![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [‎138r] (284/294)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001ff/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3273_0284.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.)’ [‎138r] (284/294)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 32. PART II. (From 16th to 31st March 1917.)’ [138r] (284/294)
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.
WAR DIARY.
Date.
Summary of events.
Number.
Appendix.
31-317
The order of battle of the Mosul group, divided into Baneh group and Rowanduz detachment, as given
in captured documents dated September 1916, was received from the General Officer Commanding,
Force “ D. 9 *
20998
1 .
371
General Headquarters, Egyptian Expeditionary Force, ireported that absolutely reliable information stated
that a person, perhaps a German, with the 6th Army, gave certain information regarding Halil
Khalifa, to an unidentified person at an unidentified place.
21016
372
The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” reported that the reserve of 18-pounder guns was exhausted,
and there were guns awaiting replacement, and asked if India could assist by supplying 12 guns ; guns
without breech mechanisms would meet requirements.
21041
373
It was reported by General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” that on 29th March the Russians were
still at Paitak.
21043
374
The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,*’ was asked by the Secretary, War Office, by what date
it was anticipated that the Kut-Baghdad line would be completed, if track requirements as already
stated were met by the end of August.
21067
376
The Secretary, War Office, intimated that 10,000 S. M. L. E. rifles sighted for Mark VII ammunition
had been ordered for issue to Force “ D.”
21068
*■
376
The General Officer Commanding, Force “ IV’ reported that as a result of operations on the 29th March
the enemy’s converging movement on Deltawa was effectually checked, and the 14th Division which
was intended to move south-west from Deli Abbas was now in retreat towards Kifri. On the night
of 29th the whole of the position occupied by the 61st and 52nd Divisions was occupied and held
against several fierce counter-attacks, and the 13th Army Corps was still being contained in the
21080
377
vicinity of Kizil Rohat and Abu Zenabil in anticipation of the arrival of the Russians, who had been
kept at bay at Paitak since March 23rd.
21081
The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” stated that he did not concur in the order of priority
of the delivery of river-craft as stated by the Director, Inland Water Transport, Basrah, as though
he agreed that tugs and cargo barges were urgently required, and troop carrying and barge towing
sternwheelers were next important, refrigerating barges, ice barges and hospital vessels should not be
placed at the end of the list, but a proportion should be interspersed among categories already mentioned.
378
312
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.)’ [138r] (284/294), 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_100134835015.0x000051> [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