1914-1945 campaigns in Iraq: Learning from the past

[davidbfpo]

Moderators Note

I have added posts that broaden the time period from 1914-1918, so the title has been changed to 1914-1945 campaigns in Iraq: Learning from the past (ends).

Last night I attended a lecture on the 1914-1918 campaign in Iraq, where the Ottoman Empire fought the British Empire, the later mainly using Indian troops. In the Q&A several questions on the current situation led one speaker, an archivist at the UK National Army Museum, to comment only a American army intelligence officer came to them and devoured lessons learnt material on the UCW aspects. He later cited Turkish soldiers dressing in ladies traditional clothing, knowing the Brits would decline to search them and the local / Arab oral history tradition that spread reports of Brits hanging locals near Basra. Something he suggested would still be in the Iraqi popular memory.

Turning to the Iraqi Revolt (which appeared on another thread months ago) that the British had several horrible experiences and often in places whose names we are now familiar with, e.g. Ramadi.

I noted the facts given that the British at the end had over 400K troops deployed, several independent cavalry brigades and four divisions. Plus 100K labourers. Teeth to tail ratio appears rather low.

The speakers have a book awaiting publication on the WW1 campaign: From Baghdad to Basra by Alan Wakefield and Simon Moody.

davidbfpo