"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [و‎‎٣‎٤] (٥٤٠/٧٢)

1 1th cavalry brigade
43
On the 6 th September the Chief of the Imperial General
Staff, thinking it desirable to increase the cavalry in Mesopo
tamia, asked if India could spare a brigade.* In view of the
feeling, both in London and India, that the enemy would
make as great an effort as possible during the winter to retake
Northern Mesopotamia and to stir up trouble in Persia,
Afghanistan and Turkestan by the incursion of small parties of
Germans and Turks, it was realised that India would not find
it easy to spare a brigadef ; but the Commander-in-Chief there
said that, if after full consideration Sir William Robertson
wished it to be sent and the Government of India conesnted,
it would be provided. The chief of the Imperial General
Staff then referred the question to General Maude, mentioning
the difficulties and asking if there was any real necessity
for it. General Maude said that in any case it could be use
fully employed and would be invaluable if the Russians
failed to regain the Diyala line and subsequently occupy Kifri.
Consequently, bearing in mind the decreasing reliance on
Russian co-operation and the fact that security in Mesopotamia
would be the best guarantee for the security of India, the Chief
of the Imperial General Staff said that he wished the brigade
to be sent. The Commander-in-Chief in India in reply said that
he would despatch three Indian cavalry regiments to
Mesopotamia in October, but had not a horse artillery battery,
machine gun squadron, a field troop or a signal troop which
he could make available. It was finally arranged to send
from France a horse artillery battery and a British cavalry
regiment, which with two Indian cavalry regiments from
India and the remaining units to be found in Mesopotamia
would compose the 11th Cavalry Brigade.
As at Baghdad he had practically reached the limit within
which he could use his river fleet, and in view of the reports
that the Turks would rely largely on motor transport, General
Maude suggested on the 16th September that his mule transport
columns should be gradually replaced by a total of ten Ford
van companies. These would increase his radius of action and
obviate the necessity for obtaining and transporting large
quantities of forage. Moreover, petrol was obtainable locally
and mules were becoming increasingly difficult to provide.
This suggestion was approved and arrangements were made
* It would take a very long time and much shipping—which was getting
short—to send one from France.
f There was also a shortage of horses in India and a difficulty in procuring
more.