"تاريخ الحرب الكبرى استنادًا إلى وثائق رسمية. الحملة في بلاد الرافدين ١٩١٤-١٩١٨. المجلد IV". [ظ‎‎٣‎٧] (٥٤٠/٧٩)

50
HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
area* reinforced by the 6 th Cavalry Brigade, the bulk of the
15th Division and certain other units then quartered about
Orders^ for the concentration of the additional troops at
Falluia and detailed written instructions to General Brooking
were issued on the 14th and 15th September respectively. The
main difficulty was the question of supply and transport, as
the Baghdad—Falluj a road was an indifferent one and between
Falluja and Ramadi not much assistance could be given by
river transport on the Euphrates. For use in advance of
Falluja ten Fiat lorries and 350 Ford vans were placed at
General Brookins's disposal, as well us fifty cars of the 40th;
Motor Ambulance Convoy.
The troops from the Baghdad area marched in four echelons
at intervals of one day to concentrate at Falluja, the first
echelon leaving Baghdad on the 16th September and the last
echelon arriving at Falluja on the 22nd. The day temperature
was still high, and owing to this and to transport difficulties on
the incompletely repaired roads, the concentration was not
effected without some inconvenience and hardship to the
troops. General Brooking himself reached Falluja on the 18th
and, to cover the concentration, moved the first echelon (42nd
Infantry Brigade and certain other units) to Madhij and the
second echelon (12th Infantry Brigade) to Dhibban, where
they arrived on the 20 th.
By reducing to a minimum the garrisons there, General
Brooking made available from the troops in the Falluja area
the 6 th Jats, 97th Infantry (less one company) and 100 rifles
14th Sikhs to accompany his striking force ; and on the 20th
the 97th Infantry crossed the Sakhlawiya CanalJ and moved up
the left bank of the Euphrates, both to protect the right flank
* The troops already in the Falluja area were one squadron 10th Lancers,
the 222nd Brigade, R.F.A. (1070th, 1072nd and 77th Batteries), one section
21st Company Sappers and Miners, and the 50th Infantry Brigade (6th Jats,
14th Sikhs, 24th Punjabis and 97th Infantry). Of these, the 24th Punjabis
were in four detachments between the Hindiya Barrage and Nukhta and the
remainder were at Falluja or above that place, on both banks of the
Euphrates, as far as Dhibban and the mouth of the Sakhlawiya Canal.
f These reinforcements consisted of “ B ” Flight 30th Squadron, R.F.C.,
6th Cavalry Brigade (with proportion of cavalry divisional troops, including
“V” Battery, R.H.A.), 215th Brigade R.F.A. (1086th, 10S8th and 524th
Batteries), 72nd Battery, 246th Siege Battery (less one section), 448th and
451st Field Companies, R.E., Malerkotla Sapper Company, 32nd Sikh Pioneers
(less two companies), bridging train detachment, four armoured cars of the
13th Light Armoured Motor Battery, 12th and 42nd Infantry Brigades, three
pack wireless stations and administrative units.
J The men by a footbridge, the animals by swimming and stores by boat.