'REPORT on the Working of the Line of Communication AND ON THE Withdrawal of the British Military Mission IN EAST PERSIA, 1919-20. GENERAL STAFF INDIA. [‎41v] (89/168)

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APPENDIX I.
From Zero day tlio Duzdap area was formed as a separate command for de
fence and administration, as outlined in Lines of Communication Order No. 2.
This organization was in complete working order very shorly after zero-
day ' I detached Lieutenant-Colonel V. F. W. Tregear l-98th Infantry for this
command and gave_ him sufficient departmental and staff officers Irom my
It was originally ruled that the administration of the Duzdap Area
Commander was exclusive of railhead, which was to remain under the Admin
istrative Commandant, Rail Lines of Communication. This oigamzation denned
that the Duzdap Area Commander should hand over all personnel, animals,
stores supplies, and mechanical transport to the Administrative Commandant,
Lines of Communication, Rail, for entrainment, the responsibility of the
Duzdap Area Commander ceasing on handing them over en bloc after arrival
in Duzdap. * . -r. -i i
The Administrative Commandant, Lines of Communication, Rail, had no
sbff and personnel to cope with this excessive amount of work. This proce
dure was therefore found impracticable, and would not work. The matter
was represented to the General Officer Commanding, dth (Quetta) Division,
whereafter all railhead and entraining arrangements were administered by the
Duzdap Area Commander.
At the end of September 1920 I sent Lieutenant-Colonel V. R. B.
■Williams, D.S.O., my Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General, with
the main Headquarters office to Duzdap, and instructed him to take over
the Duzdap Area Commandership from Lieutenant-Colonel V. E. W. Tregear,
in addition to his other duties.
It was then that the chief work of the rail evacuation commenced and
increased to its maximum from the 26th October 1920 onward. After this date
to the end of the withdrawal columns followed each other every second day.
All officers in each column on arrival at Hurmuk w ere issued w ith orders
(copy “A.” attached) giving the necessary information and instructions for
their arrival in Duzdap. This ensured no delay in the rail evacuation.
Columns arrived in Duzdap according to programme, and the personnel
and animals of each column w r ere ev acuated by rail from Duzdap the day
following their arrival without interruption.
There w r as a constant flow of large consignments of stores, etc., to railhead
which were checked, stored, and repacked at Duzdap and promptly evacuated.
The table (marked “ B ” attached) show s the details of all personnel
and animals evacuated by rail during the withdraw al. Out of 18,111 animals
entrained there was only one casually in the 60th Grantee Camel Corps.
Sixty vehicles of all descriptions per diem were allowed for entrainment.
There w r as only one loading platform with a capacity of 24 vehicles, but there
was never any hitch or delay.
No extra expense was incurred in engaging extra labour.
Ry the 14th November all personnel of all columns w T ere evacuated by rail.
With the exception of 95 mechanical transport vehicles, which were
detained at Duzdap pending decision as to their disposal, the entire evacuation
was completed by the 22nd November 1920.
Orders for Commanders of Columns and Final Garrisons arriving at Duzdap-
1. Time .—On arrival at Shamadar watches should he put on one hour and
twenty minutes according to railway time as kept in the Seventh Section.
2. Marching out time. Columns should march from Shamadar so as to
reach Duzdap by 1,200 hours; the journey from Shamadar takes about eight
hours.
3 Camping arrangements in Duzdap.~A\\ units and details will, on
arrival at Duzdap, be accommodated in standing camps.
Mounted units will be accommodated in the Cavalry Camp, North-East
Duzdap. r