MESOPOTAMIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1916, Page 5

MESOPOTAMIA.

THE FALL OF KUT. GARRISON'S TRYING TUIEtf, AX INTERESTING STORY. Received May 19, 8.30 p.m. ~ „, London, May 18. Mr. Edmund Candler, the British war correspondent in Mesopotamia, savs that the wounded officers from Knt have arrived at headquarters. They inrrate tiat the real privations commenced in the middle of February, whcn mi „, out. Il, e hospital diet was confined to corn-flour and rice-water. Prior to the capitulation the regiments holding, the J■ IT ha , (l not ' been relie ™d for a fortnight and the men were too weak o carry back their kits. All the artil Zll transport animals «e e eaten before the end. The last mule saughtcred had the ribbons of thee frontier .campaigns around- its necL. 1,0 butcher twice sent back the animal, but its end had to come. Mule flesh was better thai, horse flesh and mule dripping was good. It also supplied a substitute for lamp oil. After all the tobacco had been consumed the men smoked lime leaves, ginger, aml baked tea leaves. English Vbacco „ January sold at forty-eight rupees (0-(sl per half-pound box; cheap Indian cheroots at 204 rupees; and a tin'of condensed milk at 34 rupees. ■, Just before the investment a laro-c consignment of» wann clothing arrived from the Britisli Red Cross, and this saved many lives, as the men had onlv a. summer kit.

In the early days of the siege (he Uirkish shells, machine-guns and rifles swept the entire camp day and nHit and the troops only left their duo-outs on most important work. The (ire slackened later, but the men had no strength and any unnecessary walking, games,' and exercise were impossible. The battalions in the liquorice factorv were better off. There they had a cricket and hockey ground, fifty yards by twenty yards, the men using pick handles and rap balls. They, also fished. A hospital ship with 100 British and MS Indians has, arrived, Turks bein<v scut in exchange. The Turkish officers gave every British soldier a handful of cigarettes when lie left Kut. The officers go to Constantinople and the men to Aleppo.