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205. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 8. (From 1st to 31st March 1915.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: 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 31 March 1915. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include letters, tables, and telegrams containing reports and orders.A summary of the contents of this volume can be found at folio 6, and the volume concerns:Intelligence summaries and appreciations [reports] from the Directorate of Military OperationsThe distribution and effective strength of Force DThe gathering and transport of reinforcements for Force DRequests for supplies and equipmentBritish efforts to gain the support of local Arab and Bakhtiari [Bakhtiyārī] rulersThe blockade of the EuphratesThe reorganisation of Force D as an Army Corps under the command of General Sir John Eccles NixonPossible terms of peace with Turkey [Ottoman Empire]The distribution of the Turkish ArmySuspicions regarding German activity, and particularly that of Wilhelm Wassmuss, in south Persia [Iran].Summaries of the contents of previous volumes can be found at folios 3 to 5.The volume contains a small number of copies of telegrams and letters from February 1915.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 236; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 7-234; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21x33cm
206. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 17. PART I. (From 1st to 15th December 1915.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: 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 December 1915. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include letters, memoranda, telegrams, and intelligence summaries and appreciations [reports] from the Directorate of Military Operations.A summary of the contents of this volume can be found at folios 7-9. The volume mostly relates to:General Charles Townshend’s withdrawal to Kut-al-Amarah [al-Kut], attacks by Turkish [Ottoman] forces on the town, and plans for its reliefThe supply of river craft for Force DReinforcements and other personnel for Force D, with particular details of the Meerut and Lahore divisions which are being despatched from France (ff 197-205)Supplies and equipment for Force DIntelligence regarding reinforcements for and movements of Turkish forces, and their equipping by Germany.The following tables appear:Composition of Force D (ff 3-6)Effective strengths of the fighting units of Force D (ff 154 and 184).The vast majority of material in the volume dates from December 1915, but there is also a small amount of material which dates from September and November 1915.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 242; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 11-240; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
207. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 17. PART II. (From 16thto 31stDecember 1915.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: 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 16 and 31 December 1915. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, letters, lists and tables.The volume mostly relates to:Reinforcements and supplies for Force D, including: troops and staff from France and Egypt; river craft; machinery; weapons; ammunition; aeroplanes; and animalsStaff appointments, movements, and pay risesSick and wounded soldiersPrisoners of war numbers, movements and exchangesReports from the: Tigris line (around Kut [Al-Kut, also rendered in text as Kut-al-Amarah]); Euphrates line (especially around Nasiriyah and Ctesiphon); Karun line (especially around Pusht-i-Kuh); and the Caucasus FrontIntelligence on German and Turkish [Ottoman] troops, especially with regards to their plans for Persia [Iran], Baghdad, and EgyptRussian operations in Persia and wishes of the Grand Duke [Nicholas Nikolaevich, Commander-in-Chief and Viceroy in the Caucasus for Russia] to co-operate with Force D on the Caucasus Front and in northern PersiaAgreements with the Il-Khani [I̅l-Khānī, also rendered in text as Ilkhani] and the Il-Begi [I̅l-Begī] of the Bakhtīyārī tribe to safeguard the Persian Oil Company’s interestsViews of the ‘Arab Committee’ in Cairo with regards to plans for an ‘independent Arab State or Confederation’ and their political aspirations in Mesopotamia (folio 83)Reports on Turkish dispositions in North Syria, the Caucasus, and BaghdadPlans to provide relief for troops at Kut and BaghdadIntelligence with regards to Bin Sa’ud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa’ūd], Bin Rashid [Saʿūd bin ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz Āl Rashīd], and the Sharif of Mecca [Al-Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī, Sharīf of Mecca]Conclusion of a treaty between Bin Sa’ud and Sir Percy Cox, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, on 26 December 1915Discussions relating to procedures for reporting information.The volume also includes:Table showing strength of units in Force D on 1 October 1915 (ff 50-56) and on 1 November 1915 (ff 148-154)Distribution of troops of Force D week commencing 12 December 1915 (ff 195-196)Table showing distribution of the Turkish Army (ff 70-74)Appreciation [reports] from the Directorate of Military Operations on the situation in Mesopotamia on 20 December 1915 (ff 93-95) and 27 December 1915 (ff 208-209)Table showing supply personnel required for the two divisions en route from Force A to Force D (f 156)Table showing ‘...progress of transports carrying the Lahore and Meerut Divisions and other reinforcements to Mesopotamia’ (ff 266-269)A statement showing the ‘...strength of reinforcements and details for Basra which embarked at Bombay [Mumbai] and Karachi.’ (ff 270-279).The vast majority of material in the volume dates from December 1915, with the exception of a small amount of material which dates from October 1915.A summary of the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3242.Physical description: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 281; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-279; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
208. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 41. PART II. (From 16th to 31st December 1917).’
