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A KUT PRISONER
On Active Service Series
[Illustration: KASTAMUNI]
[Illustration: THE CASTLE ROCK (KASTAMUNI)]
A KUT PRISONER
by
H. C. W. BISHOP
London: John Lane, The Bodley Head
New York: John Lane Company. MCMXX
Printed by the Anchor Press Ltd., Tiptree, Essex, England.
TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE BRITISH
AND INDIAN OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE
KUT GARRISON WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND
DIED IN CAPTIVITY THIS BOOK IS
REVERENTLY DEDICATED
INTRODUCTION
The experiences related in the following pages are simply the individual
fortunes of a subaltern of the Indian Army Reserve of Officers who had
his first taste of fighting at the battle of Ctesiphon, and was
afterwards taken prisoner by the Turks with the rest of the Kut
Garrison, ultimately succeeding in escaping from Asia Minor. It is not
intended to generalize in any way, since an individual, unless of
exalted rank, sees as a rule only his own small environment and cannot
pretend to speak for the majority of his comrades.
The book is published in the hope that it may prove of interest to the
many relatives and friends of the Kut prisoners.
Acknowledgments are due to Messrs. Blackwood, the _Times of India_, and
the _Pioneer_ for their kind permission to republish those chapters
which originally appeared in these papers.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
I. CTESIPHON 1
II. KUT 14
III. FROM KUT TO KASTAMUNI 34
IV. LIFE IN KASTAMUNI 80
V. ESCAPE FROM KASTAMUNI 104
VI. THE FIRST NIGHT 115
VII. ON THE HILLS 126
VIII. SLOW PROGRESS 135
IX. BLUFFING THE PEASANTS 147
X. REACHING THE COAST 158
XI. RECAPTURED 166
XII. RESCUED 174
XIII. IN HIDING WITH THE TURKS 184
XIV. CONTINUED DELAYS 194
XV. THREE DAYS ON THE BLACK SEA 208
XVI. THE CRIMEA AND HOME 219
XVII. FRIENDS IN CAPTIVITY 230
APPENDIX A 235
APPENDIX B 238
APPENDIX C 242
APPENDIX D 244
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
KASTAMUNI _Frontispiece_
THE CASTLE ROCK, KASTAMUNI "
TO FACE PAGE
ELMEY BEY 48
MAP USED ON JOURNEY TO THE BLACK SEA 126
MAP SHOWING ROUTE OF ESCAPE 180
BIHGAR BEY 196
BOAT IN WHICH THE PARTY CROSSED THE BLACK SEA 210
MAP OF BLACK SEA 214
ALUPKA 220
ALUPKA BATHS 220
YALTA 224
THE THREE OFFICERS AND THREE OF THEIR RESCUERS 226
THE THREE OFFICERS AND THE AKHARDASH 228
A KUT PRISONER
CHAPTER I
CTESIPHON
In India, in the early days of the war, a newly gazetted subaltern of
the Indian Army Reserve of Officers was sent for a month's preliminary
training to one of the few remaining British regular battalions.
Afterwards he was attached to an Indian Regiment, and, if fortunate,
went on service with the same battalion. A great number, however, were
sent off to join other units in the field. In this way I found myself
arriving in Basra on October 2nd, 1915, with a draft for a regiment[1]
of whom I had known nothing a few days before leaving India. However,
the "Nobody's Child" feeling was very soon a thing of the past, and I
was welcomed by a mess full of the best comrades any fellow could
desire.
[1] The 66th Punjabis.
The battle of Es-Sinn had just taken place, and the 6th Division under
General Townshend were then following the Turks up the Tigris above Kut.
Our own fortune appeared to be to remain in Basra as part of the
garrison; but, much to every one's delight, different news came a week
or two later and on the 25th October we set off up stream, hoping to get
right through to the front but with some fear that we might be kept at
Amara.
In those days travelling up the Tigris took a long time, and we spent a
fortnight in reaching Azizie, a journey which can now be accomplished
mostly by rail in two days.
The regiment was accommodated on two of the river steamers, each having
two big barges lashed alongside. The current is considerable and the
heavily weighted steamer could only advance very slowly. In many places
the river becomes very narrow, especially between Kurna and Amara, and
much time was spent in bumping into sand-banks and struggling to get
clear.
We made short halts at Kurna, Amara, and Kut, the latter striking one as
a horribly dusty and dirty little Arab town. Every night we used to tie
up to the bank, as navigation by night was too risky with so little
water in the river. On the last stretch to Azizie, we were warned to be
on the alert for Arab snipers, and great preparations were made
accordingly. A few shots were fired next morning, but nothing more than
one Arab in the distance was seen. Other boats and convoys coming up had
a much more lively time from raiding parties of the local tribes.
