History of My Life.. By A. Scott (1889-1977)

History of My Life

First of all allow me to introduce myself. My name was originally Robert Alexander McDonald Scott but when I embraced Islam, my name became Abdullah Robert Scott. My father’s name was Alexander McDonald Scott. My parental grandfather was Robert McDonald Scott and my maternal grandfather was David Thomson. My mother’s maiden name was Janet Thomson and all of them lived in Kinning Park, Glasgow, Scotland. My mother died giving birth to my sister Janet when I was only six years of age.

I had two brothers namely David and Donald, the former died at the age of four and the latter at the age of nine.

I was born in Henderson St. Kinning Park, Glasgow, Scotland on the 4th of August 1889 but later my parents moved to McLellan St, Kinning Park where I was brought up till the death of my beloved mother. May God rest her soul. I and my brother Donald were then sent to live with our parental grandparents in Henderson St, Kinning Park, but two years later, after the accidental death of my grandfather, myself and my brother Donald were taken to live with my parental aunt- Mrs. Hagh McKellar- at 21 Northwood side Road, Cowcaddens, Glasgow. I was then only eight years of age. Later, my younger brother died as a result of severe injury. I now felt very sad and alone and I wept bitterly.

I never knew what parental love and care meant, since my beloved mother had died when I was only six years old, and my father, who worked as a ships carpenter, was always abroad at sea with the Anchor Line Ships. Although my parental aunt was a very kind woman she could never replace the love and care of a dear sweet mother. Hence my basic training as a child towards life in the future was practically nil and I was allowed to wander about at my own free will with nobody to give me good advice as to my future education.

I was taken away from school at the age of fourteen after completing my preliminary education in order to help and learn the trade which my aunt’s husband worked at as a foreman Gilder. In this respect I had entirely no interest as there was no future in this for me and I was very keen on learning and becoming an Electrical Engineer but my aunt’s husband was opposed to this. Finally, due to this friction, I ran away from home and voluntarily joined the army at the age of 19.

I used to take part in all kinds of sports such as, Gymnastics, Boxing, Highland (Scottish) dancing, swimming – both in swimming pools and in the sea club and sword swinging and long bicycle rides.


After joining the army I was sent with a batch of other recruits to our Training Department at Berwick on Tweed, which lies on the border of Scotland and England and the North Sea. After completing nine months hard training, I was sent with others to join the 2nd Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers who were then stationed at Mary hill Barracks, Glasgow, Scotland. After completing one year there our battalion was transferred to Hollywood Barracks on the outskirts of Belfast, Ireland. While we were there we done some vigorous training in Country Cork and the Curragh Camp.

Two years later, I, with several others, was drafted to India. From Ireland we crossed over, by streamer, to Liverpool, England and then by train to Southampton where we embarked on a troopship for India. Enrooted, we stopped at Gibraltar, Malta, Alexandria (Egypt) and Aden. Here, we took on board our ship our first battalion of the King’s Own Scottish borderers, who had been previously stationed in the Citadel Barracks, Cairo.

While passing through the Suez Canal we stopped at Port Said to take on coal. At Port Sudan we sent ashore for a short while after which we continued our journey to Karachi and Bombay. The complete trip from Southampton to Bombay took us one complete month and many times we could see nothing but the sea everywhere.

From Bombay we traveled by troop-train up-country to Barcilly U.P. and our next stop was Kathgodam. The rest of our journey was completed on foot. We marched to our destination—Ranikhet, which lies in the foothills of the Himalayas and remained there till the end of the hot season. We then returned to our new headquarters in Lucknow U.P. and remained there for training till the end of the winter. From Lucknow I was sent, with a few others, on a course of Telegraphy to Cawnpore U.P. which I passed successfully after completing one year.

When I rejoined my regiment I found that my Company had just returned from Delhi where several of them had been laid up with Malaria and for this reason they had been ordered to proceed to Kasault (a summer and health resort on the foothills of the Himalaya mountains) from where Snowdown is visible and I was lucky to be sent with them. From our bungalow (living quarters) we could just see the plains far down below us and which stretched for miles around.

The heaviest rains fell during the hottest season and is known as the “Monsoon Season”. Once, while it was pouring torrents of rain far below on the plains, I stood outside and gazed down upon a vast field of white clouds which covered the entire area of the far distant plains while we in Kassauli were enjoying lovely sun shies at our health resort. On completion of our stay at Kassauli we returned to our Headquarters in Lucknow U.P.


Sometime after our return, an order was received to the effect that all Military Telegraphists were to proceed and report to the Telegraph Office at Barcilly U.P. for duty. Shortly after this World War One of 1914 was declared.

