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'Railways and L. of C. [Lines of Communication] Policy, Mesopotamia. Vol III' [168r] (336/549)
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.
1.
SECRET.
From : - G.O.C* Mesopotamia.#
To*- D.G.M.R•
Eespatoheil 21.2 5 9 .12 0 18 .
^ Received 08.55 11.12,10.
Y ? 4,5 43.
I forward at General De Candollo’s request the
following telegram which expresses his opinions. I do not agree
with some of them but I prefer not to send you my views until
some indication of policy in the future as regards
(1) the area to be controlled by us (2) Persia (3) the future
of the I.'/'.T.
Begins I have calculated, that rive r navigation can handle
for at least 5 years all Basrah Baghdad traffic. On that basis
I have submitted to the General Officer C. in C. some
reasoned notes on transportation in Mesopotamia. In these
I reach the conclusion that the following would b^ best plan,
.•St ultimate aim should be ( 1 ) only standard gauge to west of
* GlluC^ue-
the River Tigris and only (? groups emitted) gauge to east.
( 2 ) to abandon unproductive direct standard gauge to Mosul ( 3 ) to
ley standard gauge Basrah to Hillah (4) subsequently to extend
standard gauge up Euphrates to connect with Mediterranean (5)
to lay metre gauge from Qizil hubat via Ki fri Kirkuk A1 tun-Keupri
and Erbil to Mosul ($) when possible to extend metre gauge to
Suleiman!yeh and into Persia and subsequently from Altun-Keupri
to Tabriz.
Secondly immediate construction should be to take up Shaibah
Nasiriyah and Kut El Amarah Baghdad branches both of which were
laid on merely provisional alignments thus leaving suffi eie nt
..rails end rolling stock to lay and efficiently operate following
additional definite lires (l) standard gauge from Hillah to
Sam aw a (2) metre gauge to Khanaqin (3) metre gauge on one or
other of following alternatives for which surveys should be
started at once (a) either from Qizil Rub at to Mosul via Altun
Keupri or (b) F^m Qizil Rabat to Altun Koupri with branch to
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' [168r] (336/549), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/789, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100094917080.0x000089> [accessed 22 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