THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
A Short Guide
Richard Hatfield
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Macnaghten Library
Collection of First World War Maps and Aerial Photographs
Catalogue as at 1 October 2013
Front cover: Montage of aerial photo of trenches near Ecurie
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INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................4
THE CONTEXT: MAPPING IN THE GREAT WAR ........................................................4
Origins of British Military Mapping ...............................................................................4
The nature of the Great War .........................................................................................5
THE BEF AND THE WESTERN FRONT ........................................................................5
The Cartographic Challenge ..........................................................................................5
The Maps ......................................................................................................................6
Special Features ............................................................................................................8
Aerial Photographs........................................................................................................8
THE MEF AND GALLIPOLI .......................................................................................10
The nature of the campaign ........................................................................................10
The Clauson Maps .......................................................................................................11
THE NEAR EAST AND MESOPOTAMIA ....................................................................12
The Near East and Mesopotamian theatres ................................................................12
The Mesopotamia Campaign ......................................................................................12
The Clauson Maps .......................................................................................................13
ENEMY AND OTHER MAPS .....................................................................................14
ANNEX 1 – HOW THE COLLECTION IS CATALOGUED .............................................16
Full Catalogue .............................................................................................................16
Catalogue Numbers ....................................................................................................16
Storage ........................................................................................................................16
ANNEX 2 – WESTERN FRONT .................................................................................18
ANNEX 3 – GALLIPOLI.............................................................................................25
ANNEX 4 – NEAR EAST AND MESOPOTAMIA .........................................................26
ANNEX 5 – NOTE ON SCALES .................................................................................28
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INTRODUCTION
Eton’s collection of First World War military maps and associated items
(photographs, newspaper cuttings etc.) is drawn from three main operational
theatres: the British sector of the Western Front, the Gallipoli campaign of
1915 and Mesopotamia (Iraq). These range from small scale maps used for
strategic planning (or even familiarisation with basic geography) to very
detailed large scale artillery and trench maps. There are also a limited number
of high level, small scale, maps covering parts of Egypt and Syria. Finally
there are seven foreign maps – three French, two German and two Turkish
which make for interesting comparisons with the British material – and an
unexplained (but British) map of the land campaign in the 1904 RussoJapanese war.
The collection comes from four main identifiable sources. The Gallipoli,
Mesopotamian and Egyptian maps originally belonged to Lt. (later Capt.) G M
L Clauson, a Kings Scholar who left Eton in 1910 and was deployed to Gallipoli
in 1915 and after a brief period on the staff in Egypt went on to serve in Iraq.
Much of the Western Front material was originally owned by a Lt. C H
Whitelegge who served in the Army Service Corps (the supply organisation).
He was not an Etonian and this material seems to have been purchased for
the Macnaghten Library from a dealer. A number of other Western Front
maps can be traced back to a Capt W F Hope-Jones, another Old Etonian who
fought in the First World War and subsequently returned as a beak. Finally,
four maps were given to the College in 2007 by Valentine Fleming, the
grandson of Major Valentine Fleming DSO (father of Ian Fleming the author).
Major Fleming and his brother Philip were both Old Etonians who served in the
Queen’s Own Oxfordshire Hussars, along with Winston Churchill. As two of
these maps have hand written annotations dated to 1918 – in one case stating
that it was used during the British retreat that spring – and Valentine Fleming
was killed in action in May 1917, these may have originally belonged to his
brother.
THE CONTEXT: MAPPING IN THE GREAT WAR
Origins of British Military Mapping
Although knowledge of the terrain has always been a vital factor in warfare, for
much of history maps were either absent or hopelessly inadequate and
inaccurate so that commanders were often forced to rely on local guides – with
very mixed results. This was often even true when armies were campaigning
on their own territory, as the British Army discovered when attempting to
pursue Jacobite rebels after the 1745 rebellion. It was this that led to the
commissioning of a military survey of the Highlands and eventually to the
creation of the Ordnance Survey which, between 1783 and 1853, completed
the first comprehensive and accurate mapping of the British Isles. Similar
motives led the British East India Company to establish the Survey of India in
1767. Both organisations were to play an important role in the First World
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War, with the Ordnance Survey focussed on the Western Front and the Survey
of India providing mapping support for the Mesopotamian theatre.
The nature of the Great War
During the First World War British military cartographers faced a whole set of
new challenges. In the first place, all the Army's campaigns were overseas in
Europe, the Middle East and Africa and the available local maps were
generally lacking in both detail and accuracy. Secondly, the nature of early
th
20 century warfare generated new cartographic requirements: controlling and
deploying mass citizen armies rapidly over long distances, artillery firing by
map at targets over ten miles away and trench systems sometimes thousands
of yards deep extending along a front of more than a hundred miles. The
destruction caused by artillery used on an unprecedented scale and firing high
explosive also meant that features on the landscape were frequently changed
or even obliterated. High explosive even created new geographic features –
most notably the huge craters resulting from the British mines exploded along
the Messines Ridge.
Luckily, the First World War also provided the military mapmaker with new
technological aids for gathering the necessary information, notably greatly
improved optical instruments and photography, especially aerial photography.
But advances in the accuracy, speed and volume of map reproduction were
almost as important so that, for example, trench maps could be regularly and
rapidly updated and issued not only to planning staff but front line officers.
THE BEF AND THE WESTERN FRONT
The Cartographic Challenge
When the British Expeditionary Force (B.E.F) deployed to France and Belgium
in August 1914 it had to rely on existing maps normally at a scale of 1:40,000
(for Belgium) or 1:80,000 (for France), respectively equivalent to about 1.6
1
inches and 3.2 inches to the mile . While these were acceptable for the short
opening phase of mobile operations, they were of limited use when the
Western Front solidified behind two continuous lines of trenches.
Trench warfare required larger scale maps with detailed tactical information not
only about the terrain but also about the enemy’s defensive system for
planning infantry attacks and directing artillery fire, which rapidly became the
dominant battlefield weapon. It was also important to know how to find your
way about your own trench system and to develop special purpose maps, for
example to manage the railways and roads used to move huge armies and the
vast quantities of ammunition, food (and horse fodder) and other military
supplies needed to sustain them.
At first the Ordnance Survey produced maps by enlarging and adapting
existing French and Belgium maps to 1:40,000 or 1:20,000 scale but, apart
from special maps of fortified zones (Plans Directeurs), many of the French
1
For table of scale equivalences see Annex 4
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maps were not sufficiently detailed or up to date. It was therefore quickly
decided to carry out a new survey of the British front. One small initial team of
Royal Engineers and surveyors from the Ordnance Survey in Southampton
grew over the course of the war into field survey companies attached to every
Army.
Details of the landscape, enemy positions and rear areas were
gathered and regularly updated from aerial photographs, supplemented by
intelligence from trench raids, prisoners and so on.
In 1915 B.E.F. began to use new larger 1:10,000 scale, or 6 inch to the mile,
Trench Maps with details of the German Front Line, machine gun posts,
bunkers, communication trenches to the rear and known rear defensive
positions shown in red. The maps indicated the “approximate” BEF Front Line
in blue as an aid to orientation but without further detail on maps issued to
frontline units. In early 1918 the colours were reversed to conform to the
convention adopted by the French Army. Maps showing detailed British
positions were classified as “Secret” and not supposed to be taken beyond the
Brigade Headquarters into the front line in case they fell into German hands,
for example during a trench raid. From Edition 2 onwards this series of maps
(GSGS 3062) became the base maps for the entire British front, with smaller
scale maps produced by photographic reduction.
For obvious reasons, new editions were issued more frequently for maps of
areas which were the locations of major battles. Some of the first 1:10,000
Trench Maps which had been produced in 1915 based on old French maps
were revised during 1916 using more accurate survey data. It was, however,
important to keep the tactical information overprinted on the maps as up to
date as possible and that on many of the maps in the Macnaghten Collection
can be precisely dated by the rubric: "Trenches Corrected to ...”
The Maps
The collection provides good high level topographic coverage of the British
sector of operations in Belgium and north-eastern France at 1:250,000 (6 miles
to an inch) and 1,100,000 (2.5 miles to an inch) for general orientation and
strategic planning. Below these small scale maps, the BEF used maps at
three different scales for different purposes but linked to a common grid
2
developed from the pre-war Belgian map system.
The 1:40,000 scale Map Sheets used for staff planning provided the foundation
of this system. These were divided into quadrants (NW, NE, SW, SE) to
create the standard set of 1:20,000 scale maps – primarily used for artillery
spotting and direction – which were, in turn, divided into four 1:10,000 maps for
highly detailed tactical maps. Although both the 1:20,000 and 1:10,000 maps
are commonly described as “Trench Maps”, the former were generally used for
artillery planning and more concerned with the position of enemy HQs and
artillery batteries.
2
See Appendix to Annex 2 for an explanation of the somewhat idiosyncratic way in
which the Belgian grid was extended initially westwards and subsequently southwards.
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The 1:10,000 scale maps in the
Macnaghten Library vividly illustrate
the areas of the front held by the BEF
British troops between 1914 and
spring 1918. (Most of the small area
to the north was held by the remnant
of the Belgium Army). Although the
length
of
the
front
extended
southwards as the BEF grew in size
from 6 divisions to around 90
divisions, it is striking how little
movement there was in the line during
this period.
In fact, the largest
movement was a voluntary German
withdrawal in 1917 to the preprepared
fortifications
of
the
Hindenburg line to pre-empt a French
offensive. This withdrawal has been
marked on two maps in the
3
collection .
In August 1918, the Allies at last broke through all the layers of the Hindenburg
defensive system and the final “Hundred Days” advance saw a return to a war
of movement. This led to further changes in mapping. The armies were
moving into new terrain, without heavily fortified trench systems developed
over months, if not years, and the objective was to dislodge the enemy as
quickly as possible before improvised defences could be turned into major
obstacles. This led to the abandonment of specialised very large scale trench
maps and the widespread use of a single Enemy Organisation map. This is
what would today be called a “situation map” and combined information on
German troop concentrations, an outline of any trenches or other defences and
potential artillery targets such as hostile gun batteries, HQs and ammunition
dumps.
One of the most poignant features of many of the maps is the stark contrast
between the rear areas, where the dense network of farms and small
settlements that made up much of this part of France in 1914 can still be
clearly seen, and the lunar landscape where fighting has taken place .
Buildings, hamlets, villages and even towns lie wholly or partially in ruins,
some appearing as little more than labels attached to piles of rubble which
provide a reference point in the wilderness. In some places woods, railways
and roads have literally been obliterated and, across this wasteland runs an
insanely complex maze of thin blue and red lines representing the trench
networks.
The collection contains a number of maps which cover a particular area of the
front at different times, illustrating the irony that, despite the lack of any
strategic movement, the detail on the large scale tactical maps is constantly
changing as defences are extended, individual sections of the trenches are
abandoned because of flooding or shelling, and headquarters, artillery
batteries and ammunition are relocated.
3
See Maps WF 53 and WF 56
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Special Features
There are a number of special purpose maps – for example maps of the
strategic rail system and the road network in the Fifth Army and Reserve Army
areas. To help ease the continuous flow of troops, horses, and supplies
required to sustain the front, there was a hugely complex traffic system behind
the front in which all but the biggest roads were one-way only and some routes
were reserved for ambulances. Motorcycles and staff cars were, however,
allowed to use roads without restriction! There is also a map produced just
after the war showing the sites of all the known war graves around Ypres
before these had been collected into the cemeteries of the Commonwealth
War Graves Commission.
The dates show that many of the individual maps were prepared ahead of a
specific planned attack by the BEF. Often these will be “Special Sheets” which
cover an area covering parts of two or more standard sheets to fit better with
operational boundaries – for example a series of maps prepared in advance of
the Cambrai offensive of November/December 19174. Perhaps the best
example is a map of the Ypres area prepared for a British attack sometimes
known as the (second) Battle of Langemarck during the series of battles known
as “Third Ypres” (or Passchendaele). What makes this map particularly
interesting is that it has been marked with planned phaselines (i.e. successive
objectives) for the BEF attack and it can be read in conjunction with copies of
several of the 56th Divisions handwritten Divisional Orders and Instructions for
the attack5.
Other maps also have interesting annotations. Several show changes in the
front line following a local advance6 and, as already noted, two show the
German strategic withdrawal in early 1917 designed to forestall an Allied
offensive by shortening their line and moving into the prepared defences of the
Hindenburg Line. Other annotations include training areas and possible billet
sites during the Final Advance7.
Finally, Lt. Whitelegge is the source of a number of specialist artillery items
including an artillery firing map, a group of technical notes about artillery
ammunition and copies of the artillery orders for the Canadian attack on Vimy
Ridge, accompanied by his log of operations in April 1917.8 Whitelegge also
collected contemporary newspaper cuttings about the progress of 1917
operations
Aerial Photographs
The collection contains some thirty aerial photographs of the western front
(and four from the Mesopotamian Campaign). The catalogue relates all of
these to their location using the BEF mapping system.
4
See Maps WF 21 to WF 30.
These relate to a subsidiary attack near
Bullecourt ,just north of the main effort
5
See Map WF 2.1 and WF 97.1 – 97.9 for related Divisional Orders and
commentary
6
See for example WF 43
7
See maps WF 59 and WF 77 respectively.
8
WF 31, WF 120 – WF 126
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The biggest single contribution comes from the purchase of a collection
originally belonging to Capt Gladstone Adams RFC. Adams was a Newcastle
photographer who became one of the BEF’s principal photographic officers,
apparently responsible for documenting the shooting down of Baron von
Richtofen. There are three individual photographs of trench systems taken by
Adams in 1917, in one of which an artillery shell can be seen bursting on the
9
ground . In addition Adams compiled a scrapbook in which photographs of the
Scarpe Valley area, SE of Arras, are set alongside the corresponding map
10
extracts .
There are four other items which show how photographs were related to the
11
maps: two half map, half photo composites of the Mercatel area ; and a shot
of the Lens/Noyelles area and a map showing the precise area in the
12
photograph.
The photograph of Lens/Noyelles is the only oblique, as
opposed to directly overhead, shot in the collection and has been annotated to
identify the (remains of) the landmarks that can be seen. Another overhead
photograph shows the devastation in the centre of Lens itself.
There is an interesting group of four photographs of Messines and the area to
its northwest taken in late 1915 which show how a detailed picture can be
assembled from overlapping photographs – see diagram below.
Map of Wytschaete area and Messines with superimposed photographs 13
It is also interesting to compare the trench systems shown in these
photographs with the much more elaborate defences shown in the two trench
maps in the Macnaghten collection which date from late 1916 and 1917. Other
items with interesting features are a panorama of the River Ancre created by
9
See WF 116, WF 117 and WF 118 and accompanying notes on WF 113
WF 116
WF 105.1, WF 105.2
12
WF 103.1 and 103.2 respectively
13
WF 101 and WF 100.1, WF 100.2, WF 100.3
10
11
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14
stitching several photographs together . These were taken in June 1918, at
the end of the German Army’s Spring Offensive.
THE MEF AND GALLIPOLI
The nature of the campaign
Gallipoli was a disastrous mistake, fundamentally flawed both in concept and
execution. The strategic objective was to knock the Ottoman Empire out of the
war by forcing the Dardanelles and enabling a British and French fleet to reach
Constantinople (now Istanbul). Even had this succeeded, it is hard to
understand why it should have been thought that the presence of a fleet off the
Ottoman capital or even an actual bombardment would have been sufficient to
precipitate Turkey’s withdrawal from the war. In the event, the original plan to
force the Dardanelles using naval power alone badly underestimated the
vulnerability of warships in narrow waters defended by a combination of
minefields covered by both forts and by mobile artillery which could not be
engaged effectively with naval gunfire. When the naval attack had to be
abandoned in the face of mounting losses it was thought that the solution was
to land an army on the Gallipoli peninsula to take the forts and artillery from the
landside, thus allowing the mines to be cleared and the fleet to proceed to
Constantinople.
The first troops of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force (MEF) went ashore
on 25 April 1915 at Cape Helles and what became known as ANZAC Cove.
The last troops were evacuated eight months later on 28 December. Allied
casualties were some 53,000 killed and 100,000 wounded. Although it is
estimated that Turkish casualties were somewhat greater, they were entirely
successful in bottling up the MEF and preventing it from reaching its
objectives. As with the naval operation, the initial plan was hopelessly
optimistic, badly underestimating the quality of the Turkish troops, brilliantly led
by the German general Liman von Sanders, fighting in perfect defensive
terrain.
The landings were also flawed in execution, particularly in the strength and
quality of the initial force, most of which was hastily assembled from new and
partially trained formations, and its failure to move rapidly inland allowing the
Turkish defenders to concentrate and secure the ridge lines, pinning the MEF
in its bridgehead. An attempt to break the resulting stalemate by outflanking
the Turkish positions through a second landing further up the peninsula at
Suvla Bay in August similarly failed to exploit initial surprise and was soon
contained in its turn.
The MEF was even less prepared cartographically for its task than the BEF
had been on its deployment to France in August 1914. The first suggestion
that the British Army might have to fight on the Gallipoli peninsula was just
weeks before the first troops went ashore. Initial maps were derived from a
1908 1:63,360 (1 inch to a mile) map based on a French survey of 1854. This
was converted into three 1:40,000 scale maps covering the peninsula but,
14
WF 112
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unsurprisingly, contained serious inaccuracies. This might not have mattered if
the MEF had achieved the intended strategic surprise and seized the key
ground on the peninsula before the Turks could mount a coherent defence.
Yet, within days, the front had solidified and the MEF was confronted with the
trench warfare in a rugged landscape of steep ridges rising to over 1000 feet
and deep ravines.
As the previous year in France, this created an urgent need for artillery maps
and detailed trench maps, especially as the terrain was much more difficult at
Gallipoli and it was also difficult to deploy and use artillery in a very confined
area, making it necessary to draw on naval gunfire support. These new maps
were developed over the next few months by the Survey of Egypt drawing on
aerial reconnaissance and captured Turkish maps.
The Clauson Maps
As already noted, the source of the Macnaghten maps of Gallipoli was Lt G M
L Clauson. Clauson was posted to IX Corps which was formed in England in
th
1915 as the HQ for the forces landed at Suvla Bay on August 6 to try to break
the stalemate on the peninsula. His role as an HQ staff officer is reflected in
the nature of the maps in his collection. Some of the maps show the MEF’s
own positions in detail and are marked “Not to be taken into an attack.”
He also has a set of the new
Survey of Egypt 1:20,000 maps
which cover almost all the
Gallipoli peninsula, reflecting
the hope that these landings
would outflank the main Turkish
positions and open up the
battle. In the event, most of
these maps went unused. As
on the Western Front, the
primary purpose of the 1:20,000
maps was to direct artillery and,
at Gallipoli, naval gunfire
support.
Gallipolli Map Grid
One of the interesting features
of this collection is a group of
15
artillery tracings of the Suvla Bay area . These represent a very low-tech
solution to the problem of transposing information from one map to another.
They are simply sheets of semi transparent paper (like baking sheet paper)
printed with standard grids of 600 yard artillery squares. These are then
marked with positions of enemy batteries, HQ’s etc. reported from various
sources to produce a composite picture and overlaid on 1:20,000 scale maps.
A final item, which gives a vivid impression of the Gallipoli terrain, is a page of
16
sketches taken from HMS Talbot off the western coast of Suvla Bay. HMS
15
The tracings are GA 5.2 – GA 5.7 and mostly relate to sections of the map
GA 5.1
16
See GA 12
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Talbot was an old cruiser present throughout the campaign and flagship of the
rd
3 Squadron at the Suvla landings.
THE NEAR EAST AND MESOPOTAMIA
The Near East and Mesopotamian theatres
The First World War saw two almost entirely separate British theatres of
operations in what would now be called the Middle East region. The Near East
theatre was concerned with the offensive mounted from Egypt into Palestine,
leading to the fall of Jerusalem and Damascus. The second, largely mounted
from India through the port of Basra, was the Mesopotamian campaign which
ultimately resulted in the capture of Baghdad. Most of the Macnaghten maps
relate to the second British offensive of the Mesopotamian campaign, although
there are a number of high level maps of the Near East theatre, from Clauson’s
period on the staff in Cairo in early 1916.
The Mesopotamia Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was one of the sideshows of the First World
War. Allied objectives were initially limited to protecting their oil supplies from
the Persian Gulf region. Following Turkey’s entry into the War on the side of
