A British soldier searches for one of his forebears on a Basra war memorial, Iraq, 2004.
NAM 2005-01-67-3 Crown Copyright
Introduction
Indian troops marching through Baghdad, 11 March 1917. NAM 1965-10-221-64
11 March 2007 marks the 90th anniversary of the British Army's capture of Baghdad from Turkish forces in 1917. The often overlooked Mesopotamia campaign of World War One (1914-18) therefore has a new resonance for us. Today, British forces are once again engaged in a fierce conflict in Iraq.
On 11 March 1917, British and Indian troops entered Baghdad, the principal city of Turkish-controlled Mesopotamia. It marked the high point of a long and tragic campaign that was characterised by bitter fighting in a harsh climate.
Blood and Oil
A horse-drawn tram used to transport British soldiers towards Kut-al-Amara, c1916.
NAM 1999-10-8-2
Indian Army forces had landed in Mesopotamia in November 1914 to safeguard oil supplies and British interests in the area, quickly capturing the important port of Basra.
Encouraged by this early success, the British advanced gradually up the River Tigris capturing Qurna, Amara, Nasireyeh and Kut-al-Amara, a distance of nearly 400 miles (644 km). By October 1915, they were poised to attack the Turks defending Baghdad itself.
Siege at Kut-al-Amara
The first effort to capture Baghdad and defeat the Turkish Army in Mesopotamia ended in tragic failure. With insufficient forces and badly overstretched, Major-General Charles Townshend’s 6th Indian Division was beaten back at the Battle of Ctesiphon in November 1915 and besieged in the town of Kut-al-Amara.
British troops on the march, Mesopotamia, c1916. NAM 1965-10-209-45
Attempts to relieve him were a failure and the starving garrison marched into captivity after being paraded through Baghdad at the end of April 1916. Many men died of disease, malnutrition and cruel treatment.
A new leader
Troops at an ammunition dump, c1916.
NAM 1983-12-72-176
Following the reverse of Kut-al-Amara, a new commander was appointed in July 1916. Lieutenant-General Frederick Stanley Maude who, unlike his predecessors, was a methodical and talented leader.
Over the course of 1916 he carefully built up reserves of men and equipment and by November he was ready to strike at the Turks with over 150,000 men.
