Dvr 4499 Bertram Charles Simmonds

[Marc Thompson]

Remembering Today:

Dvr 4499 Bertram Charles Simmonds, 1/5th Hants Battery, Royal Field Artillery who died on 02.05.16

Kut War Cemetery, Iraq

Name: SIMMONDS

Initials: BC

Nationality: United Kingdom

Rank: Driver

Regiment: Unit Text: 1st/5th Hants Battery, Royal Field Artillery

Date of Death: 02/05/1916

Service No: 4499

Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead

Grave/Memorial Reference: A. 10.

Cemetery: Kut War Cemetery

Country: Iraq

Locality: unspecified

Location Information: Kut War Cemetery is on the northern edge of the town, at the point where the Baghdad road enters it, 800 metres from the river.

Historical Information: In April 1915, the Indian Expeditionary Force 'D', which had landed at Fao the previous November, began its advance inland with the intention of clearing Turkish forces out of south-west Iraq. Amara was occupied in early June and the advance continued along the line of the Euphrates to Nasiriya, and along the Tigris to Kut, which was taken on 29 September. The advance to Baghdad was resumed on 11 November, but was brought to a standstill against the strong Turkish defences at Ctesiphon on 22-24 November. By 3 December, the force, comprising chiefly the 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army, was back in its entrenched camp at Kut, where they were besieged by Turkish forces. Heavy casualties were suffered in desperate but unsuccessful attempts to reach the town and raise the siege in January, March and April. The garrison was forced to capitulate on 29 April 1916 and nearly 12,000 men were taken prisoner, many of whom later died in captivity. The town was reoccupied by Commonwealth forces in February 1917 and at the end of June it became an administrative, railway and hospital centre. Kut War Cemetery was made by the 6th (Poona) Division between October 1915 and May 1916 and was increased in size when graves were brought in from other sites after the Armistice. The cemetery now contains 420 First World War burials.

[Marc Thompson]

Bertam Charles Simmonds was the son of Henry C. and M. J. Simmonds, of Corner House, Avenue Rd., Freshwater, Isle of Wight. He was 19 years old when he died.

Born: Newport, Isle of Wight

Enlisted: Freshwater, Isle of Wight

SDGW indicates Died

1/5th Hants Battery formed part of 1/2nd Wessex Brigade, R.F.A. and was mobilised on the Isle of Wight on 4th August 1914. After two months' training on Salisbury Plain, the Brigade embarked at Southampton for India on 9th October, arriving at Bombay on 9th November, and then Lucknow on 13th November. The Brigade left Lucknow by train on 21st February 1915, and proceeded to a practice camp near Jhansi. Early in April 1915 the 1/5th Hants Battery was ordered to Mesopotamia on active service and the Brigade was broken up. The 1/5th Hants Battery joined General Nixon's Force, and soon afterwards advanced up the Tigris with General Townsend's Force. It took part in all the fighting and was finally shut up in Kut with Townsend until the fall of Kut. After the fall of Kut on 19th April 1916, prisoners were concentrated at Shumran for eight days before commencing their march to Bagcha. Few of the N.C.O.'s and men, who were taken prisoner, lived to return home.