Abstract: The file contains periodical reports by the British Military Attaché at Kabul (Colonel Alexander Stalker Lancaster and J H Prendergast) on the Afghan Air Force, covering the period 1 November 1947 to 31 October 1949.The reports cover a range of topics such as training flights, operations conducted, condition of aircraft, accidents, maintenance work, availability of spares, petrol stores, ground facilities, administrative or political developments, and any proposals for the purchase of additional aircraft. The reports also include policy discussion related to the maintenance of British instructors at Kabul.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 28; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains periodical reports by the British Military Attaché at Kabul (Colonel Alexander Stalker Lancaster) on the Afghan Air Force, they cover the period 1 March 1938 to 31 October 1947. There is a gap for the period 2 May 1938 to 31 October 1940 for which no reports are present in the file.The reports cover a range of topics such as training flights, operations conducted, condition of aircraft, accidents, maintenance work, availability of spares, petrol stores, ground facilities, administrative or political developments, and any proposals for the purchase of additional aircraft. The reports also cover the positions of the British Instructors at Kabul relative to their Italian counterparts, and indicate the progress made in training Afghan students.The file includes a report by Squadron Leader Reid (see folios 22-23) on his testing of the Avro Anson XIX, and a report by Squadron Leader B P King on his testing of the de Havilland Tiger Moth (see folios 82-83), for service in Afghanistan.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 215; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file is concerned with the position of British instructors employed by the Afghan Air Force. Most of the file consists of policy discussion – prompted by a letter from Colonel Alexander Stalker Lancaster, dated 13 April 1941, folios 23-31 – as to how this position should be developed considering wartime limitations, and the potential for foreign competitors to challenge Britain's position. The countries examined are Italy, Russia, Germany, France, Japan, and the United States.A small amount of correspondence related to the Afghan Government's decision to postpone consideration of the purchase of Tiger Moth trainer aircraft (folios 4-6) has also been included in the file.Most of the correspondence is generated by HM Minister at Kabul: William Kerr Fraser-Tytler and Francis Verner Wylie. Contributions from the Air Ministry, the Foreign Office, the India Office, and the Government of India are also present.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 32; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence related to assistance rendered to Lufthansa to facilitate the search for a plane which went missing around 30 August 1937 during a flight from Kansu to Kabul; Lufthansa had been undertaking experimental flights to establish a service between Germany and the Far East, via Afghanistan and Sinkiang. The flight had three crew members: Baron von Gablenz, Flight Captain Untucht, and Herr Kirchoff. The file records requests for assistance from the German authorities, and assistance rendered by the Government of India.Included in the file are two extracts from
The Times, from 9 and 27 September 1937 respectively (see folios 22 and 78), reporting on the initial disappearance of the air crew and their return to Kabul on 27 September.The recovery of expenses incurred by the Government of India from the German Government in 1938 is also documented in the file.The main correspondents in the file are as follows: Arthur Ernest Macann, the British Chargé d'affaires at Kabul; officials of the India Office; and officials of the External Affairs Department of the Government of India. The file also contains input from officials of the Air Ministry and the Foreign Office.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 79; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence and numerous extracts from intelligence reports (mostly from Kabul and Peshawar) related to the purchase of Italian aircraft (Romeo Type 37s, Breda Type 25s and 28s) by the Afghan Government, and the subsequent deputation of an Italian Air Mission to assemble and maintain the aircraft, and to train Afghan Air Force personnel. See folios 164-166 for details on the Italian instructors. The file therefore also contains a limited amount of correspondence related to importing these aircraft, to Kabul via Karachi, and the issue of transit visas to Italian personnel. A considerable amount of correspondence is dedicated to comparing the performance of the Italian Mission and their aircraft with a similar British Mission sent by Hawker Aircraft alongside eight Hinds sold to the Afghan Government.Also contained in the file is discussion surrounding an offer from the Government of India to train an additional batch of students in India in 1938, as a counter to the possibility that the Afghan Government may send a party of students to Italy, and future British policy over supplying aircraft to Afghanistan. There is also some discussion towards the end of the file over the possibility of supplying spare engines and parts from Italian aircraft captured during the course of the Second World War (1939-1945).The main correspondents are as follows: HM Minister at Kabul (William Kerr Fraser-Tytler, later Giles Frederick Squire), officials of the Air Ministry, officials of the Foreign Office, and officials of the India Office.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 340; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file is concerned with the purchase of twenty second-hand Hawker Hind aircraft by the Afghan Government with associated accessories, weapons, and spares. The aircraft in question was purchased from the British Government by the Government of India for resale to Afghanistan. The file contains correspondence related to ordering and shipping the aircraft, and arrangements for financing and making payments. The supply of a number of replacement Kestrel V engines is also documented within the file, as a result of a number of supplied engines proving to be unserviceable; a report outlining possible reasons for the engine failures can be found on folio 141. See folios 32-38 for a copy of the final agreement governing the purchase.The file also contains a limited amount of correspondence related to the maintenance of the British aviation instructors employed at Kabul, as the continued employment of these instructors was a condition stipulated by the British Government for the sale of the aircraft. A report written by Edward George Honeywood Russell-Stracey on the work undertaken by these instructors during 1938 can be found on folios 520-525.The main correspondents are as follows: HM Minister at Kabul (William Kerr Fraser-Tytler), officials of the Air Ministry, officials of the Foreign Office, officials of the India Office (George Edmond Crombie and Roland Tennyson Peel), and officials of the External Affairs Department of the Government of India.