14 Jul
'Crisis at Kut - 3rd December 1915 to 29th April 1916'
A talk by Alan Wakefield.
About the talk:
This talk looks at the siege and attempted relief of Kut-al-Amara in Mesopotamia.
Prior to the surrender of Singapore in 1942, the loss of the garrison at Kut was the greatest humiliation in modern British military history.
Alan Wakefield will examine the reasons for the loss of General Charles Townshend's command,
Major General Sir Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend, KCB, DSO
including decisions taken by Townshend and his superiors, the composition of the relief force and the performance of Turkish forces in the field.
About the Speaker:
Alan Wakefield is the Head of the First World War & Early 20th Century Conflict curatorial team at the Imperial War Museums (IWM).
More Details:
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Role at IWM:He leads the curatorial team responsible for interpreting and developing the IWM's collections related to the First World War and early 20th century conflicts.
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Expertise:He is a historian with a background in military history, particularly the First World War.
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Other Roles:He is a member of the British Commission for Military History and Chairman of the Salonika Campaign Society.
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Publications:He has authored and co-authored several books on the First World War, including "Under the Devil's Eye: Britain's Forgotten Army at Salonika 1915–1918" and "Christmas in the Trenches".
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Engagement:He frequently writes and lectures on various aspects of First World War history and has led tour groups to the battlefields of the Salonika Campaign and the Branch are pleased to have him giving this talk on 'Crisis at Kut'.
Congregational Church, King Street, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire ST5 1EJ
14 Jul 2025 19:00