File 705/1916 Pt 2 'Arab revolt: Arab reports; Sir M Sykes' reports' [‎164r] (325/450)

SECRET.
For Reference only.
ARABIAN REPORT. 99
N.S. No. VII. August SO, .(night).
' PART I.
The Sherif of Mecca.'
The Sherifs Operations.
The Sherif and Idrisi.
The Proclamation.
The Sherif’s Stamps.
The Haj.
Opinion in Afghanistan. ‘
Opinion in Baluchistan.
French Mission to the Sherif.
Maskat.
Koweyt and the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. .
Bahrein.
PART IU
Political Events in the Fields of Operations.
Lower Mesopotamia.
Aden.
Contents.
PART III.
Syria.
APPENDIX (A).
| Administration of Justice in Lower Mesopotamia.
APPENDIX (B)
Education in Lower Mesopotamia.
APPENDIX (C).
The Italian Press and Asia Minor.,’
APPENDIX (D).
j Miscellaneous Cuttings; from the Press.
PART I.
THE SHERIF OF MECCA
The Sherifs Operations.
General Clayton telegraphed on the 23rd August [I. G. 1247] that:—
1. Deserters from Tail said that the garrison was getting short of food; it was
strongly entrenched on a hilltop with a water supply.
2. There was heavy fighting at Medina. Faisal estimated the Turkish force to be
nearly 30,000, but this was doubtless an exaggeration. He also reported
fighting both south and west of Medina, at about a day’s march from the
town, the intention of the Turks being to reach Yambo or Mecca.
3. The Sherif regarded the position as critical; he was sending up all possible
reinforcements, including two mountain guns and two maxims ; he begged
for two aeroplanes to be based on Yambo, partly for intelligence purposes
and partly to influence the noithern tribes, who will join the side with most
resources.
4. Colonel Wilson was going to Faisal’s camp, and would report.
5. The Sherif said that the Nejd Shaykhs had offered to cut the Hejaz railway,
and to keep it cut.
Sir H. McMahon, telegraphing on the following day [No. 724], said that:—
1 . Military Intelligence estimated that the Medina force could not exceed 15,000.
2. The Sherif was making urgent demands for rifles, guns, ammunition, and
aeroplanes. Machine-guns were on their way from England ; the General
Officer Commanding would try to supply quick-firing guns ; rifles were being
sent; but there were no available aeroplanes.
3 . The Sherif thought that the Turks were making a desperate effort to get Ali
Haidar into Mecca before the pilgrimage. [An agent reports [jNo. 07112]
that he reached Medina on the 8 th August.]
[898—5]
B