My Regiment was ordered to proceed to France but we were ordered to remain where we were and this upset me very much. Later on, I sent an application to the Chief of Staff in Simla requesting him to allow me to rejoin my Regiment but as I got no reply to this, I sent a second application. Soon afterwards we were transferred to the Telegraph Office, Fyzaba. I did not realize how lucky I was for being left behind because I heard that, just shortly after the arrival of my Regiment in France, they were completely wiped out by the enemy and for which I thank my Almighty Creator and Protector.

Shortly afterwards, a telegram was received from Silma with orders to release us from our duties and to arrange for our transfer to Mesopotamia (now known as Iraq). On hearing this we all jumped up with joy and began making preparation for our departure.

At that time, Iraq was under the rule of the Turks, and since she had allied herself with the Germans, Britain, declared was against the Turkish Government because it was their intention to block the lines of communication to India and the Far East. For this reason Britain had sent both military and naval forces to the Arabian Gulf to drive the Turks out of Iraq and beyond.

Myself and the other telegraphists traveled with the Army Commander on the river boat the “MALAMIR’ and moved slowly upriver as the land forces advanced.

Although the Turks fought well, they were rapidly driven back until we had captured every town up to Kut-el-Amara. Our boat the Malamir” was the first to enter Kut while shells from the Turkish guns were bursting and exploding over us. Eventually, the enemy was driven back to Azizieh, the last town before entering Baghdad.

After resting his troops in Kut, General Townsend was ordered to attack and capture Azizieh but this was simpler to say than to do. The General complained that the Turks had now been re-enforced in every way from Baghdad including German instructors and unless he received a fresh supply of re-enforcements in men, arms etc, he was very doubtful of success. He was then told to proceed immediately with what he had and to obey orders.



On his arrival in the Azizieh area he found the Turks in a most impregnable position and that the present strength of his own forces was far too insufficient to cope with this new and fresh opposition and within a very short time he was compelled to make a very hasty retreat back to Kut and defend the town at all costs.

It was then decided that our General Staff must leave Kut at once and retire downstream towards Basra.

At this time, I had just come out of hospital after about two months treatment for severe dysentery, caused by drinking river water while dead bodies floated by.

Volunteers were now required to travel down streams with the General Staff so I gave them my name with the names of two other telegraphists. Later we moved off escorted by a gunboat named “Butterfly” and three other boats carrying wounded soldiers. As we neared a bend in the river called “Essinn”, shots were fired at us from both sides of the river. Our escort immediately drew into the side of the river followed by the other boats.

On observing irregularly enemy soldiers mounted on horseback gradually moving towards us, the “Butterfly” opened fire with a big gun and a machine gun which got a direct hit on the enemy and several were seen to drop dead. In the meantime we had taken up positions behind bales of hay. One of the enemy’s bullets hit the opposite side of my bale but did no harm. Several of the wounded received fresh wounds.

The General then sent a telegram to Kut for reinforcements and at the same time we began to return upriver to Kut in the dark. On our arrival in Kut we took our re-enforcements on board and returned to Essinn and blew up the villages which had fired on us. Just then we received a telegram from General Townsend stating that Kut was surrounded by the enemy.

After several months of extreme hardships and starvation General Townsend was compelled to surrender with all his troops and everything in their possession.

After our return to Basra, myself and another telegraphist were sent up-river to the Kurna Post Office, which is situated at the junction of the rivers Tigris, and Euphrates and then flow into the Shaat El-Arab River. A few days later we were ordered to proceed to Chabish (a small village that lies above Kurna on the left bank of the river Euphrates) with the object of establishing contact by telegraph with Kurna and elsewhere. We fitted up our office in a large Bellum (large Arab Cargo boat) because of the flood season when the village is mostly under water. Later we were able to transfer our office to one of the Reed Mat huts in the village when the ground had dried up.



I now had time to study sufficient of the Arab language to enable me to carry on a limited conversation. Then I entered my name for an examination. I was examined by a senior British Officer and succeeded and was presented with a Certificate and one hundred rupees.

Within a short time, due to the arrival of strong re-enforcements, Kut was re-captured and, eventually, Baghdad and Mosul by General Maude.

Shortly after this, myself and my companion, were ordered to close down the Chabaish Office and to report for duty to the Political Officer in Kut for the purpose of training a local police force in Kut, Badra and Mendali. When they were able to carry on by themselves, I returned to the telegraph department and took over the duty of Supervisor in the Head Telegraph Office Rashid Street, Baghdad.

