NAM.1967-02-91-25

Ms letters and ts copies of letters written by Maj Gen Sir Charles Melliss VC to his wife, Kathleen, during the First World War campaign in Mesopotamia, 26 Mar 1915- 29 Apr 1916 (263 pp). Covers his journey to Mesopotamia by sea; his arrival in theatre and command of 6th (Poona) Division at the Battle of Shaiba, April 1915, with comments on the strain of leadership in battle; his command of 30th Indian Infantry Brigade as part of Maj Gen Sir George Gorringe's 12th Indian Division during operations in Persia, May 1915, including an action fought against the Beni Turuf (Bani Torof /Banu Turuf) Arabs along the Khurkeh (Karkheh/Kerkha) River, and the operation to capture Nasariyah on the River Euphrates, Jun-Jul 1915; comments on the inhospitable conditions in the region, including the heat, sandstorms, flies, mosquitos, floods, swamps, and the hostile local Arab tribes; comments on the course of the war and on British strategy in Mesopotamia; his criticisms of Gorringe's leadership; his service as part of 6th (Poona) Division under Maj Gen Sir Charles Townshend at the Siege of Kut-al-Amara, Dec 1915 - Apr 1916, with comments on the Ottoman bombardment, including numerous stories of casualties and near misses; the problem of rations and supply, including the reluctance of Indian soldiers to eat horsemeat; conditions inside Kut, including the floods of winter and spring; the abortive relief operations launched by Lt Gen Charles Aylmer and Lt Gen Sir George Gorringe; dealings with senior commanders, Lt Gen Sir John Nixon and Lt Gen Sir Percy Lake; his relations with Townshend and his criticisms of Townshend's leadership; together with an undated letter headed '25 Emperor's Gate, S Kensington', regarding Somaliland. From a collection of papers relating to Maj Gen Sir Charles John Melliss VC (1862-1936). Associated with the Battles of Shaiba, Nasiriyeh and Ctesiphon and the Siege of Kut, World War One, Mesopotamia (1914-1918), 1915 - 1916.

Shaiba, Battle of, 1915 (World War One, Mesopotamia 1914-1918, Kut, Siege of, 1915-16 (World War One, Mesopotamia 1914-1918), Nasiriyeh, Capture of, 1915 (World War One, Mesopotamia 1914-1918, Ctesiphon, Battle of, 1915 (World War One, Mesopotamia 1914-1918)