![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎103r] (214/294)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0214.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.)’ [‎103r] (214/294)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [103r] (214/294)
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.
Bombing. —A 336 lb. bomb was dropped ; it exploded well just short of
camp on hostile aerodrome.
Twelve 20 lb. bombs were dropped on Cavalry Camp near Imam Mahdi.
All the horses in the camp stampeded. The enemy aerodrome was bombed
three times later in the day—on the first occasion tw r o 20 lb. bombs fell within
10 yards of a Eokker, and a third close to an Albatross.
During the third attack four 20 lb. bombs fell on the aerodrome and
damaged a hostile machine. It had part of its undercarriage carried away and
collapsed on to wing tip of the top right plane. Two hostile machines were seen
but retired at once on approach of our machines.
16th February. —Heavy rain during night 15—16th.
Reconnaissances ... ... 2
Bridge observed to have been towed further upstream from Imam Mahdi
and partially reconstructed at Bghailah.
Bombing —A direct hit with a 20 lb, bomb was obtained at Bghailah on a
steamer which emitted clouds of smoke for a few minutes. Two men of a
column of infantry were killed near Dahra Barracks.
17th February. —Very violent storm night 16—17th.
Attack on Sannaiyat position .... Strong South wind.
Reconnaissances 2
Artillery co-operation . . . . . .3 0, Ks. on an N. F.
target.
Bombing. —Three 20 lb. bombs dropped on a patrol of cavalry near Imam
Mahdi who scattered.
ARMY ORDNANCE CORPS—BASRAH.
December 1916 .—Early in this month the 160 pontoon carts made out of
A. T carts were completed in the workshops and sent up-country.
On the 1st of the month an Ordnance Mess was started for Indian and
Army Ordnance Officers.
On the 5th December the 30th Army Ordnance Company arrived from
Erance with 3 Officers, and an Inspecting Ordnance Officer, M. E. E, Also
reinforcements from the Indian Ordnance Department, Warrant Officers and
Temporary Sergeants.
In the middle of this month there were very heavy shipments of ammuni
tion, both up-country and arriving.
The foundations of the 60 feet shedding were completed by the end of the
month and the erection of the sheds commenced.
Reclamation work at the River Eront Ordnance Dep6t commenced with
Ordnance Labour. It was found that four feet below the level of the bund
there was a layer of from 6 inches to 2 feet Gypsum sand. This layer caused
part of the Ordnance area and Ordnance House to be flooded last year, but it
is hoped that by putting in a two feet clay wall it will prevent a recurrence
during the next flood season.
On the 29th December 1916 the Deputy Director, Ordnance Stores, left
Mesopotamia invalided. The Assistant Director, Ordnance Stores, became
Deputy Director, Ordnance Stores, and the Deputy Assistant Director, Ordnance
Stores, 7th Division, was sent to the Base as Assistant Director, Ordnance
Stores (provisional).
By the end of the month the first armoured train was fitted up and com
pleted and trials made early in January.
Three letters were sent to the Base Commandant. The first gave a resume
of the work done at Ma’gil. The second pointed out that the area allotted to
the Ordnance, Ma’gil was quite indequate for present needs and would become
still more so in the near future. The immediate result of this was that it
was decided that the Clothing group should remain in its present position on
the River Eront and not go to Ma’gil. It was also recommended that
the Remount Paddocks on the south-east side of Rumela Creek should be
moved and this side handed over to the Ordnance when Rumela Creek has been
diedged.
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [103r] (214/294), 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_100134835015.0x00000b> [accessed 22 March 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100134835015.0x00000b
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_100134835015.0x00000b">‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎103r] (214/294)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100134835015.0x00000b"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0214.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_100000000112.0x0001ff/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
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