Private 56246 Joseph Caddick

Died Mesopotamia on Thursday, 22nd June 1916, age 24.
Buried in Grave XXII. A. 13. at Amara War Cemetery, Iraq.

Royal Army Medical Corps, 40th Field Ambulance.

Son of James and Mary Jane Caddick, of 27, Wallbrook St., Coseley, near Bilston, Staffs.
Born: Tipton, Enlisted: Wolverhampton, Resident: Unknown.

First landed Balkans, 7th August 1915.
Medal entitlement: 1914-15 Star, British War Medal, Victory Medal.
Soldier's Papers at National Archives did not survive.

Not commemorated on any Tipton memorial.
Commemorated here because identified as Tipton on 'Soldiers Died in the Great War'.

Link to Commonwealth War Graves Site: www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/627731/

Genealogical Data

1901 Census
29 Fullwood End, Coseley, Staffs.
James Caddick (32, Hollowware Turner, born Coseley), his wife Mary J. (30, born Coseley), and their 3 children: Joseph (8, born Coseley), William (4, born Coseley), and Mary (1, born Coseley).

1911 Census
7 Square Street, Coseley, Staffs.
James Caddick (41, Hollowware Turner, born Coseley), his wife Mary Jane (40, born Coseley), and 5 of their 6 children: William (14, Painter's Assistant, born Coseley), Mary (11, School, born Coseley), Lizzie (9, School, born Coseley), Ada (6, School, born Coseley), and Ethel (2, born Coseley).

Personal Data

Soldiers Died in the Great War' shows Joseph as 'born Tipton'. Both the 1901 and 1911 census show the Caddicks living in Coseley, and records all the family as born in Coseley. Joseph is included here because of his 'Soldiers Died' entry.

Joseph's younger brother, Pte 16608 William Caddick, 1st South Staffs, had already been killed on 25th September 1915 at the Battle of Loos; he is recorded as born & resident Coseley.

After Joseph's death, his outstanding army pay and allowances amounted to £6/7/11d (6 pounds, 7 shillings and 11 pence); this was paid to his mother and sole legatee, Mary Jane, in April and June 1917. His War Gratuity was £5/0/0d (5 pounds exactly), this was also paid to his mother in August 1919. The value of the War Gratuity suggests that Joseph had enlisted in approximately March 1915.

Action resulting in his death

Joseph Caddick belonged to 40th Field Ambulance, Royal Army Medical Corps. They were one of 3 Field Ambulances serving the 13th (Western) Division. A Field Ambulance was not a vehicle, it was a medical unit which consisted of 224 men and 10 officers when at full strength.

The 13th Division landed in Gallipoli in July 1915 at Cape Helles. It was relieved by the end of the month, but the entire Division landed at Anzac Cove in early August 1915. It was shortly after that when Joseph Caddick landed at Gallipoli, possibly in time for the 13th Division casualties from the Battle of Hill 60, 27-28 August.

The Division was soon moved to Suvla Bay where it remained until December when it moved to Helles, in preparation for the evacuation from Gallipoli on 8-9 January 1916 – about the only successful operation at Gallipoli.

After a short period in Egypt in defensive positions around the Suez Canal, the 13th Division moved to Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq) in February 1916. Here the British forces were defending the oil assets from the Turkish forces.

In December 1915, the 6th (Poona) Division of the Indian Army, commanded by Major-General Townshend, fell back from Ctesiphon and took shelter, as they thought, in Kut-al-Amara. Here they were surrounded by Turkish forces beginning the Siege of Kut. The 13th Division joined the Tigris Corps in late March and took part in the actions attempting to break the siege. These efforts failed, and the troops in Kut surrendered on 29th April.

Private Joseph Caddick is recorded as having ‘Died’ on 22nd June 1916, this is significant as it means that his death was not due to injuries sustained during action, but due to sickness or accident. Conditions in Mesopotamia were very trying, malaria, typhoid, dysentery, as well as heat-stroke, were wide-spread; it is likely that Joseph’s death was due to sickness.

Joseph died at No. 16 Casualty Clearing Station which during the month of June 1916 was located at Falahieh (today Al Falahiyah) on the southern outskirts of Kut al Amara. Despite the town of Amara (today Amarah) being 100 miles south-east of Kut, Joseph was buried here in Amara War Cemetery.

Newspaper Cuttings

None.