'Field notes: Mesopotamia. General Staff, India. February, 1917.' [‎64v] (135/350)

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A Turkish land line, along the right (western) bank of the
Shatt-al-’Arab, went from Fao to Basrah, and thence along the
bank of the river Tigris to Baghdad. Another line, branching
off at Qurnah, followed the Euphrates Valley, via Hillah, to
Baghdad. From Baghdad the land line continued, via Musal,
to Constantinople.
Telegraphic communication has been established between
Basrah, Nasiriyah, Shaikh Sa’ad and Kuwait.
The Telegraph Line from Dizful to Shush was completed
on 18th June, 1916 and a telegraph office was opened at tfie
latter place. This establishes direct communication with
Ahwaz.
A line with two wires runs from Baghdad north to Musal, and
from Baghdad to Kirmanshah and Tehran a line follows the
main route through Ba’qubah, Khanaqin and Karind, having
two wires on wooden poles.
The office in Baghdad is a tumble-down building, and the
instruments are badly kept and of inferior workmanship. The
condition of the telegraph lines is bad, and a slight atmospheric
disturbance causes interruption of service. During the winter
it is not uncommon for Baghdad to be cut off from all communi
cation with the rest of the world for several days at a time.
A Persian Government land line goes from Muhammareh
to Ahwaz, and from Ahwaz, via Behbehan and Burazjun, to
Bushire. The repair and working of this line was handed over
to the Indo-European Telegraph Department in 1914.
Wireless.
There are witeless stations at ’Amarah, Bahrain, Basrah,
-the oil-fields, Bushire and Harjano.
Telephones.
^ a V Ve . rl ? ead tele Phone from Maidan-i-Naftun to
Abbadsm island, with a branch to Muhammareh, belonging to
the Anglo-Persian Oil Company. This runs along the pipe
line on the left (eastern) bank of the Karun river. The Shaikh’s
palace at Faihyeh is connected by telephone with Muhammareh.
been tatroduoed at