of them have suffered the same fate as Private Simmons? I'm sure Scobie is right to suggest that these men were from a platoon of the 1/5th Buffs who volunteered for service in Mesopotamia, but they don't appear to have joined Townsend's expeditionary force.

Richard
Edited by RichardC, Today, 09:16 PM.

[ivorjbody]

A friend of mine who lives in Tenterden has been trying to find out which flag was hoisted in Baghdad by Colonel John Body's men in 1917
Quote
I have to say, it's making me feel disappointed and a little bit angry at the idea that material belonging to the Buffs collection - part of our proud heritage in this county, has been broken up and lost, and I'm starting to think Canterbury City Council is responsible. These sort of items are not just so much old clutter to be cleared out, handed out in some piecemeal fashion, and lost, after they have been kept safe for so many years.

Once upon a time, the sacrifice of our young men was fresh in the minds of friends and family. There was real sorrow, and tears, and pride, a human story, behind every plaque on the Cathedral wall, every flag, every document, every medal, every button, in the Buffs collection. Their sacrifice is no less for the passing of so many years and it pains me to think that the City that the Buffs once proudly called home has effectively turned it's back on it's brave young sons.

My Great Grandfather served in the Buffs in World War 1, before going off to fight in France in the Machine Gun Corp. Mr Body's ancestor led his men into battle in a distant foreign land. And today, it seems, their memories, their mementos, are held in such little regard that they can become lost, with barely a regret.

In 10, 20, 100 years time will we deny the sacrifice made by our rave men and women in 2013? Should we be any less reverent when remembering the sacrifices of generations gone by?

Does Canterbury Cathedral share my disappointment that they have a plaque on the wall, but the flag that goes with it, that hung reverently in that sacred space for so long, has now been lost?

I hope that something can be done to try and track down this particular item, and any other things that have been lost since the Beaney Institute was revamped.

[ivorjbody]

Has any got a copy of this book. Wondered if it said anything about  Expeditionary Force "D" mesoptamia