Commander-in-Chief, India

In November 1940 Auchinleck was promoted to full General and appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Indian Army, in succession to General Sir Robert Cassels. He was also knighted. Auchinleck left England for India in January 1941 and soon impressed Churchill by dispatching a force to put down the rebellion of Rashid Ali al-Gaylani in Iraq. Papers include correspondence, telegrams, cipher messages and reports. Many of the items relate to the military and political situation in Iraq, and to the contributions of Indian troops to the campaign in the Middle East.