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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [73r] (145/204)
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 :
To :
X.3382.
Director of Railways, Basra.
War Office; repeated G.in 0. India and L.of C. Basra.
27th August 1217,
6.35 p.m.
For woek ending August 25th Progress report.
Basra - Qurnah railway.
On the embarkmont about 600 Arab labourers were employed
during week. On the (|urnah - Euphrates bridge 13 apano of
girders have been erected, piling in progress on Shafi and
Gurmat Ali floating pontoon bridge and girders for latter being
assembled. At Hahr Umar 50 lb. rails for linking were being
discharged and arrangements to start link completed. 3rd
Ordnance Ammunition Dump siding at Hakina completed. All other
worki.. noted in last week^ report as being in hand at Basra, have
made good progress.
Kut el Amarah - Baghda d railway.
Additional loading sidings at Kut el Amarah linked.
Short dead ends in station yard being linked. For Dialha high
level bridge trout} ea for superstructure well in feaod.
Hinaidi - Baqubah railway.
Terminal sidings at Hinaidi being linked. Work on
conjbined metre and narrow gauge engine ohed well forward Baqubah
extension. burvoy of approaches for low level bridge completed
and line demarcated on ground and earthwork on rampa in hand,
huterial for linking being collected at Baqubah. Labour and
luaterial for low level bridge all despatched.
Shipping discharges Baara,*
Permanent way.
For Basra ~ Qurnah railway 16 miles of fifty pound $ailo
maj ing 40 miles to date. Another 10 miles of 60 pound raile In
Stream
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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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