Family :

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

At the outbreak of war the British, together with Indian troops, resolved to protect oil supply in the region by occupying the area around Basra at Abadan. This evolved into a series of campaigns towards Baghdad against the Turkish forces as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) was part of the Ottoman Empire. Meetings in late 1914 and into 1915 led the Viceroy and Indian government at Simla to reconsider the limited involvement of troops and they decided to order further advances with a view to securing the Shatt-al-Hai, a canal connecting the Tigris and Euphrates river and potentially capturing Baghdad. The British government disagreed and wished to conserve forces for the Western front. The Viceroy was given permission to act as it wished, but told in no uncertain terms that no reinforcements should be expected.

The initial success experienced by the British and Indian forces quickly disintegrated in the face of Ottoman opposition. The Siege of Kut-Al-Amara began on 7th December with the besieging of an 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. These campaigns produced few tactical benefits, indeed the catastrophic defeat at Kut in 1916 was a major setback. Badhdad was eventually taken in March 1917.

The conditions in Mesopotamia were dreadful. The climate, sickness and disease produced large losses in addition to battle casualties. About as many men died of disease as were killed in action. The Mesopotamia front was part of a strategy hoping for success at lower cost than the Western Front but no decisive victory was achieved.

Detail :

Member of the Inner Temple: F. J. RlGBY, 3 Bn. Seaforth Highldrs. Lieutenant

De Ruvigny's Vol. II: RIGBY, FRANCIS JOHN, M.C., Capt., 3rd (Reserve), attd. 1st (72nd Foot), Battn. Seaforth Highlanders (Ross-shire Buffs, The Duke of Albany's), only s. of the late John Richard Rigby, of Ashboure, Solicitor, by his wife, Clara Jane (St. John Street, Ashbourne), dau. of John Skevington, of Ashbourne, Surgeon; b. Ashbourne Grammar School; Rugby and Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where he attained Honours in the Law Tripos in 1909, graduating B.A. the same year, and took the degree of LL.B. in 1910; was called to the Bar (Inner Temple) in 1912, and joine dhte Midland Circuit; joined the Inns of Court O.T.C. in 1911; volunteered for foreign service on the outbreak of war; was gazetted 2nd Lieut. 3rd Seaforth Highlanders 15 Aug. 1914; promoted Lieut. 27 March 1915, and Capt. in the following June; served with the Expeditionary Force in France and Flanders from Nov. 1914, when he was attached to the 1st Battn.; proceeded to Mesopotamia in Nov 1915; was slightly wounded 6 Jan, 1916, but remained with his battalion, and was killed in action at Orah on the 21st. Buried there. He was mentioned in Despatches [London Gazette, 1 Jan. 1916] by F.M. Sir John (now Lord) Frenc, for gallant and distinguished service in the field, and was awarded the Military Cross [London Gazette, 14 Jan. 1916]; unm.

His death appears in the newspapers including the Derbyshire Advertiser and Journal: "THE LATE CAPTAIN F.J. RIGBY. Mr C.W. Cracroft made feeling reference to the death in action of Captain Francis John Rigby, of the 1st Seaforth Highlanders. Capt. Rigby, he said, was a descendant of a Derbyshire family, being a native of Ashbourne. he was called to the Bar in 1912 and forthwith joined the Midland Circuit, making his last professional appearance at the last Derby Winter Assizes. Their friendship and affection toward him had become deep-rooted. He answered the call of duty to serve his country, and met his death in Mesopotamia. He was a promising counselm a skilled and able officer, and lat and best of all, a very gallant gentleman. Associating himself with the expression of regret, his Lordship said it was little indeed they could do to recognise those who were making our lives at home secure. The least they could do was to venerate their memory. It was not, added his Lordship, the number of years a man lived by which they judged him, but the amount of work he did here.

Probate RIGBY Francis John of St. John-street Ashbourne Derbyshire died 21 January 1916 in Mesopotamia Probate London 28 March to Agnes Annie Rigby spinster and Harold John Burkill stockbroker. Effects £6213 16s. 10d.

Masonic :

Still a student to the Bar when initiated into Felix Lodge No. 1494 at Hampton Court in 1912.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley