‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [221r] (446/546)
The record is made up of 1 volume (260 folios). It was created in 22 Mar 1917-31 Aug 1917. 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
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3. Periodical reports will be submitted as requested»
(b) The Dialha detachment against Kifri from the Dialha line.
{c) The British against the line Demir—Kapu—Tekrit from the front
Shahroban—Sammarra.
The Turks would be completely (distracted ?) by the simultaneousness of
this advance and would be prevented from concentrating in any one direction
in force.
4. I agree with you entirely, that for the present we ought to confine our
selves to the determination of our first object in the operation towards Mosul,
that it be the defeat of the enemy by our advance to the line Rizan—Rowanduz
Rania—Suleimaniyeh—Tuz KhurmatlR—Demir—Kifri—Tekrit; and that we
should proceed to discuss further combined operations (in accordance with?)
the existing situation only after the occupation of that line. Ends.
The above signed General Prjevalski.
Working copy to G. S. (M O. 1).
Copy to M. S. C.
Letter No. 0.-16^0-22, dated 10th August 1917. APPENDIX 546
(Received 30th August 1917.) (fty- ^°- 58954)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “.D,”
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
1. With reference to your No. 18187-1, (Dy Ao 50473), dated 19th July
1917, I have the honour to inform you that I am posting the Bengali
Battalion to the Garrison of Baghdad, where I shall be better able to take a
personal interest in its training and general progress from time to time than
if it remained at Basrah, as I had already ordered.
2. I wall bear in mind the wishes of His Excellency the Commander-in-
Chief in India as regards giving this unit some battle experience whenever it
may reach a standard of training which will warrant this.
Working copy to A. G., G. S. (S D. 3).
Copy to M. S. G, M. S. V., G. S. (S. D. 1).
Memorandum No. A.-1172-82-227, dated 11th August 1917. APPENDIX 54T
(Received 30th August 1917.) [Dy- Eo. 58955)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D/ J
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
I recently addressed to you a telegram No. X.-3121-8-8-17 (Dy. Ao*
53882), in which I pointed out the shortage of Medical Officers serving with
this Eorce and hoped that this matter would receive urgent consideration.
2. I have further had under consideration the possible situation in the
event of the medical resources being strained owing to an epidemic or heavy
casualties.
3. I still consider that the figure given in my telegram X.-782 (Dy. No.
11683), dated 20th Eebruary 1917, is sufficient for present needs but the force
has grown and there is no margin. I am of opinion that some precautions
should be taken to earmark, for service here at short notice, emergency re a
inforcements in officers and personnel in the event of urgent necessity arising.
4. I submit therefore for your consideration that steps be taken to select
for this service 100 Medical Officers, as great a proportion of these officers as
possible to have Indian experience and at least some of them to be Royal
Army Medical Corps or Indian Medical Service Officers. This emergency
reinforcement should only include such other personnel, especially menial
establishment, as could be temporarily spared from India, Ward servants and
ward orderlies 300, cooks 150, water carriers 150, sweepers 200 wouffi be
especially useful.
5. The Medical Officers and personnel thus sent I w^ould consider as on
loan and they would be returned to India when the stress was over.
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 16 and 31 August 1917. 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 IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3282. The volume concerns:
- Appreciations [reports] and intelligence summaries from the Directorate of Military Operations dated 19 August 1917 (ff 53-55), 26 August 1917 (ff 162-164)
- One diary of information dated 28 July 1917 (ff 84-86) covering climate, floods, and the Christians of Mesopotamia
- Reinforcements for Force D
- Movements of Turkish [Ottoman], Russian, and German troops and German officials, including General Erich von Falkenhayn
- Reports from the Royal Flying Corps of machines in service and pilots available
- Provision and movements of river craft
- Progress of railway constructions and future railway policy, including Turkish [Ottoman] railway construction
- The composition of the committee of enquiry into port congestion at Basrah [Basra]
- A scheme to stimulate cultivation by clearing the canals of the Euphrates area and providing advances of seed and cash
- Investigation of postal arrangements
- A fodder production scheme using local labourers
- A discussion of whether the French Consul at Basrah, Monsieur Roux, should be permitted to use a cipher and locked bag, and proceed beyond Basrah
- Trade between Basrah and Baghdad
- The appointment of Sir Percy Cox as Civil Commissioner, Mesopotamia
- A proposal to terminate the agreement between HM Government and the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association employing Edmund Candler as Official Eyewitness
- A new Indian General Hospital
- The appointment of R G Garrow as recognised irrigation expert for Mesopotamia.
- Proposed co-operation with the Russians.
The following tables appear:
- Distribution of troops 29 July 1917 Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force (ff 8-12)
- Weekly return sick and wounded w/e 28 July 1917 (ff 23-24), 4 August 1917 (f 72)
- Ration strength of MEF 14 July 1917 (ff 26-29), 21 July 1917 (ff 102-105), 4 August (ff 136-138), 28 July 1917 (ff 181-184), 11 August (ff 199-201)
- State of supplies 18 August 1917 (ff 69-71 and 88-89), 25 August (ff 188-190 and 210-211)
- Distribution of the Turkish Army 21 August 1917 (ff 75-77), 28 August 1917 (ff 194-195)
- Strength return for IEF D 30 June 1917 (ff 118-135)
- Monthly distribution report of motor vehicles 1 July 1917 (ff 202-207).
The file also contains a ‘Report on the conservancy of the Shatt-el-Arab [Shatt al-Arab] River from the Port of Basra to the Persian Gulf’ by Brigadier-General George Buchanan, Director of Port Administration and Conservancy, dated 22 March 1917, including nine maps of the Shatt-el-Arab River, the port of Basra, Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] bar, and the channel from Fao [Al-Faw] down the river.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (260 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 262; 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. Multiple additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are also present in parallel; these numbers are printed.
Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
- 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 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [221r] (446/546), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3283, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137829834.0x00002f> [accessed 26 August 2024]
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- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3283
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’
- Pages
- 220r:221r
- Author
- Government of the Russian Empire
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