'Reports of administration for 1918 of divisions and districts of the occupied territories in Mesopotamia. Volume I' [‎16v] (37/470)

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Admissions and discharges of prisoners pending trial :—
Date.
Admissions.
Discharges.
Transferred to Daltawah.
Escapes.
6/8/18 to 31/12/18
106
102
2 i
2
10. Shabanah. —The first A.P.O. in charge Shabanah was appointed m May.
He took a few of the former police and mounted messengers to Hillah for a shoii
course of training and to see the organisation of the Hillah Shabanah.
The nucleus of the Shabanah force, which on 31st December consisted of HO
mounted and 104 foot, was the mounted messengers attached to the office of the
Political Officer and the A.P.O.s, and the town police of Ba‘qubah town. In
addition to police duty, the Shabanahs performed blockade duties till the abolition
of the blockade posts on the conclusion of the armistice with Turkey.
Capt. Pedder reports that Arab officers have been a difficulty, but this was
only to be expected, as men fit for this job must have been either serving with the
Turks or have been taken prisoner by us.
Training has not progressed as well as it might owing to :—
( 1 ) Constant unexpected demands for Shabanahs for miscellaneous
duties, such as escorts.
( 2 ) Shortage of Shabanahs, as numbers had to be dismissed as unlikely
to become efficient.
(3) Desire to meet demands of A.P.O.s in out-stations.
(4) Sickness.
The number of recruits of the dismounted force has been satisfactory, but for
the mounted force disappointing. The shortage of mounted men is due to—
(If Other attractive employments.
(2) High price of grain and living.
(3) Fear of heavy work for owners’ horses.
The grain difficulty was partly overcome by a daily issue of 2|- kilos of Revenue
barley at 3 annas per kilo
Dismissals have been frequent owing to the poor material of the original nucleus
force, but there has been only one desertion, although all men are required to sign
on for one year’s service.
Men are gradually learning discipline, but N.C.O.s are still afraid to exercise
authority off the parade ground.
At the beginning Shabanahs were careless in gnard duty and allowed one or
two prisoners to escape. The heavy sentences meted out to the offenders have
taught the remainder of the force a sense of their responsibility.
A certain amount of petty extortion is prevalent, but this is only to be expected
at present.
The condition of the horses is good and the turnout of the men has much
improved lately. Smartness and esprit de corps have been found to depend to a
certain extent on local conditions of service and notably on the housino- accom
modation. Accommodation is bad at Shahraban and Daltawah and very 5 soocl at
Baladruz. The result is that the Shabanahs at Baladruz are the smartest in the
Division. There is an excellent Shabanah Barracks at Shahraban, but" it is
occupied at present as a military hospital.
Headquarters barracks for the Shabanah will have to be built. At present
they are housed in a khan, which has begun to collapse owdng to the recent heavy
rain. • u "
Men are armed with the 1914 pattern British rifle and 50 rounds of ammunition
wdiile another 50 rounds are kept in reserve for each man. A.P.O. suggests tin t
a number of rounds per man be sanctioned for musketry training.
Clothing is, on the whole, good and serviceable.
11. Labour.— The demand for labour continued throughout the year
Labourers were needed both for military works, such as upkeep of roads, and for