'REPORT on the Working of the Line of Communication AND ON THE Withdrawal of the British Military Mission IN EAST PERSIA, 1919-20. GENERAL STAFF INDIA. [‎17r] (38/168)

camels and camelmen of organised cc/ps with each Conned mg Convoy. The
72nd Hired Camel Corps, therefore, worked from Hurmuk to Birjand with
their Headquarters at Shusp. This was the part of the Line with which the
camelmen of Sunder Dass was most familiar, and there was less difliculty here
than elsewhere in inducing 1, the requisite number to accept the conditions of
marching with Connecting Convoys. Hence one troop of Military camels per
convoy was found sufficient, and this enabled the 72nd Hired Camel Corps,
to wmrk a total length of 250 miles. The 54th Silladar Camel Corps, worked
Irom Birjand to Jumin, a distance of abont 150 miles, with their Headquarters
at Kain, and the 60th Grantee Camel Corps worked from Jumin to Meshed
(about 170 miles) w r ith their Headquarters at Turbat.
By April 19^0, the Turbati and the Meshed camelmen who had originally
been even more averse so regular marching than Sunder Dass camelmen had
been, had became quite contented.
In March the 72nd Hired Camel Corps w r as in a fairly good condition
and had a good percentage of camels effective, but both the 60th Grantee
Camel Corps and the 54th Siiladar Camel Corps were still suffering from the
effects of the winter, which had been exceptionally severe in the northern
part of the line. Apart from the direct effects of the extreme cold, the winter
had coincided both in Khorasan and the Kainat with a great outbreak of mange..
There w T as hardly a privately owned camel plying between Meshed and Birjand
that was not mangy, and the outbreak had extended in a severe though not
so complete a form to the 54th and the 60th. It was decided to work the
slight cases in segregation, as well as the jhooling cases, of which there was a
considerable number, but the percentage of sick animals ineffective from
severe mange, and from debility induced by mange, and by cold, was a high
one. The extreme cold was also the cause of a temporary increase in the
death rate. I here had also been a considerable number of casualties from
Influenza among the personnel of the 54th including their Commandant, who
Hied after a few days illness. The outlook in March 1919 was not bright for
either of these corps, and it was surprising how they eventually rallied under
treatment, when the w eather became warmer.
The Subsidiary Convoys existed for the carriage of bulky articles such as
forage and were not used with troops marching nor for articles of special value
or of great military importance. They had no escorts and were not kept to
a strict time-table. On the other hand, to ensure their delivering loads in a
reasonable time it was usual to prescrible a period within w hich a Subsidiary
Convoy had to return to its base after departing for the farthest point in its
section. The convoys could as a rule march by what route they pleased,
though, when paid by mileage, the distance was calculated on some recognised
route.
It was only between Safedawa and Hurmuk that a precise route had
actually to be ordered, in order to avoid the raids that sometimes took place
in that area. The period allow ed for each such cycle of movement w as a
liberal one, and gave ample opportunity for grazing en route and for slight
deviations to take advantage of good grazing grounds, where one or two days
halt might be made.
The scale of rations issued to Sunder Dass maundage camels on payment
could thus be supplemented by grazing to a considerable extent for a great
pait of the year. On the other hand the camels of the Camel Corps were
allowed the same fodder ration whether they got grazing or not. When on
the march they got 12 lbs. a day and at most posts on the line the stocks
latterly made it possible to give them twenty pounds whenever halted. There
was however a short period during the recent summer of 1920, when the
grazing near one or two posts was so plentiful that the camel corps camels
halted there would not eat the full bhoosa ration in addition to their grazing
and the Officer Commanding the Unit had to short-draw^ in order that the
uneaten bhoosa might not be wasted.
Indian gram was fed to Government Camels as far North as Birjand.
Khorasan gram, which was very costly, and of which only a limited quantity
was obtainable, was fed when available to camels as far North as Kain. When
not available parched barley and parched wheat were substituted. (Among
199 CGS