‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 43. PART I. (From 1st to 14th November 1917.)’ [156r] (316/500)
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.
APPENDIX 181
(%. No. 10931)
Telegram P., No. 51958-Cipher, dated 8th February 1918.
(Despatched 9-50 p.m., received 12-30 p,m , 9th February 1918.)
From—The Director, Military Intelligence, London,
To—The General Officer Commanding, Force “D,” Baghdad.
(Bepeated India, Egypt and Mudros.)
A letter dated Bochum, Germany, 26th December 1917 contains the follow-
a. & i n oo T oti,T r ri srL;«tf; 05
Je^hard 8 P 2jf eCtl ° US dlSeaSeS are the 0rder of the da y ^d the work^
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 3).
Copy to M. S. C., G, S. (M. O. 1).
Word Code telegram No. 6S986-M. R.-3-234, dated 8th February 1918. APPENDIX 182
.Despatched 7-80 r m., received 12 noon, 9th February 1913.) (Z)„ 7 0 97O\
From-The Secretary, War Office, London,
T °~ The Deputy Ad i utant General, 3rd Echelon, Basrah,
epeated Director, Inland Water Transport, and Assistant Director of Works, Basrah and
Commander-in-Chief in India ) *
Your No. 3869, November 24th (Dy. JVo. 80036). . * *
snm 0 C ° m / le !u ° Te Z s ’ cbemists and mechanists have been sent out for all Ran-
schtdidf 1 ° ther iI filtratlon P lants and details, allocation of personnel given in
M l Jorqo V, fh lett « r ; 4 ' 7-B. ^8-52227, August 1st and B. 8-A.
when tw ’i ece mber 11th to D. I. W. I 1 ., Basrah. Further crews leaving
t ,, w P ants despatched also sending reserve chemist ; officers and men.
/equire^inadditicm ? CeS ^ filtrati011 P ersorinel indicated in your telegram
Working copy to A. G.
Copy to M. s. C., Q. M. G., D. G M. W., G. S. (S. D. 1).
Telegram P., No. X..6423, dated 9fch February 1918. APPENDIX 1S3
(Despatched 10-50 a-m., received 3-30 p.m., 9th February 1918.) (Zty. ^ m?4)
From The General Officer Commanding, Force “ D t ” Baghdad
To—The Chief of the Imperial General Staff, London.
(Repeated Chief of the General Staff, Delhi.)
Priority .—
Your 51781-Cipher, February 6th.
# Bicharakoff’s latest report tends to show that there is little possibility nf r-n
taming m Persia a Eussian Force. Even the men belonodno-tn ^ °J re ~
force who accompained him have become infected and he doe S h L?™ P f ar * lsf f
that he will be able to keep them at Eeru^'hah after March m i 1 ^ 6
meantime a party with transport has been sent by him to Shahrohan’ frw ^
the remainder of the partisan detachment away and he nronnseatL*? f ta ^ e
ment should move cn 19th February To attemnt tn proposes the detach-
consider disable. H. T
Russians are leaving, would sreatlv rpscnf fhpil^Lrj aj the ,\ aGt that the
To send a sufficient force into Persia of say 1 Cavaby BSeln/ T^°P S -
would necessitate many troops for the L. of O. and practically all the trtnsnort
of the force would be required for their maintenance^ I do not think +W *+ 1 , *
tribes along the Kermanshah road will offer any opposition at wesent Joli
proceeding through Hamadan, if they know that P we S not IrmaneX
occupying the country but snow will be a serious obstacle till a 5 next I
consider that a steady advance on Mosul is more likely to achieve the obtect
view than locking up troops in Persia. If such an advance is to be permanent
it would entail the broad gauge railway being pushed forward.
i
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. G, A. G., Q. M. G., G. 8. (M. O. 3).
26
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.)’ [156r] (316/500), 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_100142276887.0x000075> [accessed 5 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