A First World War buff, I am also a
longtime admirer of contemporaneous Gertrude Bell, the fearless
desert adventurer and tribal negotiator, turned British intelligence
officer and kingmaker. With expertise in antiquities and
architecture, she located countless ancient sites for archaeologists to
uncover; she founded the great Baghdad Museum. The Gertrude Bell
Archive at Newcastle University Library includes thousands of
priceless photographs of her explorations, nomadic encounters, and
historical artifacts. Many of those same subjects have disappeared or
are in great danger of destruction as we speak.
 |
| Iraq (Mesopotamia) 1914; photo by Gertrude Bell |
Why mention Gertrude? In the nature of
Friends Send Me ... camel things, imagine my delight when Mike
shared his grandfather's story with me. It is a story of military
perseverance in the same time period and unforgiving climate. The
First World War was fought not only in Europe. British Forces were in
the Middle East alongside Arab allies to drive the Ottoman Empire out
of the storied Euphrates lands called Mesopotamia. We have to
remember that one hundred years ago there was no Iraq, Iran, Israel,
or another half-dozen Middle Eastern countries we hear about today.
Arthur James Knowles, Mike's
grandfather, served in that theatre with the 1/4 Hampshire Regiment
from March 1915 to the end of November 1919. Arthur's service
records are gone, destroyed with so many others during the bombings
of the Second World War. But using the published regimental history,
Mike could reconstruct the actions of Arthur's unit.[1]
The Brits encountered unfamiliar terrain and the inevitable battles
but were unprepared for the climate's deleterious health
consequences.
[quote] The climate and moist heat of
Mesopotamia were having a detrimental effect on the battalion. By
June 1915, 180 were sick in the hospital and six had already died.
Only 16 officers and 300 men were available.[2]
And that was just a few months after
arrival!
During his service, Arthur took
numerous photographs that did survive, although not in good shape,
with Mike doing his best at restoration. What unique treasures! These
two photos are of Sudanese allies. Camels were the natural
choice for cavalry.
Mike wrote about Arthur in the
newsletter of the Ottawa Branch, Ontario Genealogical Society (see
footnote). Clearly Arthur survived the Great War and I'm more than
pleased to add that he came to Canada to settle in 1921.
Ancestor envy!
[1] C.T. Atkinson,
The
Royal Hampshire Regiment, Volume Two 1914-1918,
Glasgow: Robert Maclehose & Company Limited, 1952
[2] Mike More, "The 1/4th
Hampshires in Mesopotamia," The Ottawa Genealogist, Vol.
47, No. 4, October – December 2014.
©
2015 Brenda Dougall
Merriman
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