![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [‎65r] (134/500)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x000213/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3293_0134.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [‎65r] (134/500)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [65r] (134/500)
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. .
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This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
io/dtLS'Sm Sh me‘“ d I , S,mTKjl Sh °” n “ I ' , “ tod ’ S
telegram 6004, Jaauary Toth (“» 1 slSrS TT”^ Pr “ la " d ' S
ftemtte point of vj „ t J, L, ”'inSi anK Ci,u7d„”7stS
show? it\r d be rSt itio»,h?p an ^f f/ 0 ? 086 ! ali - nmeilt > provided that survey
S^TagTda^ 6 ' thekce " “ ^^cvoss^Euph^e^a^Barrage or
ai - 1 ? 7 ^ ase . n0 a ^ ernfl tive route which would involve anv considerable
amount of bridging is practicable from the urgent military point of view from
which, question is now approached and on whole I am of opinion that the
alignment is very well adapted to meet post bellum requirements of country
Itpmvi.ks reliabie through communication to Baghdad Hy the shortest route
r f h\ Y“ P ° rt Y de demands - Lt win tap rich grain growing land
tl Barrai^’ ° f f ^ Y be by .water to Musafyib or
Snr pfn g ? erb f ?> ^ U !f> abinahyah and Samarrah. It would serve the
holy cities and combined with a Baghdad-Khanikin line it would give long
rww and P r ° fita Y fa °', h . tles for P^gvim traffic (vide paragraph 61, Trade
Commissioner s Report). This is of great importance politically.
,, . t.) Its adoption means that a construction of a railway up the Hai from
JMasinyah to Kut-el-Amarah must be deferred for some years. From the
point ot view of development and pacification, two processes which are
mutually dependent and can most successfully be effected simultaneously this
line is second in importance only to Euphrates line. I would therefore urge
that survey be undertaken forthwith for a raised embanked road from Nasiriyah
o ut-el-Amarah up the Hai, so aligned that it could be adapted for railwav
later on and broad enough for wheeled traffic. The construction of this road
durmg the coming hot weather by local Arab labour under skilled European
supervision would immensely facilitate development of irrigation schemes and
the extension of our influence in this region, and the collection of supplies
■would nave a most favourable political effect.
(4) Attention is invited to possibility of connecting Kut-el-Amarah with
Amarah via the Hai and thence by a chord line to Amarah. This line was
suggested by Willocks and is much shorter than the river route and probably
free from many of its disadvantages.
(5) I would urge importance of complete dredging of Hammar Lake
wnich will give us a much more effective control over Hammar Lake and Suk
istncts, and will give access at all seasons of the year to the Euphrates to
boats from Basrah up to Shinafiyah.
-^ s with reference to Secretary of State’s telegram of January 29th
(Zty. A/ 0 . 8219). b ^
Working copy to G. S. (M. 0. 1 ).
Copy to M. S. C., Q. M. G., A. G., G. S. (S. D. 1 ).
Telegram P., No. 229, dated 1st February 1918. APPENDIX 140
(Received in War Section, 2nd February 1918.) ^ No ^6)
From—His Excellency the Naval Commander-in-Chief, East Indies Station,
To The Secretary to the Government of India, Marine Department.
It is to be regretted that without consulting me the Government of India
je concurred. The wireless station at Basrah is of maritime importance
navaf t ai ] a ,p 0r( \ facilities for military requirements under
naval control .before forming his views did the General Officer Commanding,
le^s E ° rC i e 3” S6e pro P osed a PP eil( fi x 4 to East Indies Wire
less Orders. The General Officer Commanding’s so-called strong reasons
weaken under examination 5 au a
A. Can be done by land stations.
B. Beads improbable in view of Bussian affairs, but answer is a powerful
wireless station at Baghdad not Basrah.
C. ^A powerful station at Baghdad is called for by extension of Force
‘•.D operations.
by ^r 0 ^^ 011 ° f decision is requested and further reasons are being sent
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.)’ [65r] (134/500), 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_100142276886.0x000087> [accessed 5 June 2026]
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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