William Wright - Omdurman: 1898

First, let me thank all authors who have trod the desert sands before me and to whom I owe a debt; I especially acknowledge all those quoted in the text and thank them for their help. The illustrations are from my own collection and once again I am grateful for the care with which Krisztina Elias has re-photographed them. A big debt of gratitude to Shaun Barrington, my editor at The History Press, and the guiding light in all that I have written.

The Rise of the Mahdi

The British get Involved

Gordon Relief Expedition

Khalifa Abdullahi Assumes Power

Rebirth of the Egyptian Army

The Anglo-Egyptian Commanders

The Mahdist Commanders

The Soldiers

The Kit

Supply and Transport

Tactics

Why it Happened

The Initial Egyptian Advance

On to Hafir and Dongola

Dongola to Abu Hamed

British Troops Arrive

The Battle of the Atbara

Final Preparations

March to Omdurman

1 September 1898 Day of the Gunboats

Night Attack?

Reveille

Mahdist Battle Plan

The Dervish Army Stirs

The 21st Lancers in Danger

Ibrahim al Khalils Assault

Death of Osman Azrak

The British Brigades

Fight in the Karari Hills

At the Egyptian Trenches

Dervish Bravery

Osman Dignas Ambush

The Charge

In the Khor

The 21st Re-group

Reactions

Sirdar Orders the General Advance

Kitcheners Blunder

Black Flag Attack

Khalifa Abdullahi Leaves the Battlefield

Green Flag Attack

Charge of the Baggara Horsemen

Cease Fire

Sirdar Enters Omdurman

The Butchers Bill

Treatment of the Dervish Wounded

Pursuit of the Khalifa

Um Dibaykarat

Tactical Aspects

Strategical Aspects

Victors

Losers

Glory or Shame

British Forces

Mahdist Forces

1 Muhammad Ahmed el-Sayyid Abdullah the Mahdi of Allah the greatest fundamentalist Muslim warrior of the nineteenth century.

2 Gordons Last Stand by G.W. Joy, one of the most evocative imperialist paintings.

3 Too Late by John Tenniel, Punch , 14 February 1885. This cartoon encapsulated a nations humiliation at the death of Gordon and fall of Khartoum.

4 Major-General Sir Horatio Herbert Kitchener, painted by H. von Herkomer. As Sirdar of the Egyptian Army and Commander in Chief of the Sudan re-conquest, it fell to him to avenge Gordons death.

5 Major-General Sir William Gatacre, the unpopular commander of the British Infantry Division.

6 Colonel (acting Brigadier-General) Andy Wauchope, the intensely Scottish commander of the 1st British Brigade.

7 Colonel (acting Brigadier-General) Neville Lyttelton, the cool and perceptive commander of the 2nd British Brigade.

8 El Lewa (Major-General) Archibald Hunter, the energetic and ruthless field commander of the Egyptian Army.

9 El Miralai (Colonel) Hector Macdonald, the immensely popular tough ex-ranker commanding the 1st Brigade, Egyptian Division.

10 El Miralai (Colonel) John Maxwell, efficient commander of the 2nd Brigade, Egyptian Division.

11 El Miralai (Colonel) Robert Broadwood who commanded the Egyptian Cavalry. He was described as a very good soldier and fellow too.

12 A rare photograph of Osman Digna in his later years. Digna was a genius of irregular warfare who proved to be the most formidable opponent of the British in the Sudan 188399.

13 On The Highway to Khartum by Linley Sambourne, Punch , 30 January 1897. This cartoon satirised the re-conquest with British Prime Minister Salisbury bouncing up the Nile on a camel.

14 The gunboat Melik commanded by Major W. Monkey Gordon RE during the battle.

15 A contemporary photograph of an unknown dervish emir, clearly posed, but accurate in garb and weapons.

16 The flotilla the Nile advance was necessarily slow yet painstakingly planned by Kitchener.

17 Egyptian infantry advance on the Mahdists at Firka, 7 June 1896.

18 A group of dervishes taken prisoner during the Firka battle. Men like these often joined the Egyptian Army.

19 Edouard Percy Cranwell Girouard, the French-Canadian railway builder extraordinaire.

20 Laying tracks for the Sudan Military Railway.

21 Pushing on to the front. SMR work crews were self-contained with supplies and equipment.

22 A stylised illustration of the Battle of the Atbara which gives some idea of its fierceness.

23 One of the trenches in the Mahdist zariba at the Atbara filled with dead.

24 Proud and defiant, the handsome Emir Mahmud taken prisoner at the Atbara. The bloodstains are those of one of his bodyguard killed during the fight.

25 The young cavalryman Winston Churchill in his campaign dress.

26 Some cheerful Cameron Highlanders advancing towards Omdurman.

27 A quartet of war correspondents. Left to right: Bennet Burleigh ( Daily Telegraph ); Rene Bull, ( Black and White ); Frederic Villiers ( Illustrated London News ); and Hamilton Weldon ( Morning Post ).

28 The initial charge of the Mahdist army.

29 Kitchener observes and directs his battle from a small mound.

30 One of the gunboat crews in action on the Nile.

31 A rare photograph of Maxwell (mounted) talking with an aide just a few minutes before the initial dervish attack. Note the Egyptian troops resting or kneeling in their zariba trench.

32 A rare photograph of the 21st Lancers shortly before the famous charge, resting by the slopes of Jebel Surgham.

33 Captain Paul Kenna VC, 21st Lancers.

34 Beja friendlies the curly-haired Hadendowa are the same tribe that slaughtered the 21st Lancers.

35 Lieutenant the Honourable Raymond de Montmorency VC, 21st Lancers.

36 The last full regimental charge of British cavalry.

37 Private Thomas Byrne VC, 21st Lancers.

38 The officers of the 21st Lancers, in a photograph taken some days after the battle. Colonel Martin is fourth from left, front row. Next to him (from left) are Majors Crole-Wyndham and Finn. Many of the men wear black armbands to commemorate their dead colleagues.

39 Lieutenant Nevill Smyth, Queens Bays, who won a Victoria Cross saving the life of two war correspondents.

40 The heroic defence of the Khalifas black banner.

41 Behind the firing line at Omdurman.

42 MacDonalds brigade going into action.

43 Macdonalds Sudanese repelling the vast Mahdist attack on their brigade.

44 The Battle of Omdurman medieval warriors against Maxims. ( The Illustrated London News )

45 The dead photographed by Rene Bull within minutes of the ceasefire.

46 With the captured banner of the Khalifa the Sirdar prepares to ride into Omdurman town.

47 The damage done to the dome of the Mahdis tomb by British shellfire.

48 Kitchener released hundreds of the Khalifas prisoners; here Charles Neufeld is found in chains within hours of the British victory.

49 The dervish dead lie bloated in the sun on the battlefield.

50 Raising the British and Egyptian flags during the service held amidst the ruins of Gordons palace at Khartoum.

51 Camp followers were quickly at work looting the dead.

52 A rare photograph of a correspondent (almost certainly Rene Bull) trying to take a picture of a dying dervish (this may even be the same man who rose and chased him).

53 The aftermath of the Battle of Omdurman. (H.C.S. Eppings Wright, The Illustrated London News )

54 Dervish dead at Um Dibaykarat. The man in the centre is the young Emir Ahmed Fadil.

55 The Khalifa Abdullahi lies dead killed by Maxim fire at Um Dibaykarat surrounded by his faithful retinue.