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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎126v] (257/454)

The record is made up of 1 volume (223 folios). It was created in 1923. 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. .

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228 HISTORY OF THE WAR : MESOPOTAMIA
for a maximum width of one hundred and fifty yards—had to
be adapted to cover the increased span. While the bridge
was in course of construction, troops were ferried across the
river in canvas boats and in a motor-boat which had been
brought from Ahwaz. But it was a tedious and difficult
operation; and by dusk only three-quarters of the 76th Punjabis
and half the 2/7th Gurkhas had been got across, and had
entrenched themselves on the further, or right, bank *
During the day, the Cavalry Brigade had made a demonstra
tion downstream to divert attention from the crossing. They
encountered some hostile Arabs who dispersed on being shelled,
and about five miles to the northward—in the low hills and
broken ground—enemy patrols could be seen observing the
British movements.
On the morning of the 8th, the rest of General Gorringe’s
force reached Ilia, but the flying bridge was not in working
order till late on the 9th. Even then the crossing remained
difficult, as the canvas boats of which this bridge was mainly
composed afforded a somewhat unstable structure. The
hdavy gale which prevailed also hindered the crossing and the
swimming across of the horses and mules ;f and it was not
till the 13th that the Cavalry Brigade, the 30th Infantry
Brigade and the 82nd Field Battery managed to get across.
Supplies for ten days had now reached Ilia and the 44th
Merwara Infantry were sent back to Ghadir to form a post
there on the line of communication with Ahwaz.
In the meantime the Turks were reported to have retired
beyond Khafajiya; and on the afternoon of the 13th, part
of the British force commenced an advance in pursuit to the
north-west. They moved in two columns with the intention
of ascertaining whether the Turks were at Bisaitin and also
of punishing, at Khafajiya, the Bani Turuf Arabs, who had
mutilated our wounded in the action of the 3rd March.
The first column, under the personal command of General
Gorringe, moved along the northern, or right, bank of the
Karkha. It consisted of the 6th Cavalry Brigade, J the Maxim
Battery, the 30th Infantry Brigade (less l/4th Hampshire and
24th Punjabis), and the 82nd Field Battery.
* The Karkha river (as shown in Map 4) flows southward and then
westward, finally wasting itself into marshes.
f General Gorringe brought specially to notice the excellent work of men
the 66th and 76th Punjabis in manning the boats and in helping to swim the
animals across.
I Only one section of the R.H.A. Battery accompanied the brigade.

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Content

The volume is the first 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 divided into two parts. The first part, entitled, 'Part I. Before the Outbreak of Hostilities', consists of the following five chapters:

  • General Description of the Country
  • The Turks in Mesopotamia
  • British Pre-War Policy
  • The Army in India and Pre-War Military Policy
  • Inception of the Operations

The second part, entitled, 'Part II. The Campaign in Lower Mesopotamia', consists of the following seven chapters:

  • The Landing in Mesopotamia of Force "D" and the Operations Leading to the Occupation of Basra
  • The Occupation of Basra and the Capture of Qurna
  • Commencement of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Development and Defeat of the Turkish Counter-Offensive
  • Operations in Arabistan and the Capture of Amara
  • Operations on the Euphrates and the Occupation of Nasiriya
  • The battle of Kut and Occupation of Aziziya

The volume also includes nine maps, entitled:

  • The Middle East
  • Lower Mesopotamia
  • Map 1 - To illustrate operations described in Chapter VI
  • Map 2 - To illustrate fighting near Qurna
  • Map 3 - To illustrate fighting round Shaiba
  • Map 4 - To illustrate operations in Persian Arabistan
  • Map 5 - To illustrate operations in the Akaika Channel 27th June to 5th July 1915
  • Map 6 - To illustrate operations near Nasiriya 6th to 24th July 1915
  • Map 7 - To illustrate the Battle of Kut 28th September 1915
Extent and format
1 volume (223 folios)
Arrangement

The volume contains a page of errata (folio 5), a list of contents (folios 6-8), a list of maps and illustrations (folio 9), appendices (folios 185v-192), an index (folios 192v-214v), and eight maps in a pocket attached to the inside back cover (folios 217-224).

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 225; 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
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'HISTORY OF THE GREAT WAR BASED ON OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS. THE CAMPAIGN IN MESOPOTAMIA 1914-1918. VOLUME I.' [‎126v] (257/454), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/15/66/1, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100048172214.0x00003a> [accessed 29 March 2024]

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