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**** Goanet Classifieds ****
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Enescil, a Brazilian engineering firm requires Engineers, Architects
and Draftsmen, proficient in AutoCAD, for their new office in Goa
Those interested can email [email protected] by 15 November 2011
Selected candidates will be sent to Brazil for 2 months training
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The book by A.J.Barker was republished recently under a new title: 'The
First Iraq War,' although the original in 1965 was 'The Neglected War.'
Why Turkish Mesopotamia in 1915: the arguements were complex, but it all
boiled down to oil !
There was a need to add a new front to the German war in France, and stop the
planned railroad from Berlin to Baghdad, one that would supply the inevitable
invasion of Persia and India. What was paramount, however, was protection
of Imperial Oil's Ahwaz/Abadan oil complex in the Persian protectorate, and so
an army drawn from India seized territory around Basra in 1915.
Now you cannot hold a good soldier back, and Baghdad beckoned. Soon Gen.
Townshend, commander of the 6th Poona Division had taken Amarna, and Nasriya
followed. Only Kut,on the Tigris stood in the way to the big prize. There,
Townshend hoped to repeat his famouf feat in Chitral, where he had forced back
an Afghan siege in 1895. Heavily outgunned by the Turks, poorly supplied by
both Simla and Whitehall, he surrendered along with 13,000 men, most of whom
would not survive their harsh Turkish captivity.
There was a public outcry in London, and soon a counterattack was planned by
the new C/C, Gen. Stanley Maude, with a huge new Indian force. The units
included the 2nd Poona Div., the 3rd Lahore Div., the 67th Punjabis, 7th
Rajputs, 51st Sikhs, 2nd Gurkhas, 7th Meerut and Brigades of Dogras, Hariana
Lancers, Jats and Bengals. Six thousand mules and horses were transported on
the armed river boats Sushan, Julnar, Sumana and Shaitan(!). Turkey surrendered
after two years of hard fighting to the piping sound of their band's 'God Save
the Queen !'
Here is Barker's post script: Divisions of the Indian Corps had seen hard
fighting in France and Flanders fought under heartbreaking conditions and
accepted monstrous casualties. As was well said in an official telegram "They
did all that flesh and blood could do."
He goes on to add: Half a million Indians fought and brought new freedom to a
nation to be called Iraq; to shatter the German dream of an empire in the
Orient, over thirty thousand of them died in the desert wastes.
Dr. Jose Siqueira of the 17th Mahrattas, returned to many years
Aldona service with his young Basra born Russo/German wife after
demobilization. Selma/Fred - I knew Donna Lucia well, and she spoke flawless
Konkani, to the end, 1975.
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