PRIVATIONS OF KUT-EL-AMARA GARRISON.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume III, Issue 701, 10 May 1916, Page 7

PRIVATIONS OF KUT-EL-AMARA GARRISON.

FOOD SUPPLY TOTALLY RUNS OUT. GENERAL TOWNSHEND HONOURED BY ENEMY. (Received Slay 10. 11.1.") a.m.) LONDON, May 9. Mr Edmund Chandler, official war correspondent with the British forces in Mesopotamia, stated that, before surrendering at Kut-el-Amara, General Townshend destroyed the wireless plant. Khali) Pasha, the Turkish commander, when receiving parlemeutaires, intimated that he was anxious that the garrison should he well rationed, and that General Townshend especially, for whom he expressed the most profound admiration, should receive every possible comfort. It is understood that General Townshend is proceeding.to Constantinople with his aide-de-camp. The garrison of Kut-el-Amara, from April 16. was subsisting on a four ounce ration of flour daily, with a ration of horse flesh. General Townshend was Hearing the end of his resources in January, when considerable stores of grain were found in houses, mostly underground, lie commandeered the grain and paid for it. It furnished the garrison with three months' food on a gradually reduced scale, while 6000 Arab inhabitants, who had previously been self-supporting, receive'd the same rations as the soldiers.