I don't doubt for a second that the attitude at the time was that the Turkish troops were inferior on racial grounds. My point was that we didn't lose that fight because we doubted the abillity of Johnny Turk to fight but rather that the planning and execution of the plan was so bad.
I hate the attitude that seems to prevail that the British had a low opinion of the native troops that they fought. If anyone reads the diaries of the troops on the ground you can see the respect that they held for them. They certainly felt superior but but it was edged with acknowledgement of the fighting qualities of those they opposed.
My Great Grandfather spent 15 years in the Army and left in 1905. He fought at Omdurman and once beat the stuffing out of my Grandfather (Who was 7th Division Light Middleweight Boxing champion 1916,17 and 18) for suggesting that the Sudanese were easy compared to the Germans. His view was that anyone willing to charge at a man armed with only a spear was as hard as nails and bloody dangerous at close quarters.
If it was Racism then it is the same racism that makes modern armis call the Iraqis "Ragheads" and the Viet Cong "Gooks".
I quote Doug:
The enemy was always presented as inferior & sometimes subhuman by governments & top brass of both sides in a conflict to encourage the ordinary soldier to fight.
This sums it up nicely.
Will