- Description:
- Abstract: 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 16 and 31 December 1917. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: letters, telegrams, notes, reports, tables, and memoranda.An index to the contents of this volume and a summary of the contents can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3289. The volume concerns:Appreciations [reports] and intelligence summaries from the Directorate of Military Operations dated 16 December 1917 (ff 9-10), 23 December 1917 (ff 127-129), 30 December 1917 (ff 249-250)Supplies, particularly of timber, tents, and preserved meatsThe difficulties of dispatching petrol and oils in drumsA shortage of tin affecting food suppliesThe armistice signed by Germany, Austria, Russia, Turkey and Bulgaria on 17 December 1917Movements of Turkish [Ottoman] and German troopsBritish aerial bombardment of aerodromes at Humr [Al Humr], Tuz Kurmatli [Tuz Khurmati]Commentary on shipping and port works recommended by the Cherry and Thompson Commission and A MonteathFinancial powers available to civil administrators in occupied territories and arrangements for receiptsThe occupation of Samawa [As Samawah], Hillah [Al Hillah] and Kifl [Al Kifl]The proposed Irrigation DirectorateThe selection of men to be allotted to Major-General Lionel DunstervilleReinforcements for Force D, including supplies of medical officers, camels, and personnel for the Inland Water Transport Department, the Anglo-Persian Oil Company, and the Railway DepartmentReports from the Royal Flying Corps of machines in service and pilots availableRussian officers from England who were anxious to serve in Mesopotamia.The following tables appear:Distribution of Force D on 18 November 1917 (ff 16-21), 25 November (ff 144-155)Ration strength of Force D on 24 November 1917 (ff 36-38, 187-191), 1 December (ff 133-136), 17 November (ff 136-140), 8 December (ff 212-214)Distribution of the Turkish Army on 18 December 1917 (ff 48-49), 25 December 1917 (ff 167-169)State of supplies on 15 December (ff 56-57, 76-77), 22 December (ff 177-178, 201-202)Weekly return of the sick and wounded on 1 December (f 72)Strength return for Force D on 10 November (ff 115-117)Effective strength of the Railway Department (ff 237-241).Physical description: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 252; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 3-250; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
209. 'MEMORANDUM RESPECTING THE NAVIGATION OF THE TIGRIS AND EUPHRATES.'
- Description:
- Abstract: Memorandum, written by Richard William Brant and Edward Parkes of the Foreign Office, Apr 1913 regarding navigation on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The memorandum is divided into four parts:Historical Memorandum respecting the navigation of the Mesopotamian rivers. The memorandum describes the history of British relations with Turkish Arabia and the progress of their relations in order to determine the rights that Great Britain possesses which allow it to participate in the trade and navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. The memorandum covers both the period where rights were acquired by the East India Company (1579-1859) and from 1860s onwards where rights and special privileges were acquired and maintained on behalf of the Tigris and Euphrates Steam Navigation Company (folios 8-66);British rights by treaty with regard to the navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates, which looks at the rights accrued by Great Britain through treaties with the Ottoman Government and through the Ottoman Empire's treaties with other nations (folios 67-70);Conclusions, which summarises the conclusions that can be drawn from the information provided in both the historical memorandum and the treaties sections (folios 71-74);Chronological Table covering the period 1759 to 1912, with annual entries from 1873 onwards (folios 75-119) ;Annex: Instances where the employment of British steamers in the navigation of the Tigris and Euphrates has been asserted or admitted to be limited by the Firmans of 1834 and 1841;Appendices: 34 items which are listed on folio 122, and include extracts and copies of Treaties, Firmans, Memorandum, Circulars and other relevant documents covering the period 1718 to 1912.Physical description: Foliation: The main foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio (except for the front cover where the folio number is on the verso). An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 4-139; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.Pagination: The volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
210. 'Memoir on Part of Mesopotamia contained between Sheriat-el-Beytha on the Tigris to Tel Ibrahim, by Lieutenant J B Bewsher, Surveyor in Mesopotamia'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file is a memoir that describes part of Mesopotamia [Iraq] between Sheriat-el-Beytha (ten miles north-west of Baghdad) and the large mound of Tel Ibrahim (nineteen miles north-east of Hillah). The memoir contains details of historical sites, agriculture and irrigation in the region.The memoir was written by Lieutenant J B Bewsher, Commanding Her Majesty's Ship Comet,B. M. and Surveyor in Mesopotamia.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at f 113, and terminates at f 119, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