the Central Powers, troops from the Indian army landed in December 1914 to
secure Basra and the Shatt al Arab area to deny access to Kuwait or the
important oil refinery at Abadan in what was then Persia. In due course this
led to two British offensives against Baghdad.
The first offensive was almost accidental. The Ottomans saw the area as of
low priority in relation to other fronts and their weak counter attacks not only
failed to dislodge the British landings but resulted in a serious defeat followed
by a precipitate retreat up river towards Baghdad. A small British force under
Major-General Townsend exploited this unexpected success by improvising an
advance up the Tigris River despite the difficulties of supply. Townsend
defeated several Turkish forces sent to stop him but an unwise attempt to push
on all the way to Baghdad was blocked just short of the city. Unable to sustain
his force so far from their supply base, Townsend withdrew downriver to Kut
where he was cut off and besieged, finally surrendering in April 1916 after the
failure of several relief attempts.
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During the latter half of 1916 the
British regrouped and developed
logistic infrastructure to allow them
properly supply and sustain a
methodical advance up river. This
second British offensive was
launched under General Maude in
December 1916, advancing up
banks of the Tigris, forcing the
Turks out of several defensive
positions. The main Turkish forces
were concentrated to defend Kut
they were outflanked on the other
bank and nearly surrounded. After
again defeating the Turks on the
Diyala River, Maude’s army
captured Baghdad in March 1917.
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
the
to
both
but
Mesopotamia Campaign 1916-17
The Clauson Maps
After Gallipoli, IX Corps headquarters was initially withdrawn to Cairo before
being sent to the Western Front. From annotations on several of his maps it
appears that Clauson remained in Cairo briefly becoming “1st GS” of XV
Corps. The precise meaning of this designation is unclear. It might denote the
Corps GSO 1 (Staff Officer Grade 1) - the officer responsible for all operational
planning. This would, however, normally be held by a significantly more senior
officer than Clauson, a Lt Col or Col. Nevertheless, as XV Corps had only
been created in December 1915 and was still in the process of getting up to
strength, it is possible that Clauson was filling this position on a temporary
basis. Or it may be that the designation was intended simply to indicate that
he was in the principal “G branch” concerned with operational planning. Either
way, within three months XV Corps HQ was also despatched to the Western
Front, without Clauson. It is likely, however, that the group of the Near East
maps in the Macnaghten collection come from this period and would have
been used for planning for the possibility of a Turkish attack from Sinai and for
a British offensive into Palestine.
These Near East maps once again demonstrate the limitations of the maps
available in the more remote theatres, even after more than a year of the war.
They are all small scale maps – at best 1:100,000 (about 1.6 miles to the inch)
– and although most are now part of a series covering the region in a
standardised format, the Topographic information remains quite basic and
often derived from dated and partial sources. The most extreme example of
this is a 1916 Survey of Egypt map covering the entire Middle East region17 at
a scale of 1:8,000,000 (over 12 miles to an inch) which is nothing more than a
18
“vandyked” copy of a map from Max von Oppenheim’s 1893 journey across
the region taken from his travelogue “From the Mediterranean to the Persian
17
See Map NE 9
“Vandyking” - a lithographic process invented by F R Vandyke at the Survey
of India
18
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Gulf”, published in 1899. Other sources of information appear to include prewar “holidays” by British officers.
The main interest, however, lies in the maps covering the second advance on
Baghdad (and beyond) by the Iraq Expeditionary Force. The two main sets
19
are a sequence of 4 inch to the mile maps of “Turkey in Asia” which would
have been used for general planning and another set at 1 inch to the mile and
20
four aerial photographs following the line of advance up the Tigris used for
more detailed operational planning. Interestingly, almost all these maps seem
to have been prepared by the Survey of India. The quality of data is variable.
Some are marked “rough compilation”, while three used for the advance
beyond Bagdad appear to draw on 1902 WO maps (and use the slightly
21
different 1:250,000 scale) . In addition to the normal geographic and
Topographic information – which is quite sketchy in some places – the smaller
scale maps are marked with crucial logistical information reflecting the
difficulties facing armies trying to fight, or even move, in desert regions, and
such as “only water from deep wells” or “passable by wheeled vehicles only
when dry”. (Perhaps maps of Flanders might also have benefitted from similar
markings)
The use of 1 inch maps (1:63000) for operational planning provides an
interesting contrast with the Western Front (or indeed Gallipoli) where the
normal scale would be 1:20,000 or even 1:10,000. The explanation is the
much smaller force levels on both sides not only in absolute terms but relative
to the space involved and the much less sophisticated defensive systems
normally employed in desert conditions. Only at Kut, where the Turks
concentrated for their main stand, was it necessary to produce a detailed
22
“trench map” of the Hai bridgehead at 1:10,560 scale .
The final two items in Clauson’s Mesopotamian collection are very large scale
map of Baghdad prepared for the occupying forces and a programme for an
Army Regatta held in September 1917 with separate Gufa (circular coracles of
23
basket work) and Dinghy races for Officers and other ranks .
ENEMY AND OTHER MAPS
The Macnaghten collection contains a small number of maps from other
nations which provide interesting comparisons with their British counterparts.
French maps. There are three maps of the Montdidier, Soissons and
24
Compiegne areas at 1:100,000 scale , probably used by the British at a very
19
See Maps IQ 1 – IQ 17
See Maps IQ 29.1, IQ 30.1, IQ 32, IQ 34 and IQ41 – IQ44 for aerial
photographs
21
An interesting sidelight is that all the maps produced for Iraq by the Survey
of India or by the Iraq Expeditionary Force itself were based on Imperial scales
whereas the War Office, the BEF and the MEF at Gallipoli all used metric
scales.
22
IQ 31
23
IQ 37 and 38 respectively
20
24
WF94, WF95, WF 96
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early stage of the war. The Montdidier map was issued by the French General
Staff and is dated 1902, while the other two were commercially published
maps dating from the early 1890s. This provides some indication of the state
of French maps of their own country at the start of the war.
25
German maps. There are two examples of German trench maps , probably
both dating from 1916. These are at the exceptionally large scale of 1:1000
(i.e. about 30 yards to the inch) and appear to be detailed plans of the
positions of particular German units.
Turkish Maps. The two captured Turkish maps provide an interesting contrast
to the other maps in the collection. One is a 1:100,000 scale map of the
26
approaches to Baghdad which seems relatively unsophisticated compared
with the sort of maps used by the other main combatants. The second is a
27
fascinating 1:250,000 map of Basra and the Shatt al Arab . This is even
cruder, more like a Japanese painting than a modern map. Unusually, in
order to cover the whole off the Shatt al Arab on a single map it unpacks to
approximately 8ft x 2ft and has been rotated about 80 degrees anticlockwise
from the usual N/S alignment.
The Mukden map.
And finally, there is perhaps the oddest map in the
Macnaghten collection. This is a map of the land campaign in the 1904 Russo28
Japanese war . The map was prepared in 1912 by the British Ordnance
Survey but its provenance and purpose are unclear. Perhaps it was used by
the British Army to study the most recent war between major combatants?
October 2013
Richard Hatfield
25
See Maps WF 98, WF 99
See Map IQ 39
27
See Map IQ 40
28
See Map XX 1
26
Page 15
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
ANNEX 1 – HOW THE COLLECTION IS CATALOGUED
Full Catalogue
The Annexes in this guide summarise the material available but College
Library holds the full catalogue in the form of a Microsoft Access database
which contains more information on most items. Each entry provides the
following information, as available:

