Commemorated: | |||
| 1. Memorial: | Basra War Cemetery | III. O. 6. | |
| 2. Memorial: | The (1940) Scroll - WW1 Roll of Honour | 11D GQS | |
Awards & Titles: | |||
Family :
Son of the late Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Sargent, of 28, Brook St., Tavistock, Devon; husband of Ida Emily Sargent, of 8, Shanbally Terrace, Torpoint, Cornwall.Service Life:
Campaigns:
- The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.
| Unit / Ship / Est.: 2/4 Duke of Cornwall's Light Infantry |
"2/4th Battalion Formed at Truro in September 1914 as a home service (""second line"") unit. Became part of 2nd Devon and Cornwall Brigade, 2nd (Wessex) Division. 12 December 1914 : sailed for India and remained there throughout the war. Arrived at Karachi on 9 January 1915. Came under orders of 1st Quetta Brigade in 4th (Quetta) Division. Moved in October 1915 to Multan Brigade in 3rd (Lahore) Divisonal Area. In March 1916, transferred to Ferozepore Brigade in same Area. Moved with brigade (now renamed 44th Brigade) to 16th (Indian) Division in February 1917. Moved in March 1917 to Dehra Dun Brigade in 7th (Meerut) Divisional Area and transferred to Delhi Brigade in same Area in March 1918. " |
| Action : Mesopotamia |
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.
Masonic :
| Type | Lodge Name and No. | Province/District : |
|---|---|---|
| Mother : | Loyal Victoria No. 557 E.C. | Cornwall |
Initiated | Passed | Raised |
7th June 1905 | 5th July 1905 | 2nd August 1905 |
22 year old Schoolmaster from Tavistock in 1905. "Resigned 31.12.10." Senior Warden
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