'Despatch by Lieutenant-General R. Wapshare, C.B., C.S.I. on the Organization and Working of the East Persian Line of Communications. From 1st April 1918 to 15th January 1919' [‎5r] (14/138)

I inspected'these regiments at Baleli just before they were to have proceeded
to Persia.
The armistice on the Western Front, however, was signed shortly after this,
altering thereby our policy in Persia. As, therefore, there was no urgent necessity
to increase the number of our troops in Persia, orders were received on 11th Novem
ber to cancel the move of these two regiments to Meshed. The force to be main
tained, at or beyond Meshed, under General. Beatty ’s command, was to be one
battery, one battalion of British Infantry and one section machine gun company,
detached from the North Persia Force, and one battalion and onr cavalry regiment
from India.
At the beginning of December 1918 General Beatty represented that his force
should be self-contained and requested permission to move two troops of the 28th
Light Cavalry engaged on defence work, on the Line of Communications at Turbat-
j-Haidari, to join the headquarters of that' egiment. Sanction was given for this
and that they should be replaced by two troops of the 41st Cavalry at Khwash,
whose place was filled by two other troops of the same unit from Sibi.
General Beatty urged at the same time that he should be reinforced by a
Brigade Signal Tr.oop, Field Troop, one Machine Gun Squadron, a Field Battery and
that the 2 , 8 th Light Cavalry be armed with bayonets and their complement of
Hotchkiss guns increased to 16.
The Signal Troop was sent up to his force in December and it was decided that
the remaining units were to follow should circumstances demand his being rein
forced to this extent.
The extra ordnance for the 28th Light Cavalry was sent up tnGeneral Beatty
in December, and at this time sanction was also given for the 41st Cava’ry to he
armed with Hotchkiss guns at a scale of 16 per : egiment.
The actual distribution and location of the Line of Communicafon Defence
Troops on 15th January 1919 are shown on Map 2,* Appendix 2.
4. Railway Defence Troops.—The railway defence troops in September con
sisted of two companies, 120th Infantry, and 1 troop of the Alwar Lancers. In
November 1918 the Hon’ble the Agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan
concurre l in my decision to reduce the gams >n in the Nushki Area and I recalled
the troop of cavalry there and redistributed the infantry garrisons.
At the same time, i.e., after the signing of the armistice, I had asked the
Hon’ble the Agent to the Governor-General in Baluchistan if he would agree to
my reducing the garrison of Khwash. This post is not in the Line of Communica
tions area, although then placed under the orders of the Inspector General of
Commun'cations, and is held by a garrison of two troops and 1. ompany infantry.
The Hon’ble the Agent to the Governor General in Baluchistan would not however
agree to this as Khwash dominates the routes from the anti-British towns of Bam
and Bampui in South Persia towards the railhead and the L ne of Communications.
Sanction was however given me to transfer this garrison from the Line of Com
munications defence troops to railhead defence troops, which I accordingly did
on 21st December.
The distribution of railway defence troops includes the safeguarding of
Duzdap, the present railhead and is shown in detail on Map 2,* Appendix 2.
5. Work on the Railway—l attach a report by Colonel F.W. Allum, Engineer-
in-Chief of the Nushki Extension Bailway, on the work done by him during tbe
period reviewed, Appendix 3.
Closely in connection with this work was the railway survey work carried out
by Major L. E. Hopkins, D.S.O., B.E., whose report I attach in Appendix 4.
6. Financial Problems.—The great shortage of Persian coin in the Imperial
Bank of Persia began to be seriously felt on the East Persian Line of Communica
tions shortly after I assumed command, and it became difficult to meet payments
for hired transport and supplies purchased locally.
On the 14th November I forwarded to General Dickson 15 lakhs One lakh is equal to one hundred thousand rupees of rupees Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
which had been sent me by Army Headquarters.
•Not re pro duced.