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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [246r] (500/660)
The record is made up of 1 volume (323 folios). It was created in 1924. 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
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CORRESPONDENCE WITH HALIL 453
armistice to arrange matters and for permission to get ten days'
food from downstream for the troops and inhabitants, who
were threatened with pestilence, and of whom many were
dying of dysentery. He would suggest that Halil should come
to Kut to facilitate quick arrangements, and he wished Ali
Nejib to ask Halil for permission for Captains Aubrey Herbert and
Lawrence to come and join him. In a postscript he emphasised
the urgent necessity of his getting the ten days’ food immediately.
An hour later he sent a letter to Halil
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
. In this, after
saying that he had orders to negotiate the surrender of Kut,
he expressed the desire for a six days’ armistice ; and he asked
for permission for ten days’ food for his garrison and the
inhabitants to come up the river, because he had no food left
and had about 19,000 souls to feed, including sick and wounded.
He was afraid that a pestilence might break out any day, as
he had hundreds of sick in hospital and some fifteen daily were
dying of dysentery. He therefore asked for an early reply, that
he might telegraph for ships with food to come up. He would
suggest an early meeting to discuss terms. He hoped, and
with confidence, that Halil, who had already expressed admira
tion of his defence, would be generous and would allow his
troops with their arms to proceed to Amara and India. These
would be honourable terms, such as the Austrians had allowed
Massena at the siege of Genoa in 1800, and were also the
same as had been allowed by the British to the French in
1808 in Portugal. Moreover, Halil had neither enough food for
the numbers in Kut nor sufficient river craft to transport them
to Baghdad, while they were far too weak and threatened with
disease to march. Further, they would have to be paid if taken
prisoner. General Townshend concluded by asking permission
for Captains Herbert and Lawrence to come and join him.
An answer from Halil was brought by his aide-de-camp to
Kut that evening. After acknowledging receipt of General
Townshend’s letter, Halil said that after carrying out their
military duty so heroically for five months General Townshend
and his soldiers would meet the same reception in Turkey that
Osman
Pasha
An Ottoman title used after the names of certain provincial governors, high-ranking officials and military commanders.
, the hero of Plevna, had met with in Russia, and
that they could be certain of food, transport to Baghdad and
their pay. Halil was leaving at once in a motor boat to discuss
arrangements and suggested that General Townshend should
also come in a motor boat to meet him.
General Townshend tried to start at once in the Sumana for
this purpose, but when she began to get up steam she was
shelled. So he arranged to go next morning.
About this item
- Content
The volume is the second volume of an official government publication compiled at the request of the Government of India, and under the direction of the Historical Section of the Committee of Imperial Defence, by Brigadier-General Frederick James Moberly. The volume was printed and published at His Majesty's Stationery Office, London.
The contents provide a narrative of the operations of 1914-1918 in Mesopotamia, based mainly on official documents.
The volume is in one part, entitled, 'Part III. The First Campaign for Baghdad', and consists of the following fourteen chapters:
- The Decision to Advance to Baghdad
- Commencement of the Advance Towards Baghdad
- The Battle of Ctesiphon - the First Day's Operations
- Battle of Ctesiphon (Continued) and the British Retirement to Kut
- The Decision to Hold Kut and British Policy Consequent on the Failure to Reach Baghdad
- The Siege of Kut: First Phase (December 1915)
- Commencement of the Relief Operations
- The Action of Shaikh Saad
- The Action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows. and the First Attack on Hanna
- Operations up to the End of February, 1916
- The Second Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Attack on the Dujaila Redoubt
- The Third Attempt to Relieve Kut; the Successful Advance to and First and Second Attacks on Sannaiyat
- The Last Attempt at Relief; Bait Isa and Sannaiyat
- The Siege of Kut; the Last Stages
The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:
- The Middle East
- Lower Mesopotamia
- Map 8 - The Tigris from Kut al Amara to Baghdad
- Map 9 - The Battle of Ctesiphon
- Map 10 - The affair of Umm at Tubul
- Map 11 - The defence of Kut al Amara
- Map 12 - The fort at Kut; with special reference to the Turkish attack on 24th December 1915
- Map 13 - River Tigris between Ali Gharbi and Shumran
- Map 14 - The action at Shaikh Saad
- Map 15 - The action of the Wadi A seasonal or intermittent watercourse, or the valley in which it flows.
- Map 16 - The first attack on Hanna; 21st January 1916
- Map 17 - The attack on the Dujaila Redoubt, 8th March 1916
- Map 18 - To illustrate Tigris Corps Operation Order No. 26, dated 6th March 1916
- Map 19 - To illustrate operations between 10th March and end of April 1916
- Map 20 - The action of Bait Isa on 17th and 18th April 1916, and the attack on Sannaiyat 22nd April 1916
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (323 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume contains a list of contents (folios 6-10), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 11), appendices (folios 254-290), an index (folios 291-312), and eleven maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 314-324).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 325; 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.
Pagination: the volume also contains an original printed pagination sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.' [246r] (500/660), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100045738550.0x000065> [accessed 15 May 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/2
- Title
- 'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME II.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:3r, 3r, 4r:70v, 72r:79r, 160v, 80r:102v, 104r:160r, 161r, 313v, 161v:281v, 283r:313v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence