![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎34r] (72/294)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0072.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎34r] (72/294)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [34r] (72/294)
The record is made up of 1 volume (143 folios). It was created in 15 Jan 1917-31 Mar 1917. 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.
■ WW TiffT—■
HIM I PIBIilWlllli ■! lil—I
APPENDIX 245
(Dy. No. 18584)
OLar telegram No. C.-7, dated 10th March 1917.
(Despatched 7 p.m., received 3-30 a,m.> 20th March 1917.)
From—The Director of Railways, Force “ D , 33 Basrah,
To—The Secretary, War Office, London.
(Repeated Advanced General Headquarters and Chief of the General Staff.)
Progress on Qurna*Amara railway conversion for week ending 18th March.
Linking 5 miles ; total to date 31 miles. Progress delayed owing to increased
number of supply trains that had to be run. Earthwork widening complete
to mile 51,
Working copy to Railway Board.
Copy to M, S. C., Q. M. Oh, G. S. (M. 0. 1).
Word Code telegram No. Inwater-1104, dated 19th March 1917. APPENDIX 246
(Despatched 6-30 P.M., 19th March 1917; received 5 a.m., 20th March (Ly. No. 18612)
1917.)
From—The Director, Inland Water Transport, Basrah,
To—The Director, Inland Waterways and Docks, London.
(Repeated Chief of the General Staff.)
River vessels as follows commissioned week ending March 17th. (Steam
cutter No. 2 ?) and “ Ivy” re-numbered 60, 61, total 2. Motor launch “ Sturdee,”
“ Wardha” 3,1 from Strict Scott local, 1 from Gray Mackenzie local numbered
200, 201, 202, 203, total!. River barges 516, 517, 520, 522, 523, 52!, total 6.
Port barges 3!, 35, 63, total 3.
Working copy to Railway Board.
Copy to M. S, C., Q. M. G., G, 8, (M. O. 1),
t
208
Telegram No. X.-1350, dated 19th March 1917. APPENDIX 247
(Despatched 7-40 p.m., 19th March 1917; received 10 a.m., 20th March (Dy. No. 18637)
1917.)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah,
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
This afternoon we occupied Fallujah on Euphrates river, 36 miles due
west Baghdad ; enemy’s troops showed little or no opposition. They had
retreated from Samawah by right hank of Euphrates falling back north-west
before us. The possession of this place, together with our present hold on
Nasiriyah, seals for us middle Euphrates and will enable us to exploit further
rich supply area. Our cavalry followed up retiring enemy so as to secure (?)
river bunds about Saklawie, 9 miles west of Eallujah. After rising 5f feet
between 13th and 16th, Tigris has since fallen 5J feet.
Working copy to G. S. (M. O 1).
Copy to M, S. C, M. S. V., G. S. (M. O. 3).
Telegram P., No. 31241, dated 19th March 1917, APPENDIX 248
(Despatched 6-20 p.m., 19th March 1917 ; received 9-30 a.m., 20th March (Dy. No. 18639)
1917.)
From—The Director, Military Intelligence, London,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D."
(Repeated Commander-in-Chief in India.)
Following from Caucasus Military
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
T. L.-8!0, 16th:—
Under great difficulties detachment of Chernozuboffs’s column reached
Bane on 13th March, but movement of large forces in this area is still impos
sible owing to the depth of the snow.
Note. —Chernozuboffs’s corps is now known not as 2nd Cavalry Corps
but as 7th Caucasus Corps.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 16 and 31 March 1917. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, tables, and memoranda containing instructions and reports.
The volume mostly relates to:
- Reinforcements and labour requirements of Force D
- Supplies for Force D, including: river craft, weapons, ammunition, rations, trains, and railway construction materials
- Lists of sick and wounded soldiers
- Prisoners of war
- Updates from the Tigris line, especially at Baghdad, Samarrah [Samarra], and Bakuba [Baqubah, also rendered in text as Bakubah]
- Updates from the Khanikin [Khanaqin] front, especially at Khanikin, Shahroban [Al Miqdadiyah], and the area around the Dialah [Diyala, also rendered in text as Dialha] river
- Updates from the Euphrates line, especially at Samawah [As Samawah] and Fallujah [Al Fallujah, also rendered in text as Felujah]
- Updates from the Russo-Turkish fronts in the Caucasus region and in Persia [Iran]
- Turkish [Ottoman] forces: movements; intelligence from deserters; reported difficulties with supplies and communication; details of commanders; re-organisation of troops; and distributions on week ending 20 March (ff 39-40) and week ending 27 March (f 120)
- Discussions about co-operating with Russian forces on certain operations
- Discussions about Force D’s priority being the consolidation of their position in Baghdad, including: planned communications with the population; approaches to taking over from the Turkish administration; and the completion of railway connections to the city
- Possibility of advancing along Euphrates to Samawah
- Intelligence provided by the Caucasus Military Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
- Intelligence about German troops
- Reports of the Royal Flying Corps
- Progress of railways construction
- Situation in Persia, particularly discussions around the decision to return the Bushire [Bushehr] force to the command of the Commander-in-Chief in India.
The volume also contains:
- Appreciations [reports] from the Directorate of Military Operations summarising the situation in Mesopotamia on 18 March (ff 21-24) and on 25 March (ff 76-77)
- Two diaries of information from 3 March (ff 83-99) and 10 March (ff 100-111), covering: climate and floods; prisoners of war; inland water transport; the Army Ordnance Corps (Basrah [Basra]); aviation; sanitary reports; tribal confederations of the Tigris; customs duties in Iraq; photographs; and railways in Mesopotamia.
A summary and index to the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3272.
Whilst the volume contains copies of earlier material dating from 15 January 1917 onwards, the bulk of the material dates from March 1917.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (143 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 145; 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 also present in parallel between ff 3-143; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [34r] (72/294), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3273, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100134835014.0x000049> [accessed 7 February 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3273
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:144v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence