Page 543 - PERSIAN 8 1912_1920_Neat

FOR. THE YEAH 1017.. 2*
British Non-
Commlmiloncd
Unit. British Oflicois and Poralan Persian . Total.
Officer*. Officers. othor Banka.
h arrant
Olhoera.

Brought forward 15 22 76 8,606 8,617
Qsrrlson Band • •• 1 1 80 82
jjlioeUanooua . • 1 8 7 8 18

Total 16 85 84 2,687 2,663

Lieutenant-Colonel G. L. Farran, D.S.O., M.C., commanded the Brigade
throughout the year,x while Major G. R. L. Fitzgerald, D.S.O., was Brigade
Major from March onwards. Major L. C. “Wagstaff, C.I.E., commanded the
garrison at Saidabad, which after April included the 6th South Persia Rifles
Infantry. A squadron of Cavalry and a platoon of Infantry were stationed
at Anar during the latter part of the year. The system of policing roads and
outlying districts by means of tribal levies has not been followed to any great
extent, the only instance being the 100 irregular foot and horse, chiefly Afshare,
stationed at Baft under Sultan Yahya Khan, Mu’tamid-i-Nizam. There is no
doubt that the fact that the South Persia Rifles are being raised and trained
on strictly regular lines causes many tribal and sectional chiefs to forbid their
tribesmen to enlist. They fear, perhaps not without reason, a transfer of their
followers’ allegiance from themselves to the South Persia Rifles. In particular
the Bucbaqcbi tribe, which is generally considered to be the best fighting stock
in the province, has provided no recruits at all, though with the exception of
the notorious Hussain Khan the members of its chief family swear undying devo­
tion to the British Cause. Recruits obtained up to October 1917 from other
fighting clans were : Afshars, Cavalry 8G, Infantry 26; Shabr Babakis,
Cavalry *14, Infantry 102. Recruiting is, however, proceeding briskly among
these tribes and these numbers are now probably greatly exceeded.
The refusal of Ala-us-Sultaneh’s Cabinet, under pressure from the Demo­
crats, to recognise the South Persia Rifles as a Persian force was the cause of
correspondence in the autumn between His Majesty’s Vice-Consul and the
Legation. The Karguzar was ordered to insist that all intercourse between the
South Persia Rifles and Persian Departments be carried on through the
medium of His Majesty’s Consulate and the Karguzari. This was out of the
question, and after consultation . with Colonel Farran and reference to Hh»
Majesty’s Minister, His Majesty’s Vice-Consul informed the Karguzar that the
Commandant, South Persia Rifles, found the present system (of communicat­
ing direct with Persian Government Departments), convenient. The Persian
Government have ceased . for the time being their attempts to hamper and
discredit the South Persia Rifles in this particular manner, hut there is no
doubt that the mere fact of thei*- non-recognition of the force has a disturbing
effect upon the minds of some ot the Persian officers.
The death from enteric fever of Captain G. S. Husband, D.S.O.,
LM.S., Senior Medical Officer, occurred on 21st February.
With a view to the selection of a suitable alignment for this road Major
Rich, R.E., assisted by Lieutenant Murphy
Bandar Abboa-Krnnan Motor Road.
, . and Kban Bahadur Sher Jang surveyed,
uunng the winter and early spring, the Jiruft, Daulatabad and Saidabad routes
f? as numerous possible detours. It was eventually decided, owing to
j?e insuperable difficulties presented by the Tang-i-Zindan, to abandon the
aulatabad alignment, which had originally been chosen and along which the
ab h ^ already keen laid, in favour of the Tang-i-Zagh and Said-
aa route. It was also decided that the road should ho an unznetalled
one.