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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [166r] (332/549)
The record is made up of 1 file (272 folios). It was created in 22 Jun 1918-5 Oct 1919. 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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
121/3/163
'P
fiCRET
/ .- -i
L~
i
From; War Office
To: G®0.Cc in C. Mesopotamia repeated
IaG,C» Basra a
Desp* 10 d 2,10
72401 cipher McR,2 # a./G7G.
Following for Major-General de Candolle
leaving on "Ekma" from DoG c M s R, Begins b
Your Xc427B December 5th re possible railway
routos in Persia. (a) Your opinion that owing to
curvature no wider gauge than metre is practicable for
long distance railways in Persia is noted. Would this
or
hold good for through strategic route to India,/doss it
apply to economic line only? With metre gauge trunk
linos would you recommend feeder lines of same gauge?
(b) On the other hand it seems that metre gauge In
Persia would militate against Persian trade passing via
Baghdad especially if Baghdad-Basra line is built in standard
gauge entailing transhipment at Baghdad of Persian traffic
to and from Basra,, and later to and from Mediterranean.
In this case would not tendency for Persian traffic to
follow an all Persian metre gauge line to Mohammerah or
head of
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
be strengthened?
(c) What Is your opinion of practicability of standard
gauge line through Persia which would form part cf through
route from Europe and later from Egypt to India? This
would entail one transhipment only, viz. to Indian gauge ;
Possibility of easier grades being obtained by Zinkan ur
Shirwan valleys tc Ker nshah or Ramadan respectively is
referred to by Lubbock. As this railway may form part
of direct route tc India it is important now that military
considerations no longer predominate to investigate close/r
prospects of obtaining by this means better grades and
curvature than on route now recommended to Kermanshah even
if greater initial expense involvedc
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and road transportation in Mesopotamia [Iraq] near the end of, and immediately following, the First World War. The papers cover several matters, including:
- The construction, conversion, maintenance, and expansion of the railways in the region, including regular progress reports from the Director of Railways, Baghdad
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel
- A proposed survey of Persia [Iran] for the purposes of railway building
- Demobilisation planning
- Transition from military to civil administration
- Expenditure
- A proposal for a direct Baghdad-Haifa line.
Correspondents include: the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt; the Chief of Imperial General Staff; the Director of Railways, Baghdad; the War Office; the Commander-in-Chief, Army Headquarters, India; the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamia; the Chief of the General Staff, India; the Director General of Movements and Railways, War Office; and the High Commissioner at Constantinople [Istanbul].
- Extent and format
- 1 file (272 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 274; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are written in coloured crayon.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [166r] (332/549), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/789, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100094917080.0x000085> [accessed 14 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/789
- Title
- 'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:30r, 30av, 30v:273v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence