File 94/1915 Pt 1 ‘German War:- Turkey. Prisoners’ [‎151v] (311/441)

/
10
22- 1-15. Hasan Beyli to Osmaniab.
23- 1-15. Halt at Osmaniah, waiting for the train to Adana.
24- 1-15. Osmaniah to Tarsus, via Adana.
25- 1-15 to 14-2-15. Halt at Tarsus.
15- 2-15. Tarsus to Mersina.
16- 2-15 to 22-2-15. Mersina to Alexandria.
22-2-15 to 1-3-15. Halt at Alexandria, awaiting Government of India orders.
2- 3-15. Alexandria to Port Said.
3- 3-15 to 12-3-15. Port Said to Bombay.
The following names of railway station between Osmaniah and Tarsus may be of interest.
This is the route now used for conveying troops to Aleppo.
Osmaniah
... 9-20 a.m.
arrived
Toprak Kalaa
9-35 a.m.
Toprak Kalaa
... 10-8 „
a
V eissie
10-33 „
Veissie
... 10-44 „
u
Djihan
11-3 „
Djihan
... 1M6 „
»
Missis
11-53 „
Missis
... 12-7 p.m.
))
Kurdjilies
12-18 p.m.
Kurdjilies
... 12-21 „
))
Indjirlik
12-31 „
Indprlik
... 12-34 „
n
Adana
12-48 „
(change train for
Tarsus)
Adana
... 1-33 p.m.
arrived
Kayaha Oglu
1-42 p.m.
Kayaha Oglu
... 1-44 „
Zeitunli
1-53 ,,
Zeitunli
1-55 „
»
Yenidji
2-5 „
Yenidiji
... 2-13 „
>»
Kulk Bazar
2-30 „
Kulk Bazar
... 2-34 „
>»
Tarsus
2-42 „
Commissariat.
A Committee was formed under the presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. of Mr. Tod, assisted by the following
members :—
Messrs. Whitley, Cree and Soane.
The arrangements for fSlkig the whole caravan, the expenses for which had been advanced
by the American Consuls at Baghdad, Aleppo and Mersina, were undertaken by the Com
mittee. Each member of the caravan was told to provide himself with a plate, a cup, a kniie,
fork and spoon.
Members of the caravan provided themselves with extra food, as it was impossible for the
commissariat to make adequate arrangements and they also had to pay porterage at each
station and other petty expenses. To meet this expenditure, the Committee paid each
member of the caravan an allowance of Gold Pias 5 per day for the period between loth
December 1914 to 24th January 1915, and Gold Pias 7 per day from the 25th January to
13th February 1915.
Difficulties experienced en route.
At the beginning of the journey we bad as many as 15 genderraes for our protection, but
the further we got from Baghdad the number decreased till on arrival at Aleppo we only had
two such officials.
All along the journey we were prohibited from moving about at the halting stations.
We were taken into a Khan in the evening and taken out the next morning. 1'he Kuans
were always guarded by gendarmes. At Deir-el-zor, where we halted a whole day to rest
the horses we were permitted to go out to the public baths in batches accompanied by a
policeman! At Aleppo, where we halted for eight days, we were told to report ourselves every
morning at the police station and after signing our names in the Police book we were free to
<ro about where we liked. After leaving Aleppo we were again kept close prisoners at the
halting stations except at Islabiah, where we were permitted to go to a stream close to our
Khan to wash our clothes and bathe. At Tarsus we had at first full liberty, but gradually
this was curtailed. From Tarsus to Mersina we were accompanied by the head of the Police,
and at the latter town we were kept close prisoners in a hotel.
Throughout the journey we noticed that the feelings of the people were very hostile. At
most halting places we were cursed, spat upon and stones thrown at us. At Haditha after we
had installed ourselves in the Khan, we were peremptorily ordered to quit it for some lurkish and
German officers who came there after us. We proposed camping outside the Khan, but were
told that if we did not move further we should be shot. We, therefore^moved some two hours
distance in the desert and encamped there for the night. Again at Hasan Bayh we ha o
encamp in the desert owing to the village being full of soldiers.