Service Life:

Campaigns:

• The First World War 1914-1918, World-wide.

At the outbreak of war the British, together with Indian troops, resolved to protect oil supply in the region by occupying the area around Basra at Abadan. This evolved into a series of campaigns towards Baghdad against the Turkish forces as Mesopotamia (modern Iraq) was part of the Ottoman Empire. Meetings in late 1914 and into 1915 led the Viceroy and Indian government at Simla to reconsider the limited involvement of troops and they decided to order further advances with a view to securing the Shatt-al-Hai, a canal connecting the Tigris and Euphrates river and potentially capturing Baghdad. The British government disagreed and wished to conserve forces for the Western front. The Viceroy was given permission to act as it wished, but told in no uncertain terms that no reinforcements should be expected.

The initial success experienced by the British and Indian forces quickly disintegrated in the face of Ottoman opposition. The Siege of Kut-Al-Amara began on 7th December with the besieging of an 8,000 strong British-Indian garrison in the town of Kut, 100 miles south of Baghdad, by the Ottoman Army. These campaigns produced few tactical benefits, indeed the catastrophic defeat at Kut in 1916 was a major setback. Badhdad was eventually taken in March 1917.

The conditions in Mesopotamia were dreadful. The climate, sickness and disease produced large losses in addition to battle casualties. About as many men died of disease as were killed in action. The Mesopotamia front was part of a strategy hoping for success at lower cost than the Western Front but no decisive victory was achieved.

Detail :

The Scotsman - 19 August 1920 - "Deaths. WILSON. - At Baghdad, Mesopotamia, on 10th inst. from heat stroke, Lieut. ADAM MACGREGOR WILSON, late 1st Black Wach, beloved husband of Gertrude Wilson, and dearly loved son of the late Adam R. Wilson and Mrs. Wilson, of 201 Morningside Road.

The Foreign Registers and Returns ledger shows that Adam died on 11.8.1920. It further shows that he died of heastroke and was employed as a Stores Supt, in the Civil Works at Baghdad. His death was pronounced by B. M. Footner, Major & Medical Officer at the New general Hospital, Baghdad and recorded by T.B. Haggs.

Adam Wilson died in Mesopotamia, but his body was returned home and is buried in Weem Parish Churchyard, at Abefeldy, Scotland.

Adam Wilson is referenced in a photograph (portrait image) prior to the War with the 8th Service Battalion, The Black Watch Regiment. See : George Shirran biography for further detail.

Masonic :

Adam was initiated into Palatine Lodge No. in April 1916 at Sunderland resigning soon after on the 30th Nov, 1916, probably on redeployment. He is then noted to have joined Maguncor Lodge No. 3806, at Grantham on 4th March 1918, shortly after it was consecrated in the previous year. He most likely was unable to attend meetings of the lodge due to war service, which was not recorded. His contribution records shows arrears for 2 years before "Died 10/8/1920."

Discrepancies (Require checks, clarity or further research) :

This record was preciously and erroneously named Alan Mowbray Wilson. As the date of death preceded the formation of Maguncor Lodge, it was mixed up with the correct soldier - Adam Macgregor Wilson. Further investigation by Bruce Littley has permitted this correction.

Source :

The project globally acknowledges the following as sources of information for research across the whole database:

• The Commonwealth War Graves Commission
• The (UK) National Archives
• Ancestry.co.uk - Genealogy, Family Trees & Family History online
• ugle.org.uk - The records of the United Grand Lodge of England including the Library and Museum of Freemasonry

Additional Source:

• Founder Researchers : Paul Masters & Mike McCarthy
• Researcher : Bruce Littley