Catalogue number – including Theatre of operations (see below)

Title/description

Filed – where it is normally stored (e.g. OL.6 Left = the left hand side
of drawer OL.6)

Type – e.g. Trench Map, aerial photograph

Issued (if known) – Issuing authority – e.g. Survey of India

Reference – if applicable

Scale (if appropriate)

Date of data/publication (Year/month/day as known)

Edition – if applicable

Source – where known

Condition notes

Comment – e.g. “map annotated with attack phase lines”.
The database also includes some additional explanatory notes, abbreviations
and scales.
Catalogue Numbers
The collection also contains aerial photographs and a few other items closely
associated with the maps (e.g. related newspaper cuttings). Every item has a
reference number composed of a two letter code indicating the relevant theatre
of operations followed by a serial number. The theatre codes are:

WF – Western Front

GA – Gallipoli

IQ – Mesopotamia (i.e. modern Iraq)

NE – Near East (i.e. Sinai/Palestine)

XX - Other
If there is only one map of a particular area the serial will be a whole number.
If several maps cover the same area they will be numbered with the same
base number and differentiated by adding decimals – e.g. 5.1, 5.2, 5.3. These
may be exact duplicates (perhaps with differing annotations) or they may have
been produced at different dates. There are also several artillery tracings
which form overlays for one of the Gallipoli maps and they have also been
given the same number as the parent map, with a different decimal.
Storage
The collection is stored in the top four drawers of cabinet OL. Drawer OL.6
(top) contains Clauson’s maps of Gallipoli, Near East and Mesopotamia. OL.5
Page 16
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
contains the Western Front maps of C H Whitelegge. Drawer OL.4 contains
most of the remaining BEF maps. OL.3 contains specialised Western Front
items (including French and German maps), Western Front aerial photos and
Whitelegge’s collection of artillery memorabilia and news cuttings.
Page 17
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
ANNEX 2 – WESTERN FRONT
An unusual map of the 1904 Manchurian campaign was found with and is
stored with the Western Front Maps.
Western Front Summary
Cat.
No.
WF
Title/Description
1 Sheet 28 NW 2 (St Julien)
Type
Scale
Year Source
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
2.1 Sheet 28 NW 4 (Zillebeke) with parts of NE 3 Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
2.2 Sheet 28 NW 4 (Zillebeke) with parts of NE 3 Trench Map
10,000 1917
WF
3 Sheet 36 NW 2 (Houplines)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
4 Sheet 36 NW (Bois Grenier)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
5 Sheet 36 SW 1 (Aubers)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
6 Sheet 36 SW 2 (Radinghem)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
7.1 Sheet 36 SW 3 (Richebourg)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
7.2 Sheet 36 SW 3 (Richebourg)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
8 Sheet 36 SW 4 (Sainghin)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
9.1 Sheet 36c NW 1 (La Bassee)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
9.2 Violaines (Givenchy)
Trench Map
10,000 1918
CHW
WF
9.3 La Bassee Canal (Givenchy S)
Trench Map
10,000 1918
CHW
WF
9.4 Auchy
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
10 Sheet 36c NW 2 (Bauvin)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 11.1 Sheet 36c NW 3 (Loos)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 11.2 Sheet 36c NW 3 (Loos)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
12 Sheet 36c NW 4 (Pont a Vendin)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
13 Sheet 36c SW 1 (Lens)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
14 Sheet 36c SW 2 (Harnes)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
15 Sheet 36c SW 3 (Vimy)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 16.1 Sheet 36c SW 4 (Rouvroy)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 16.2 Sheet 36c SW 4 (Rouvroy)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 17.1 Sheet 51b NW 2 (Oppy)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF 17.2 Sheet 51b NW 2 (Oppy)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
18 Sheet 51b NW 4 (Fampoux)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
19 Sheet 51b SW 2 (Vis-en-Artois)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
20 Sheet 51b SW4 (Bullecourt)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
21 Plouvain (Sheet 51b NW/SW part)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
22 "U1 to C6" (51b SW/57c NW parts)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
23 Pronville (Sheet 51b/57c parts)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
24 Demicourt (57c NE part)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
25 Beaucamp (57c SNE, SE parts)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
26 Banteux (57c SE/57b SW parts)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
CHW
Page 18
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Western Front Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year Source
WF
27 Hamblain-les-Pres (Sheet 51b central parts) Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
28 Hendecourt (Sheet 51b/57c parts)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF 29.1 Moeuvres (Sheet 57c central parts)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF 29.2 Moeuvres (Sheet 57c central parts)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
