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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [63r] (125/204)
The record is made up of 1 file (100 folios). It was created in 18 May 1917-21 Dec 1917. 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
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
From:- 3. ;p >ta .la.
To:* C« In C» India*
rni^oatcd ai^ Office.
11/9/17.
11 ♦ k IT •
X,3,%80.
Your 60893 Septoob >r 7th* I am wiring you to-day
figures of mat rial required for October, and this will leave
approxl ifttaly 90 miles still to cam© out of the 150 promised.
I tnota that you can deliver this before end of February at Basra[
and I agree that we could receive it but I am unable to shy under
present circu?n»tancos whether it will be required at this rate
or whether other requirements will demand precedence. This
will depend on developerients. It seo is like ly that my future
railway will be limited by supply of railway personnel
fro:t India as latest advices indicate considerable shortage on
our demands.
especially a=;
Copies to:-
regards skilled ranlcs
ABMY COBIICIL
V .1.
■. * K * .
r '*B«3»
. .'.n
n o 'f
* £>« 1 •
*I.0.S*
•n.c.i. .
• • •
p. .1.
About this item
- Content
The file, marked secret, contains correspondence and notes regarding rail and river transportation for the Mesopotamian campaign during the First World War. The papers cover a number of matters, including:
- Strategic considerations of the use of rail and river communications
- Supply of railway materials, rolling stock, and personnel to Mesopotamia [Iraq] from India, other parts of the British Empire, and allied territories
- Problems with unloading and shipping congestion at Basra
- Progress of railway construction, including weekly reports from the General Officer Commanding or Director of Railways to the War Office, starting from August 1917
- Capacity estimates (for troops, food, ammunition, and materials) and efforts to increase it
- Complaints of shortages of railway stock and personnel in India due to the demand in Mesopotamia
- Preparations for a commission, led by Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland, to be sent to review rail and river transportation in Mesopotamia
- Questions of flooding and damming of the Tigris and Euphrates rivers.
Correspondents include: the Commander-in-Chief, India; the Chief of the Imperial General Staff; the General Officer Commanding, Mesopotamia; the War Office; the Director of Railways, Mesopotamia; the War Section, Army Department, Government of India; and Major General Sir Henry Francis Edward Freeland.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (100 folios)
- Arrangement
The file is arranged in chronological order, from the rear to the front.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 102; 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. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel; these numbers are written in coloured crayon and pencil; where they have been written in pencil and circled, they have been crossed through.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [63r] (125/204), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/5/787, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100098482356.0x00007e> [accessed 5 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/5/787
- Title
- 'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:101v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence