![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [‎116r] (236/488)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x000208/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3282_0236.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [‎116r] (236/488)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [116r] (236/488)
The record is made up of 1 volume (242 folios). It was created in 2 Jun 1917-15 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.
SITUATION IN MESOPOTAMIA AND PEESIA. APPENDIX 73
56147.
5 th August 1917.
1 . Tigris Front .—No operations of importance haye taken place. _ The recent
„ „ heat wave is said to be subsiding.
51494,51711, 51897, 52479, 52728, 52969,
2. Euphrates Front ,—No change.
Fus&o-Turkish Front. —information regarding operations has been
received. Colonel Marsh reports that the
Russian Caucasus Cavalry division has
left Tiflis for the main Russian front.
4. Intelligence .—The information received during the week, while indicat
ing the move of Turkish reinforcements
52459, 52477,52484, 52983, 52871. x & j ^/r x • • „xi *
towards Mesopotamia, gives nothing de
finite in this respect. It seems, however, that a winter campaign in this area is
being prepared for. There is a reference to a new Euphrates Corps in one
telegram.
5. Persia .—The Minister, Tehran, states that the present Cabinet at
Tehran is losing credit and will scarcely
last long. He considers that it will pro
bably be replaced by a Cabinet of much the same complexion as the last.
General Officer Commanding, Bushire, reports that caravan traffic to Shiraz
52427.
52857.
is now being resumed by the Kazerun
road.
6 . Policy —On 2nd August the Chief of the Imperial General Staff in
reviewing possible developments in Mesopotamia, calculated that, if the
Russians on the Persian Eront are reasonably active it is unlikely that the Turks
will be able to bring more than 72,000 rifles and 288 guns against General
Maude by the end of September. This strength might be increased to a, maxi
mum of 96,000 rifles and 381 guns if the Russians do not make their weight felt.
Chief of the Imperial General Staff calculates that by the end of September
British strength on the Tigris front should be 75,000 rifles and 284 guns, and
that if this is correct, General Maude should well be able to hold his own even
though the Russians have no effect.
In connection with the consideration of a combined Anglo-Russian
offensive towards Mosul, His Excellency the Commander-in-Chief on 1st
August wired to the Chief to the Imperial General Staff that in view of—
(a) the unreliability of the Russians ;
(b) the danger of an advance up the Tirgis unless accompanied by a
sustained advance in the Caucasus ; and
(c) the difficulty of the maintenance problem and the time required for
railway extension beyond Samarra,
he considered that our proper course at present should be to secure our
hold on the Baghdad Vilayet, improve our communications and transport, and
port facilities at Basrah so as to be in a position to take advantage of ^ny
Turkish mistake or real Russian revival or to demonstrate in aid of the British
offensive in Palestine.
In reply the Chief of the Imperial General Staff on the 2nd August
stated that—
52735.
(i) he agreed as to impossibility of relying on effective Russian co
operation ;
(ii) there is no prospect of any Russian advance in the Caucasus ;
(Hi) he is trying to get the Russians to do something on the Persian
front;
(iv) General Maude had made it clear that he. has no intention of
advancing unless the Russians on his right make substantial
progress and Chief of the Imperial General Staff entirely agrees
with this ; and
(v) Our policy in Mesopotamia has not changed, but all the Chief of
the Imperial General Staff has in view is that the. best means of
defence is to anticipate the enemy’s attack if possible.
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 1 and 15 August 1917. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, letters, and tables.
An index to the contents of this volume can be found at folios 3-15 and a summary of the contents can be found at folio 16. The volume concerns:
- The supply of food, animals, construction materials, weapons, and other items to Force D
- River and railway traffic in Mesopotamia
- Railway construction in Mesopotamia
- Arrivals to and departures from the port of Basra
- Problems with the unloading of ships at Basra
- Proposal for the transfer of men from the Disciplinary Labour Corps into a free Labour Corps
- Discussion of British strategy in Mesopotamia, including current policy of securing control of the Baghdad Vilayet, and inability to take offensive action without Russian support
- Recruitment of Arab prisoners of war in India ‘to serve the Sheriff [Sharīf] of Mecca’
- Intelligence concerning movements of Turkish [Ottoman], German, and Austrian units
- Intelligence concerning German construction of a railway ‘towards Mosul’
- Discussion of the creation of a French Consulate at Baghdad
- Financial administration of Force D and the territory occupied by the British in Mesopotamia
- Proposal for forming a new division of Force D
- Intelligence concerning Russian movements in the Caucasus and mutiny within the Russian army
- Intelligence concerning Kurdish movements and attacks on Russian troops
- Shortage of medical officers.
The volume also contains:
- Distribution and composition of Force D including details of lines of communication, commanding officers, and units captured at Kut-al-Amarah [Al-Kut] (ff 3-36)
- Distribution of Force D including details of lines of communication, 15 July 1917 (ff 123-127), 22 July 1917 (ff 216-220)
- Distribution of the Turkish Army, 7 August 1917 (ff 147-148), 14 August 1917 (ff 226-227)
- Detailed statement of ration strength of Force D on 30 June 1917 (ff 39-42), 7 July 1917 (ff 175-178)
- Ammunition held and used by Force D, 29 July 1917 (ff 42-43), 4 August 1917 (ff 123-124)
- Strength return of Force D dated 2 June 1917 (ff 45-61)
- Ration strength of Force D on 14 July 1917 (ff 67-69), 21 July 1917 (ff 152-154), 28 July 1917 (ff 234-236)
- Report of number of pilots and aircraft available for service in Mesopotamia, 2 August 1917 (ff 81-82), 9 August 1917 (f 179)
- Two diaries of information from 7 July 1917 (ff 90-107) and 21 July 1917 (ff 193-194) covering: climate and floods; local produce; Inland Water Transport; medical affairs; military government; the Directorate of Works; the YMCA in Baghdad; and the crash of a German plane
- Weekly return of sick and wounded for the week ending 14 July 1917 (f 114) and 21 July 1917 (ff 187-188).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (242 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 242; 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 3-240; 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 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [116r] (236/488), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3282, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137984423.0x000025> [accessed 25 January 2025]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3282
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:241v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence