Skip to item: of 248
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

'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.' [‎58r] (115/248)

The record is made up of 1 volume (122 folios). It was created in 1906-1918. 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.

Apply page layout

PART XTT.—FINDINGS, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS.
113
A. Findings and Conclusions.
(6) A deficiency of river transport existed from the time the army left tidal water
and advanced up-river from Kurna. This deficiency became very serious as the
lines of communication lengthened and the numbers of the force increased.
(c) Up to the end of 1915 the efforts made to rectify the deficiency of river
transport were wholly inadequate.
{d) For want of comprehensive grasp of the transport situation and insufficiency
of river steamers we find the military authorities in India are responsible. The re
sponsibility is a grave one.
(e) River hospital steamers were an urgent requirement for the proper equipment
of the expedition, and were not ordered until much too late.
(/) With General Sir John Nixon rests the responsibility for recommending
the advances in 1915 with insufficient transport and equipment. The evidence did not
disclose an imperative need to advance without due preparation. For what ensued
from shortage of steamers, General Sir John Nixon must, in such circumstances, be
held to blame. The extent of his responsibility in relation to the sufferings of the
wounded is considered in Part X. of our Report and in para. 17 below.
(g) During the first four months of 1916, the shortage of transport was fatal to
the operations undertaken for the relief of Kut. Large reinforcements could not
be moved to the front in time to take part in critical battles. Based upon information
received from General Townshend, as to the urgent necessity for his immediate relief,
operations were undertaken, notwithstanding the extreme transport difficulty, but
in all the circumstances we do not attach blame for this to the Generals in Mesopotamia
directing the operations.
(h) Facilities for the discharge and handling of cargo at Basra, also provision of
works for the erection and repair of river craft, were hopelessly inadequate.
(;) Proceedings in connection with the filling of orders for river craft by the
Director of the Royal Indian Marine in India, and 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. in London, were
far from satisfactory.
(k) Looking at the facts, which from the first must have been apparent to any
administrator, military or civilian, who gave a few minutes’ consideration to the
map and to the conditions in Mesopotamia, the want of foresight and provision for
the most fundamental needs of the expedition reflects discredit upon the organising
aptitude of all the authorities concerned. General Sir William Robertson, Chief of
the General Staff, Whitehall, in a document to which we have already referred,
states : “In general, the operations were allowed in 1915 to develop without proper
regard to the vital questions of supply and maintenance,” in which opinion our
investigations lead us unreservedly to concur.
Medical Provision.
As regards the treatment of the sick and the wounded, our conclusions are more
lengthy and minute, as this part of our enquiry necessitates close examination into details.
We find that:—
14. The medical provision for the Mesopotamia Campaign was from the beginning
insufficient; by reason of the continuance of this insufficiency there was a lamentable
breakdown in the care of the sick and wounded after the battle of Ctesiphon and after
the battles in January, 1916; there was amelioration in March and April, 1916;
but that since then the improvement has been continual until it is reasonable to hope
that now the medical provision is satisfactory.
15. The defects of medical provision caused avoidable suffering to the sick and
wounded, and during the breakdown in the winter of 1915-16, this suffering was
most lamentably severe.
16. The deficiencies, which were the main causes of the avoidable suffering of the
sick and wounded, were in the provision of the following :—
(a) River hospital steamers.
(5) Medical personnel.
(c) River transport.
{d) Ambulance land transport.
(C 48—116)

About this item

Content

A signed proof, folios 1-100, plus additional material, folios 101-124. The cover bears the signature of Sir Arthur Hirtzel, Assistant Under-Secretary of State. The report has been annotated in blue pencil at various points.

Contents:

  • 'Part I. Preface.
  • 'Part II. Origin of Mesopotamia [Iraq] Expedition.'
  • 'Part III. Advance from Basra to Kurna.'
  • 'Part IV. The Advance to Amara [Al-'Amārah] and Kut [Al-Kūt].'
  • 'Part V. Correspondence and Telegrams as to Advance on Baghdad.'
  • 'Part VI. The Advance from Kut to Ctesiphon.'
  • 'Part VII. Operations for Relief of Kut.'
  • 'Part VIII. Armament, Equipment, Reinforcements, &c.'
  • 'Part IX. Transport.'
  • 'Part X. Medical Breakdown.'
  • 'Part XI. Causes Contributing to the Errors of Judgement and Shortcomings of Responsible Authorities.'
  • 'Part XII. Findings and Conclusions. Recommendations.'
  • 'Separate Report by Commander J Wedgwood, DSO, MP.'
  • 'Appendix I. Vincent-Bingley Report.'
  • 'Appendix II. Memorandum by Sir Beauchamp Duff.'
  • 'Appendix III. Colonel Hehir's Account of the Siege of Kut-el-Amara.'

Additional material:

  • Folio 101. Manuscript note [by Arthur Hirtzel] on net military expenditure.
  • Folios 102-109. Copy of the East India (Army Administration), Further Papers regarding the Administration of the Army in India , 1906.
  • Folios 110-115. Manuscript notes, titled 'Suggested redraft & amplification of second half of parag 1' [unknown hand].
  • Folio 116. A clipping from the Daily Telegraph , Wednesday 4 July 1917, featuring an article titled 'Mesopotamia. Ex-Viceroy's Statement. The Medical Breakdown.'
  • Folios 117-124. An expanded typescript version of Hirtzel's manuscript notes (folio 101).
Extent and format
1 volume (122 folios)
Arrangement

A table of contents can be found at folio 4v.

An index can be found at folios 93-97.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 124; 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 between ff 110-115; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. Pagination: the file also contains an original printed pagination sequence. The volume comprises a stitched pamphlet, and other stitched and loose-leaf material.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

'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.' [‎58r] (115/248), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/20/257, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100036338403.0x000074> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100036338403.0x000074">'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.' [&lrm;58r] (115/248)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100036338403.0x000074">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x0000b2/IOR_L_PS_20_257_0115.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000912.0x0000b2/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image