30 Gouzeaucourt (57c/57b parts)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
31 Bapaume District (Part of 57c SW)
Artillery Map
10,000 1917
CHW
WF
32 Sheet 20 SW (Langemarck)
Trench Map
20,000 1916
CHW
WF 33.1 Sheet 28 NW (Ypres)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF 33.2 Sheet 28 NW (Ypres)
Trench Map
20,000 1917 ?WHJ
WF
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF 35.1 Sheet 36C SW (Lens)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF 35.2 Sheet 36C SW (Lens)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
WF 36.1 Sheet 51B SW (Bullecourt)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
WF 36.2 Sheet 51B SW (Bullecourt)
Trench Map
20,000 1917 ?WHJ
WF
37 Sheet 57C NW (Bapaume)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
38 Sheet 57C NE (Havrincourt)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
39 Sheet 57D SE (Ancre)
Trench Map
20,000 1916
CHW
WF
40 Sheet 57C SE (Gouzeaucourt)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
CHW
WF
34 Sheet 36A SE (St Venant)
CHW
41 France - 51C (Mt St Eloi)
Planning
40,000 1915
CHW
WF 42.1 France - 51B (E of Arras)
Planning
40,000 1915
CHW
WF 42.2 France - 51B (E of Arras)
Planning
40,000 1917
WF
Planning
40,000 1915
CHW
WF 44.1 France - 57C (E of Bapaume)
43 France - 57D (Doullens)
Planning
40,000 1916
CHW
WF 44.2 France - 57C (E of Bapaume)
Planning
40,000 1917
CHW
WF 44.3 France - 57c (E of Bapaume)
Planning
40,000 1917 ?WHJ
WF 45.1 France - 62D (Somme)
Planning
40,000 1916
WF 45.2 France - 62D (Somme)
Planning
40,000 1918
WF 46.1 France - 62C (Peronne)
Planning
40,000 1916
WF 46.2 France - 62c (Peronne)
Planning
WF
47 1st Army Area (Armentiere-Arras)
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
48 1st Army Area (Lens)
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
49 1st Army Forward Area (Armentiere-Arras)
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
WF
50 1st Army Area (Barlin area only)
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
WF
51 2nd Army Area (Ypres)
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
52 5th Army Area (Ypres)
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
WF
53 5th Army Area (Ypres)
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
WF
54 Reserve Army Area
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
55 Reserve Army (Arras-Bapaume-Doullens)
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
56 Reserve Army (Somme-Albert-Bapaume)
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
CHW
CHW
40,000 1917 ?WHJ
Page 19
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Western Front Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year Source
WF
57 Reserve Army (Mondicourt area only)
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
58 Reserve Army
Transport
100,000 1916
CHW
WF
59 NW Europe-1 (Brussels/Lille)
Topographic
250,000 1914
CHW
WF 60.1 NW Europe-4 (Bethune/Amiens)
Topographic
250,000 1914
CHW
WF 60.2 NW Europe-4 (Bethune/Amiens)
Topographic
250,000 1915
WF
61 NW Europe-9 (Rouen/Chartres)
Topographic
250,000 1914
CHW
WF
62 NW Europe- 10 (Paris/Chalons)
Topographic
250,000 1914
CHW
WF
63 NW Europe-5 (Namur/Trier)
Topographic
250,000 1918
WF
64 Belgium - 2 Ghent
Topographic
100,000 1912
WF
65 Belgium - 3 Antwerp
Topographic
100,000 1912
WF
66 Belgium -7 Liege
Topographic
100,000 1912
WF 67.1 France - 11 Lens
Topographic
100,000 1915
WF 67.2 France - 11 Lens
Topographic
100,000 1916
WF 67.3 France - 11 Lens
Topographic
100,000 1916
WF 67.4 France - 11 Lens
Topographic
100,000 1916
WF
68 Belgium - 12 Valenciennes
Topographic
100,000 1915
WF
69 France - 13 Calais
Topographic
100,000 1917
VF
WF 70.1 France - 17 Amiens
Topographic
100,000 1916
VF
WF 70.2 France - 17 Amiens
Topographic
100,000 1916
WF
71 France - 18 St Quentin
Topographic
100,000 1915
WF
72 France - 21 Beauvais
Topographic
100,000 1916
WF
73 France - 22 Soissons
Topographic
100,000 1917 ?WHJ
WF
74 Belgium and France - 28 (Ypres)
Planning
40,000 1917
WF
75 France - 36B (Bruay)
Planning
40,000 1916
WF
76 France - Albert (Combined Sheet)
Planning
40,000 1915
WF
77 France - 57B (Le Cateau)
Planning
40,000 1917
WF
78 France - 62B (St Quentin)
Planning
40,000 1917 ?WHJ
WF
79 Etaves (composite sheet 57b/c, 62b/c)
Planning
40,000 1918 ?WHJ
WF
80 Ypres area war graves
War graves
40,000 1923
WF
81 Sheet 57B NE (Le Cateau)
Trench Map
20,000 1918 ?WHJ
WF
82 Sheet 62B NW (Joncourt)
Trench Map
20,000 1918 ?WHJ
WF
83 Sheet 62D NE (Mametz)
Trench Map
20,000 1916
VF
WF
84 Sheet 28 SW (Kemmel)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
WHJ
WF
85 Sheet 28 NW 4 (Ypres)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
WHJ
WF
86 Sheet 28 SW1 (Kemmel)
WHJ
VF
VF
WHJ
WHJ
Trench Map
10,000 1917
WF 87.1 Sheet 28 SW2 (Wytschaete)
Trench Map
10,000 1917 JRMRB
WF 87.2 Sheet 28 SW2 (Wytschaete)
Trench Map
10,000 1916
WF
Artillery
Positions
10,000 1917
88 Schaap-Balie
WHJ
Page 20
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Western Front Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year Source
WF
89 Sheet 57d NE 1/2 (Fonquevilliers)
Trench Map
10,000 1916
WF
90 Greenland Hill Trench Map (Plouvain)
Trench Map
10,000 1917
WF
91 Ypres Front (no.2)
Enemy
Dispositions
40,000 1917
WF
92 Scarpe Valley (Arras)
Enemy HQs
40,000 1917
WF
93 Railway Map North East France
Railway Map
400,000 1918
WF
94 (French) 21 - Montdidier
French Map
100,000 1902
WF
95 Feuille XVII -11 (Compiegne)
French Map
100,000 1895
WF
96 Feuille XVIII -11 (Soissons)
French Map
100,000 1894
WF 97.1 56th Divisional Instructions No. 2
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.2 56th Divisional Instructions No. 3
