We were billeted in the courtyard of Ezra’s Tomb

TCD MS 3414 folio 24 recto

TCD MS 3414 folio 24 recto

[May-June 1915]

successful in bring[ing] about the destruction of the gunboat “Marmourice” & the tug “Bulbull” & the capture of the steamer “Mosul.” The 16th Brigade which had been embarked on a steamer went on with them to Ezra’s Tomb, here more barges & stores were captured. We embarked on P2 that afternoon and arrived at Ezra’s Tomb the morning of June 2nd. We were billeted in the courtyard of the Tomb itself & occupied some small dirty rooms, which were those usually occupied by the local ladies, who finding themselves unsuccessful in the gentle art of the procreation of infants, were wont to make a pilgrimage to this Tomb: they were like a row of capes at the Zoological Gardens, & of course infected with insects. Next morning I was detailed to take my company and unload a certain captured barge. On this I found a most curious collection of war & domestic material, Dynamite, field guns, hens & a brood of chicks, food, [?rifles] <field> glasses & many gaudy oriental tent trappings: every thing was mixed up, & several cases of dynamite narrowly escaped being thrown into a large fire which I had made to burn the useless debris!

The Turks had retired to Amarah, & the Staff with General Townshend on board HMS Espeigle, with HM Ships  <Clyo, Odin, Comet, the British residents of Baghdads yacht, the Shaiton & several other armed tugs & launches had pursued starting on June 1st> in pursuit of them.