ملف ٧٠٥/١٩١٦ الجزء ٢ "انتفاضة عربية: التقارير العربية؛ تقارير السير م. سايكس" [و‎‎١‎٠‎٢] (٤٥٠/٢٠١)

SECRET
For Reference only.
ARABIAN REPORT.
N.S. No. XIII. October 11, 1916 (night).
Contents.
PART 1.
The Sherif of Mecca.
Capture of Comfida by the Turks.
Occupation of Bir Abbas by the Turks and
recapture by Arabs.
Colonel Parker’s Appreciation of the Situation.
The Prisoners of Taif
The Haj.
Supplies sent to the Sherif.
The Sherif’s Subsidy.
Meeting- of Colonel Wilson and the Sherif s son,
Abdulla.
Colonel Bray.
The French Mission.
(?) An Italian Consul at Jeddah.
Butch Pilgrims in Mecca.
Proclamation of Ali Haidar.
Hejaz Railway.
PART I.— {Continued.)
Ibn Saud.
Maskat.
Koweyt and the Trucial Coast.
Bahrein.
PART II.
Political Events in the Fields of Operations!.
Lower Mesopotamia.
Aden.
The Caucasus.
APPENDIX.
Miscellaneous Cuttings from the Press.
Turkish Propaganda.
Syria.
PART I.
THE SHERIF OF MECCA.
Capture of Comfida by the Turks.
It was mentioned in a postscript to the appreciation of the last report that the
Turks had recaptured Comfida. Sir H. McMahon, telegraphing on the 4th October
[No. 843], transmitted the report of Colonel Wilson, who said that the Turkish force
was 1,800 strong with two guns; this, he thought, must be a part of the Ibha garrison
which is believed to have been only about 3,000 strong. The Sherif said that he would
send a force against them after the pilgrimage ; and he asked that meantime a ship
might be sent to bombard them. ta-o ocoi-
On the 8th October the Resident at Aden telegraphed to Simla [A.r. 258J m
regard to the report of the capture of Comfida. He said that there were then m the
Comfida district no large Sherif forces and none of Idrisi’s, and in the event of a naval
demonstration at Comfida the Turks would evacuate it and reoccupy it again later. _ As
for himself, as Comfida was supposed to be controlled by the bhenf, he regarded it as
being outside his sphere.
Bir Abbas Captured and Recaptured.
Sir H. McMahon telegraphed on the 10th October [No. 875] that Colonel Parker
at Rabegh) had reported that, on the 6th October, the Turks took Bir Abbas and the
listrict as far south as Jaff. It was reported that the Turkish force was composed of a
•egiment of two battalions [? batteries] of artillery, the 130th and 42nd regiments,
i mixed regiment, a regiment of mixed cavalry and [? infantry], and three aeroplanes-
me of which was already broken and the other two not yet flown
On the following day Sir H. McMahon telegraphed [No. 878] that he had received
i communication from H.M.S. “ Fox ” to the effect that Faisal had reported that the
An-abs had, on the 6th October, retaken Bir Abbas, pursued the Turks, and taken
arisoners, munitions, &c.
[898—12]