Mesopotamia: Railways and Lines of Communication Policy

The files in this sub-sub-series consist of correspondence, notes, and maps relating to rail, river, and road transportation in Mesopotamia [Iraq] during and immediately following the First World War. The papers cover matters of construction, conversion, maintenance, costs, supply, and personnel with regards to railways in the region. Military and strategic concerns are discussed frequently, as is demobilisation and the transition to a civilian administration following the end of the war. The papers also deal with the plans, preparations, and outcomes for a commission tasked with reviewing rail and river transportation in the region as well as surveys for the potential expansion of the railways into Persia [Iran] and across to the Mediterranean (at Haifa). Principal correspondents include: the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Mesopotamia; the Director of Railways, Baghdad; the War Office; the Chief of Imperial General Staff; the Commander-in-Chief, Army Headquarters, India; and the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Egypt.

The files are arranged in chronological order.

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