Azizie was reached in the afternoon, and presented a scene of the
greatest activity. The village itself consisted of only a few mud huts,
but for some distance along the dusty bank of the river General
Townshend's force was concentrated. Nothing could be a greater contrast
to the deserted stretches of country through which we had passed than
the bustle and life of a force about to advance.
A few days later--on Monday, November 15th--the whole of the 6th
Division and attached troops were on the march for Bagdad, the first
stage being El Kutunie, some seven miles only. Here three days were
spent and the final preparations completed. There was a little sniping
at night from the further bank of the river, but this was quickly dealt
with by the _Firefly_, the first of the new monitors to come into
commission on the river.
Great excitement prevailed on the night of the 18th when it was
suddenly reported that the whole Turkish Force, which considerably
outnumbered our own, was on the march to attack us and was expected to
arrive and commence hostilities before morning. We spent a very
industrious night, digging feverishly and wondering when the enemy would
turn up.
Morning arrived, to find many trenches but no sign of the Turks, and we
later found that the previous reports had been entirely misleading.
However, fresh orders were soon received, and not long after daybreak
the whole force was off again, split into various columns whose mission
was to encompass and annihilate the Turkish advance troops at Zeur,
about ten miles further on. However, the enemy eluded us, as he had done
previously, and got away just in time. After doing several miles across
country in attack formation, always expecting to hear firing beginning
in front, we found we had arrived in the position the Turks had just
vacated.
Next day a short march brought us to Lajj, a small hamlet on the river
which was to be our jumping-off place for the forthcoming battle, and,
as we believed, triumphal march on to Bagdad. All except the minimum of
kit had been left at Azizie, whence it was to follow by steamer to
Bagdad as soon as might be.
Before leaving Azizie, the general had given all senior officers some
idea of the problem we had to tackle, and they realized it would be no
walk-over. The rest of us, fortunately, thought only of a repetition of
the former successes, and that we should enjoy a cheerful Christmas in
Bagdad.
Detailed maps had been issued, not only of the Turks' position at
Ctesiphon, but also of Bagdad and the methods to be adopted to push the
enemy through and out of the city.
At Lajj we were about nine miles from the Arch of Ctesiphon, built by
Chosroes I. in the 6th cent. B.C. and round which battles had been
fought from time immemorial. From the top of a sand-dune near general
headquarters, the magnificent ruin was clearly visible standing up gaunt
and alone above the flat plain. The Turks' position surrounded the Arch
and stretched back on both banks of the river.
We bivouacked one night at Lajj and at nine o'clock the following
evening--Sunday, November 21st--the final advance began.
Our plan was to surround and defeat the Turks on the left bank, where
the greater part of their forces lay, and to drive them back on the
Tigris or Diala River.
The force was split into four columns, which were to attack from
different angles, the "Flying" column being deputed to complete the
victory by dashing on to Bagdad and seizing the Bagdad end of the
Samarra Railway.
At midnight we reached our station on some sand-hills about four to five
miles due east of the Arch, which we could see very clearly as soon as
it became light. It was a bitterly cold night and after digging in we
lay down to get what sleep we could before dawn broke.
The attack was to be begun by the columns further north, who had had a
longer march and were further round the Turkish flank.
There appeared to be considerable delay on their part, and it was an
hour after the advertised time when our advance began. In the meantime a
troop of Turkish cavalry had come out on a reconnaissance, but had
thought better of coming up as far as our sand-hills and, after
hesitating, retired unmolested by us.
As we debouched from the high ground, we could see masses of Turks,
apparently retiring in orderly formation towards their second line or
still further, and the thought occurred that they were not going to wait
even for us to attack. Actually, however, these were troops from the
other side of the river being hastily brought across to strengthen the
Turkish reserves opposite to us.
Our particular destination was a point marked V. P. on our map, and
understood to be the "Vital Point" of the Turkish line. It fell quickly
to our attack, but was not carried at a light cost, and, still worse,
was not so all-essential to the Turkish resistance as it should have
been. Our advance was held up on the Turkish second line and,
unfortunately, we were not powerful or numerous enough to break this
also. The Turks had a fine position and their trenches were sighted with
the greatest skill. Aided by the mirage effect, it was almost impossible
to discern these trenches until right upon them; we, on the other hand,
were out in the open plain, which was as flat as a billiard table and
offered no cover of any sort. The Turkish front line was protected with
barbed wire, and had they been provided with more machine-guns and been
prepared to see things out a little longer, we should have fared very
badly. As it was, we lost heavily in taking V. P. and the adjacent
trench lines, and were too crippled to do much more.
In the afternoon the Turks counterattacked; but our guns were too much
for them, and they gained nothing.
Evening found a confused force bivouacked round V. P. There were
dreadful gaps in all ranks. About midnight I found my way back to my own
battalion, to discover the colonel and M. O., the only two officers
still carrying on. One other subaltern besides myself had been posted
away from the regiment during the day, but, of the rest, only two were
left out of ten who had gone into action with the battalion that
morning. Other regiments were in much the same state, and it was evident
that we had suffered terribly and had not completely smashed the enemy.
Later on we heard that our casualties had reached a total of nearly
5,000, while the Turks were said to have lost twice this figure.
The next morning we took up our position along the Turks' old front
line, and no more fighting took place until the afternoon, when the
Turks came back once more. Attacks followed during the night and
prospects were considered anything but rosy for us by those in
authority. However, the Turks had had enough, and by next morning were
again out of range.
It was imperative for us now to get closer to the river for water, and
accordingly the remnant of the force concentrated in the angle of the
"High Wall," an ancient relic of the old wall of Ctesiphon, now a high
bank, forming a right angle, each arm being about a quarter of a mile
long. During the day the wounded were evacuated, being taken back to
Lajj on A. T. carts. It was a pitiable sight seeing these poor fellows
go. These were the days before the Mesopotamian Commission--springless
carts were all that were available and a number of wounded must have
been literally bumped to death over those eight rough miles back to
Lajj. The memory of those jolting carts with their grimy battered loads
of tortured humanity is one not soon to be forgotten.
The night passed in peace, but the following afternoon the Turks were
seen advancing in several columns, and we were given orders to pack up
at once. Soon after dark we were ready, but it seemed an age until the
head of the column got clear away and our own brigade, who were in rear,
could move. Meanwhile the Turks were expected to arrive on the scene at
any minute, and everything appeared gloomy in the extreme. Ammunition
which could not be removed had been hastily buried. Large fires were lit
to help our departure and endeavour to deceive the enemy. Cheerful
prospects of rearguard actions all night over unknown country seemed all
that was in store for us. However, fortune was with us again; the Turks
hesitated once more and we were not attacked at all during the night.
After a weary march through thick dust and sand, we reached Lajj in the
early hours of the morning, and were greeted by a heavy downpour, which,
fortunately, stopped just before we were quite soaked through.
Digging was again the order as soon as it was light, and arrangements
were made to give the Turks a very hot reception if they intended to
come on at once.
The following day digging continued, but in the afternoon we were again
told to get under way, as the Turks apparently were close upon us.
A long all-night march, only varied by Arab sniping, brought us back to
Azizie the following forenoon. Here digging began once more, and it was
not at first known if we should remain here and see it out or go back
further right down to Kut, some 58 miles. The latter course was decided
on next day and, having collected what little of our old kit we could
still find, we set off once again southwards, and bivouacked by the
river near Umm El Tubul, eleven miles further on.
At eight in the evening, we were just congratulating ourselves on having
at last a snug spot for a night's rest, when firing began and our
pickets were soon driven in. However, the enemy did not make the
expected attack during the night--which we spent in a nullah awaiting
him.
As soon as it was light, we could see a large Turkish camp, not much
more than a mile distant. The first orders were that we should go out
and attack; so we lined up for this purpose. Just as we were ready,
fresh orders arrived, and we retired to the nullah while our guns opened
with rapid fire on the Turkish camp. Meanwhile, there was great bustle
in our rear, where the transport was being hurriedly got away for a
further march towards Kut.
We were told later on that the Turks thought they had only come up
against a weak rearguard and were correspondingly dismayed by our
gun-fire. They were said to have had 2,000 casualties on this day.
However, they pushed on and we had to retire. Previous to this, Turkish
shells had been coming over, but not doing very much damage.
The old gun-boat, the _Comet_, and also the _Firefly_, were both put out
of action while waiting to cover our retreat, and had to be abandoned to
the enemy.
By midday we had shaken off the advancing Turks, having done many miles
across country which seemed to grow camel thorn in every direction. This
shrub is most unpleasant to march through in shorts, and many were the
torn knees in consequence.
A few hours on the ground late that night gave us a little rest; but it
was too cold to sleep, and we were soon sitting up round fires of
brushwood which the men had lighted. Many of us had had no food since
daybreak, and had to fall back on our emergency rations where these were
still in existence.
Next morning we were off once more, and after another long, wearisome
day reached a camp only a very few miles from Kut itself, having done
over 40 miles in the last 36 hours.
Kut was entered the following morning, December 3rd, but it was not
decided till some hours later what position we should take up.
During the next two days we could walk about above ground without
molestation, but snipers arrived all too soon, and by Monday, December
6th, Kut was entirely surrounded and the siege had begun.