"تقرير الإدارة عن المقيمية السياسية في الخليج الفارسي للأعوام ١٩١٥-١٩١٩" [و‎‎٩‎٩] (٣٩٦/٢٠٤)

TOR THE YEAR 1917.
25
Unit.
Britisli
Officers.
British Non
commissioned
Officers and
Vv arrant
Officers.
Persian
Officers.
Persian
other Ranks
Total.
Brought forward
15
22
76
2,504
2,617
Garrison Band
Miecellaneous
1
1
' 2
1
7
30
3
32
13
T otal
16
25
84
2,537
2,602
Lieutenant- Colonel G. L. Farran, D.S.O., M .G., commanded the Brigade
throughout the year, while Major G. E. L. Fitzgerald, d.s.o., was Brigade
Maior from March onwards. Major L. C. Wagstaff, C.T.E., commanded the
garrison at Saidabad, which after April included the 6th South Fersia Eifles
Infantry. A squadron of Cavalry and a platoon of Infantry were stationed
at Anar during the latter part of the year. The system of policing roads and
outVyino- districts by means of tribal levies has not been followed to any ^ great
extent, the only instance being the 100 irregular foot and horse, chiefly Afshars,
stationed at Baft under Sultan Yahya Khan. Mu'tamid-i-"Nizam. There is no
doubt that the fact that the South Persia Rifles are being raised and trained
on strictly regular lines causes many tribal and sectional chiefs to forbid their
tribesmen to enlist. They fear, perhaps not without reason a transfer of their
followers' allegiance from themselves to the South Persia Ernes, in particular
the Buchaqchi tribe, which is generally considered to be the best fighting stock
in the province, has provided no recruits at all, though with the exception of
the notorious Hnssain Khan the members of its chief family swear undying devo
tion to the British Cause. Recruits obtained up to October 1917 from other
fitting clans were : Afshars, Cavalry 86, Infantry 26; Shahr Babakis,
Cavalry 44, Infantry 102. Recruiting is, however, proceeding briskly among
these tribes' and these numbers are now probably greatly exceeded.
The refusal of Ala-ui-Sultaneh's Cabinet, underpressure from the Demo
crats to recognise the South Persia Rifles as a Persian force was the cause ot
correspondence in the autumn between His Majesty's Vice-Consul and he
Legation. The Karguzar was ordered to insist that all intercourse between the
South Persia Kifles and Persian Departments be earned on '
medium of His Majesty 's Consulate and the Karguzan. This was out of the
question, and after consultation with Colonel Parran and refe^
Majesty's Minister, His Majesty's Vice-Consul iniol ™ edt t h ® ^^"^"municat-
Commandant, South Persia Rifles, found the present system_ (of comrnn a
ing direct with Persian Government Dejiartments), convonient. ^
Government have ceased for the time being thear attempts o hamper and
■ discredit the South Persia Rifles in this particu ar ^nner but them s no
doubtthatthemerefactof their non-recognition of the force has a disturbing
effect upon the minds of some of the Persian omoeis. -rw c o
The death from enteric fever of Captain G. S. Husband, . .
IM.S., Senior Medical Officer, occurred on 21st February.
With a view to the selection of a suitable alignment for this road Major
With a view to tne RE ^ as8isted by Lieu tenant Murphy
Bandar Abbas-Kerman Motor Road. and Khan Bahadur Sher Jang surveyed,
during the winter and early spring, the Jiruft, Daulatabad ppffW]^wine^to
as well as numerous possible detours. It was ^ eI1 ^7to abandon the
the insuperable difficulties presented by the Tang-i- m '
Daulatabad alignment, which had originally been c f os ^^ an ^ gaid-
telegraph line had already been laid, m favour o > ' o on 0 nn metalled
ahad route. It was also decided that , the road shou
one.