‘File 28/55 Provision of machine guns for Bahrain police’

Title:

‘File 28/55 Provision of machine guns for Bahrain police’

Date:

1938/1942

Description:

Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence relating to the purchase of machine guns by the Government of Bahrain, through the Political Agency, for use in Bahrain. The file’s principal correspondents are: the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle; Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); officials at Royal Air Force (RAF) Headquarters in Iraq; Government of India officials; the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave).The file includes:correspondence concerning an order for machine guns, initiated by the Ruler of Bahrain, Shaikh Salmān bin Ḥamad Āl Khalīfah’s request through the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain in March 1939, that he would like to purchase twelve Bren guns (f 5), including: discussion amongst British Government officials over the long delays involved in obtaining Bren guns (f 9); Government proposals for Vickers-Berthier (VB) guns as an alternative, and the relative merits and demerits of VB against Bren guns (f 14); the eventual order of VB guns, with equipment lists (ff 38-42), and their despatch to Bahrain from Karachi in September 1939 (f 70); the Government of Bahrain’s order for ammunition for the guns (ff 56-57);arrangements for a Havaldar instructor to be sent to Bahrain to assist in the training of use of the machine gun (f 45, f 74, ff 80-81), and arrangements for training sessions at Bahrain (ff 82-86);correspondence dated September and October 1939 between RAF and Air Ministry officials, concerning the need for a Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (f 65, f 88);further correspondence dated from June 1940 onwards, relating to the supply of machine guns and ammunition for the Bahrain Defence Force, and the loan of VB guns by the Government of Bahrain to the Bahrain Defence Force (ff 103-120);acknowledgements of receipt dated September and October 1939 respectively, from the Chief Local Representative of the Bahrain Petroleum Company, Milton H Lipp, for sixteen Verey light pistols and ammunition (f 78), and one revolver with ammunition (f 92).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 130; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Two additional foliation sequences are present in parallel between ff 3-124 and between ff 125-129; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.

Language:

English

Type:

Archival file

Type (Narrower):

Other Texts

Type (Broader):

Text

Subject:

Second World War (1939-1945)
Defence
Firearms
Ammunition

Rights:

رخصة المشاع الإبداعي لأغراض غير تجارية

Identifier:

81055/vdc_100000000241.0x00009b_ar
81055/vdc_100000000241.0x00009b_en
IOR/R/15/2/746
IOR/R/15/2/746

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