Description

Offered is a British War and Victory Medal, impressed named 2249 PTE. F.T.G HILL. DEVON.R. Comes with copies M.I.C., medal roll, Commonwealth War Graves certificate, photograph of grave.

Frederick Thomas George Hill was born in 1897 and pre-war was living in Devon, he served his war with the 6^th Battalion Devonshire Regiment with the service number 2249 and then 265672. However the Commonwealth War Graves Commission records him as serving with the 10th Battalion. The service number range for the 6th Battalion is 265,001 – 290,000.

The 6^th Battalion Devonshire Regiment was sent to India 9/10/1914 landing at Karachi 11/11/1914. It moved to Mesopotamia 5/1/1916 remaining there for the rest of the war.

Hill discharged 10/4/1919 and unfortunately died 24/9/1919, however he was entitled to a Commonwealth War Grave as his death was war related, undoubtedly due to a disease picked up whilst serving there. Cholera, malaria and dysentery being some of the diseases that was rife. He is buried in Barnstaple Cemetery, Devon

The British Empire forces suffered 85,197 battle casualties in Mesopotamia. There were also 820,418 hospitalisations for non-battle causes, mostly sickness. Of those, 16,712 died, 634,889 were treated and put back on duty in-theater, and 154,343 were permanently evacuated from the theatre. Thousands more died out of theatre from injuries and sickness incurred here, or died in Ottoman captivity. Total British military deaths in the Mesopotamian Campaign, including from the latter causes, were 38,842 (1,434 officers and 37,408 men), including 28,578 from sickness and other non-battle causes (including prisoners).