At 6.30 a.m. the Brigade was ordered to march as fast as possible back to the Division’s camp at Umm-al-Tubul, which was being attacked, in order to render it assistance. On arrival the Battalion came under shrapnel fire, and, on the division retiring, it took over the duties of rear guard and marched till 5 p.m., halted for half an hour, and then continued the retirement to Monkey Village, which was reached at 12.30 a.m. on the 2nd, having covered thirty miles. The march was resumed at 5 a.m., only interfered with by Arab snipers, and bivouac within three miles of Kut was reached at 8 p.m., all ranks being exhausted, having marched seventy miles since 8 a.m. 30th, and been on the move for forty-eight hours without food. The cold was bitter and no food or blankets could be obtained till nearly midnight. During the retirement one man was killed, one wounded, and one missing. The strength of the Battalion on arrival in Kut, under the command of Major Cotton (99th Infantry, attached), was—Officers: British, 8; Indian, 13; rank and file, 320. Of this retirement, the Official History relates:—“For over twelve days General Townshend’s force—largely composed of young soldiers—had been fighting, marching or working continuously, frequently without sufficient food or water and often deprived of sleep. This forty-four miles’ march (General Melliss’ Column did fifty-one miles) coming, under pressure from the enemy, at the end of this period and carried out in thirty-six hours, was therefore, a severe test of discipline. Their soldierly execution of it must arouse our admiration and add greatly to the reputation they had already won.” The following decorations were subsequently awarded for these operations:—Distinguished Service Order, 1; Indian Order of Merit, 1; Indian Distinguished Service Medal, 2. Many very deserving rewards could not be granted owing to the loss of the recommendations during the siege. CHAPTER VII KUT [Sidenote: The Siege of Kut.] On the 3rd the force moved into Kut-al-Amarah. Some sick and lightly wounded men rejoined, bringing the strength up to about 333. The 30th Brigade was detailed as reserve brigade and was allotted camping space in gardens on the edge of the town. Work was at once commenced on the defences and pushed on with the greatest vigour possible. The Battalion was employed night and day digging the second line and communication trenches to the front line.