'WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA […] I.E.F. "D" Volume 28. PART I. (From 1st to 15th November 1916.)' [70r] (144/258)
The record is made up of 1 volume (127 folios). It was created in 1 Nov 1916-15 Nov 1916. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
Tug <{ Lord Carmichael ” and barge 204 arrived Madras and tugs Byl ”
and “Denmark ’’ and barges 167 and 168 arrived Bombay on 6th November.
Addressed Director, Inland Water Transport, Basrah ; repeated Inspector
General of Communications, Basrah and Secretary, War Office, London.
Record copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., M. S. V Railway Board, G. S. (M. 0. 1, M. O. 2),
Telegram No. 90371, dated 7th November 1916. APPENDIX 104:
(Despatched 7-30 p.m.) No go371)
From—The Commander-in-Chief in India,
To—The Secretary, War Office, London.
Your 16995-M. R.-3—105 {JDy. No. 89378), November 1st. It is not
considered safe to tow barges from Karachi to Basrah from about middle June
till middle September.
Record copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., Railway Board, G. S. (M. O. 1, M. O. 2).
Telegram No. 90874, dated 7th November 1916. APPENDIX 105
(Despatched 7-30 p.m.) ^ 90374)
From-—The Chief of the General Staff,
To—The Inspector General of Communications, Basrah.
Your 1222 (Dy. No. 89935), dated 4th November. (Asks for date Indus
boats might be expected.)
Matter stands as follows . Crews could not be obtained to navigate boats
to Basrah and flat calm essential for voyage. Enquiries were therefore made
regarding carriage on board steamer but decision awaits trial. Boat takes three
weeks to reach Karachi. If found possible to despatch the boats every endea
vour will be made to secure crews as asked for in your 122-A. (Dy No 81819)
of 27th September. ’
Record copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., M. S. V., Railway Board, G. S. (M. O. 1, M. O. 2).
Letter No. 86-40, dated '27th October 1916. APPENDIX 106
(Received in War Section, on 7th November 19! 6.) {hJy, No. 90377)
From—The Director of Railways, Basrah,
To—The Secretary, Railway Board,
1. It has now been decided to replace the Qurnah Amarah 2' 6" by a
metre gauge as soon as material and labour are available. In the meantime
the 2' 6" is being completed. In order to keep the 2' 6" in use it will be
necessary to lay the metre gauge as a distinct line for most of the way, closing
it Only for a week or so while changing from one to the other.
2. Earthwork for the Qurnah Arm rah metre gauge line and for the
Amarah Sheikh Saad will be started simultaneously so far as labour admits,
Blatelaying on tbe Amarah Sheikh Saad will probably not commence until
A Q u ; n . ah -. Amarah lnetre gauge is finished. But a start will be made from
Amarah if river transport admits of getting any material up to Amarah.
oi ^ ie Q urii ab-Amarah will need 90 miles of track and the Amarah-
Sheikh Saad 115 miles ; total 205 miles.
Excluding the Jebel Sanam quarry line the Board are supplying 115
miles of 41 lbs. track for the Amarah Sheikh Saad and 150 miles for other lines*
total 265 miles. ’
The total quantity under provision will, therefore, meet the above demands
and leave 60 miles over whose ultimate destination is not yet decided on.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 1 and 15 November 1916. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: letters, telegrams, notes, reports, tables, and memoranda. An index to the contents of this volume and a summary of the contents can be found at folios 3-12. The volume concerns:
- The supply of food, equipment (e.g. body armour), and transport for Force D
- Issues concerning Inland Water Transport, in particular transfers of vessels from India for use in Mesopotamia and recruitment of ships’ masters in British colonies
- The movements of supply ships
- The movement and organisation of military units
- Reports from the fronts in Mesopotamia and Persia [Iran]
- Combat and non-combat reinforcements for Force D from India, Egypt, the British Honduras [Belize] Contingent, Fiji, China, and Portuguese East Africa [Mozambique], in particular Labour Corps and Supply and Transport Corps personnel and artillery
- Medical issues, including sickness among troops, sanitation measures, reorganisation of the Force D Medical Administration, the transfer of an ambulance train from Aden, and an inquiry into conditions on board transport ships
- Statistics for personnel, casualties, supplies, and construction materials shipped on the Tigris
- Railway construction
- Movements of Turkish [Ottoman] forces, including in Turkish-occupied areas of Persia
- The defence of British-controlled oil fields in southern Persia, including relations with local Bakhtiari [Bakhtiyārī] tribes
- A Chinese theatre for the entertainment of the Chinese Labour Corps
- Issues concerning prisoners of war, including the release of Turkish prisoners and the escape of prisoners captured by Turkish forces at Kut
- The hostility of tribes on the Shatt-al-Hai [Shatt al-Hayy/Al-Gharraf River]
- Offers from private firms in Karachi to supply additional labour.
The following tables appear:
- Royal Flying Corps (RFC) reports from listing available aircraft and engines at the start of November 1916 (f 29 and f 49)
- Distribution of Turkish forces (ff 40-41, ff 73-74)
- The personnel of the Supply and Transport Corps in Mesopotamia (f 46)
- Casualties for the weeks ending 14 October 1916 (f 55) and 21 October 1916 (ff 110-111)
- Ration requirements for a 60-day period in Mesopotamia (ff 56-57)
- Artillery in use in Mesopotamia (f 66)
- The ration strength of Force D as of 31 October 1916 (ff 87-89 and ff 106-108)
- Additional supplies needed for Force D (f 100)
- The names and strength of hostile tribes on the Shatt-al-Hai (f 105)
- Ammunition held and used by artillery forces in Mesopotamia (ff 116-117)
- The state of supplies on the morning of 11 November 1916 (f 117)
- Transport ships arriving in Basrah [Basra] in November 1916 (f 123).
Also included in the volume are:
- Weekly Diary of Information No. 21 for the week ending 7 October (ff 14-24), covering issues including: climate and flooding in Mesopotamia; political affairs in the Sultanate of Masqat [Muscat]; military construction and engineering works in Mesopotamia and southern Persia such as bases, hospitals, prisons, land reclamation, and water supply; water transport; staffing; the issue of slavery in Iraq; cemeteries; prisoners of war; a copy of ‘The Voice of Truth’ No. 4
- A map of south-eastern Mesopotamia and south-western Persia, indicating Mesopotamian tribal territories (f 25).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (127 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 127; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 4-125; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA […] I.E.F. "D" Volume 28. PART I. (From 1st to 15th November 1916.)' [70r] (144/258), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3264, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100136379065.0x000091> [accessed 29 October 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3264
- Title
- 'WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA […] I.E.F. "D" Volume 28. PART I. (From 1st to 15th November 1916.)'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:24v, 26r:126v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence