'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. [‎17v] (39/168)

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i,r>o+ io n vprv favourite feed for camels). The
the Persians of Khorasan, v usually one-third missa bhoosa
fodder ration in the ower “ Ua w U y not obtainable locally,
to two-thirds HhiUbhi^. n Bj . a nd consisted mainly of white bhoosa,
the fodder ralion t. m P ii : J cluded wllen obtainable. 'When given
but a lew poi nds of luc token as equivalent to oue pound bhcosa.
|X’4^naTd dly lucer"e were found very beneficial as variants in the camel
diet "Lucerne was^lso fed in the same way to equtnes.
The camel remounts, received from India and issued through the Modified
andTheloth Camel Corps received several from there, and most of these have
moved very useful anitLls. They were selected not from the very long
haired breed which is unsuited to warm climates, hut from another breed hat
grows a short curlv coat in winter and sheds most ol it in summer. There
a lars no reason that these animals should not do well hereafter m India.
They are however, expensive and usually cost not less than eighty tomans 10,000 Persian dinars, or a gold coin of that value. or
about Es. 2 60 each As their purchase was somewhat of an experiment it
was decided to fix the luaximum age of purchase at the relatively high limit
nf 1 9 YPfU’S.
(S') Mechanical Transport.— from the Motor Ambulance Units, the
Mechanical Tiansport in East Persia consisted of No. 5, Motor Transport
Company and a few fctaff Cars. The Staff Cars for the purpose of administration
were attached to the Section of No. 5, Motor Transport Company which had it
Headquarters at Birjand, and were used mainly by the Inspector-General of
Communications, Staff Officers and Head of Services when on tour, and by
Officers who visited East Persia from India on Inspection duty. ^ Eor other
Officers who had to tour, and vffiose tours could not coincide with regular
Mechanical Transport Convoys, Ford Vans had to be specially detailed. In
most Sections it Mas necessary for the Administrative Commandant and the
Section Engineer to be thus equipped, M r hile two vans had always to be placed
at the disposal of Officers of the Sistan Levy Corps. This diminished consider
ably the number available for regular Mechanical Transport Convoys.
The convoy referred to took the form of Motor Mails, carrying Mails,
and also any passengers who had for one reason or another to be expedited
to their destination. There Mas constant traffic of this kind betM T een Meshed
and Huzdap and betMeen Duzdap and Meshed. During the winter and the
spring a very large number of British Officers and British Other Hanks had
to be sent by Mechanical Transport to railhead for demobilization and their
reliefs had also to be expedited by Mechanical Transport to the Posts Mhere
their services Mere required. Snow and rain in the m inter often made motoring
extremely difficult, and the wear and tear of the Pord Vans was naturally very
great, is evertheless a through mail although the m inter had run Meekly
between Meshed and Birjand and tM r ice a M eek at least, and for part of the time
thrice a Meek, between Birjand and Duzdap, the Mhole of the vehicles and
personnel being furnished by No. 5, Motor Transport Company. As a rul?
about im o- thirds of the vehicles were in commission at one time, and the rest
M 7 ere undergoing repairs.
The long line of six hundred miles which one Mechanical Transport
Company had to cover by regular convoys had made it necessary to divide the
supervising and workshop establishment of the Company into three parts.
The Headquarters remained at Hurmuk M’ith the Officer Commanding and the
Workshop Officer, for the number of Vans working between Duzdap and Shusp
still formed the major portion of the total establishment, and Hurmuk was
the most convenient centre from M’hich these vehicles could be M-orked. A
detachment with a small M’orkshop and with one Officer (or with two Officers
m hen available) was based on Shusp and plied over the hundred miles betM r een
Shusp and Birjand. A similar detachment—also with one or two Officers-
was based on Birjand, and with a small convoy, restricted to six vans and cue
ii’eakcloMn van, plied weekly over the three hundred miles between Birjand