Owing to weakness everyone lay flat on his back whenever possible in order to conserve his strength, and the line-sick were practically unable to move. On April 28th and 29th the last emergency ration was consumed, and on the 29th the garrison surrendered after a defence of 150 days. Thus ended the siege of Kut, which had lasted for five months, a period of hardship and discomfort seldom equalled in the history of the British Army. The spirit, power of endurance and courage of the men of the Battalion in the face of never-ending digging and repairing of trenches, long hours of night duty, exposure to wet and bitter cold and starvation, is a wonderful proof of their soldierly qualities and a fine example to those who will follow them in the Battalion. The fact that the siege had ended in capitulation was no fault of theirs and, by holding on to Kut, they had prevented the Turkish Army from overrunning Lower Mesopotamia. The Battalion proceeded by steamer to the Turkish Camp at Shumran, where it bivouacked on the bank of the river. The men were in the last stage of exhaustion and more than fifty per cent. were suffering from an acute form of diarrhœa. Very little food was obtained in this camp, and almost entirely consisted of hard Turkish emergency biscuits. Many men of the garrison died of starvation or enteritis. Twenty-three men of the Battalion were passed as unfit to march by the Turkish doctors. The rest marched off for Baghdad on the 6th with the remainder of the Indian garrison; the story of their hardships and suffering has been related elsewhere. The following went into captivity and remained prisoners, with the exception of a few who escaped, for two and a half years:— Major N. V. L. Rybot, D.S.O. Captain E. Milford. Captain S. van B. Laing, M.C. Captain & Adjutant G. V. R. Reyne. 2nd-Lieutenant O. G. Kiernander, I.A.R.O. 2nd-Lieutenant G. N. Rogers, I.A.R.O. Captain F. T. Drake-Brockman, 7th Lancers, att. Captain P. B. Bharucha, D.S.O., I.M.S. (was subsequently exchanged). And about 240 Indian officers, non-commissioned officers and men. Although the Battalion had only been actively engaged since April 12th, 1915, and had had several short periods of rest, the casualties from enemy action and sickness (mostly fever), during the seven months to November 5th, 1915, had necessitated the provision and absorption of drafts totalling 1,600 men or nearly twice the original strength of the Battalion. For services during the siege two Distinguished Service Orders and nine Indian Distinguished Service Medals were subsequently awarded to officers and men of the Regiment. CHAPTER VIII END OF THE GREAT WAR—THIRD AFGHAN WAR