Current Information:

57, Oban Road, Barking

Born-Hampstead

Basra War Cemetery, Iraq

Mesopotamia

When the Ottoman Empire allied itself to Germany in 1914, Britain found itself at war with Turkey, a conflict 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. But it was not the Turkish army that was the biggest danger faced by the British in Mesopotamia, but rather disease. Sickness was rife brought about by temperatures of nearly 50 Centigrade, poor sanitation and regular flooding all of which encouraged flies mosquitoes and rats. Obtaining clean water was always a big problem in the desert and consequently water-borne diseases such as typhoid and cholera claimed many victims. The situation was exacerbate by shockingly poor medical arrangements with sick and wounded men taking up to two weeks to get to a hospital.

Ernest Brown died from wounds on 18th November, 1914 but as yet there is no information as to where and on what date he was wounded. The 2nd Norfolk battalion was in India at the start of the war as part of 18 Brigade, 6th Indian Division and reached Mesopotamia in November, 1914.