1. ‘File 12/1 Casaulties – Rules for Boats approaching steamers etc.’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence relating to incidents and accidents involving steamers at Bahrain, including:boats approaching steamers before they have anchored (ff 4-5);an accident leading to the death of a sailor on board SS Bandra(ff 6-7);instances of steamers running aground on sand banks around Bahrain (f 8, ff 11-12, ff 18-20);other accidents involving steamers, including fires (f 10, f 13);a night-time collision between a steamer and a jollyboat (ff 14-15);the capsizing of a joliboat (jollyboat) (f 17);reports of casualties in which crew members were drowned or washed overboard during storms (f 21).The file’s principal correspondents are: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Captain Charles Geoffrey Prior; Lieutenant-Colonel Percy Gordon Loch); the Director of Customs at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis deGrenier); the Deputy Manager of the Mesopotamia Persian Corporation Limited (J Russell).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 22; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-17; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

2. ‘File 12/2 Accident between S.S. “Bandra” and a Dhow on the 12th August 1929, in the Bahrain Harbour.’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence, statements and other papers related to a collision which took place on 12 August 1929, twelve miles off the coast of Bahrain, between a steamer, the SS Bandra, operated by the British India Steam Navigation Company (BISN), and a dhow, working on the pearl banks in the area.The first portion of the file contains witness statements made by various individuals at the Political Agency in Bahrain, including those by Commander Arthur Danbrook, in charge of the SS Bandra, and Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali, the nakhuda on the pearling dhow (ff 5-22).The second portion of the file contains correspondence relating to Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali’s claim against the SS Bandraand the BISN, chiefly concerned with the value of pearls lost when his dhow sank. Correspondence includes: discussion between British political officials over the best means of formal inquiry into the incident, in consequence of the nearest marine court being located in Bombay; suspension of Captain Danbrook by the BISN; repeated petitions made by Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali for financial redress; the Government of India’s decision not to convene a marine court (f 61), and the recommendation by the Political Resident that Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali file a suit at Bahrain’s mixed court (f 60); confirmation of an out of court settlement agreed between Hassan bin Muhammad bu Ali and the BISN (f 72).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 76; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 4-75; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

3. ‘File 12/4 I.E.T.S [Indo-European Telegraph Ship] “Patrick Stewart” ran ashore near “Fasht Adbal [Fasht ad Dībal]’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence and telegrams relating to the running aground on 14 March 1927 of the Indo-European Telegraph Ship Patrick Stewart, on sandbanks to the east of the Bahrain islands, referred to as Fasht Adbal or Fasht ad dbal [Fasht ad Dībal].The file includes:copies of telegrams issued by HMS Lupinover Bahrain radio reporting the grounding, and requesting assistance in the form of dhows capable of carrying thirty tonnes, in order to lighter the Patrick Stewart(ff 6-10);a telegram from the Political Agent at Bahrain to the Political Resident, dated 16 March 1927, informing that HMS Lupinis attempting to pull the Patrick Stewartfree, with the hope that, in conjunction with a high tide on 19 March 1927 efforts will be successful (f 16);a further telegram from the Political Agent to the Political Resident, dated 18 March 1927, stating that the Patrick Stewarthas been successfully refloated (f 21);correspondence from the Director of the Indo-European Telegraph Department, and the Political Agent, noting thanks for the efforts of the Customs Director at Bahrain, Claud Crankbrook Lewis deGrenier, for his assistance in arranging assistance for the refloating of the Patrick Stewart(ff 22-23).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 25; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.

