'Mesopotamia Commission. Report of the Commission Appointed by Act of Parliament to Enquire into the Operations of War in Mesopotamia, together with a Special Report by Commander J Wedgwood, DSO, MP, and Appendices. London: HMSO, 1917.' [‎7r] (13/248)

PART L—PREFACE.
11
C. Condition of Indian Army on Outbreak of War.
of such a conflict had been assumed both by the Home and Indian Governments to be
outside the sphere of reasonable probability, and the possibility of it occurring was actually
under discussion on the outbreak of war in August, 1914.
26. Under the existing organisation India was almost entirely dependent upon Great
Britain for her supply of white officers, and a very large proportion of her war munitions
come from the same source. British officers on the Indian establishment, who were on
leave in England on the outbreak of war were impounded by the War Office, and an almost
entire cessation of supply of war material was caused by the immense demands of the
new armies raised in Great Britain. From this combination of untoward circumstances
India found her resources for oversea expeditions somewhat exiguous, while the demands
made upon her were large and comprehensive.
D. India’s Oversea Expeditions on Outbreak of War.
27. A number of telegrams were laid before us showing the series of -demands made
upon India on the outbreak of war in connection with expeditions to be sent oversea.
These expeditions were known as Expeditions A., B., and C.—A.being the expedition to
France and Egypt, B. a defensive expedition to East Africa, and C. an offensive expedi
tion to East Africa. The Indian Government strongly protested against being called upon
to provide Expedition C., but they were overruled. Under protest they accepted the
demands made upon them, but they pointed out that they would have extreme difficulty
in supplying any expedition for work at Basra or in Mesopotamia. The composition and
strength of these expeditions were settled by the end of September, 1914, i.e., before the
Mesopotamian Expedition, known as Force “ D,” was decided upon.
28. Generally speaking, the arrangements made were that the control and conduct of
the expeditions A., B., and C. should be under the Home Government, who ultimately
undertook to maintain the whole forces and provide the drafts and reinforcements for
all troops other than native Indians. But at the beginning of the war the expeditions
were equipped, and to a large extent maintained, out of India’s resources, it being agreed
that the whole expenditure over and above the ordinary cost to India of the forces engaged
was to be borne by the Imperial funds. Certain other work in connection with sea
transport and other branches of service was also given India, for which she was reimbursed.
29. It should be noted that practically the whole of the important telegrams which
have been produced to us relating to Imperial demands upon the Indian Government for
military expeditions outside India, and the replies of India to these demands, are “ private ”
telegrams. A private telegram is the property of the person who sends it, and it is not the <
practice to record it on the file of any public Department, though this may be done at the
option of the sender. Such telegrams are kept by the Private Secretaries and are, as a rule,
taken away at the termination of office by the person who sends or receives them. Later
on in our report we shall allude to this practice and its consequences.*
30. Before passing on to the consideration of the Mesopotamian Expedition, we
think it right to draw attention to the demands which, in their totality, the overseas
expeditions have imposed upon India. Lord Hardinge has told us that “ Approxi
mately 80,000 British Officers and men and 210,000 Indian officers and men were despatched
overseas, inclusive of drafts and reinforcements.” In considering, therefore, as we shall
proceed to do, the Indian Government’s responsibilities in Mesopotamia, it is fair to remem
ber that the Mesopotamian Expedition was only part of a larger effort, which involved not
only the maintenance in India of a considerable army for interior and frontier defence,
but also the despatch overseas of troops approximating in number to the total army
maintained in India before the war.
I
See Part XI. (page 102).
(C 48—17')
H 3