Iraq: Major Richard William George Hingston

Author, surgeon and naturalist, Major Richard William George Hingston served in the Army Medical Service 1910-1927. Hingston's private journal for July-October 1916 begins with him stationed in camp at Nasiriyah, Iraq then travelling on to Basra with a barge of sick and wounded British and Indian soldiers. In his entry for Wednesday 12 July 1916 he describes the camp: 'We are situated on the right bank of the river close to a sharp knee bend which is continued below into one of those sinuous folds that succeed one another along the course of the river. An embankment is raised to protect the surrounding country from the floods and this hides our camp from the water but on the top of the embankment we have built our mess so as to enjoy the view of the water and gain the full benefit of every breeze. The camp is studded with palm trees amongst which our tents are scattered with less attempt at military regularity than endeavour to obtain all available shade. Huts of matting are gradually being erected; a well will be dug within the palm trees to give us a liberal supply of cool, clear water.'