4. ‘File 12/5 II Accidents involving country craft’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence and other papers relating to incidents involving local cargo vessels, frequently referred to as country craft, travelling through the Persian Gulf, usually between ports in Iraq, Iran and India. The incidents referred to include the sinking and running aground of vessels during bad weather (and the subsequent repatriation of crews), the failure of vessels to arrive in ports, and the seizure of cargo. The file’s principal correspondents are the Political Agent at Bahrain and the Political Officer on the Trucial Coast.The most significant incidents referred to in the file (those constituting the most paperwork) are:an incident occurring in December 1945 in which the cargo vessel Parisran aground near the RAF aerodrome at Jīwani near Gwādar, and subsequently had its cargo confiscated. Correspondence covers the incident, statements from the vessel’s nakhuda (Jasim bin Rashid bin Hamadeh) and owner (Haji Ali bin Moosa Al Omran), and the pursuit of a case by the vessel’s owner through the Court of Kalat State (ff 12-37, ff 44-52, f 55, f 58, ff 66-70, ff 76-80);an incident occurring in July 1946 concerning the disappearance of the Samahan, a vessel carrying rice from Karachi to Marmagao, which was believed to have landed in a Persian Gulf port. The correspondence concerns efforts to trace the whereabouts of the vessels, its cargo and tindal (or native officer) (ff 59-61, f 65, ff 72-75, ff 84-93);incidents occurring in 1950 in which Iranian customs officials boarded vessels belonging to the Trucial Coast, and confiscated their cargo. The correspondence chiefly concerns the payment of compensation by the Iranian authorities to claimants from the Trucial Coast, via the British authorities at Tehran and Bahrain (ff 113-142, ff 145-154).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 156; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 2-83; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

5. ‘File 12/5 Wrecks of sailing boats and vessels in the sea and salvages’

Description:

Abstract: The file contains correspondence, statements made by nakhudas, bills and receipts, all related to incidents in which native vessels were wrecked or damaged in the Persian Gulf (and chiefly in the waters around Bahrain) usually as a result either of storms or collision with another vessel. The correspondence relates to: reports of the initial incidents; the salvage of cargo; rescue and repatriation of crews; the recovery of costs incurred by salvage and repatriation; insurance claims. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent at Bahrain (numerous incumbents); the Director of Customs at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis deGrenier); the Residency Agent at Sharjah, who reports on shipwreck and salvage incidents on the Trucial Coast, or involving boats from the Trucial Coast.The file includes details of numerous individual cases. The most significant cases in terms of paperwork involved include:the sinking of the Surabnear Bushire in February 1931, with correspondence relating to: the repatriation of the crew back to Karachi; the Karachi authorities’ demands for repatriation costs to be paid by the Surab’sowner, leading to a dispute between the two parties (ff 8-30);a collision between the British India Steam Navigation Company steamer, the Varsova, and a fishing dhow in the waters between Qatar and Bahrain, with correspondence relating to: the recovery of eighteen crew from the dhow, which sank after the collision; failed attempts by the dhow’s owner, a Qatari subject, to make a claim in Bahrain over the loss; the Ruler of Qatar, Shaikh ‘Abdullāh bin Jāsim Āl Thānī’s intervention in the affair (ff 95-124);the foundering of a vessel, the Fatehkarim,off the Jazirat Shaikh Shuib in February 1941, and the repatriation to Karachi of its eight crew, with correspondence including copies of indemnity bonds for the eight crew members, to cover their passage back to Karachi (ff 181-198);in June 1943, attempts to repatriate twelve men from Um al Qaiwain [Umm al-Qaywayn] from Colombo, where their vessel was shipwrecked, with correspondence relating to the costs and difficulties of repatriating the men, presumably a result of wartime restrictions in maritime traffic (ff 219-229);enquiries, from September 1944 onwards, by a Bombay [Mumbai] company, Sopher & Company, who are attempting to make an insurance claim for a vessel lost near Khor Fakkan [Khawr Fakkān], while en route from Bombay to Basrah [Basra], with correspondence including copies of notes of protest, issued by the Government of Iraq (ff 241-261).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 283; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 7-261; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.