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 538; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file contains papers related to a number of unsuccessful attempts to establish civil aviation services between Afghanistan and India. The file includes related policy discussion over the use of Lend-Lease aircraft supplied by the United States, as a result of wartime proposals. It also includes intelligence report of rival negotiations between the Government of Afghanistan and competing powers: Germany, the Soviet Union (USSR), and the United States.The file also discusses India's post-war civil aviation plans: see folios 122-131. An Indian Delegation sent to Kabul in May 1947 is the predominant topic between folios 7-58: see folios 15-24 for a detailed report on this mission. Folio 318v contains a list of Germans employed in Kabul in 1938.The main correspondents are as follows: HM Minister at Kabul (William Kerr Fraser-Tytler and Giles Frederick Squire), officials of the Foreign Office, officials of the India Office, and representatives of the External Affairs Department of the Government of India.The file does not include any papers for the years 1940 and 1942.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 337; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence regarding requests by the Government of Afghanistan to import explosives via India, to be used for non-military purposes like blasting and quarrying. The principal correspondents are: the India Office Political Department; the Government of India Foreign and Political Department; the Foreign Office; HM Legation in Kabul; and the Afghan Legations to London, Paris and Karachi. The following topics are discussed: the terms of the Anglo-Afghan Agreement (1921) and the Indian Explosives Act (1884); the procedure to be followed when requesting permission to import non-military explosives; licensing conditions; dues to be paid; and safety procedures to be followed.The file also contains correspondence and reports regarding safety tests carried out by HM Inspector of Explosives, on material ordered from the Belgian firm Poudreries Réunies de Belgique (folios 60-67, 81-83, and 94). Later correspondence (1934-1935) concerns material ordered from the Swedish firm AB Bofors Nobelkrut (folios 15-20).The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio 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.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence regarding the supply of machinery and raw materials to the Afghan Government, intended for the manufacture of ammunition. The principal correspondents are: the Foreign Office; the India Office Political Department; the Board of Trade Imports and Exports Licensing Section; HM Minister at Kabul; and the Afghan Legation to Rome.The following topics are discussed throughout the correspondence:the establishment of a nitro-glycerine and cordite factory by the Afghan Government, with financial backing from Russia;a request from the Afghan Government for British labour to work in the factory;a request from the Deutsch-Afghanische Compagnie AG, to be put in contact with British machinery manufacturers;requests for information on the arrangements for supplying steel to the Afghan Government, received from the United Steel Companies Limited, and Thomas Firth and John Brown Limited;a request for information on the supply of machinery for the Afghan Powder Factory, received from Messrs Adair, Dutt and Company Limited;the importation from Italy of spare parts for artillery.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references found within the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 2).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 109; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: Correspondence regarding the provision of a £75,000 grant of assistance by the Government of India to the Afghan Government, and arrangements for the supply of arms and ammunition. The correspondents are: the Government of India's Foreign and Political Department; HM Envoy and Minister at Kabul (Richard Maconachie); the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs; and the Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 2).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 66; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence and minutes regarding requests by the Afghan Government for arms, ammunition and aircraft to be supplied by either the British or Indian Governments. The material predominantly consists of telegrams sent to the India Office by HM Minister at Kabul (William Kerr Fraser-Tytler), and the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, regarding the following:an initial request from the Afghan Government to be supplied with arms and ammunition, with the aim of strengthening the Afghan army, and thereby convincing the frontier tribes to disarm;requests for British and Indian assistance in defending the northern road from a possible Russian advance against Afghanistan;Afghan concerns over the loss of arms, particularly .303 calibre rifles, to tribes in the southern and eastern regions, and their enquiries into the possibility of purchasing a different calibre of rifle and ammunition;Afghan policy towards the Soviet Union;Afghan policy towards Britain and the Government of India;the policies of Britain and India towards Afghanistan, and the need to ensure an independent and stable Afghanistan for the security of India.The file also includes correspondence between HM Minister Kabul, the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, the India Office Political Department and the War Office, regarding: the quantities and calibres of arms and ammunition to be supplied; the division of costs and liability between the Governments of Britain and India; and payment options for the Afghan Government.The correspondence ends following the delivery of 5,000 rifles and three million rounds of ammunition, in time for the start of the Jashan festival. At this point the Afghan Government were negotiating for a further supply of 10,000 rifles and ammunition; this request is documented in the file IOR/L/PS/12/2203.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 1).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 339; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
Abstract: Correspondence regarding a request by the Government of Afghanistan to import a sample teargas gun, canisters and accessories to Kabul, via India. The file concerns arrangements for the purchase and delivery of the sample, plus British and Indian concerns over the potential import or manufacture of non-lethal and lethal chemical weapons by the Afghan Government, and the corresponding readiness of the Government of India to meet such a threat.The file contains letters received by the Foreign Office from the Afghan Legation in London, plus correspondence between the India Office Political Department, the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, the Foreign Office, and HM Minister at Kabul (Richard Maconachie). The file also includes reports by Maconachie on meetings held with the Kabul-based merchant Herr Ebner, regarding the Afghan Government's interest in chemical weapons, the possibility of establishing a manufacturing facility in Afghanistan, and the reported intention to use the weapons to suppress any uprising by the Pathan tribe.The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (folio 2).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 59; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.