Courageous Brethren - Alfred East #385

Alfred East’s Family:

Alfred East christened Alfred Tomlin East was the only son of the late Sir Alfred East, R.A., and Lady East of 67 Belsize Square Hampstead London. His father was President of the Royal Society of British Artists.

Education & Career:

Alfred East was in Ashburnham House of the Westminster School from September 1891 to April 1895. He became an engineer and worked as a special assistant during the construction of the Bombay Municipality Waterworks.

Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

At the outbreak of war the British, together with Indian troops, resolved to protect oil supply in the region by occupying the area around Basra at Abadan. This evolved into a series of campaigns towards Baghdad against the Turkish forces as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) was part of the Ottoman Empire.

Meetings in late 1914 and into 1915 led the Viceroy and Indian government at Simla to reconsider the limited involvement of troops and they decided to order further advances with a view to securing the Shatt-al-Hai, a canal connecting the Tigris and Euphrates river and potentially capturing Baghdad. The British government disagreed and wished to conserve forces for the Western front. The Viceroy was given permission to act as it wished, but told in no uncertain terms that no reinforcements should be expected.

The initial success experienced by the British and Indian forces quickly disintegrated in the face of Ottoman opposition. The Siege of Kut-Al-Amara began on 7th December with the besieging of an 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. These campaigns produced few tactical benefits, indeed the catastrophic defeat at Kut in 1916 was a major setback. Badhdad was eventually taken in March 1917.

The conditions in Mesopotamia were dreadful. The climate, sickness and disease produced large losses in addition to battle casualties. About as many men died of disease as were killed in action. The Mesopotamia front was part of a strategy hoping for success at lower cost than the Western Front but no decisive victory was achieved.

Detail:

The Indian Expeditionary Force D, a single division, was despatched to the Persian Gulf in Autumn 1914. Its task was to protect the Admiralty’s oil supplies: a minor, defensive commitment. Iraq was not to be allowed to draw British resources away from the Western front. 

Establishing and consolidating its position, the Expeditionary Force won cheap victories. So cheap, that the prestige that could be won by capturing Baghdad, became irresistible. Major-General Townshend's 6th (Poona) Division was advanced to within one day's march of the city. There, at Ctesiphon, on 24 November 1915, it was beaten. Townshend was pursued back down the Tigris to Kut, where he prepared for a siege. 

India, and Britain, scraped together a relief force. The so-called "Tigris Corps' was assembled under Lieutenant-General Aylmer. But in a series of bloody battles, it was repulsed. On the 29th April 1916 Kut, Townshend, and his 10,000 men surrendered.

Alfred East had enlisted in the Indian Marines at Bombay at the outbreak war and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant in the Indian Army in 1915. By July of 1915 he was attached to the 17th Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners, leaving Bombay with the Expeditionary Force to Mesopotamia in the month following. Alfred died on Christmas Day, 1915 of wounds he received in action during the Siege of Kut-Al-Amara a week earlier.

Citations & Commemorations:

Alfred East is commemorated, with other members of the 15th Bombay Battalion, in Mumbai Cathedral (picture below).

Masonic:

Alfred joined Beauchamp Lodge as an Entered Apprentice from The Scots Lodge No. 828 (Scottish Constitution).

This Roll of Honour post has been created by the West Kent Military lodge for information, with special thanks to Cher-Leigh Eyles-Thomas for her time researching the content. If you would like to now more about the Lodge contact us here