6. ‘File 12/6 Marine Note of Protest’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence relating to the raising of notes of protest by various parties, in response to damage sustained to vessels at sea, or loss of cargo from vessels while at sea. The file’s principal correspondents are: the Master of the SS Begum, O G Rowland Jones; the Chief Local Representative of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), Milton H Lipp.The file includes:correspondence dated October 1931 relating to an incident in which a lighter, attending to the SS Barpetaat Bahrain, lost some of its cargo during a squall, and subsequent arrangements for the raising of a note of protest by the nakhudas involved (ff 3-7);correspondence in Arabic relating to notes of protest, with handwritten notes by Agency staff (in English), dated March 1938 (ff 13-14) which refer to questions of whether such correspondence should be dealt with by the Vernacular or English Offices of the Political Agency, in response to the applicants for notes of protest being non-English speakers (ff 14-19);a copy of a note of protest raised by the Master of the El Segundoat Bahrain, dated 9 March 1939 (f 20);correspondence relating to the ‘touching’ of the Rennie Shoals [Mushţ Rinnī] by the SS Begumon 9 April 1939, including: numerous letters from the Master of the Begum, O G Rowland Jones; a certificate of survey completed by Lloyd’s agents at Bahrain; depth sounding measurements; a copy of deck log entries; and a chart indicating the location and circumstances of the accident (ff 21-35);correspondence relating to the loss of steel plates from the barge CASOC 101in August 1941, with correspondence and multiple copies of a note of protest, exchanged between Milton H Lipp of BAPCO, and the Political Agent (ff 36-51).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 54; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-12; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

7. ‘File 12/14 Shipping. Miscellaneous accidents between dhows and steamers’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises correspondence concerning three cases involving dhows, as follows:correspondence relating to a collision between a Bahrain-registered dhow and an Anglo-Iranian Oil Company tug at Khorramshahr in November 1943. Much of the follow-up correspondence concerns the seizure by the Iranian authorities of passports belonging to two Bahrainis who travelled to Khorramshahr to assist in affairs following the collision, and the Bahrain authorities’ efforts to have the passports returned. Principal correspondents in the case include: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham); the British Consul at Khorramshahr; the Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave) (ff 2-15);correspondence dated 1944 relating to an enquiry made by an Indian company, Kanayalal Deepchand Hinduja, seeking the whereabouts of their vessel, the Fathel Rahman, missing while travelling from Bombay to Basra, with the Political Agent at Bahrain reporting, after enquiries made with the Customs Director at Bahrain and the Residency Agent at Sharjah, that nothing is known of the vessel (ff 16-21);correspondence dated June 1949 relating to an incident taking place off the coast of Sharjah/Dubai, in which a dhow engine caught fire, resulting in the death of one crew member and the injury of another, the latter taken on board HMS Flamingofor medical care. The principal correspondent in this case is the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (Captain P Skelton) (ff 22-27).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 30; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-20; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

8. ‘File 12/16 Merchant Shipping Acts and instructions to Consuls’

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises copies of instructions to British Consuls, in the form of letters, printed circulars, notices and forms, issued by the Ministry of Transport (or the Ministry of War Transport during the Second World War) and relating to merchant shipping, including regulations and government provisions for merchant seamen.Subjects covered include:instructions dated December 1932, covering use of communications, including wireless telegraphy (ff 7-10) and radar training (f 67);Circular No. 1681, entitled Instructions to Consuls (Merchant shipping and seamen), dated August 1931 (ff 11-19);various sets of instructions and forms relating to the wellbeing of merchant seamen, covering marine casualties, seamen in distress, payment of necessities for sick and injured seamen, compensation for the loss of effects; repatriation of shipwrecked or discharged seamen;papers covering national insurance, pensions and injuries insurance for merchant seamen (ff 40-45, ff 87-89);instructions covering ‘dominion and colonial seamen’ (f 32, ff 118-120), including the issue of discharge books for ‘Chinese seamen’ at Hongkong [Hong Kong] (f 72), and settlement of wages for repatriated seamen from India (f 94);instructions relating to wages for merchant seamen, covering income tax payments, and income tax deduction tables for the years 1946 to 1948 (ff 78-79, ff 49-52, ff 62-65), advances of wages for seamen either shipwrecked or discharged abroad (f 82);electoral registration papers, issued under the Representation of the People Act (1948), including application forms for treatment as an absent voter for an indefinite period, and application for appointment by proxy (ff 26-28);instructions related to wartime and post-war events, including: ships registered at ports in Palestine, dated 1948 (f 68); war graves, dated 1947 (f 73), termination of wartime agreements, dated 1946 (f 80), and releases from the merchant navy, dated 1945 and 1946 (f 83, f 85, ff 92-93).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 136; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.