![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎84r] (172/294)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0172.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.)’ [‎84r] (172/294)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [84r] (172/294)
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.
prospect of their return to their own people. One old man recently remarked
that he felt quite at home and not a bit like a prisoner of war interned.
Everything possible that circumstances permit is done to make the
prisoners comfortable. A Medical Officer is in constant attendance. He has at
his disposal a well stocked dispensary and two detention huts. Serious cases
are sent to an outside hospital for treatment.
PRISONEBS OF WAR.
Report por week ending February 28th, 1917.
The total number of prisoners of war in camp at present is 1,632. During
the week 1,526 prisoners have arrived from up-river, 57 from various hospitals,
while 11 have been admitted to hospital.
No prisoners have been sent to India during the week.
All available prisoners have been sent out as working parties and allotted
to the Director of Railways. They receive pay for this work.
The health of the prisoners continues excellent.
INLAND WATER TRANSPORT.
Report for week ending January 20th, 1917.
Number of officers and men in River Transport Service.
Army Officers (British) . . •
Indian Army (Native) Officer
159
. 1
An increase of 3.
Royal Indian Marine Officers . .
177
A decrease of 1.
British non-commissioned officers and men
. 1,891
A decrease of 2.
Indian and Chinese Ratings
. 14,013
A decrease of 194.
Egyptian Army officers and men •
. 4,578
A decrease of 54.
Total
. 20,819
Net decrease 248.
258
Craft put in Commission —Four additional craft—1 tug, 2 barges and 1
motor boat—were fitted out and put into Commission during the week.
Transport Mileage of self-propelled vessels. —This shows an increase on
the previous week, the figures being:—
Week ending October
8th, 1916
8,063 miles.
)i
33
15 th
33
7,444
33
)}
33
22 nd
33
9,566
33
5>
3)
33
29th
33
9,893
,,
})
November
2nd
33
10,936
33
33
33
9th
33
12,199
33
i)
33
33
16 th
33
11,837
33
33
33
25th
33
12,696
}3
> )
31
December
2nd
33
14,518
33
1)
33
33
9th
33
16,208
33
»
33
33
16th
33
15,513
33
)>
33
33
23rd
33
14,170
33
i)
33
33
30th
33
15,691
33
»
33
January
6th, 1917
15,080
33
i)
33
33
18th
33
17,260
33
))
33
33
20th
33
V
16,291
33
Up-i'iver Floating Workshop. —The P. S. 34 was completed and left for
riverhead. It should be of great service there.
Sheer-legs from Koweit. —The sheer-legs at Koweit were brought to
Basrah during the^ week and will be stationed here in future. The legs
are capable of lifting 50 to 60 tons, but, owing to the relatively weak
pontoons upon which they are placed, the limit of lifting has hitherto
been under 50 tons, and the last two lifts ex the S. S. “Diyatalawa ”
could not be done at Koweit. For this reason the sheer-legs were
brought to Basrah so that they could be assisted to take the weights
from the ship. Both lifts have been successfully taken out during the week,
and it is proposed to fit the sheer-legs on more suitable pontoons. The pon
toons and one sheer-leg are the property of the Government, the other sheer-
leg being the property of Messrs. Strick, Scott and Company, who have been
asked to sell their share. The machinery is said to have been originally sent
to Koweit to enable Messrs. Strick, Scott and Company, to erect certain
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.)’ [84r] (172/294), 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_100134835014.0x0000ad> [accessed 1 January 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