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'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [20v] (45/424)
The record is made up of 1 volume (208 folios). It was created in 1925. 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.
( 24 )
CHAPTER III.
The British occupation of the" Basra Vilayet, 1915,
General Sir John Nixon took over command of I. E. F. <£ D " on
the 9th April 1915. General Barrett returned to India, sick. General
Nixon was given a fresh set of instructions. These were given him
by India, without previous reference to the Home Government. The
instructions were as follows :—
I. Your force is intended to retain complete control of the lower
portion of Mesopotamia, comprising the Basra vilayet and
including all outlets to the sea, and such portions of neigh
bouring territories as may affect your operations.
II. So far as you may find feasible, without prejudicing your main
operations, you should endeavour to secure the safety of
the oilfields, pipe line, and refineries of the Anglo-Persian
Oil Company.
III. After acquainting yourself with the situation on the spot, you
will 'submit:—
i. a plan for the effective occupation of the Basra vilayet.
ii. a plan for a subsequent advance on Baghdad.
IV. In all operations you will respect the neutrality of Persia, so
far as military and political exigencies permit.
He was also to submit reports on various points including the amount
of animal transport required, the employment of a light railway,
armoured motor cars, M. T., aircraft, and the adequacy and suitability
of certain river transport, then en route to Mesopotamia. These
instructions were posted Home to the
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.
by mail, arriving
on May 2nd. The Viceroy was apparently unaware of the issue of
these instructions.
Comparing the instructions with those issued to General Barrett
(which only contemplated the occupation of Basra city and of a move
ment up stream to safeguard Basra) it is clear that the scope of the
campaign was greatly enlarged. For the Basra vilayet includes both
Nasiriya and Amara, and extends to within a few miles of Kut. It-
should be noted that the safety of the oilfields now takes second
place.
The situation of the Turks on the 15th April 1915 was as follows :—
{a) The Turkish right wing was retreating rapidly towards Nasiriya.
(b) A small force was opposite our Qurna detachment.
(c) A small force was in the Ahwaz direction and was causing the
tribesmen to be restless.
About this item
- Content
The volume is Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917. Compiled by officers of the Staff College, Quetta, October-November 1923. Part I - Report (Calcutta: Government of India Press, 1925). The volume is published by the General Staff Army Headquarters, India.
The volume is divided into twenty-five chapters, which cover the whole campaign in detail from December 1914 to April 1917, including the origins of the campaign; the British advance on Baghdad-Ctesiphon; operations at Kut [Al-Kūt]; the capture of Baghdad; and general reflections on the campaign.
The volume includes nineteen photographic illustrations.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (208 folios)
- Arrangement
There is a table of contents on folio 4. The volume also contains a list of illustrations (f 6) and list of maps and sketches that appear in Part II [IOR/L/MIL/17/15/72/2] (f 5). There is an index to the volume between ff 205-208.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at 1 on the front cover and terminates at 210 on the inside back cover. The numbers are written in pencil, are enclosed in a circle, and appear in the top right hand corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. page of each folio. This is the sequence used to determine the order of pages.
Pagination: there is also an original printed pagination sequence numbered 2-361 (ff 8-208).
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report' [20v] (45/424), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/72/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023514019.0x00002e> [accessed 5 May 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/72/1
- Title
- 'Critical Study of the Campaign in Mesopotamia up to April 1917: Part I - Report'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:209v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence