Volunteer Artillery Battery
The Volunteer Artillery Battery took part in the Mesopotamia Campaign during the First World War. Detachments of the Battery were captured at Kut.
The majority of the men were from Burma. They were known as the Volunteer Artillery Battery (Rangoon Contingent) and probably had a connection to the Rangoon Port Defence Volunteer Corps , which had an Artillery section.
They sailed from Bombay 16 July 1915, arriving in Basra 24th July.[1]
The Volunteer Artillery Battery included several men of the Bombay Volunteer Artillery, "some of whom made the great sacrifice".[2][3]
The Battery, soon after arrival from India, was divided into two sections, one preceding up the Euphrates and the other up the Tigris river. [2]
The portion of the Volunteer Artillery Battery that went through the siege of Kut comprised four 15 pr. detachments, two being stationed at one period of the siege in the Fort and two others near the north-west section trenches.[2]
The total strength of the Battery was 67, of whom 50 were from Burma. Of the total Battery of 67, 38 became casualties. 45 of the men were taken POW with 18 of them dying during captivity.[4] Appendix II of Major Sandes' book In Kut and Captivity, see below, advises 5 British Officers, 53 British Other Ranks and 10 Followers, total 68.
Records
- The National Archives, Kew
- War Diaries: Part VI: Mesopotamia, Iraq and North Persia
- WO 95/5119 1915 July - Oct. "Attached Troops: Volunteer Artillery Battery" 6 Indian Division
- WO 95/5188 1916 Jan. - 1917 Mar, 15 Indian Division
- WO 95/5028 1917 Apr. - 1918 Aug Euphrates Defence and Communications
- War Diaries: Part VI: Mesopotamia, Iraq and North Persia
- The Imperial War Museums, Department of Documents holds the papers of Major Sir Alexander James Anderson, who commanded the Volunteer Artillery Battery, catalogue reference AJA[5] The papers Include a manuscript diary, with later transcription, kept during September 1915 - April 1916, during which time the Battery was involved in the defence of Kut . The diary includes a list of officers, NCOs and men in his unit, giving their civil occupations and ultimate fates. (pp.1-5).
External links
- En-Dor Unveiled : The Story behind The Road to En-dor by Tony Craven Walker February 2014. html version, pdf, link to other downloads hesperuspress.com. Retrieved 26 October 2014. Contains correspondence from E H Jones, refer "Historical books online" below. He was part of the Contingent from Burma.
- Biographical details of Elias Henry Jones homefrontmuseum. Retrieved 27 October 2014
Historical books online
- The Road to En-Dor; being an account of how two prisoners of war at Yozgad in Turkey won their way to freedom by E H Jones Lt. IARO, 1920 Archive.org The author, Elias Henry Jones was captured at Kut and had previously been in the Indian Civil Service in Burma.
- In Kut and Captivity : with the Sixth Indian Division by Major E W G Sandes 1919 Archive.org
References
- ↑ En-Dor Unveiled : The Story behind The Road to En-dor by Tony Craven Walker, refer External links, above
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Volunteers At Kut: How the Gunners Fought" The Times of India 16 Oct 1919: page 12
- ↑ 'Searle of the Bombay Artillery' (with a footnote specifying Bombay Volunteer Artillery ) is mentioned as a POW following the fall of Kut in "Trumpeter Inwood, an Anglo-Indian hero of the Kut Garrison" by Rosemary Reardon page 25, FIBIS Journal No 32, Autumn 2014, quoting TNA WO 157/1059. However, his name does not appear on a list of Volunteer Artillery Battery members.(see following Reference)
- ↑ Flory, Dick Bombardier A N Christison Indian Volunteer Artillery Great War Forum 26 October 2014 et al., quoting Major A J Anderson. Retrieved 27 October 2014
- ↑ Discovery catalogue entry. Previous catalogue entry