![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [‎128r] (260/500)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x000213/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3293_0260.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.)’ [‎128r] (260/500)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [128r] (260/500)
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.
Commanding, 49th Bengal Infantry, and the General Officer Commanding,
Advanced Lines of Communication Defences, under whose command this unit
is now serving.
2. I take this opportunity to endorse fully General Boome’s remarks
concerning Lieutenant-Colonel Barrett, who has displayed zeal and energy
in trying to train his battalion, and especially to develop their physique.
I in no way attribute the lack of success to him or his officers.
3. It will he seen from letter “A” that Lieutenant-Colonel Barrett present 8
the case of his regiment under two headings :—
(i) Political.
(ii) Military utility.
As regards (i), I am not in a position to offer any comment but as regard 8
their military utility I have the following observations to make :—
(a) This battalion arrived in this country early in August 1917. It was
reported by the Inspector General of Communications, who inspected it on
arrival, that the battalion consisted largely of immature lads of light physique
and he recommended a special scale of rations in order to assist their physical
development, and British drill instructors in order to hasten and improve
their elementary drill. Both these requests were attended to ; a suitable scale
of rations was decided upon by the medical authorities, and 8 British instruc
tors were made available (4 for drill, 2 for physical training, 2 for Lewis gun
training).
(b) The battalion was carefully inspected by two senior officers of the
Indian Medical Service shortly after its arrival and I attach their report
marked u C 19 which it is interesting to compare with the one referred to later
marked “ D.”
{c) My predecessor ordered this battalion to Baghdad to form part of
fhe garrison at that city, partly because the climate of Baghdad appeared to be
the best and partly so that he could take a personal interest in their progress.
It was confidently hoped by these steps to improve their physique and
training so as to admit of this battalion being put into a field formation and
given an opportunity of meeting the enemy.
(d) The reports I received from time to time concerning the progress that
was being made led me to believe that although their actual handling of arms,
musketry, and Lewis gun drill was making progress, their physique and
general discipline were not improving. The Officer Commanding expressed his
difficulty in finding good non-commissioned officers but that he was making a
careful selection.
(e) On the 29th December it was brought to my notice that it would be
beneficial if this battalion were moved from Baghdad. Not only had the city
dsitracted them from their duties, but their poor physique rendered them
liable to contract infectious diseases from the inhabitants more readily than,
would have been the case had they been of stronger constitution. This neces
sitated segregation of contacts and delayed progresed to some extent.
^Furthermore, as the guard duties are considerable in the garrison, the
small number that this battalion could make available for guards caused these
duties to fall somewhat heavily on the remaining two battalions, with the
result that the opportunities for the training of the latter were being interfered
with.
Working copy to A. G.
Copy to G. S. (S. D. 3).
Taking these factors into consideration I have decided to replace the 49th
Bengal Infantry in the Baghdad garrison by another battalion, and to send the
former to Aziziyeh, where they will come under the orders of the General
Officer Commanding, Tigris "Defences, and where they will he ^alongside a
British battalion. It is hoped they will thus have better opportunity to train
without distraction, and that the delays caused by segregation will in future
be avoided.
(f) I then received the letter from the Officer Commanding that I refer
red to in the opening paragraph of this letter, and took steps to have a
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.)’ [128r] (260/500), 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_100142276887.0x00003d> [accessed 7 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