TCD MS 3414 folio 77 recto
[December 1915]
These were very sad times for me, for my regiment lost very heavily in officers, & amongst them my best friends in the regiment. Majors Hyde & Forrest DSO, Capts Davenport, Courtis, Lt Kearsley, Wynter were killed Capt Foljante was severely wounded & eventually killed during the attempt to relieve Kut, Lt Murphy & Hasel 43rd of the attached officers & Lt Webber. DCLI was wounded, while Lt Hines Somerset <LI> was killed.
Though I never served in France, in Gallipoli, or at Salonika I do not believe that any Division in our Army could have suffered more than the old 6th Poona Division from the Battle of Essinn to the line they were released from Turkey. At Essinn our casualties were pretty heavy & the bad medical arrangements caused hideous suffering – At Ctesiphon <& the retreat> we lost 47% in men & <average of> 70% in officers <in units> & medical arrangements were worse. In Kut itself our sufferings were many, food was very short and men were obliged to live for 5 months in trenches continually under fire.
The Retreat &
Siege of Kut