![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎113r] (234/294)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0234.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.)’ [‎113r] (234/294)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [113r] (234/294)
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.
287
WAR DIARY.
Date.
Summary of events.
Number.
Appendix.
27-3-17
The Director of Military Intelligence, London, reported that according to very reliable information,
Lnver
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
left Turkey for Berlin on 20th March.
.20167
?3l
Cxeneral Headquarters, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, forwarded information considered absolutely relia
ble, to the effect that Mosul reported to Samarra on 25th March that as 15,000 sheepskins would be
required for rafts for the transport of a division and the supply of food and stores would thereby be
interfered with, it was suggested that the division should march via Nesibin.
20175
332
Information regarding the movements of the 18th and 13th Army Corps and the 14th Division, and the
despatch ohtwo ships laden with ammunition from Bimadia to Hit, was received from General
Headquarters, the Forces in Egypt.
20179
833
A message from <f Eyewitness ” dealing with the occupation of Shahroban was received by the Chief
of the General Staff.
20183
334
The General Officer Commanding, Force D/ 5 asked for instructions concerning the personnel of the
Kite Balloon Section, which, owing to climatic conditions, could not be employed from May to
August inclusive.
20269
335
The Chief of the Imperial General Staff notified the departure from Marseilles on 7th March of Colonel
Kirsanoff, Russian liaison officer for Mesopotamia.
20270
336
ml 4
The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” reported {i) that the Khanikin Column was still holding
the ^nemy to his ground about Jebel Hamrin so as to prevent him getting away before the arrival
of the Russians of whom no news had yet been heard, though they were reported as advancing from
Karind, 70 miles from Khanikin, on the 16th instant; {ii) that the enemy, on the 25th instant,
fought desperately, their losses being reported as very heavy, while ours was estimated at 900;
and (iii) that on the 25th instant we occupied Hindiyah and Deltawa securing a considerable
quantity of railway material.
20302
337
The Director of Railways, Basrah, reported that in view of the latest decision on railway policy
his total requirements of track were 183 miles, with the necessary sleepers, by the end of August;
additional 6 engines and 100 trucks for the construction of the Kut-Baghdad line, to be shipped as
soon as possible and additional loco, and workshop staff would be also required.
20308
338
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.)’ [113r] (234/294), 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_100134835015.0x00001f> [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