![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [‎212r] (428/488)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x000208/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3282_0428.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.)’ [‎212r] (428/488)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 37. PART I. (From 1st to 15th August 1917.)’ [212r] (428/488)
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.
176
Telegram P., No. 39445-Cipher, dated 13th August 1917.
(Despatched 12-45 p.m., received 2-30 a.m., 14th August 1917.)
From— The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, London,
To The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah.
APPENDIX 207
{Dy. No, 54930)
("Repeated Commander-in-Chief in India.)
Tour X -3148 (./)«. No 54337) of 10th August see.us to hare crossed
my telegram No. 39253 (Dy- No- 54338) of 9th August As regards your
co-operation with Russians I hare nothing to add as I do not feel that 1 am
able to express an opinion as to what the Russians can do on the Persian
Front. The information in my possession makes it highly improbable that on
the Caucasus Front the Russians will attempt anything. My 3b260 (Dy.
No. 49629) of 22nd July merely notified you of proposals I nave received from
Russian General Headquarters and I left you free m my 39253
64328) to arrange with Baratoff for such action as you think advisable. Since
we have now altogether discounted Russian assistance in Mesopotamia anything
we can obtain from them should be to the good so long as you hare not to take
undue risks in return. As to this you may depend up on m y no t being uniu y
influenced by)* any pressure the Rus-
•Change of two figures. sian General Headquarters may possibly
endeavour to exert. Allenby’s plans are dealt with in my 39253 (Dy. No.
64328).
Working copy to G. S. (LI. G. 1).
Telegram R, No. 39451-Cipher, dated 13th August 1917. APPENDIX 208
(Despatched 2-5 p m., received 1 a.m., 15th August 1917.) (Dy. No. 54943)
From—The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, London,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah.
(Repeated Commander-in-Chief in India.)
On 10th August Marsh was informed by the Chief of the Staff that the
66th Division which since early in June has been resting at Tiflis will be sent
to the 7th Corps and that one of his regiments, the 261st, has already started.
Early in August the General Officer Commanding, 7th Corps, reported that 2nd
and 3rd Trans-Baikal Cossack Brigades and Ars fortress regiment in his corps
were not likely to be fit for hard work for some months. Regarding the
difficulties confronting the 7th Corps the Chief of the Staff expressed most
pessimistic views to Marsh, on August 10th, and General Shore on the same
date saw the Commander-in-Chief whose views were similarly pessimistic.
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. C., D. M. O., G. S. (M. 0. 3).
Telegram P., No. 39468-Cipher, dated 14th August 1917. APPENDIX 209
(Despatched 5-30 p.m., received 3-30 a.m , 14th August 1917.) (Dy. No. 54944)
Ftom—The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, London,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Basrah.
(Repeated Commander-in-Chief in India.)
Enemy agents are reported to be fermenting (*trouble) in oilfields and the
Admiralty have represented their anxiety
•By change of 2 figures. ^ ^ the situation there. Apparently
the firm concerned is as usual in such circumstances unduly anxious regarding
their own interests. As to the adequacy
t B y change of i figure. of the (fprotective) measures you have
taken I should be pleased to have your views.
Working copy to G. S. (M. 0. 3).
Copy to M. S, C., Q. M. G„ G. S. (M. 0. 1).
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.)’ [212r] (428/488), 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_100137984424.0x00001d> [accessed 24 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