Imperial Camel Corps (ICC) 1916-1919 - A Tribute to all who served (7 images attached)

bucklt · Mar 23, 2018

As events are still on-going regarding WW1, and having recently seen an image of the Imperial Camel Corps sculpture/memorial in Victoria Embankment Gardens, London, I feel this to be an appropriate post to show respect to all those c4100 men who served with the Corps during the period of it's operations January 1916 to May 1919.

1. One of the Corps commanders was Clement Leslie Smith V.C. Clement Leslie Smith - Wikipedia
2. It's strength eventually reached c4100 men and c4700 camels
3. Cameleers...those who ride camels
The Bing Boys (Hong Kong and Singapore Mountain Battery element of Corps))
A camel went mangoon = went crazy
4. The Corp's journal was called Barrak. Mounted drill began with “barracking” – getting the camels to their knees (from Arabic barraka, to make (a camel) kneel).

The sculpture/memorial in Victoria Embankment has the following inscriptions:
{The south face of the stone plinth is inscribed:}
Engagements
1916: Romani, Baharia, Mazar, Dakhla, Maghara, El. Arish, Maghdaba
1917: Rafa, Hassana, Gaza 1, Gaza 2, Sana Redoubt, Beersheba, Bir Khu Weilfe, Hill 265
1918: Amman, Jordan Valley, Mudawar (Hedjaz)
{The north face of the stone plinth is inscribed:}
To the glorious and immortal memory of the officers, NCO‘s and men of the Imperial Camel Corps, British, Australian, New Zealand, Indian, who fell in action or died of wounds and disease in Egypt, Sinai and Palestine, 1916 -1917-1918.
A bronze plaque on the east face lists those from the Australian Contingent who fell (191).
On the west face are listed those from the British (106), the New Zealand (41) and the Indian (9) Contingents. The names are listed in their battalions, the officers first and then the lower ranks in alphabetical sequence.
{Signed below the camel's right back hooves:}
A. B. Burton, Founder: Thames Ditton. note: Major Cecil Brown (Sculptor) was also a member of the Corps.
Above data via: www.londonremembers.com

Various sources:
Imperial Camel Corps - Wikipedia
The Imperial Camel Corps - The Field
Imperial Camel Corps Documents, 1917 - 1918 | Imperial War Museums
Ghosts of 1914: The Imperial Camel Corps
Camel Corps research (I hope Steve Becker is still with us - a mine of information concerning ICC)
7 modern armies that still ride animals into battle (lest you think armies no longer use mules, horses and camels)

Image (01) - taken during my visit to the Jerusalem Memorial - shows 23 names on panel 7. The details of all those British soldiers who fought and died with the Corps can be viewed via the CWGC database here: Results

This post is dedicated to all those men who served with the ICC and a particular mention of all those officers
and men who took part and died during the raid on MAGDHABA 23rd-24th December 1916....
LEST WE FORGET

Tony Buckley www.asiawargraves.com