Mesopotamia (Iraq) - Adhaim

The Adhaim River is one of the numerous tributaries of the Tigris.  It originates in the Zagros Mountains and joins the Tigris 15 km south of Balad city which is just south of Samarra.  Cyril Sladden was in this region of Mesopotamia in April/May 1917 and took part in the so-called Battle of the Boot on 30th April 1917.  It became known as the Battle of the Boot because of the boot-shaped peninsula of high ground on which it was fought.

The Turks were forced to retreat to prepared positions in the foothills that spanned the river at Band-i-Adhaim.  The battle marked the end of the British Army’s Samarra Offensive, launched the previous month by Anglo-Indian forces under Sir Stanley Maude, against the important Turkish railroad at Samarra.