IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3296

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 1 and 15 March 1918. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: letters, telegrams, notes, reports, tables, and memoranda.

An index to the contents of this volume and a summary of the contents can be found at IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3295. The volume concerns:

• Appreciations [reports] and intelligence summaries from the Directorate of Military Operations dated 17 March 1918 (ff 43-45), 26 March 1918 (ff 174-176), 31 March 1918 (ff 232-233)
• Supplies, particularly of pig iron, timber, tinplate, and bacon
• Reports from the Royal Flying Corps of machines in service and pilots available
• Information concerning Dunsterforce, including composition levies for the force, and providing wireless stations
• Plan for the local harvest
• Movement of ships and loads transported
• The formation of three independent sunjaks [sanjaks]
• Formation of a new South Persian Rifles brigade
• Spheres of responsibility for branches of the intelligence system
• Dispatch of the 3rd Division to Egypt
• Jangali arrests of Noel (possibly Edward William Charles Noel); Monsieur Hunin, Belgian Customs Officer at Engali [Bandar-e Anzali]; and the Vice Consul at Kasht [Rasht]
• The escape of Hunin and another Belgian official from Jangali custody
• Dispatch of one squadron of British cavalry to Hamadan
• The murder of Captain W H Marshall, the disturbances at Najaf, and the blockade of the town
• Requests for asylum by Russian officers
• Reports on the Bakhtiaris [Bakhtiyārī tribe]
• Proposed despatch of British troops into Persia [Iran]
• Attack on Khan Baghdadi [Al Baghdadi] and Turkish [Ottoman] retreat
• Fears of a Jangali coup at Kasvin [Qazvin] and Tehran.

The following tables appear:

• Ration strength of Force D on 9 February 1918 (ff 8-15), 23 February 1918 (ff 51-55), 26 January 1918 (ff 106-112), 16 February 1918 (ff 198-205)
• Strength return and summaries of Force D on 16 February 1918 (ff 15-18), 19 January 1918 (ff 18-31), 26 January 1918 (ff 80-93)
• Distribution of the Turkish Army on 19 March 1918 (ff 73-75), 26 March 1918 (ff 172-174)
• State of supplies on 16 March 1918 (ff 100-101, 141-143), 23 March 1918 (ff 215-216, 221-222)
• Weekly return of the sick and wounded on 9 March 1918 (ff 154-155)
• Statement of animal transport and vehicles on 1 February 1918 (ff 162-171)
• Strength of the 3rd Division (ff 206-207).