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.3 56th Divisional Order 113
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.4 Amdt. 1 to 56th Divisional Order 113
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.5 56th Divisional Instructions No. 4
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.6 Dispositions of 168 Inf Brigade
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.7 56th Divisional Order 115
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.8 56th Divisional Instructions No. 5
Op. Orders
1917
WF 97.9 Commentary on 56th Divisional Orders
Op. Orders
WF
98 Bauplan vom Kampfabschnitt A
Trench Map
(Ger.)
1,000 1916
WF
99 Stellung des Res. Jnf. Rgts. 110.
Trench Map
(Ger.)
1,000 1916
?
WF 100.1 Sheet 28 SW2 (NW of Messines)
Aerial Photo
10,560 1915
WF 100.2 Sheet 28 SW2 (NW of Messines)
Aerial Photo
5,280 1915
WF 100.3 Sheet 28 SW2 (NW of Messines)
Aerial Photo
5,280 1915
WF
101 Sheet 28 SW4 (Messines)
Aerial Photo
10,560 1915
WF
102 Central Lens (Sheet 36c SW1)
1917
Aerial Photo
4,000 1918
WF 103.1 Lens & Noyelles - oblique (Sheet 36c SW2)
Aerial Photo
10,000 1917
WF 103.2 Sheet 36c SW2 (Lens & Noyelles)
Trench Map
20,000 1917
WF
Aerial Photo
12,000 1918
WF 105.1 Sheet 51b SW1 (Mercatel)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 105.2 Sheet 51b SW1 (Mercatel)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 106.1 Sheet 51b SW1 (Neuville Vitasse )
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 106.2 Sheet 51b SW1 (Neuville Vitasse )
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 106.3 Sheet 51b SW1 (Neuville Vitasse )
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF
104 Sheet 51b NW1 (east of Ecurie)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 108.1 Sheet 51b SW3 (Hamelincourt)
107 Sheet 51b SW3 (Boiry St Martin)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 108.2 Sheet 51b SW3 (Hamelincourt)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 109.1 Sheet 51b SW3 (Boyelles)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF 109.2 Sheet 51b SW3 (Boyelles)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
Page 21
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Western Front Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year Source
WF
110 Sheet 57c NW1 (SSE of Courcelles-le Comte) Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF
111 Sheet 57d NE 2 (Ayette)
Aerial Photo
12,000
?
WF
112 Panorama - Sheet 57d SE4 (River Ancre)
Aerial Photo
WF
113 Capt Adams RFC - Aerial Photographer
Background
Notes
n/a
WF
114 Segment of Somme battlefield (copy)
Trench Map
20,000 1916 Adams
WF
115 Segment of Picardy battlefield (copy)
Artillery Map
40,000 1917 Adams
WF
116 Sheet 28 NW4 (east of Ypres)
Aerial Photo
5,280 1918 Adams
WF
117 Sheet 57d SW1 (Trenches near Beauquesne) Aerial Photo
WF
118 Sheet 62 d NW (Bray sur Somme)
Aerial Photo
12,000 1918 Adams
WF
119 Scrapbook of photos/maps in Picardy
Aerial Photo
12,000 1918 Adams
WF
120 Letter to Whitelegge with Lecture notes
Letter
1916
?
CHW
WF
121 Gun and Howitzer Ammunition in Use
Technical
notes
1916
?
CHW
WF
122 Artillery Circular No 7
Technical
notes
1916
?
CHW
WF
123 Storing Ammunition in Lorries
Technical
notes
1916
?
CHW
WF 124.1 63rd (RN) Div Artillery Order 55
5,280 1918
Adams
5,280 1918 Adams
Op. Orders
1917
CHW
WF 124.2 63rd (RN) Div Artillery Order 55 (addendum) Op. Orders
1917
CHW
WF 124.3 Extracts from 3rd Canadian Div Op Order 52 Op. Orders
1917
CHW
WF
125 Log of operations in April 1917
Operations
Log
1917
CHW
WF
126 1917 Western Front Battle Reports
Cuttings
1917
CHW
WF
127 1917 Battle Maps
Cuttings
1917
CHW
WF
128 Battle of Cambrai
Cuttings
1917
CHW
WF
129 Catalogue of AIF War Pictures
Booklet
1918
WF
130 "Gazette des Ardennes"
French
Magazine
1917
WF
131 VII Corps Traffic Map Arras
Transport
100,000 1917
CHW
Other Items
Cat.
No.
XX
Title/Description
1 Campaign in Manchuria Historic
Type
Scale
Year Source
750,000 1912
Note: Although the Manchuria map has no obvious connection with the
Western Front it was found with the material above. It may have been used for
some form of historical comparison.
Page 22
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Appendix to Annex 2 - The BEF mapping system
The BEF used maps at three different scales for different purposes with a
hierarchical numbering system linked to the 1:40,000 scale Map Sheets used
for staff planning. The 1:20,000 scale maps – primarily used for artillery
spotting and direction - were quadrants (NW, NE, SW, SE) of the Map Sheets
and the 1:10,000 Trench Maps were, in turn, four (numbered) sub-sections of
these quadrants. So, for example, the trench map for the Ypres area in
Belgium is: Sheet 28 NW 4 – i.e. section four of the NW quadrant of Sheet 28.
1:40,000 Map Sheet Numbers. Because the BEF’s first maps were based on
existing Belgian maps, the BEF Sheet numbering system was an improvised
and rather awkward extension of pre-war Belgian numbering. The Belgian
sheets covering the battlefield areas of Flanders were:
 Map 4: Belgian coast (north)
 Map 12: Belgian coast (south)
 Map 20: Dixmude area
 Map 28: Ypres area
 Map 36: Armentières-Lille area
The first three new sheets for France,
adjoining Belgian Map 36 were numbered
as 36A, 36B and 36C. Later maps to the
south simply extended the Belgian
system by adding A, B, C . to the last
Belgian number as the maps moved from
west to east. (Had this been adopted
from the start, 36B and 36C would have
been 44b and 44A respectively). Going
south the main sheets covering the BEF
were:














