Son of George and Annie Wild of Wells Hill Farm, South Warnborough James died during the Mesopotamian Campaign in action against the Ottoman forces during the Battle of Shaiba, Iraq. Age 25 on April 14th, 1915. The battle and was the first major Turkish offensive of the Mesopotamia Campaign. The ultimate objective was the re-capture of Basra from the Anglo-Indian Expeditionary Force. The battle, which was described at the time as “a soldiers battle” meaning a hard-fought infantry fight last 3 days, resulting in thousands of casualties on both sides. In the end, after being abandoned by their Arab irregular ‘allies’, the Turkish force was routed. George was laid to rest in the Basra Military Cemetery.

His brother John also was also lost in the Great War, sadly he has no known resting place as he was killed during the Battle of Thiepval Ridge

Mark Heslington