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Auction: 8023 - Orders, Decorations, Medals & Militaria
Lot: 29

A Great War 1916 ´Mesopotamia´ Posthumous D.C.M. to Sergeant J.J. Hewitt, Who Died in Captivity Following the British Surrender of Kut-Al-Amara, 29.4.1916 Distinguished Conduct Medal, G.V.R. (11460 Cpl J.J. Hewitt. 86/By: R.G.A.), good very fine Estimate £ 600-800 D.C.M. London Gazette 12.12.1917 11460 Cpl. J.J. Hewitt, R.G.A. (Horning, near Norwich) ´´For Gallantry and distinguished service in the field.´´ 11460 Sergeant John James Hewitt, D.C.M., born Horning, Norwich; served with the 86th Battery, Royal Garrison Artillery in the Asiatic Theatre of War from 16.1.1915; died between 29.4.1916 and 25.4.1917 as a Prisoner of War following the Surrender of Kut, and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. Siege of Kut The 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army, under Major-General Charles Townshend, arrived at Kut on the 3rd December 1915. They had suffered significant losses and were down to around 11,000 Officers and men. General Townshend chose to stay and hold the position at Kut instead of continuing the march downriver towards Basra, due to the defensive advantages that Kut afforded. The pursuing Ottoman forces arrived on the 7th December, and at once laid siege. Rather than attempt to raise the siege, it was decided to remain put, on the basis that it tied down a large number of the enemy. However, with supplies running out various attempts were made to relieve the defenders, without success, and at a cost of approximately 23,000 Allied killed or wounded. Ottoman casualties were around 10,000. On the 23rd April, with the Kut garrison almost starved into submission, and the death toll due to malnutrition and disease rising, General Townshend attempted to negotiate a deal with the enemy, whereby the Kut garrison would be permitted to make their way to down the river to join up with General Lake´´s force, in return for surrendering Kut and the forty guns there, and paying £1,000,000. A ceasefire was arranged on the 26th April, but after further negotiations had failed, Townshend simply surrendered on 29 April, after a siege of 147 days. Sergeant Hewitt is recorded by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and in Soldiers Died in the Great War, as having died on 29.4.1916. His M.I.C. gives his date of death as between 29.4.1916-25.4.1917. In total 277 British Officers and 2,592 other ranks, together with 7,192 Officers and men of the Indian Army were made Prisoners of War following the surrender of Kut, and more than 1,700 Britons and 3,500 Indians died of disease or at the hands of their Turkish guards during captivity, or were never traced.

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£850