Private Hugh White

Private Hugh White, 1st Battalion, Seaforth Highlanders. He was killed in action in Mesapotamia during the third Battle of Sannaiyat on 22nd April 1916, aged 20. He was the son of Mrs Margaret White of East Hope, Berwick and is commemorated on the Basra Memorial, Iraq. The Battalion had been part of the Force put together to advance up the Tigris River to relieve a British Force besieged by Turkish forces in the town of Kut-al-Amara. However due to heavy casualties already suffered in the campaign the Battalion together with the 2nd Battalion,  Black Watch had been made into a Composite Battalion named the Highland Battalion. On 22nd April a final attempt was made to relieve Kut which had run out of supplies and a third attack was made on the strong Turkish positions at Sannaiyat. The Highland Battalion won some ground but the supply of grenades ran out and due to the foul weather conditions the mud clogged their rifles. The Battalion was forced to retire with severe casualties of 9 Officers and 233 Other Ranks. On 29th April Kut was forced to surrender having run out of food and ammunition.