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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [221v] (453/995)
The record is made up of 1 volume (491 folios). It was created in 28 Jun 1920-11 Feb 1921. 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.
6
7. Immediate emergencies confronting us on the Euphrates could have
been promptly nipped in the bud had the existing armed forces of the Crown
in Mesopotamia been in a more efficient state than they now are. We do not
really require more units at present. What we chiefly want is to have existing
units brought up to strength in personnel and equipment. At present moment
though we were promised three' squadrons in Mesopotamia by April 15th,
K.A.F., are unable to keep more than 16 machines in the air in Mesopotamia
and Persia or to make more than 6 available for any single operation duriim
this critical period. Austin armoured cars cannot be sent out of Baghdad
owing to weakness or inefficiency of personnel. Tanks have been refused^us.
8. British units in the country contain such a large proportion of imma
ture and almost untrained young soldiers that they cannot be used for opera
tions during the hot weather whole brunt of which falls on Indian regiments.
Some of the Indian regiments supplied from India recently are much
below strength and I am credibly informed that half of regiment which
recently arrived at Basrah had not fired their first musketry course and there
were insufficient trained men in regiment to man its Lewis guns.
Every military department in Mesopotamia is greatly below strength in
subordinate personnel. British units in country are consequently further
depleted in order to meet essential departmental needs with the result that
some units cannot parade more than 800 strong.
Motor transport in country is worn out and of low efficiency. When for
example urgent call was made for current operations on 50 reserve lorries at
Bailhead, Quraitu, it was found that only 8 were serviceable.
Defence vessels are unreliable.
9. If Home and India will furnish us with efficient units, and keep them
up to the strength by a system of reliefs similar to tlfvt adopted in time of
war, thus enabling us .to send men on leave to India without depleting our
strengths, and making automatic provision for casualties, and if the War°Office
will send us'the equipment we need, I have little doubt that we shall carry on
all right with the existing units.
10. Finally in my judgment G.H.Q. in Mesopotamia should not again
leave Baghdad. The experience of the past two months convinces me that it
will be some years before this can be done without much administrative incon
venience and loss of efficiency, and, in an emergency serious risk.
11. Presuming that H.M.G. require an independent appreciation of the
situation I have not shown this to the Gr.O.C. -in-Chief but am sendino- him a
copy.
Addressed
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.
, repeated Viceroy.
Telegram—P.
From—India Office, London.
To—Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.
No. Nil.
Dated 10th JTuly, 1920.
■Received 12th July, 1920.
Your telegram of the 9th June last 6948. War Office take exception to
your action m telegraphing to me your opinion ou military situation which
they regard as province of G.O.C.
In circumstances explained in last paragraph of your telegram I do not
take exception to your action m this instance but as general practice you should
avoid telegraphing to me on purely military matters without knowledge and
concurrence of General Officer Commanding.
Telegram—P. (Clear Line).
From—Civil Commissioner, Baghdad.
To—India Office, London.
No. 8422.
Dated 13th July, 1920.
Received
Your telegram of 10th July.
I am sorry that War Office take exception to my action but beg to point
out that as I explained at the time G.O.C.-in-Chief was absent in Northern
Persia and m any case had changed his headquarters for summer to Persian
hills.
^ le Political and military situation are so closely connected that I cannot
fulfil my duty to you without occasionally expressing an opinion on military
aspec i of situation, which cannot m my opinion at this juncture safely be
treated as a separate issue.
I submit that developments since I telegraphed to you on June 9th justify
my action.
About this item
- Content
The volume consists of correspondence, memoranda, drafts, and departmental notes relating to rebellion against British mandatory rule in Mesopotamia [approximately corresponding to present-day Iraq], later known as the Iraqi Revolt of 1920.
The volume covers the period from the start of unrest in May 1920 to British imposition of control in October of the same year. The majority of the volume comprises reports from political officers across Mesopotamia on the situation in their respective divisions and districts.
Other matters discussed within the volume include:
- The suspected causes of the uprising, including fears of ‘Bolshevik’ and pro-Turkish influence
- Settlement of the border between Syria and Mesopotamia
- Military strategy and operations, including the need for reinforcements
- The severing of British lines of communication, particularly rail
- The efficacy and principles of the use of armoured cars and air raids as means of control following numerous cases of misidentification and disproportionate force that resulted in the deaths and injuries of innocent people
- Political and civil policy in the region
- Identification and arrest of some of the leaders of the rebellion
- The prominence of events in Mesopotamia in the British press
- The question of disarming the tribes following the suppression of the rebellion.
Principal correspondents include officials at: 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. ; the Office of the Civil Commissioner in Mesopotamia (from November 1920, the High Commissioner); the War Office; General Headquarters of the military in Mesopotamia; and the Government of India, Foreign and Political and Army departments.
The volume contains cuttings from several publications, including: The Times , The Statesman , The Observer , The Daily Herald , The Daily Mail , The Baghdad Times , and The Near East .
The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence. A second divider is included, for File 4722/1918 Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’. This was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (491 folios)
- Arrangement
The volume is arranged in approximate chronological order, from the rear to the front.
The subject 4722 (Mesopotamia) consists of ten volumes, IOR/L/PS/10/755-764. The volumes are divided into twelve parts, with parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11 and 12 comprising one volume each. Part 10 is missing. Part 7, entitled ‘Mesopotamia: Sir A. Wilson’s invitation to Syrian Baghdadis’, was transferred to File 5268/20 Parts 1 and 2 (see IOR/L/PS/10/913).
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 489; 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. Multiple intermittent additional foliation sequences are also present. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly, f 89a.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation' [221v] (453/995), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/10/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100137804987.0x000036> [accessed 9 June 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/10/761
- Title
- File 4722/1918 Pt 8 'Mesopotamia: Situation'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, i-r:i-v, 1r:89v, 89ar:89av, 90r:113r, 114v, 118v:120r, 121v, 127v:169v, 173r:192v, 194r:211v, 213r:223v, 225r:227r, 229r:261v, 262v:263v, 266r:279v, 280ar, 280r:293v, 294v, 295v:317v, 318ar, 318r:333v, 334v:341v, 342v:359v, 360v:400v, 404r:424v, 425ar, 425r:489v, ii-r:ii-v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence