'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [135v] (279/660)
The record is made up of 1 volume (323 folios). It was created in 1924. 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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240 HISTORY OF THE WAR: MESOPOTAMIA
shown by the telegram he sent General Nixon at 1 p.m. on
the 11th January* :—
“ I have been forced to remain here to await
2nd Rajputs and 61st Howitzer Battery which have just
arrived and to evacuate as many sick and wounded as
possible on their ships. Also on account of bridge not
being yet ready. I advance to-morrow morning to
Hanna bend .... Sick and wounded who cannot be
evacuated before we leave, will remain here.
“ After consulting Generals Younghusband and Kemball,
I determined to continue the advance on Kut, but it is
my distinct duty to point out that it is a most precarious
undertaking, for which I, of course, accept full responsi
bility, as I consider the situation demands a supreme
effort to reheve Townshend.
“ Army Commander has full figures of enemy’s strength
and possibly 4,000 may be allowed for his losses and
desertions at Shaikh Saad. My fighting strength amounts
to about 10 , 000 .
“ We have to pass up the defile between Suwaikiya
marsh and river, which is much narrower than shown on
map. I have been unable to locate anything but cavalry
north of Ora, but there may be troops towards Badraj
Enemy reported by local inhabitants as occupying position
in advance of Es Sinn at narrowest part between Suwada
and Suwaikiya marshes. This will probably be continued
with advanced line from near Clery’s Post J to river.
“ My medical establishments, as you may calculate, are
deplorably low and wounded cannot receive proper
attention. Even if necessary to remove fighting men
from ships, more must be sent up at once. I have only
one aeroplane in action. On the other hand, I have the
greatest confidence that the troops will do what is humanly
possible and I know that the enemy’s Arab troops are
much demoralised.”
In sending this telegram, General Aylmer wished to ensure
that his difficulties should be made clear. He had been
warned that the great sufferings of the wounded were affecting
the spirits of his force, who in any case felt that they had a
sufficiently difficult task before them ; his inefficient bridging
* Repeated as usual to General Townshend.
t Some 45 miles north of Kut, on a caravan route. General Aylmer
received information from prisoners on the 10th that six Turkish battalions
had retired in that direction.
+ At south-east comer of Suwada marsh, see Volume I. Map 7.
About this item
- Content
The volume is the second volume of an official government publication compiled at the request of the Government of India, and under the direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General Frederick James Moberly. The volume was printed and published at His Majesty's Stationery Office, London.
The contents provide a narrative of the operations of 1914-1918 in Mesopotamia, based mainly on official documents.
The volume is in one part, entitled, 'Part III. The First Campaign for Baghdad', and consists of the following fourteen chapters:
- The Decision to Advance to Baghdad
- Commencement of the Advance Towards Baghdad
- The Battle of Ctesiphon - the First Day's Operations
- Battle of Ctesiphon (Continued) and the British Retirement to Kut
- The Decision to Hold Kut and British Policy Consequent on the Failure to Reach Baghdad
- The Siege of Kut: First Phase (December 1915)
- Commencement of the Relief Operations
- The Action of Shaikh Saad
- The Action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. and the First Attack on Hanna
- Operations up to the End of February, 1916
- The Second Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt
- The Third Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Successful Advance to and First and Second Attacks on Sannaiyat
- The Last Attempt at Relief; Bait Isa and Sannaiyat
- The Siege of Kut; the Last Stages
The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:
- The Middle East
- Lower Mesopotamia
- Map 8 - The Tigris from Kut al Amara to Baghdad
- Map 9 - The Battle of Ctesiphon
- Map 10 - The affair of Umm at Tubul
- Map 11 - The defence of Kut al Amara
- Map 12 - The fort at Kut; with special reference to the Turkish attack on 24th December 1915
- Map 13 - River Tigris between Ali Gharbi and Shumran
- Map 14 - The action at Shaikh Saad
- Map 15 - The action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
- Map 16 - The first attack on Hanna; 21st January 1916
- Map 17 - The attack on the Dujaila Redoubt, 8th March 1916
- Map 18 - To illustrate Tigris Corps Operation Order No. 26, dated 6th March 1916
- Map 19 - To illustrate operations between 10th March and end of April 1916
- Map 20 - The action of Bait Isa on 17th and 18th April 1916, and the attack on Sannaiyat 22nd April 1916
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (323 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume contains a list of contents (folios 6-10), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 11), appendices (folios 254-290), an index (folios 291-312), and eleven maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 314-324).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 325; 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.
Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [135v] (279/660), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045738549.0x000050> [accessed 5 February 2025]
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- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2
- Title
- 'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:3r, 3r, 4r:70v, 72r:79r, 160v, 80r:102v, 104r:160r, 161r, 313v, 161v:281v, 283r:313v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence