![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [‎232r] (468/546)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x000209/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3283_0468.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [‎232r] (468/546)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [232r] (468/546)
The record is made up of 1 volume (260 folios). It was created in 22 Mar 1917-31 Aug 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.
APPENDIX 571
[T)y. No. 59285)
Word Code telegram No. 59285, dated 31st August 1917.
(Despatched 10 p.m.)
From—The War Section, Army Headquarters, Simla,
T° The Inspector General of Communications, Basrah.
Y°ur 818-A. {By. No. 59004), 20th. Please see my 59051, 30th August to
Deputy Director, Supply and Transport, Basrah. Did you receive the 22,000
gallons referred to ex Devawongsee, Rajput and Kamuning. If so, the shell
petrol originally obtained from Singapore hut sent to Basrah from Karachi
was intended more particularly for Inland Water Transport, wireless and
signalling purposes all of which together with aviation are included in the
present monthly standing demand on India. Deputy Director, Supply and
Transport, Basrah s 237-7 {By. No. 24971), 17th April discontinued despatch of
aviation petrol until beginning of August but further demand for this petrol
011 June vide Deputy Director, Supply and Transport, Basrah’s
ITDl {By, ^ No. 36831) 3,000 gallons petrol shell, 720 were shipped by
Koranna on 18 th June and 21,000 gallons already shipped on Fooksang.
It is. too late now for aviation expert to examine this latter consignment
but it seems probable that lower quality petrol received from Karachi has
been devoted to aviation purposes. Aviation expert, now on his way to
Bombay, is going into wdiole matter, but meanwhile am directing that Officer
Commanding, Aviation Depot, Bombay, should personally affix identification
label on cases sent from Bombay containing petrol suitable for aviation.
Record copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M. O. 1, M. T. 1.)
It is presumed that Admiralty decision has been considered by you in the
light of the Hague Convention and that you have accepted the risk of our
being charged with contravening its spirit. The carrying power of ships as
transports, will, however, be limited, by stipulation made in last sentence of
telegram, to number of sick and wounded for which they are fitted. Moreover
ships in use as transports would possibly require disinfection and at least a
week’s systematic cleansing before they could be fit for sick and wounded.
There will be very little accommodation for combatant officers owing to reten
tion of medical staff and sisters on board. No second class accommodation
would be a'vailable^for combatants entitled to it, as all second class accommo
dation would be practically absorbed by administrative hospital requirements.
Therefore the ships could only be made available for drafts, and that subject
to immediate reversion to Hospital use at the time when despatch of drafts was
an urgent necessity. Please inform me if your decision is affected by above
considerations.
Briefly the situation is this. That for only a slight gain in carrying power
we are depriving ourselves of all reserves of Hospital ships to meet any emer
gency which may arise.
Record copy to Q. M. G.
Copy to M. S. C., D. M. S., A. G.
Telegram P., No. 3254, dated 30tli August 1917.
(Des latched 5-55 "p.m. received 5-45 p.m. 31st August 1917.'
APPENDIX 573
(D v . No. 59289)
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 August 1917. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: letters, telegrams, notes, reports, tables, and memoranda.
An index to the contents of this volume and a summary of the contents can be found at IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3282. The volume concerns:
- Appreciations [reports] and intelligence summaries from the Directorate of Military Operations dated 19 August 1917 (ff 53-55), 26 August 1917 (ff 162-164)
- One diary of information dated 28 July 1917 (ff 84-86) covering climate, floods, and the Christians of Mesopotamia
- Reinforcements for Force D
- Movements of Turkish [Ottoman], Russian, and German troops and German officials, including General Erich von Falkenhayn
- Reports from the Royal Flying Corps of machines in service and pilots available
- Provision and movements of river craft
- Progress of railway constructions and future railway policy, including Turkish [Ottoman] railway construction
- The composition of the committee of enquiry into port congestion at Basrah [Basra]
- A scheme to stimulate cultivation by clearing the canals of the Euphrates area and providing advances of seed and cash
- Investigation of postal arrangements
- A fodder production scheme using local labourers
- A discussion of whether the French Consul at Basrah, Monsieur Roux, should be permitted to use a cipher and locked bag, and proceed beyond Basrah
- Trade between Basrah and Baghdad
- The appointment of Sir Percy Cox as Civil Commissioner, Mesopotamia
- A proposal to terminate the agreement between HM Government and the Newspapers Proprietors’ Association employing Edmund Candler as Official Eyewitness
- A new Indian General Hospital
- The appointment of R G Garrow as recognised irrigation expert for Mesopotamia.
- Proposed co-operation with the Russians.
The following tables appear:
- Distribution of troops 29 July 1917 Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force (ff 8-12)
- Weekly return sick and wounded w/e 28 July 1917 (ff 23-24), 4 August 1917 (f 72)
- Ration strength of MEF 14 July 1917 (ff 26-29), 21 July 1917 (ff 102-105), 4 August (ff 136-138), 28 July 1917 (ff 181-184), 11 August (ff 199-201)
- State of supplies 18 August 1917 (ff 69-71 and 88-89), 25 August (ff 188-190 and 210-211)
- Distribution of the Turkish Army 21 August 1917 (ff 75-77), 28 August 1917 (ff 194-195)
- Strength return for IEF D 30 June 1917 (ff 118-135)
- Monthly distribution report of motor vehicles 1 July 1917 (ff 202-207).
The file also contains a ‘Report on the conservancy of the Shatt-el-Arab [Shatt al-Arab] River from the Port of Basra to the Persian Gulf’ by Brigadier-General George Buchanan, Director of Port Administration and Conservancy, dated 22 March 1917, including nine maps of the Shatt-el-Arab River, the port of Basra, Mohammerah [Khorramshahr] bar, and the channel from Fao [Al-Faw] down the river.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (260 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 262; 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. Multiple additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are also present in parallel; these numbers are printed.
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 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’ [232r] (468/546), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3283, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137829834.0x000045> [accessed 17 July 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3283
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART II. (From 16th to 31st August 1917).’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:219v, 221v:234v, 244r:261v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence