‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 17. PART I. (From 1st to 15th December 1915.)’ [‎62v] (129/488)

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Letter No. 8.-30093, dated 8th December 1915. APPENDIX 266
(Received in War Section on 9th December 1915.) (ity. No. 30093)
From—The Chief of the General Staff,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah.
I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Edmund Candler has been
appointed as “ Indian Eyewitness’ 5 with the Force in Mesopotamia. He left
Marseilles on November 30th and proceeds by direct transport to Mesopotamia.
Besides sending reports to India Mr. Candler will also act as correspondent
of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association at Home, in the same way as Mr.
Ashmead Bartlett has been acting in the Dardanelles. All his messages,
whether to India or Home, will of course be submitted by him to you for
approval before despatch.
Record copy to G. S. (Censor).
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M. O. 1, M. O. 2, M. O 3).
Telegram P., No. 8.-30101, dated 9th December 1915. APPENDIX 267
(Despatched 5-30 p.m ) . (Dy. No. 30101)
From—The Chief of the General Staff,
To—The Base Commandant, Basrah.
{Bepeats Dy. No. S.-30008 omitting last sentence).
Record copy to War Section.
Telegram P., dated 8th December 1915. APPENDIX 26S
(Received in War Section on 9th December 1915.) {By. No. 30112)
From—The Secretary of State for India,
To—The Viceroy (Army Department).
River craft. It is not possible to make any improvement in the dates
given in mv telegram {Dy. No. S.-29641) 3 dated the 4th December 1915. Ihe
Admiralty are unable to provide or obtain any craft in this country to reach
Abadan at the earliest before the second wnek in February. As soon as I am
aw r are of details of their proposals I wall inform you by telegraph. In the
meantime McMahon has been asked by the Foreign Office to make enquiries
and let General Nixon know what suitable vessels are obtainable in Egypt and
to send any out at the earliest date possible.
Please repeat your telegram No. H.-9621 {Dy. No. S.-29725), dated 6th
December 1915, to General Nixon.
Working copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M. 0,1, M. O. 2).
Telegram P., No. 3189, dated 8th December 1915. APPENDIX 269
(Received in Army Department at 1 p.m. on 9th December 1915.) ( l)y. No. 30113)
(Received in War Section on 9th December 1915.)
From—The Secretary of State for India,
To—The Viceroy (Army Department).
The eight battalions from Egypt are all despatched or about to be and
I think you may safely depend on the Meerut Division arriving at Basrah by
end of December.
With regard to Lahore Division I will keep you informed, but embarka
tion this division will probably commence about the 11th of the present
month.
Troops canaot be diverted from East Africa.
Difficu ties present themselves in the question of a 5th Division and until-
the matter has been investigated by the War Office it is not possible for me
to reply on this point.