211. 'Note on the Christian Communities in and around Mesopotamia'
- Description:
- Abstract: This printed report by the Political Department of the India Office concerns the Christian communities of Mesopotamia. The report is divided into the following sections: A: Groups; B: Millets; C: Geographical Position; D: History and Tenets; E: Assyrian Refugees; and F: The Millet that chiefly concerns His Majesty's Government. Christian groups covered in the report include: Gregorians, Nestorians or East Syrians, Jacobites or West Syrians, Armenian Uniates, Chaldeans (East Syrian Uniates), Jacobite Uniates (West Syrian Uniates, officially called Syrian Catholics), and Maronites.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this sequence commences at folio 148, and terminates at folio 148, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 7-153 of the volume; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
212. 'Short memorandum on the inception, difficulties and results of the Mesopotamian Campaign'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file is a printed report consisting of a memorandum on the inception, difficulties and results of the Mesopotamia Campaign, printed by the General Staff, India (Simla, 1916). It gives details about the present situation in Mesopotamia, Indian troops, and difficulties in terms of the political condition, strategy, physical condition, food supply, climate, local feeling, and religious complications. The front cover contains the title, serial number and case number, and is marked 'Secret'.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation sequence commences at the front cover, and terminates at the inside back cover; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: The booklet also has an original printed pagination sequence.
213. 'Ordinance'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file consists of an ordinance which was intended to be named 'The Transfer of Land Ordinance, 1919' and relates to immovable property transactions in Mesopotamia. Included with the ordinance are notes by the following individuals: Chaim Weizmann, President of the British Zionist Federation; Colin Campbell Garbett, Assistant Secretary for the India Office; Sir Edgar Bonham-Carter, Judicial Secretary, Baghdad, and Lieutenant-Colonel Evelyn Berkeley Howell, Revenue Secretary, Mesopotamia. Each party was invited to suggest amendments to the proposed ordinance and provide advice owing to their experiences with land ordinances and land registry in Mesopotamia with the exception of Weizmann who was invited to comment from the point of view of Palestinians.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at f 99, and terminates at f 103, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
214. 'Future of Mesopotamia. Note by Political Department, India Office, on points for discussion with Sir P Cox'
- Description:
- Abstract: This printed memorandum is a note by the Political Department of the India Office, dated 3 April 1918, concerning points to be discussed with Sir Percy Zachariah Cox regarding the future administration of Mesopotamia [Iraq]. The note is divided into three sections: the first concerns 'Policy of His Majesty's Government' and 'Pledges to King of Hejaz [Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī], and 'Position vis-à-vis Foreign Powers'; the second part is an analysis of the first in context of the war in Europe and change in outlook of imperial policy, particularly with regards the spread of the doctrine of 'self-determination' advocated by the President of the United States of America [Woodrow Wilson]; and the third part concerns 'Commercial Development', including 'River Navigation' and 'Banking'.Physical description: Foliation: The foliation for this description commences at folio 45, and terminates at folio 47, as it is part of a larger physical volume; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between folios 11-158; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and can be found in the same position as the main sequence.
215. 'Trigonometrical Survey of the Entrances to the Rivers at the Head of the Persian Gulf'
- Description:
- Abstract: Covers a central thirty-five-mile section of the head of the Persian Gulf, including a one-mile hinterland of southern Mesopotamia. Portrays hydrology, including depths by soundings, sands and muds, vegetation, settlements and place names, and includes topographical and hydrographic notes. The sheet has been enhanced with a watercolour wash.Surveyed by Lieutenants George Barnes Brucks and Stafford Bettesworth Haines, 1827. Published by James Horsburgh, Hydrographer to the Honourable East India Company.Physical description: Materials: Printed, with manuscript additions in watercolour, on paperDimensions: 654 x 965mm, on sheet 671 x 992mm
216. 'Field Notes on Lower Mesopotamia'
- Description:
- Abstract: This booklet, printed in 1914 by the Government of India, is organised into eight chapters that variously discuss the history, geography, population, natural resources, military, maritime, administrative, and communications infrastructure of Lower Mesopotamia. The information is intended for military and intelligence personnel and therefore focuses on these subjects with special attention to the potential for military mobilisation and preparedness.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 53; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence.