'PAPERS RELATING TO THE MESOPOTAMIAN COMMISSION from SIR E. BARROW'S ROOM' [‎238v] (482/1386)

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m altered circumstances we regard its provision as necessary, but cannot furnish if
ourselves..
YVe suggest troops intended for East Africa might bediverte l to Mesopotamia where
need lor them seems more urgent than in Africa.”
Ibis telegram and the situation generally w-wy anxiously discussed
between the 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. and War Office, with the result that on the
Jth and Ilth December the following telegrams were despatched
^Telegram from Secretary of State to Viceroy, Army Department, dated
9th December 1915.
" (Repeated to General Nixon.)
“3194. Essential that wo should receive full information regarding situation in Meso
potamia for cons,deration by W ar Committee. Please instruct Nixon to telegraph his own
and lownshends views regarding measures to be adopted, feasibility of holding Knt readme
reinforcement, or intention to ret.re to some other selected position. Would latte'course
mean grave loss of stores and munitions ^
< 8 > Are , COInl)lllnic atioiis now threatens or likely to be interrupted during passage of
reinforcements or retirement, and, if so, in what area p 1 °
and Almaf? 1 ^ ta>0, ’ S n °"’ ** Amara and e ” route ? Also at Kama, Basra, Nasiriyeh
“ (4) Please indicate intrenched position at Knt with reference to Tigris, Shntt. Knt tom,
and k.inn, and have we boat bridge giving command of both banks p
f^iiitatL^Tnfmce a rnT? la * ed 8 " PPU “ , ' t Am "* «» K»C, thus
(6) Have Turks heavy guns superior to ours P
“ (7) Besides Firejly and Comet have Turks captured or destroyed ships barges and
aeroplanes, and how many P Enemy boasts many captures. 15 S
, ^ Any ot ! ier P^ ints elucidating situation such as, health troops, temper of population
state of river and weather, number of steamers and flats available for transporting troops.”
^Telegram from Secretary of State to Viceroy, Army Department, dated
11th December 1915.
“ 3200. Your telegram of the 9th instant, H. 9087. Request for 5th Division for Nixon
brwfr So f " ^ 0mands f ° r tro °P s 111 other theatres it will bo most dffficuR
(I Vai Oflice to comply further, experience shows that newly-formed divisions of non
armies must not be suddenly thrust into active operations without gradual traiuino- under fii-
among older troops. " « '
“ Havingregardto above I suggest that I make following proposal ter War Office • Tndiw
to form a hfth division by detailing a third brigade, which with the 34th and 35th Brigade;
and cavaby and artillery recently furnished by you would give a fairly complete division, and
p for r ^ siatlc wa, fare than a newly-raised division from England or Australia.
-8th Punjabis from Ceylon might be incorporated in the new brigade so that you would only
now have to fmd one British and two Indian battalions. War Office for its part to detail
ILTtZTZntuZ * ^ ba ‘ tali ° nS for duty i„ India and to de^thTcm dcri^
“ advantages of this proposal are (1) that it obviates asking the War Office for a
A\ y ^ in f 7- f n . not ^‘ s P ared ’ ( 2 > ^at it expedites formation of fifth division ;
c) tuat it gives Nixon a trained force accustomed to work together instead of amateur
iSn giSison ^ mCreaSeS the British g^son of India though it decreases the
J his is the best I can do for von. All transport here fully occupied at present.
r views.”
Please expedite reply g’iving your
The reply asked for was contained in the telegrams below, but only
essential extracts are given here. ^
XTelegram from General Nixon, No. 1008/149/0, dated Ilth December 1915.
Your 3194 of 9th.
“ Paragraph l. The question of abandoning Kut was fully considered and views exchanged
between lovinshend and myself. It was decided from every point of view, military and
political that it was not advisable or even possible looking to condition of troops or/thou
arrival there, to withdraw from Kut In this connection see my telegram 129/259/1 of
oth December, lo haxe abandoned Kut would have entailed grave loss of stores' and
munitions ot war. Vide our telegrams 129 263/1 and 129/264/1 of 8th and 9th December
I here is no question of Townshend withdrawing as he is virtually surrounded. ^ ’
Paragraph 2 Communications are not now threatened down stream of Ali-aJ-tiharbi
I do not anticipate that they will be to any serious extent so long as Townshend remains v
Kut. \\ e have a strong post at Ah-al-Gharbi and reinforcements continue to move un rivoi'
1 he news of our mab£y to remain at Ctesiphon, the withdrawal to Kut, nhd the sight of ^
many ships coming down river have inevitably caused alarmist rumours which have doll!
ou "
with Nasiriyeh by riglit bank of Euphrates and ^any ret Yement'frem eomrn ! n,lcat,or ^
the Arabs from ShatCel-Hai on left bank.” ‘ Un * sut W0U D bring m
/T ' A
^ ^ ^ J My// 'UiPs