Later, I was sent with several others to take over the Mosul Post Office but the ex-Turkish Post Master was allowed to remain. Within a few days I received orders to proceed alone to Erbil and take over charge of the Post and telegraph Office there but shortly afterwards, on the arrival of another British telegraphist I received fresh orders to proceed and take charge of the Rawanduz Office and to allow the ex-postmaster to remain.

At that time there were no good roads and no proper conveyance. Our usual mode of travel was as follows: Basrah to Baghdad by river transport, Baghdad to Mosul by Military truck over extremely rough roads, Erbil to Rawanduz on horseback, through the mountains along worn-out footpaths and old caravan routes via Kani Othman and Babachiichik with only the Kurdish horse owner and no escort. I completed the journey from Erbil in four days.

In Rawanduz there were two British Officers, namely Captains Beale and Kirk. The former was the Political Officer and the latter’s duties was to train the local levies (a kind of half military and half civil police force).

Everything went off smoothly for a while until Sheikh Mahmud of Sulimania- a religious fanatic and notorious bandit- rose against us with a considerable following and which began to have effects on other parts of Kurdistan including Rawanduz.

One day, while I was sitting at the telegraph instrument, the operator in Erbil called me up and informed me –by Morse- that Sheikh Mahmud and his following had been badly beaten and were now in full flight with the Indian troops gradually rounding them up. Also that they had captured Sheikh Mahmud and departed him to Summerpore, in India. I then went immediately to the house of the Political Officer and gave him this information which delighted him greatly and told me to have it posted up in the town in the local language. This news had a staggering effect on the Kurds and their threatening attitude and excitement died down.


Prior to this we had planned to leave Rawanduz that evening in the following manner, the Political Officer and Captain Kirk were to stroll towards the river, while myself, the Doctor and a postal Inspector were to leave shortly after in the opposite direction as though we were just having a quiet walk to pass he time during the evening and then both were to continue walking till we reached Erbil but the information about the defeat of Sheikh Mahmud and his following cancelled these plans.

Some time later, a local Rawanduz Chief named Yusif Beg who lived in a village, a short distance from the town, came to the Political Officer and demanded him to open the government store and to allow him to take everything that the store contained. This, of course, was met with definite refusal. Thereupon the Chief threatened to bring his followers at night and kill all the Britishers in the town. Later on, Captain Kirk sent for his Levy Officer- Nuri Bawil Agha and asked him if he could defend us if Yusif Beg attempted to carry out his threat to which Nuri replied he could, immediately, put the Chief under arrest but Captain Kirk did not agree to this and told Nuri just to hold himself and his levies in readiness.

In the meantime, arrangements had been made for the dispatch of the loyal police force from Erbil who was expected to arrive at any moment. On their arrival they went to Yusif Beg’s village and arrested him. He was then taken immediately to Erbil.

The following day, Nuri Bawil Agha, the Levy Officer, went to Captain Kirk’s office and asked him, through the latter’s interpreter, for a reward for protecting us. Captain Kirk took an officers star from his drawers and gave it to Nuri, this meant that he had been promoted, but Nuri did not understand this, so he asked what he was to do with the star, Captain Kirk replied, through his interpreter, that he had to take it and play with it. This made Nuri very angry, so he returned at once to his Levis and told them that they must not take any further orders from Captain Kirk but to obey him alone. When Capt. Kirk, became aware of the attitude that Nuri had adopted, he immediately departed enroute for Erbil and left me in sole charge of Rawanduz until his return.

A few days later he returned with a company of Indians and Gurkhas under the command of two British Officers. Just as it was growing dark, Capt. Kirk sent for Bawil Agha (father of Nuri) and ordered him to bring his son. When Nuri arrived he was wearing a large Kurdish dagger with an ivory handle and two pistols. The Indian Officer was told to disarm him. He was then placed under arrest and marched off to the local guard-room under escort of four armed Gurkhas with fixed bayonets and one more Gurkhas soldier behind with a large drawn kukri (a large curved Gurkhas knife which they are very expert in using).


The temporary prison has one entry from the outside into a kind of courtyard and on the opposite side there was a door which led into a deep and large garden and between these two doors was the door of the guard room (temporary prison). The garden door was wide open and while they were busy opening the prison door two of the Gurkhas happened to move a little apart leaving a gap. As soon as Nuri saw this, he immediately leapt between them and landed in the deep garden. As the night was pitch dark it was not possible to see any moving object, but the Gurkhas began firing at random and later made a hopeless search throughout the town.

(I was informed later by Nuri that he broke his arm when he fell and lay there until the gurkhas had moved off. Eventually, he managed to struggle to Kani Kore village, at the upper part of Rawanduz where his followers were waiting him). Captain Kirk then decided to vacate Rawanduz at midnight and march on to Batas before Nuri and his followers got the change to hold us up in the Rawanduz Gorge.

