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Researching Catholic Soldiers


Guest Ian Bowbrick

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Guest Ian Bowbrick

Does anyone have any information on Major-General Dunsterville. He commanded a British mission to Armenia during the war known as the Dunsterforce. In addition he was at school with Rudyard Kipling and was the person who Kipling based the character of Stalky on. (From Stalkly & Co....)

Ian :rolleyes:

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Ian

Lionel Charles Dunsterville originally served in the Royal Sussex before tranferring to the Indian Army. He was promoted Lt 23 Aug 84, Capt 13 Aug 95, Maj 10 Jul 91, Lt Col 26 Oct 07.

Served in the 1894-5 Waziristan Expedition and was awarded medal and clasp and on the NW Frontier 1897-8 (medal and clasp), and China 1900 for which he was mentioned in Despatches on 13 Sep 01 and received the China Medal.

During WW1 he was Mentioned in Despatches 4 Jul 16 and 21 Feb 19. To my surprise, Services of Military Officers 1919 does not record him as having received in decorations.

I've a feeling that he wrote a book of his experiences, but I cannot recall the title.

Charles M

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Also,

Dunsterforce is the name of the force that went into Mesopotamia after the fall of Kut and Baghdad to stop any invasion via the Caucasus in upper Persia.

Large numbers of Anzac Officers and SNCO's were sent to Baghdad in early 1918 under Dunsterville they also included Canadians, South Africans and Imperial troops.

There is a book edited by Keast Burke called "With Horse and Morse in Mesopotamia". It was reprinted not long ago and is still around.

If you go through the book you will find all the names are now mentioned on TV with the war in Iraq.

S.B

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G'day Ian

My copy of 'The Adventures of Dunsterforce' shows Major General L C Dunsterville as CB CSI, so his efforts didn't go totally unrewarded.

If you can obtain a copy, the book is a fascinating read. Mine is a 1932 edition, found in a Sydney second hand shop a couple of years ago for 60 cents!

Cheers

Dolphin

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Dunsterville also has 3 vols of autobiography-type stuff - "Stalky's Adventures", "Stalky's Reminiscences" and "Stalky Settles Down". Reminiscences seems to be the one that deals with his time in Dunsterforce.

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There's a book called 'There Goes A Man' which is about Stan Savige.

Savige was an officer with the 24th Battalion AIF and went on to join Dunsterforce. He later became a leading Australian General in WW2.

The part of his book that is related to Dunsterforce makes very interesting reading.

Cheers

Andrew

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