Map 36C: La Bassée-Loos
Map 51C: West of Arras
Map 51B: Arras-Cantin
Map 51A: Hordain area
Map 57D: Hebuterne area
Map 57C: Bapaume-Gonnelieu
Map 57B: Clary area
Map 62D: Méaulte area
Map 62C: Péronne area
Map 62B: Ramicourt area
Map 66E: Moreuil area
Map 66D: Nésle area
Map 66C: Berthenicourt area
Map 70D: St. Gobain area
BEF Basic Map Grid
Page 23
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
COLLECTION
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP
Grid references. BEF maps did not use latitude and longitude coordinates for
grid references but an artificial grid of 1000 yard “artillery squares” which was
common to all the different scales. A grid reference number is built up from:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
1:40,000 Map Sheet number
6,000 yard square (A-X)
1,000 yard square (1-36)
one of four 500 yard sections (a-d)
100 yard grid co-ordinates with eastings to northings (0-9)
For example, a grid reference for a location on the Map Sheet 28 NW4 (Ypres)
would be given as:

(1) Sheet 28. (2) I. (3).12. (4) b. (5) 5.9 = Map 28.I.12.b.5.9
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
ANNEX 3 – GALLIPOLI
Gallipoli Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year Source
GA
1 Gallipoli - Krithia
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
2 Gallipoli - Damler
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
3 Gallipoli - Chanak
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
4 Gallipoli - Boghali
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.1 Gallipoli - Anafarta Sagir
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.2 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay N)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.3 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay N)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.4 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay N)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.5 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay S)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.6 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay S)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
5.7 Gallipoli (Suvla Bay S)
Artillery
Tracings
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
6 Gallipoli - Karnabili
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
7 Gallipoli - Taifur
Tactical
20,000 1915 GLMC
GA
8 Squares 105/106 (Suvla Bay)
Trench Map
10,000 1915 GLMC
GA
9 Squares 118/119 (Suvla Bay)
Trench Map
10,000 1915 GLMC
GA
10 Squares 134/135 (Suvla Bay)
Trench Map
10,000 1915 GLMC
GA
11 Squares 136/137 (Suvla Bay)
Trench Map
10,000 1915 GLMC
GA
12 Suvla Bay
Terrain
Sketches
10,000 1915 GLMC
Page 25
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
ANNEX 4 – NEAR EAST AND MESOPOTAMIA
Near East
Near East Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year
Source
NE
1 Sinai - Sheet 1 (Port Said)
Topographic
250,000 1915
GLMC
NE
2 Sinai - Sheet 2 (Rafa)
Topographic
250,000 1915
GLMC
NE
3 Sinai - Sheet 3 (Suez)
Topographic
250,000 1915
GLMC
NE
4 Sinai - Sheet 4 (Akaba)
Topographic
250,000 1915
GLMC
NE
5 Egypt - Sheet C12 (Ismailia)
Planning
100,000 1914
GLMC
NE
6 Egypt - Sheet C5 (Port Said)
Planning
100,000 1916
GLMC
NE
7 Egypt - Sheet C18 (Turkey in
Asia)
Planning
100,000 1916
GLMC
NE
8 Egypt and Syria
Topographic
750,000 1913
GLMC
NE
9 von Oppenheim's Journey
Physical
8,000,000 1916
GLMC
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year
Source
IQ
1 Turkey in Asia - 2C Baghdad
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
2 Turkey in Asia - 2D Kerbela
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
3 Turkey in Asia - 2G Mandali
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
4 Turkey in Asia - 2H Kut-AlAmarah
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
5 Turkey in Asia - 2I Murivan
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
6 Turkey in Asia - 2J Juanrud
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
7 Turkey in Asia - 2K Zorbatiyah
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
8 Turkey in Asia - 2L Ali-Al-Gharbi
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
9 Turkey in Asia - 2N Kirmanshah
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
10 Turkey in Asia - 2O Pul-i-Madian
Rud
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
11 Turkey in Asia - 2P Dawairij River Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
12 Turkey in Asia - 3A Diwanie
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
13 Turkey in Asia - 3E Samawa
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
14 Turkey in Asia - 3I Nasiriyah
Topographic
253,440 1910
GLMC
IQ
15 Turkey in Asia - 3J Khamsieh
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ 16.1 Turkey in Asia - 3M Amarah
Topographic
253,440 1916
GLMC
IQ 16.2 Turkey in Asia - 3M Amarah
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
17 Turkey in Asia - 3N Basrah
Topographic
253,440 1915
GLMC
IQ
18 S. Asia - Southern Persia
Physical
2,000,000 1912
GLMC
IQ
19 S. Asia - Northern Persia
Physical
2,000,000 1914
GLMC
Page 26
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
Mesopotamia Summary
Cat.
No.
Title/Description
Type
Scale
Year
Source
IQ
20 SE TIA - 1 Baghdad
Topographic
500,000 1907
GLMC
IQ
21 SE TIA - 2 Amara
Topographic
500,000 1907
GLMC
IQ
22 SE TIA - 3 Samawa
Topographic
500,000 1907
GLMC
IQ
23 SE TIA - 4 Basra
Topographic
500,000 1907
GLMC
IQ
24 ETIA - 37 Kifri
Topographic
250,000 1914
GLMC
IQ
25 ETIA - 38 Khanikin
Topographic
250,000 1915
GLMC
IQ
26 Lower Mesopotamia
Physical
1,000,000 1907
GLMC
IQ
27 E Turkey, Syria, W Persia
Physical
2,000,000 1910
GLMC
IQ
28 TC 63 Shaikh Saad & Kut
Op. Planning
126,720 1916
GLMC
IQ 29.1 TC 72 Falahiyah-Shumran
Op. Planning
63,360 1916
GLMC
IQ 29.2 TC 72 (A) Falahiyah-Shumran
Op. Planning
63,360 1917
GLMC
IQ 30.1 TC 74 Shumran-Baghaila
Op. Planning
63,360 1916
GLMC
IQ 30.2 TC 74 Shumran-Baghaila
Op. Planning
63,360 1916
GLMC
IQ
31 TC 75 Hai Bridgehead
Trench Map
10,560 1917
GLMC
IQ
32 TC 83 Aziyah
Op. Planning
63,360 1917
GLMC
IQ
33 TC 87A Baghdad
Op. Planning
253,440 1917
GLMC
IQ
34 TC 86B Baghdad
Op. Planning
63,360 1917
GLMC
IQ
35 TC 94 Khanikin
Op. Planning
253,440 1917
GLMC
IQ
36 TC 95 Samarrah
Op. Planning
253,440 1917
GLMC
IQ
37 City of Baghdad (post capture)
Administrative
5,280 1917
GLMC
IQ
38 Army Regatta Programme
Booklet
1917
GLMC
IQ
39 (Turkish) Approaches to Baghdad Topographic
250,000
?
GLMC
IQ
40 (Turkish) Basra & Shatt Al Arab
Planning
100,000
?
GLMC
IQ
41 Kut El Hai
Aerial Photo
7,920 1916
GLMC
IQ
42 Baghailah
Aerial Photo
7,920 1917
GLMC
IQ
43 Sannaiyat Position
Aerial Photo
5,280 1917
GLMC
IQ
44 Ramadi
Aerial Photo
3,168 1917
GLMC
Page 27
THE MACNAGHTEN LIBRARY
FIRST WORLD WAR MAP COLLECTION
ANNEX 5 – NOTE ON SCALES
Scale
8,000,000
2,000,000
1,000,000
750,000
500,000
400,000
253,440
250,000
126,720
100,000
63,360
50,000
40,000
25,000
20,000
10,000
5,280
1,000
Imperial
equivalent
126.26 miles to the inch
31.57 miles to the inch
15.78 miles to the inch
11.84 miles to the inch
7.89 miles to the inch
6.31 miles to the inch
4.00 miles to the inch
3.95 miles to the inch
2.00 miles to the inch
1.58 miles to the inch
1.00 miles to the inch
1.27 inches to mile
1.58 inches to mile
2.53 inches to mile
3.17 inches to mile
6.34 inches to mile
12.00 inches to mile
27.78 yards to the inch
Modern example
Road Atlas
Old OS Map
OS Landranger
OS Explorer
Similar to Land Registry map
Page 28