Appendix I: Information requested by the secretary of state for war from the transportation mission led by Sir Eric Geddes, August 19161
Requirement statistics: the following information to be obtained in quantities per week for each month up to 30 June 1917, in respect of the details set out below.
Tonnage and numbers to be conveyed, and number of railway, road and canal vehicles or craft of various kinds required:
From point of origin to home ports and vice versa.
From French ports, and vice versa.
From ports in other theatres of war, and vice versa, for:
• Officers and men | • Sick, wounded and leave men | • Horses and mules |
• Motor vehicles | • Horse-drawn vehicles | • Spare parts for vehicles and guns |
• Numbers of guns and weights | • Gun ammunition | • Machine-guns |
• Rifles | • Small-arms ammunition | • Bicycles |
• Trench warfare ammunition (including gas cylinders) | • Salvage | • Food supply |
• Clothing, boots and other equipment | • Harness | • Petrol |
• Mails, parcels and private consignments | • General stores | • Railway material |
• Building material | • Other RE stores | • Medical supplies |
• Fuel | • Voluntary Aid Detachments | |
• Red Cross | • YMCA | • Blue Cross |
• Church Army | • Any other large traffics |
Units of requirement of each item, e.g., per Corps, or per Division, per 1,000 men etc. where possible.
Provisions for strategic reasons and to meet requirements about today’s railhead:
Construction, repair etc. of:
• Railways | • Docks | • Canals or roads |
Necessary in the event of an advance, for the movement of troops, ammunition, stores etc., or to feed civil population.
Provision of:
• Railway material | • Girders | • Dock equipment: |
• Locomotives | • Road material | • Gates |
• Carriages and wagons | • Road transport vehicles | • Power |
• Barges | • Material for repairs of canals | • Cranes |
• Labour (repair, maintenance, operating and workshops) | • Fuel | • Rails |
• Stores | • Dredgers |
Special memoranda required on:
1 Existing organisation in this country.
2 Existing organisation in France.
3 French organisation and arrangements for working BEF traffic, including relationship with French government authorities and railway, dock or canal officials.
4 Relation of British military traffic to French traffic (military and/or civilian).
5 Relations with Belgian government qua Railways and ports in the future.
6 Present position of Belgian railways rolling stock.
7 Repairing facilities for locomotives and rolling stock in France and Belgium, including supply of labour and material.
8 Proposals in hand or contemplated for provision of additional lines in France or arrangements with French railways.
9 Relations with REC, with any existing memorandum on the subject.
10 Relations and procedure with Admiralty in France, on the sea, in England, and in other theatres of war.
11 Relations with Admiralty, Army Medical Service, etc., as to the evacuation of sick and wounded.
12 Reports made or any special instructions issued during the period of the war:
a. Labour at home or abroad.
b. Dock facilities at home or abroad.
c. Rail facilities at home or abroad.
d. Canal facilities at home or abroad.
e. Road transport at home or abroad.
f. Evacuation of sick and wounded.
13 Position as regards:
a. Railways.
b. Sea Transport.
c. Docks.
d. Canals.
e. Roads in France.
With maps and plans where available. Memorandum to give details as to all difficulties which are being experienced: all probable tight places being specially marked on the maps and plans. Details of steps in progress or in contemplation to counteract the difficulties.
14 General flow of traffic at home and abroad, through various ports and by the different routes. Descriptions of traffic generally forwarded by rail, canal and road.
15 Storage depots in France and in this country so far as transport questions are affected.
16 Requirements of special capacity wagons and numbers available.
17 Armoured trains.
18 All special regulations as to despatch and storage or loading on railways of mixed cargoes, ammunition, guns, men. Any restrictions against bulk cargoes of any kind.
19 Memorandum with specimen forms of all traffic returns submitted to WO or IGC.
20 Statement of all railway, dock or canal works, rolling stock, craft accommodation and equipment generally provided by the British government in France.
21 Extent to which railway telegraphs and telephone circuits are used for the business of other departments.
______________
1 TNA, WO 32/5164, Facilities and arrangements for Sir E. Geddes in conducting his investigation on transport arrangements in connection with the British Expeditionary Force at home and overseas, 9 Aug. 1916.