Current Information:

Age-24

65, Eugenia Road, Rotherhithe

Kut War Cemetery, Iraq

When the Ottoman Empire allied itself to Germany in 1914, Britain found herself at war with Turkey, a war that was not only fought in Gallipoli, Egypt and Palestine, but also in Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers Tigris and Euphrates which is now modern day Iraq. Britain had vital oil interests around Basra in the south and troops were sent there to protect them. During 1915 and 1916, British and Indian troops began pushing north with their eye on the prize of Baghdad, which after a series of victories and reverses was finally captured in March 1917. But the Turks continued to strenuously defend their territory until the final end came in October 1918, when they signed an armistice.

From 7th December, 1915 until 29th April, 1916 an 8,000 strong British and Indian force were besieged by the Turks in the town of Kut on the River Tigris, some 100 miles south of Baghdad. This was the force that had advanced on Baghdad in 1915 but which had been defeated at Ctesiphon in November, 1915 and had then fallen back to Kut. Here they were besieged, their only hope being a relief force that was making its way slowly up the Tigris from Basra but which arrived too late to save the garrison. Throughout December, 1915, the Turks tried hard to break through the British defences at Kut in a series of infantry attacks and the constant use of artillery. Their greatest effort was made on 24th December, 1915 when, after an intense overnight bombardment, the Turkish infantry attacked in force. The fighting was extremely fierce and many soldiers on both sides were killed or wounded but the defenders held on. One of the units engaged in this battle was the 1st Oxford & Buckingham Light Infantry which had been in India at the outbreak of the war and were part of 17 Brigade of the 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army. Thomas Ballard was one of their casualties on this day.