Folio 310: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 28th August 1914...

Folio 310: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 28th August 1914 – Commander-in-Chief East Indies requests [HMS] Chatham will act as convoy to second batch of transports due Aden about 8th September.

Folio 312: History Section Precis. M no number. (b) Letter F O Strick & Co Ltd to Admiralty 28th August 1914 – 4 armed launches were shipped by Thornycroft’s to Persian Gulf early in 1914. M no number.

Folio 314: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 29th August 1914 – [HMS] Chatham arrived Aden with [RIM] Somali and [RIM] Dongola. Folios 317-318: telegram from Viceroy to Admiralty 29th August 1914 – lists transports and first echelon of regiments of Force A sailing from Bombay 24th August.

Folio 321: telegram from Karachi to Admiralty 29th August 1914 – [RIM] Northbrook left Karachi with convoy transports.

Folio 322: telegram from British-Consul General, Lourenzo Marques 28th August 1914 – German ship Kronprinz at Lourenzo Marquez using wireless telegraphy but soon stopped by Portuguese authorities.

Folio 324: telegram from Intelligence Officer, Singapore to Admiralty 29th August 1914 – German ship Goldenfels arrived Sebang night of 28th August with part of crew of British ship City of Winchester remaining on board German transport Ziethen [Zieten] accompanied by [German cruiser] Konigsberg; latter sank City of Winchester in Indian Ocean.

Folio 326: telegram from Admiralty to Senior Naval Officer, Aden 29th August 1914 – [HMS] Chatham to escort [RIM Somali and [RIM] Dongola to Cape Guardafui and then return to Aden. [RIM] Somali and [RIM] Dongola to go on independently.

Folios 332-333 – handwritten draft relating to movement of troops from East Indies.

Folio 336: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 31st August 1914 – following received from [HMS] Warrior: steamship Orsova reports following from steamship City of Calcutta 25th August: German cruiser operating off Socotra. Also afternoon 28th August steamship with call sign ASG calling DGD. Telegram from Marine Paris 31st August 1914 – [German] cruiser Konigsberg appeared in the morning of 30th August off the Bay of Majunga.

Folio 337: History Section Precis. M no number. (b) Letter War Office to Admiralty 30th August 1914 – Lord Kitchener anxious to know earliest date second contingent can leave India. Can pressure be put on naval authorities in India to expedite? M no number. (c) Sir H.B.J. [Admiral Sir Henry Jackson] 31st August 1914 – as far as can be judged transport and escort will be ready to leave about 8th September 1914. Naval authorities are meeting demands to their Lordships’ satisfaction. M no number.

Folio 341: telegram from Intelligence Officer, Singapore 1st September 1914 – trade route Singapore – Penang westward declared moderately safe yesterday afternoon.

Folio 342: telegram from Admiralty to [HMS] Pegasus 1st September 1914 – After coaling [HMS] Fox is to return to Bombay.

Folio 344: telegram from Admiral Superintendent to Admiralty 1st September 1914 – [HMS] Black Prince arrived Aden.

Folio 345: telegram from Port Officer, Aden to Admiralty 1st September 1914 – permission is requested for extinction of lights at entrance to harbour and leading light at Perim. Reply – lights at Perim are not to be extinguished. Folio 346: telegram from Commander-in-Chief, Aden to Admiralty 1st September 1914 – Force for German East Africa should leave India 15th September escort [HMS] Dartmouth. Understand combined naval and military attack is contemplated. Should [HMS] Fox remain Zanzibar and will Commander-in-Chief conduct naval operations?

Folio 348: History Section Precis. M 01708/14. Memo from War Office – 1st Indian Contingent will be stopped at Suez. Lord Kitchener does not think special patrolling of Canal necessary, M 01708/14.

Folio 350: telegram from Mombasa to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 – [HMS] Fox sailed. Transport Nairung cleared and will leave for Bombay when complete with coal.

Folio 351: telegram from [HMS] Fox, Mombasa to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 – should like to visit Seychelles en route to Bombay in connection with reports of proximity of [German cruiser] Konigsberg. Telegram from Admiralty to [HMS] Fox, Mombasa 2nd September 1914 – in view of [German cruiser] Konigsberg’s superior speed this visit useless. Go to Bombay. [HMS] Pegasus can be sent to Zanzibar if desirable.

Folio 352: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 2nd September 1914 – [HMS] Duke of Edinburgh arrived Aden.

Folio 354: History Section Precis, M 01751/14. Telegram from Viceroy to India Office 3rd September 1914 – arrangements for despatch of Indian Expeditionary Forces. 22 transports have sailed as reported. 7 sail on 3rd September 1914; 24 preparing to sail on 9th and 10th September 1914; these will be followed by 65 ships of which we hope 49 will be ready between 10th and 23rd September 1914, remainder by end of September, M 01751/14.

Folio 355: telegram from Viceroy to India Office 3rd September 1914 – proposals for convoyas for September. M 01751/14. Folio 356: telegram from [HMS] Dartmouth, Bombay to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 – [HMS] Dartmouth left Bombay with 7 transports.

Folio 357: telegram from Admiral Superintendent, Malta to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 – [HMS] Chatham arrived Aden. [HMS] Black Prince and [HMS] Duke of Edinburgh sailed 3.30am.

Folio 359: telegram from Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, Aden to Admiralty 3rd September 1914 – convoy fifteen transports passed Aden morning of 3rd September without stopping. [HMS] Swiftsure remains Aden having transferred charge to [HMS] Black Prince and [HMS] Duke of Edinburgh who should arrive at Suez 9th September if weather continues fine.

Folio 360: History Section Precis, M 01725/14. Letter from War Office to Colonial Office 31st August 1914 – [ship] Dover Castle is bringing 2nd Battalion East Lancashires from South Africa to UK on 11th September 1914 and Army Council also wish to bring 1st Battalion Essex Regiment of which half is in Mauritius, half in South Africa. This will leave Mauritius without garrison for about 3 weeks. Does Colonial Office concur, M 01725/14. [Reply] Sir H.B.J. [Sir Henry Jackson] 2nd September 1914 – escort for 1 and a half Battalion from Mauritius cannot be arranged at present. Suggest War Office and Colonial Office be informed Admiralty do not concur. C.O.S. [Chief of War Staff Admiralty, Vice Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee] 2nd September 1914 – concur. Every day new arrangements are made without regard to our limited cruiser capacity. M 01725/14. 1st S.L. [First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill] 3rd September 1914 – inform War Office convoy cannot be provided for half Battalion from Mauritius, and suggest overseas movements be dealt with by personal conferences instead of official letters, M 01725/14. F

olio 365: telegram from Admiralty to Commander-in-Chief, East Indies, Aden 3rd September 1914 – Expedition B for German East Africa will not be sent at present. Expedition C for Mombasa and 1 battalion for Mauritius will be ready about 16th September 1914. Suggest [HMS] Fox might escort.

Folio 369: handwritten memo from Admiral Sir Henry Jackson to Vice Admiral Sir Doveton Sturdee 3rd September 1914 re troop movements and their escorts from India to Egypt.