On reaching the upper part of Rawanduz we rested while preparations were being made for the destruction of an old Turkish Magazine (ammunition store) which was full of ammunition, bombs, etc. The Indian troops built a large fire around it and set it alight. In a short time bombs and ammunition began exploding all around us and the people in the town below, thinking that we were firing on them began shooting at us but, when they realized their mistake they stopped. When the fire had burnt out we resumed our march on to Batas.

Eventually, we arrived safely at our destination and immediately began fitting up our tents on the top of a high mound which lies opposite the village of Batas. During our stay there the enemy cut our telegraph lines several times and then I had to go out with an armed escort of Indian soldiers to repair the line and to get in working contact with Erbil. In order to do this I had to climb to the top of a telegraph pole, firmly join the wires together return to the ground and then begin sending and receiving messages to an from Erbil. On one occasion I was suffering from a very high temperature and was unable to complete all the messages so I returned to our camp with what I had received.

When hostilities ceased, the military at Batas returned to Erbil, we were then, able to fix up our office inside the village.

Shortly, after we had established our office in Batas village, two Political Officers from Agra while on a tour of inspection, namely Captain Bell and Scott, were both shot dead by Faris Agha of the Agra district. As there was now no one in the Political Office at Agra, Captain Kirk left at once to take over charge of that office but before leaving he told me to take charge of all the affairs in the Batas area.



Later on we were ordered to close down the Batas office and return with all the staff to Erbil. On our arrival, I once more took over the responsibilities of the Erbil telegraph Office.

At the end of the war, I applied to the Military Authorities to be discharged from the army in Iraq, because all my near relatives such as mother, father, brother, uncles, aunts, were all dead and that since Iraq was a new country, there would be good opportunities for employment as a civilian. Due to not having completed fifteen years for a pension, I was paid up to the date of my discharge, plus my War Bonus, all of which amounted to three hundred dinars which was sufficient for me for a considerable period as living expenses were extremely cheap.

Later on I because interested in the Islamic religion and finally became a Muslim. I, next, married my first wife, Halima Mir Sultan of Roost, Balek, Kurdistan but after giving birth to a son she developed consumption and died when the child was only a year and a half old. My son was named Mohamed Taher but after completing his college education with the Higher Teachers training University, Baghdad, he went abroad. He finally changed his name to Alexander Scott and his nationality to British. He is now married to an Italian named Tina Consiglio, settled down in Rome and have a son named Robert Scott.

I married my present wife, Aliya Hussein Kasra in 1943 in accordance with the Islamic Law. I had known her family well because we had been neighbours since 1930. We now have four daughters namely Fadiya, Feriyal, Faiza and Nadia, and four sons namely Mohammed, Talal, Sa’ad and Ra’ad.

My daughters Fadiya and Feriyal both graduated from the Baghdad University. Fadia is now a Secondary School Teacher and teaches English to the sixth class. My daughter Feriyal is a Senior Secretary with the United Nations in Baghdad and is happily married to a Baghdad University graduate named Nidhal Fakhri Ramli. They have one daughter named Tamara, born in July 1975. My daughter Faiza is now working with the Government Poultry Co. as an operator on the latest automatic telephone system. My son Mohammed is employed at the Central Post Office as an operator on the new automatic system and is also head of the workers union. Talal has recently completed his army service and is now employed as Chief Storekeeper with the Erbil Poultry Project Feed Mill in Erbil. Sa’ad is also employed at the Government Poultry Company but will be reporting for army service on the 1.1.76 and on completion will return to his old job. Both Ra’ad and Nadia are students at the school.

During the period of my children’s’ education I worked as a Storekeeper with the under-mentioned companies and continued with them till my daughters Fadiya and Feriyal graduated from the Baghdad University. The Companies I worked with were as follows:

- The Government Oil Refinery, Qaiyarah.
- E.T.E. Belgiam Consulting Engineers, Dibbis Power Station.
- Polensky and Zeeliner, German Contracting Engineers at Dibbis Dam, and after completion with the same company on the Dibbis Sulpher Recovery Plant.
(In all a total of fourteen years.)

I am still happily married and living with my family in a large modern and comfortable house in the Erbil, Shoresh Quarter. The town has now developed into a big modern and industrial one and during the summer months, since the Summer Resorts are not far off, people come from all parts of the country and even visitors from Kuwait to spend a very pleasant summer vacation, away from the discomforts of town life, up in the mountains, amongst beautiful scenery and enjoyment at a very low cost.




ABDULLAH R. SCOTT
31.12.1975