A Kut Prisoner by H. C. W. Bishop

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A KUT PRISONER

On Active Service Series

[Illustration: KASTAMUNI]

[Illustration: THE CASTLE ROCK (KASTAMUNI)]

A KUT PRISONER

H. C. W. BISHOP

London: John Lane, The Bodley Head New York: John Lane Company. MCMXX

Printed by the Anchor Press Ltd., Tiptree, Essex, England.

TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE BRITISH AND INDIAN OFFICERS AND MEN OF THE KUT GARRISON WHO HAVE SUFFERED AND DIED IN CAPTIVITY THIS BOOK IS REVERENTLY DEDICATED

INTRODUCTION

The experiences related in the following pages are simply the individual fortunes of a subaltern of the Indian Army Reserve of Officers who had his first taste of fighting at the battle of Ctesiphon, and was afterwards taken prisoner by the Turks with the rest of the Kut Garrison, ultimately succeeding in escaping from Asia Minor. It is not intended to generalize in any way, since an individual, unless of exalted rank, sees as a rule only his own small environment and cannot pretend to speak for the majority of his comrades.

The book is published in the hope that it may prove of interest to the many relatives and friends of the Kut prisoners.

Acknowledgments are due to Messrs. Blackwood, the _Times of India_, and the _Pioneer_ for their kind permission to republish those chapters which originally appeared in these papers.

CONTENTS

CHAPTER PAGE

I. CTESIPHON 1

II. KUT 14

III. FROM KUT TO KASTAMUNI 34

IV. LIFE IN KASTAMUNI 80

V. ESCAPE FROM KASTAMUNI 104

VI. THE FIRST NIGHT 115

VII. ON THE HILLS 126

VIII. SLOW PROGRESS 135

IX. BLUFFING THE PEASANTS 147

X. REACHING THE COAST 158

XI. RECAPTURED 166

XII. RESCUED 174

XIII. IN HIDING WITH THE TURKS 184

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