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'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [457r] (924/1386)
The record is made up of 1 file (687 folios). It was created in 1915-1918. 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.
as
on Bagdad for offensive action against Basra. The situation
is now complicated by the diversion of troops to Ahwaz. So far
as protection of pipe-line is concerned, it is impossible to
take offensive action with our small force, and no
reinforcements we can send from India would suffice either for
this or to render position at Basra safe. We regard it as
essential that Basra should receive at least another complete
division and this we cannot provide. If therefore position in
Mesopotamia is to be made secure this must be done by sending
troops from elsewhere than India itself. We are aware of
strong objections of War Office to reducing the forces either
in Egypt or East Africa at present time, but having regard to
fact that a disaster in Mesopotamia must inevitably bring into
the field against us both Persia and Afghanistan with the
Frontier tribes, and may seriously affect our Mussulman
population and Mussulman troops, we consider that this danger
justifies our pressing for a reconsideration of attitude of
War Office. We also feel that India has a first claim on her
own troops when they are required to avert a danger which is
threatening her security. We therefore urge most strongly that
a complete division, or its equivalent, of Indian troops
should be at once returned to us, whether these are drawn from
Egypt or East Africa. We entirely agree that prompt action
is most necessary; Situation at Aden is also unsatisfactory.
We are not strong enough there to do more than protect
settlement itself and we cannot send any troops to help tribes
who are nominally under our protection to defend themselves
against the Turks, who have invaded the Protectorate.
About this item
- Content
This file contains working drafts of confidential prints, correspondence and telegrams from the room of Sir Edmund Barrow, Military Secretary in the 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. , collected for the Mesopotamian Commission which was convened to examine the causes of the besieging and surrender of the Indian Expeditionary Force in Kut-el-Amara [Al Kūt].
The papers cover a range of topics and include the following: General Townshend's assessment of the situation after the Battle of Kut-el-Amara; a précis of correspondence relating to the origins and development of the Mesopotamia expedition; and a collection (ff 396-399) of private telegrams between the Secretary of State for India and the Viceroy, prior to the outbreak of war with Turkey.
The file also includes some tables showing the strength of General Townshend's force at Ctesiphon (folio 111) as well as the Indian Expeditionary Force 'D' (In Mesopotamia) Troops of the 6th Poona Division (folio 114).
Correspondents include: General Sir John Nixon; Major-General Charles Vere Ferrers Townshend; the Viceroy of India; officials of the Admiralty; officials of the War Office.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (687 folios)
- Arrangement
The entries are recorded in chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 686; 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. Multiple additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are present in parallel; these numbers are written in crayon and pencil; where they are written in pencil and circled, they are crossed through.
The file has one foliation anomaly, f 374A.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [457r] (924/1386), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/768, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100116195932.0x00007f> [accessed 31 January 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/768
- Title
- 'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:5v, 7r:89v, 91r:107v, 109r:130v, 131ar, 131r:134v, 135ar, 135ar, 135r:136v, 137ar, 137r:203v, 204ar, 204r:225r, 225ar, 225v:295v, 296ar, 296r:316v, 317ar, 317r:374v, 374ar:374av, 375r:405v, 406ar, 406r:562r, 562ar, 562v:623v, 624ar, 624r:686v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence