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‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [83r] (170/294)
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
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f*- J ”.
No- 40.
DIARY OF INFORMATION.
Dated the jrd March
SUBJECTS.
1. Climate and Floods.
2. Prisoners of War.
3. Inland Water Transport.
4. Army Ordnance Corps—Basrah.
5. Aviation.
6. Sanitary Report.
7. A Tribe of the Tigris.
8 Customs Duties in Iraq.
9. Photographs.
CLIMATE.
{Week ending 24th February 1917.)
Maximum temperature at Basrah during the week occurred on 23rd February 1917 —79*2°.
Minimum temperature at Basrah during the week occurred on 20th February 1917—SS^ 0 .
The maximum temperature is three degrees higher than during the previous
week, and the minimum nine degrees lower The weather continues to be
pleasant although the midday sun is now quite strong. There was no rain in
Basrah during the week.
257
FLOODS.
(Week ending 24th February 1917.)
Maximum reading
Wadi
A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
Gauge during the week occurred on 21st February 1917 11 TO.
(Overflow 114.)
Maximum reading Amarah Gauge during the week occurred on 22nd February 1917 90*6.
(Overflow 96*8.)
The gauge readings show a marked improvement this week and the river
is very high, but up to the present there have been no floodings at Basrah,
PRISONERS OF WAR CAMP,
The Prisoners of War Camp situated at Ma’gil about 4 miles above Basrah
occupies a pleasant site on the river bank among the date palms.
It is a bivouac camp with accommodation for about 2,000 prisoners who are
detained here only a short time and then despatched to one of the permanent
camps in India. OflScer prisoners of war are accommodated in E. P tent*
rank and file in bell tents. * *
All prisoners on arrival are given facilities for bathing, their old clothing
is taken from them and any that is in good condition is thoroughly disinfectecT
It is then ready for re-issue. All new arrivals are provided with a complete
outfit of clothing on arrival here.. This they greatly appreciate, in fact experi
ence shows that the Turks appreciate anything that is done for their comfort.
From time to time changes have been made in the rations issued to
prisoners, and the present scale is a very good one. The rank and file get
an improvised ration, partly Indian and partly British, whilst officers and others
of the officer class are given British rations. All prisoners receive free issue of
cigarettes and tobacco on the same scale as our own troops.
The average Turk considers himself a very lucky man indeed to be a
prisoner in the hands of the British, in fact those who were repatriated
during the summer of 1916 did not look forward with any great pleasure to the
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.)’ [83r] (170/294), 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_100134835014.0x0000ab> [accessed 17 January 2025]
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- 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