Notes for George Ackerman: George joined up on 28 October 1915 and was assigned to 3rd Batt. East Surrey Regiment. His Regimental Conduct Sheet indicates " Certified that there is no record of the above named soldier having incurred any Regt entry during his service" Dated 22 Jan 1920.
On 25th May 1917 he was transfred to 2nd Garrison Batt. Northumberland Fusiliers. He contracted Malaria and that the Malaria was attributable to the War. As a consequence he was pensioned out of the Army in 1920. His pension was 5/6d per week (27p.p.w.), and that this disability was less than 20% according to Army discharge papers. The pension payment expired on 18th Jan 1921. The records indicate that he caught Malaria when he was in Mesopotamia and claims that he caught it in the "Summer 1917"
The Mesopotamia campaign was long and drawn-out, in appalling conditions that was initially about protecting British oil interests but later gave rise to visions of glittering prizes in the capture of Baghdad and the crushing of the Turkish Empire, which they eventually did on both counts.
It was the Indian Army, which included a number of British units (initially of the Regular Army but soon joined by Territorials), that supplied the 'British' fighting forces ordered to Mesopotamia. This army had been under-invested for decades, and it showed in the quality of equipment and in training. Guns, shells, small arms and ammunition - of which there was never enough - were often literally museum pieces or considered not good enough for the Western Front and other areas. The Army command also failed to realise the difficulties of supplying an army that moved further upstream from the Gulf. There were never enough shallow-draught boats, nor enough mules or camels, to adequately supply the fighting forces that were to be up to 500 miles away from the nearest port.
Like Gallipoli, conditions in Mesopotamia defy description. Extremes of temperature (120 degrees F was common); arid desert and regular flooding; flies, mosquitoes and other vermin: all led to appalling levels of sickness and death through disease. Under these incredible conditions, units fell short of officers and men, and all too often the reinforcements were half-trained and ill-equipped. Medical arrangements were quite shocking, with wounded men spending up to two weeks on boats before reaching any kind of hospital. Saying of the British Soldiers "Allah made Mesopotamia, then he added flies"
The early successes in the river delta were misleading; more and more troops were sent to the Mesopotamia theatre, for operations towards Baghdad which stretched the supply lines to the limit. There was a serious difference of opinion between London, India and the Commander of the force, regarding the role of the army. The fomer saw it as defensive; the latter two as offensive with a view to capturing Baghad. The campaign was muddled: the attitudes and complacency disastrous. The advance plodded on, until a resounding defeat in November 1915 in front of Ctesiphon led to headlong retreat to Kut-al-Amara. The army in Kut became surrounded and besieged; eventually 9,000 (3,000 British and 6,000 Indian troops) surrendered five months later - the greatest defeat and loss in British military history up to that point.
Following the fall of Kut, the British ordered Major-General Stanley Maude to take command of the British army in Mesopotamia. He introduced new methods, which culminated in a decisive defeat of the Turks in February 1917, and the capture of Baghdad in March 1917. On this day, the Berlin-Baghdad railway was captured, and German schemes for Turkey were finished.
British forces (and Russians, advancing from the north and east) closed in on the Turks throughout the autumn of 1917, and into the Spring of 1918. Despite making great advances, however, and the additional pressure coming from the north-west, where British forces in Palestine defeated the Turks, no decisive victory was gained.
An armistice was signed by the Turks in Mesopotamia on 1st November 1918.
His Army record indicates that he served two tours in India, the first between 26th Feb 1916 until 24th May 1917 and the second 18th April and 2nd September 1919. In between these tours he was ordered to Mesopotamia between 25th May 1917 and 24th March 1919 when he embarked on the SS Dara for Bombay for his second tour of India.
The Voyage home took 29 Days he embarked on 3rd September and landed back home 1st October 1919. The following day, 2nd October 1919 he was transferred to a Class Z. Class Z Reserve was authorised by an Army Order of 3 December 1918. There were fears that Germany would not accept the terms of any peace treaty and therefore the British Government decided it would be wise to be able to quickly recall trained men in the eventuality of the resumption of hostilities. Soldiers who were being demobilised, particularly those who had agreed to serve "for the duration", were at first posted to Class Z. They returned to civilian life but with an obligation to return if called upon. The Z Reserve was abolished on 31 March 1920
Launched 1915: ss DARA
ss DARA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- built by Russell & Co Port Glasgow, Yard No 680
George Ackerman (b. 10 December 1882, d. 05 July 1957)
Notes for George Ackerman: