!['Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II' [‎80r] (159/274)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000465.0x0002ee/IOR_L_MIL_5_788_0159.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "'Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II' [‎80r] (159/274)")
'Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II' [80r] (159/274)
The record is made up of 1 file (135 folios). It was created in 3 Dec 1917-24 Jun 1918. 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.
S 3 C R E T .
Freeland, Baghdad.
Bar Office. Repeated' Baghdad and India.
Handed in 11.15 p.m. 10-2-10.
Received 1.25 p.ra. 11-2-10.
10th. ^
J I 1^1 J
Your 5173d cipher h.R.2,a. 396 5th February.
Paragraph I. is noted.
Paragraph 2. Estimates based on maintenance of
1 and 11 infantry divisions. On the assumption that
inland water fleet is completed up to full programme
and dividing the line into 3 sections
A Basra - Nasiriyah
B Nasiriyah - Najaf (Mashha All)
C Najaf (Mashha Ali) - Baghdad
estimated daily tonnage to be conveyed would be respe«t-
ively A 1550 B 1300 0 1750. Allowing 2 trains for
reinforcements, remounts, p assengers, mails, and urgent
•.-‘Tisignments, 1 train for engineering purposes 1 ambu
lance train, 6 trains for movements of •omplete units
s.rd formations or alternatively for bringing up reserves
supplies and for spasmodic rushes of traffia, total
number cf trains each way per day will be respectively
A 17 B 16 C lb. This estimate is based on the
assumption that scheme for local production is meeting
with success in its operation to extent now being under-
i-hen end that produce so obtained will be conveyed
ever section G into Baghdad. If no relief is obtained
f >cm this scheme respective tonnages would be A 2000
u 1800 C iuoO and number of trains respectively A 18
B 18 G 18.
Paragraph 3. I have based my recommendations
From
To
F .52
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and river transportation in Mesopotamia [Iraq] during 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
- Military operations targeting the Turkish railways in Palestine
- Planning and progress of the Mesopotamia Transport Commission
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel
- Postwar railway policy in India and Mesopotamia
- The question of substituting oil fuel for coal supply in river and rail transport.
Correspondents include: the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt; the Chief of Imperial General Staff; Director of Railways, Baghdad; the War Office; the Commander-in-Chief, Army Headquarters, India; the Major General Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland, Chairman of the Mesopotamia Transport Commission; 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 Assistant Director of the Inland Water Transport, Mesopotamia.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (135 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 137; 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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
'Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II' [80r] (159/274), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/788, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100098484043.0x0000a0> [accessed 29 July 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100098484043.0x0000a0
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100098484043.0x0000a0">'Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II' [‎80r] (159/274)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100098484043.0x0000a0"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000465.0x0002ee/IOR_L_MIL_5_788_0159.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000465.0x0002ee/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/788
- Title
- 'Railways Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communications] Policy, Vol. II'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:136v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence