Kut 1916: The Forgotten British Disaster in Iraq

The siege of Kut is a story of blunders, sacrifice, imprisonment, and escape. Initially a great success in 1914, the Allied Mesopotamian campaign turned sour as the army pressed towards Baghdad and its poor logistic support, training, equipment, and command left it isolated and besieged by the Turks. On April 29, 1916, the British Army suffered one of the worst defeats in its military history. Major-General Sir Charles Townshend surrendered his Allied force to the Turks and more than 13,000 troops, British and Indian, went into captivity; many would not survive their incarceration. In Kut 1916, Colonel Crowley recounts this dramatic tale and its terrible aftermath.