IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3318

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 28 February 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, tables, and letters.

An index to the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3317. The volume concerns:

• Military personnel issues, including the granting of leave, promotions, nominations for Staff Officer positions, and conditions for garrison units
• Supply of food, artillery, construction materials, and other items to Force D
• Reductions of planned supply shipments to Force D
• Matters relating to the demobilisation of Force D, including: shipment of troops from Mesopotamia to India and the United Kingdom; provision of civilian clothing for demobilised troops; and the disposal of surplus stores and motor vehicles
• Repatriation of non-Turkish prisoners of war
• Nomination of Indian officers for honorary ranks in the British Indian Army
• Discussion of conflict between Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd] and King Hussein [Al-Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī]
• Discussion of coordination of British policy in Mesopotamia, South Persia [Iran] and Maskat [Muscat]
• Arrangements for financing the army of occupation in post-war Mesopotamia
• Discussion of future political system of Mesopotamia, including need to ‘prevent Arab nationalism from being drawn into opposition to British control’
• Construction of railways in Mesopotamia
• British assessments of Mesopotamian public opinion
• Appointment of a Commercial Secretary in Mesopotamia
• Testing and disposal of malfunctioning ammunition
• Reports of ‘dissatisfaction’ among soldiers in Force D regarding pace of demobilisation
• Withdrawal of British forces from Trans-Caspia [Turkmenistan] to Meshed [Mashhad]
• British occupation of Krasnovodsk [Turkmenbashi]
• Arming of ‘friendly Turcomans’ in Trans-Caspia
• Dispatch of naval vessels from India for service in northern Russia
• Construction and maintenance of roads in Persia
• Supplying of captured Turkish [Ottoman] ordnance to the Persian Government
• Tensions between the Persian Government and the Jangali [Jangalī] Movement.

The volume also contains:

• Strength return of Force D on 11 January 1919 (f 23)
• Ration strength of Force D on 11 January 1919 (ff 109-114), 25 January 1919 (ff 32-35), February 1 1919 (ff 106-109)
• Programme for March despatch of British troops from Mesopotamia (f 48)
• Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of lines of communication, general organisation, and post-war garrison units (ff 53-62)
• State of supplies on 17 February 1919 (ff 64-65)
• Firing test results and summary for 18-pounder shrapnel ammunition (ff 90-97)
• Weekly return of sick and wounded dated 18 January 1919 (ff 98-99).