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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [92r] (183/204)
The record is made up of 1 file (100 folios). It was created in 18 May 1917-21 Dec 1917. 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.
Frcm G*0,C*, Mesopotamia
SECRET
To War Section, Simla,
repeated War Office,
I.G.C•, Basrah & Director of
Royal Indian Marine*
22.7.17
X. 2934
Your 48161 and War Office 38096 S.R.l
Number of ships in port on July 19th was 25 and consisted
of 10 store ships 2 railway ships 1 towing ship 7 colliers and 5
timber ships, of Trtiich 2 store ships 4 colliers and 2 timber ships
were-awaiting berths. There was excess of 4 colliers and 2
timber ships beyond our diachar&ing ampacity# This arose from
fact that 7 colliers and 5 timber ships all arriv(ed) (3p# undeo#)
but regular programme now drawn up will prevent recurrence of this
bunching. These 2 store ships will be dealt with whenever 2
ships now nearly unloaded clear. Average detention of these 10
store ships 8 days and of railway ships 16 days# In spite of
prevailing abnormal heat and consequent heavy death and sickness
rates and curtailment of working hours of Mohommedan labour during
Ramzan when it is only possible to o&rr” ^ ~
of 2778 tons has been off loaded dally
Additional 3 berths now ? authorised to deal with coal and timber
and fact that Ramzan is over will cause material increase in rate
of unloading and it is hoped intense heat may begin to abate.
Shortly Rotonfels and Frankenfols which were leaded in storage
docks in 28 days have been cleared in 30 and 22 days respectively#
Our unloading capacity can be estimated safely at 91,000 tons per
month which to meet requirements should be apportioned approximately
as follows
Supplies
Ordnance
Works
Misoellanecus
Coal
Railways
Timber
Extra supplies
to build up
reserve,
37,000
2,700
3,000
1,500
30,000
7,000
5,000
5,000
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and river transportation for the Mesopotamian campaign during the First World War. The papers cover a number of matters, including:
- Strategic considerations of the use of rail and river communications
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel to Mesopotamia [Iraq] from India, other parts of the British Empire, and allied territories
- Problems with unloading and shipping congestion at Basra
- Progress of railway construction, including weekly reports from the General Officer Commanding or Director of Railways to the War Office, starting from August 1917
- Capacity estimates (for troops, food, ammunition, and materials) and efforts to increase it
- Complaints of shortages of railway stock and personnel in India due to the demand in Mesopotamia
- Preparations for a commission, led by Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland, to be sent to review rail and river transportation in Mesopotamia
- Questions of flooding and damming of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Correspondents include: the Commander-in-Chief, India; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff; the General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia; the War Office; the Director of Railways, Mesopotamia; the War Section, Army Department, Government of India; and Major General Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (100 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 102; 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 present in parallel; these numbers are written in coloured crayon and pencil; where they have been written in pencil and circled, they have been crossed through.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/787
- Title
- 'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:101v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence