![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’ [‎14r] (36/254)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x00022c/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3318_0036.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’ [‎14r] (36/254)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’ [14r] (36/254)
The record is made up of 1 volume (123 folios). It was created in 11 Jan 1919-28 Feb 1919. 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 256.
DIARY No. 12771.
Word code telegram No. A.-1629, dated 16th February 1919,
(Despatched 12-30 p.m., 17th February 1919, received 9-30 a.m., 18th February 1919.)
From—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Baghdad,
To—The Secretary, War Office, London.
(Repeated Chief of the General Staff, Delhi.)
* Your telegram No. 1900, 6th February (N. E. W. S.), raises the following
general question : It is at present inpracticable to frame comprehensive
budget estimate for next year or to determine finally what the financial system
governing the peace administration of the Army in Mesopotamia is to be.
On the other hand it will involve serious inconvenience and loss of efficiency
if every question of expenditure has to be referred home, but when field service
conditions cease to operate it will be necessary to do so unless some alternative
arrangement is authorised. I consider it essential therefore that as an interim
measure the financial procedure to be followad by the Oommander-in-Chief of
the post helium Army and the financial powers to be exercised by him should
now be defined on broad lines. On the assumption that the Military financial
administration of this country should be under the War Office and not India,
my proposals are as follows :—
Paragraph 1 .—Expenditure connected with pay, allowances and main
tenance of troops should be regarded as authorised charge and regulated by
existing Home and Indian regulations.
Paragrnph 2 .—In cases not falling directly under paragraph 1, Com-
mander-in-Chief should have power to authorise expenditure on objects of
direct military necessity up to £1,000 on any one project and up to £200 per
annum on any one item of recurring expenditure to be of a purely temporary
character.
Paragraph 3 .—In cases of compensation, writing off losses and other
miscellaneous matters not falling under paragraphs 1 and 2 above, the
Commander-in-Chief should have the same power as Army Commanders in
India, as laid down in the revise of paragraphs 4 to 19, A. E. L, Vol. Ill, pub
lished in 1917.
Paragraph 4 .—Financial Adviser should be consulted before hand in all
cases and should have power to require a reference being made to War Office
where he considers that this spirit of the procedure as laid down herein is
being contravened.
Paragraph 5.—Commander-in-Chief should have authority to delegate
his financial powers, to a strictly limited extent, to subordinate military autho
rity. If you agree to this in principle, I will submit detailed proposals.
Paragraph 6.—It is considered that the civil administration in this
country should have no voice in military expenditure but that the question
of any future civil contribution to military expenditure should be considered
upon the basis of a fixed quota Sir John Hewitt has been present at the dis
cussions which have led to these proposals and if any further information is
necessarv will be able to explain more fully the difficulties and requirements ^
of the situation.
Working copy to F. A. with G. S. (M. O.-l).
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M. O. 3), C. W. A.
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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 28 February 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, tables, and letters.
An index to the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3317. The volume concerns:
- Military personnel issues, including the granting of leave, promotions, nominations for Staff Officer positions, and conditions for garrison units
- Supply of food, artillery, construction materials, and other items to Force D
- Reductions of planned supply shipments to Force D
- Matters relating to the demobilisation of Force D, including: shipment of troops from Mesopotamia to India and the United Kingdom; provision of civilian clothing for demobilised troops; and the disposal of surplus stores and motor vehicles
- Repatriation of non-Turkish prisoners of war
- Nomination of Indian officers for honorary ranks in the British Indian Army
- Discussion of conflict between Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd] and King Hussein [Al-Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī]
- Discussion of coordination of British policy in Mesopotamia, South Persia [Iran] and Maskat [Muscat]
- Arrangements for financing the army of occupation in post-war Mesopotamia
- Discussion of future political system of Mesopotamia, including need to ‘prevent Arab nationalism from being drawn into opposition to British control’
- Construction of railways in Mesopotamia
- British assessments of Mesopotamian public opinion
- Appointment of a Commercial Secretary in Mesopotamia
- Testing and disposal of malfunctioning ammunition
- Reports of ‘dissatisfaction’ among soldiers in Force D regarding pace of demobilisation
- Withdrawal of British forces from Trans-Caspia [Turkmenistan] to Meshed [Mashhad]
- British occupation of Krasnovodsk [Turkmenbashi]
- Arming of ‘friendly Turcomans’ in Trans-Caspia
- Dispatch of naval vessels from India for service in northern Russia
- Construction and maintenance of roads in Persia
- Supplying of captured Turkish [Ottoman] ordnance to the Persian Government
- Tensions between the Persian Government and the Jangali [Jangalī] Movement.
The volume also contains:
- Strength return of Force D on 11 January 1919 (f 23)
- Ration strength of Force D on 11 January 1919 (ff 109-114), 25 January 1919 (ff 32-35), February 1 1919 (ff 106-109)
- Programme for March despatch of British troops from Mesopotamia (f 48)
- Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of lines of communication, general organisation, and post-war garrison units (ff 53-62)
- State of supplies on 17 February 1919 (ff 64-65)
- Firing test results and summary for 18-pounder shrapnel ammunition (ff 90-97)
- Weekly return of sick and wounded dated 18 January 1919 (ff 98-99).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (123 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 (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 121; 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. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.
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 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’ [14r] (36/254), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3318, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100141313468.0x000025> [accessed 1 April 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3318
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:121v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence