![‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 14. PART II. (From 16th to 30th September 1915.)’ [‎6r] (16/276)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000112.0x0001db/IOR_L_MIL_17_5_3237_0016.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 14. PART II. (From 16th to 30th September 1915.)’ [‎6r] (16/276)")
‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 14. PART II. (From 16th to 30th September 1915.)’ [6r] (16/276)
The record is made up of 1 volume (134 folios). It was created in 14 May 1915-30 Sep 1915. 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.
confirmation of this report ? Are the Austrians referred to a serious fighting
force ? Please let meknow what troops now are at Ahwaz, Basrah and Qurnah,
respectively, and also the troops that could he spared from Basrah to reinforce
Ahwaz. We may produce a steadying effect on the Bakhtiaris and Karun
Valley Arabs by circulating reports of our activity in that direction.
Should India be able to send further reinforcements, all preliminary
measures should be taken by you.
The utmost importance is attached by the Admiralty to safeguarding the
oil-fields.
Working copy to G. S. (M. O. 1).
Copy to M. S. G, G. S. (M. O. 2, M 0. 3).
Telegram P., No. 716-47-A., dated 16th September 1915. APPENDIX 227
(Despatched KMO a.m., received 4-35 p.m.) No* 21544)
From—-The General Officer Commanding, Force u D,” Amarah,
To—The Chief of the General Staff.
With reference to your No. S.-21356, dated 14th September, the dates
mentioned by you as starting of reinforcing drafts are in my opinion unduly
late, and I therefore request that all should be despatched a fortnight earlier
if possible. Beinforcements for cavalry units are especially required, and
particularly by the 4 squadrons at once, and I cannot consent to their despatch
being delayed until the 11th October.
Working copy to A. G.
Copy to M. S. C., Q. M. G., G. S. (M. 0.1, M. O. 2).
Telegram No. 1946-B., dated 15th September 1915. APPENDIX 228
(Received in War Section, 16tb September 1915.) (Z/y No. 21555)
From—The
Political Resident
A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, Basrah,
To—The Secretary to the Government of India, Foreign and Political
Department.
Your telegram {Dy. No. S.-18623), dated August 19th, regarding Bin
Sa’ud. Just after it reached me I received letter from Bin Sa^d 27th July from
Hasa saying that he had been obliged to undertake punitive operations against
Ajman tribe who had been raiding on the Hasa road, and that, anxious as he
was for meeting, he was too busily engaged at present to come to the coast, and
road was too unsafe for me to come to him. He therefore proposed postpone
ment of meeting until quiet was restored. At the same time be made indefinite
request through his agent for some form of assistance.
I replied asking him to explain frankly what form of assistance he needed,
as without further explanation it was difficult to approach Government of
India At the same time I sent him 300 captured Turkish rifles to show our
good will and I am now authorising
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
, Bahrain, to pay 10,000
rupees
Indian silver coin also widely used in the Persian Gulf.
to his agent as temporary assistance from secret service funds.
Letter now received in reply to above.
In it he explains that Ibn Bashid and Ajman tribe have been put up to
attack him by Turks, who have furnished them with large supplies of money
and modern arms and ammunition, while his people have mainly old fashioned
weapons, and he is now short both of arms and ammunition. He begs for
3,000 rifles.
As regards money he explains that owing to war his people were unable
last year to dispose of date crop to Hedjaz, or livestock to other parts of Arabia
as usual, so that he has been getting no revenue, and at the same time has been
put to very heavy expenditure, owing to necessity for keeping large forces
under arms for a long time past. He is now coming to end of his resources,
that of accommodating friends, and asks urgently for loan of 50,000 liras from
Government of India repayable by instalments.
About this item
- Content
The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 16 and 30 September 1915. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, letters, memoranda, lists and tables.
The volume mostly relates to:
- Reinforcements and supplies for Force D, including: river craft; aeroplanes; road vehicles; personnel; food; weapons; and ammunition
- Staff appointments and details of injured and sick officers
- Updates on progress at the Tigris line, especially at Sinn, Sannaiyat [As Sina‘yat] and Kut-al Amarah [Al-Kut]
- Proposals to advance on Baghdad after taking Kut-al Amarah
- Distributions of Force D (f 50) and of the Turkish [Ottoman] troops (f 123)
- Russo-Turkish operations at Van
- Discussions of the situation in Persia [Iran], including the impact that the withdrawal of British Consul, Thomas George Grahame, from Isfahan to Ahwaz [Ahvaz] has had on employees of the Anglo-Persian Oil Company
- Conversations between Sir Percy Zachariah Cox, Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , and the Shaikh of Muhammareh [Khorramshahr] with regards to negotiating with leaders of the Bakhtiari [Bakhtīyārī] tribal confederation to protect the oil fields and ‘maintain order’ in Arabistan [Khuzestan]
- The rejection of Turkish forces from Najaf [An-Najaf] by the local population
- Discussions about how to govern holy places between the Basrah [Basra] Vilayet [a province under the Ottoman Empire] and Baghdad in anticipation of them coming under British control, and the extent to which the Persian Government should be consulted on this matter.
The volume also includes:
- Appreciations [reports] from the Directorate of Military Operations summarising the situation in Mesopotamia on 20 September (ff 47-48) and 27 September 1915 (f 113)
- A ‘Brief report on the possibilities of the Development of Irrigation in the Basrah District’ by Lieutenant P A Stoddard, Indian Army Reserve Officer (Special Irrigation Officer), (ff 64-71), which is accompanied by comments from Cox and Brigadier-General Joseph Cameron Rimington, Royal Engineers
- Copies of correspondence between Edmund George Barrow, Military Secretary, 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 Bertram Blakiston Cubitt, Under-Secretary of State for India, on the subject of aviation units for service in India and Mesopotamia, which include tables of personnel and vehicles required (ff 91-96)
- The Quartermaster General’s Embarkation Statement, listing reinforcements and details for Force D which embarked at Bombay [Mumbai] and Karachi (ff 128-134).
The vast majority of material in the volume dates from September 1915, with the exception of a small amount of material which dates from May, June and August 1915.
A summary of the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3236.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (134 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the front to the rear of the volume.
- Physical characteristics
The foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 136; 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 also present in parallel between ff 3-134; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio.
Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 14. PART II. (From 16th to 30th September 1915.)’ [6r] (16/276), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3237, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100132734283.0x000011> [accessed 22 August 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3237
- Title
- ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 14. PART II. (From 16th to 30th September 1915.)’
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:136r
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence