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'Railways - Mesopotamia and L of C [Lines of Communication] Policy' [82r] (163/204)
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: C.~in-C« f India.
To: G.O.C. Heeopotainia
(repeated War Office).
17.8.17.
55998.
Your X*.2960 Ot July 2dth and continuation my 50973 of
July S7th.
A,fter having examined position with oare ae regards
supply of railway personnel and basing calculation on
demand received and forecast given up-to-data we new
expect to be short at end of August in important categor
ies as follows:-
Engineering Department.
Ml.
Traffic Department.
Traffic Inspectors £•
Stationmasterfl and assistants 90*
Pointsmen 9o.
Signalleis 18*
Trains clerks 8.
Train and time-table olerks 7.
Shunting porters £0*
Brakesmen 40.
Stores Depart me nt.
Ward keepers 8.
Establishment olerks 4.
Booking and receipt clerics 4.
Locomotive Department.
Charge men 6.
llachine men 4.
Blacksmiths 8.
Coppersmiths 4.
Drivers 2C.
Firemen 18.
Certain Special Clerks.
In arriving at above # it has been assumed that
demands given in 3rd Echelon^ HO.R3438 dated July 16th
are additional, and do not supersede forecast for August
given in 3rd Echelon’s A.G./16B7/56 dated April 22nL
Hope by end of September for considerable reduction in
above outstanding (? group omitted) -s, and., to meet
monthly demands as forecasted but with regard to special
demand for September given in telegram B.,3658 of 9th from
3rd Echelon, anticipate inability to supply 12 enpine
^ fir omen, 16 second firemen, as rate at
which recrui uinent of tihese classes are forthcoming at
present is only sufficient to meet normal demands.
Every
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