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‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [64r] (132/500)
The record is made up of 1 volume (246 folios). It was created in 4 Jan 1918-14 Feb 1918. 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.
Word Code telegram No. 8895, dated 2nd February 1918. APPENDIX 37
(Despatched 7-45 e.M.) (% ^
From—The Chief of the General Staff, Delhi,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D,” Baghdad.
Your 3rd Echelon No. H-3519 of 31st January {Dy. No. 8340). This
increased establishments m which connection please see my No. 7965
of 30th January. No further action is being taken pending more detailed
mformatiou from you.
Record copy to A. G.
Copy to M. S. C., Q. M. G., G. S. (S. D. 1, S. D. 2).
Telegram P., No. 672, dated 31st January 1918.
(Despatched 5-40 p.m., received 8-15 a.m., 1 st February 1918. j
(Received in War Section, 2 nd February 1918.)
From—The
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign and Pclitical
Department, Delhi.
(Repeated Secretary of State and Political, Baghdad.)
Although column as a whole may not proceed beyond Qasrishirin, some
movement of troops beyond that point seem to be unavoidable. It has indeed
already taken place in pursuance of the War Office orders to General Officer
Commanding, Baghdad, to prepare motor roads for Caucasus mission. The
considerations which prompted General Officer Commanding in last paragraph
of his telegram 5894, January 13th (Dy. No. 3401), have not been quite
understood by His Majesty’s Government. It is not a question of control of
general policy but routine working arrangements of this force. A column of
this force is already in Persian territory at Qasrishirin. Officer Commanding
has to deal promptly with cases of raiding of caravans or convoys and cutting
of telegraph lines by local tribesmen. He takes his orders from General
Headquarters here and requires a Political Officer from here to assist him in
his dealings with tribes. As there is no telegraph between Qasrishirin and
%
APPENDIX 38
(7>y. No. 8912)
Kermanshah, it is impracticable for Officer Commanding to deal wifch Tehran
or Kermanshah in these matters; nor is it practicable for General Officer
Commanding, Baghdad, to handle Khanakin tribal affairs through me and the
affairs of the same tribes in Qasrishirin through the Minister. Even were
Kenmon to transfer his headquarters to Qasrishirin—and this he can hardly
do as long as there is no telegraph—he would practically have to function as
a Political Officer of this force in regard to relations between the force and
Local tribes. The General Officer Commanding meant nothing more than this.
The general policy of His Majesty’s Government must of course be directed
from Tehran. It is very necessary for me to know what it is. Once it is
denned, however, I have no desire to participate in the control of it.
If we are to save ourselves avoidable trouble and misunderstanding, it is
necessary in my opinion that. we / should have authority to explain that the
location of our troops at Qasrishirin and our roadmaking activity up to the
Tak-i-Girrah do not presage any British advance into Persia or any design on
its integrity but are merely temporary measures, organised with the Persian
Government’s concurrence, to bar the passage of enemy expeditions through
Persian territory.
This is with reference to Secretary of State’s telegram of January 28th
{By. No. 7666). _____
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. C., G. S. (M. 0. 3).
Telegram P., No. 700, dated 1st February 1918. APPENDIX 30
(Despatched 6-5 p.m., 1st February 1918; received 7-55 a.m., 2 nd ( 2 ?». N 0 . 8913 1
February 1918.)
(Received in War Section, 2 nd February 1918.)
From—The
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign and Political
Department, Delhi.
(Repeated to the Secretary of State and Political, Baghdad.)
As question presented itself to General Officer Commanding-in-Cbief in
34
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 November 1917. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: Tables, telegrams, memoranda, and letters.
An index to the contents of this volume can be found at folios 3-17. The volume concerns:
- Military personnel issues, including: recruitment, training, and promotions
- The supply of food, ordnance, oil, construction materials, and other items to Force D
- British ‘punitive actions’ against the ‘offending tribes’ of Al Abbas near Samawah [As Samawah] and Albu Jassim [Al Bu Jasim] near Bani Said [Bani Sa‘id]
- British raiding and aerial bombardment of villages in Mesopotamia, including Shirwan Sakhal [Shakal] and Kelar [Kalar]
- River traffic in Mesopotamia
- Preparations for a meeting between Lieutenant-Generals Jan Smuts, Edmund Allenby, and William Marshall in Egypt, to discuss the ongoing war against Turkey [Ottoman Empire]
- Matters relating to Dunsterforce, including: the selection of officers and NCOs to join Dunsterforce; the dispatch of an Armoured Car Unit; and the movements of Major-General Lionel Dunsterville
- Railway construction in Mesopotamia
- Arrest of Sullaiman Mirza [Sulaymān Mīrzā A title of honour originally applied to princes, later to military leaders, and later still to secretaries, chieftains, and other ‘gentlemen’. ] and Isa Mirza [‘Īsá Mīrzā A title of honour originally applied to princes, later to military leaders, and later still to secretaries, chieftains, and other ‘gentlemen’. ] by British troops near Khanikin [Khanaqin]
- Intelligence concerning the activities of the Turkish [Ottoman] and German militaries
- A report on the military readiness of the 49th Bengal Infantry
- Unreliability of Bolshevik-influenced Russian troops in Persia [Iran]
- German propaganda campaigns in Persia
- A proposal for British officers to take command of the Persian Cossack Brigade
- Matters relating to the Caucasus, including: British attempts to create a local military force; British influence on the relationship between Armenians and ‘Tartars’ in the region; and problems caused by the ‘decidedly Bolshevik’ Russian fleet in the Caspian Sea
- Civil war in Russia.
The volume also contains:
- Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of: lines of communication; general organisation; and names of General Officers and Brigade Commanders (ff 18-30)
- Distribution of the Turkish Army dated 12 February 1918 (ff 208-211)
- Report of number of pilots, balloon officers, and aircraft available for service in Mesopotamia, 31 January 1918 (f 39), 7 February 1917 (f 141)
- State of supplies on 26 January 1918 (ff 43-44), 2 February 1918 (f 120, f 142-143), 9 February 1918 (ff 232-233)
- Strength statements of Force D, 24 November 1917 (ff 48-61), 29 December 1917 (ff 107-108)
- Ration strength of Force D, 31 January 1918 (ff 72-73), 12 January 1918 (ff 84-86), 29 December 1917 (ff 87-90), 19 January (ff 177-180), 5 January 1918 (ff 195-198)
- Supply requests for Force D, dated February 1918 (ff 62-63), March 1918 (f 149)
- Returns of sick and wounded dated 2 February 1918 (f 72), 19 January 1918 (ff 76-77), 26 January 1918 (ff 159-160)
- Proposed War Establishment for an Indian Infantry Battalion (ff 173-177)
- Distribution Report showing number and condition of motor vehicles with Force D, 1 December 1917 (ff 218-231).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (246 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 248; 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 3-246; 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 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [64r] (132/500), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3293, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100142276886.0x000085> [accessed 1 April 2025]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3293
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:247v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence