Papers concerning the Treatment of British Prisoners of War at Kut [‎22r] (43/62)

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the monitor SULIMAN PAK (late "FIREFLY”); the armed tug
"PICIIEER"; the tug "SAi»/IAlTA" ; a workshop barge, the white
vessel wi'th the green roof, which is made of galvanised iron;
a mahola (without mast) in charge of the ITavy; one ”L” boat
tug, one barge fitted with a crane; one horse-boat from KUT
and five pontoon rafts complete with their superstructure.
Something, apparently an explosion, occurred on the
"Firefly" and men were seen being carried out of her.
Fuel .
Shumran
C amp.
0 n the night of September 4/5 the SULIMAi! PAK was
towed up-stream by the "SAMANA" to point (l.a). The former
had no steam up and, as the Samara lit her fires only just
before starting, it is assumed that she towed the SULIMA2T PAK
in order to economise fuel of which a shortage is said to
exist. On the other hand the Turks say they now get a supply
of "ood coal from the vicinity of MOSUL. They are working
the old mines there, and , on sinking deeper shafts,
succeeded in striking better seams not long ago. This coal
is mostly brought down by camels.
The camp at SHUMRAIT is stated by Turkish Officers to
be a rest-camp for troops passing through or disembarking,
also a clearing station for sick and wounded, and small arms
are issued at the camp to troops arriving without them.
\
Camel, mule and pack-pony transport lines were at the camp,
but it was not possible to tell whether the tents of
combatant troops were fully occupied or not. There were no
signs of infantry being drilled, but a "brigade" of Q,.F. Field
Artillery was oresent from, the 20th to the 50th August, and
one of the batteries carried out gun-practice. It is not
known whether the "brigade" was a new arrival or not.
At the north (or up-stream) end of the camp there
was a Red Crescent Hospital surrounded by an enclosure
made
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