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1. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART I. (From 1st to 15th February 1919.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 1 and 15 February 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, and tables.An index to the contents of this volume can be found at folios 1-9. The volume concerns:Military personnel issues, including: equipment; the transfer and retirement of officers; nominations for Staff College; granting of leave; and demobilisation of troopsSupply of food, construction materials, and other items to Force DReductions of planned supply shipments to Force DProposal for a new kind of emergency ration for Indian troopsPreparation for demobilisation of Force D, including: disposal of animals used by Force D; withdrawal orders for specific units; and disposal of surplus ammunitionProvision of ships to carry troops from Mesopotamia to the United KingdomProposed expansion of the jurisdiction of the Political Resident in the Persian GulfProposed changes to the Army Chaplains’ DepartmentEmployment of ‘Imported’ labourers in Mesopotamia and the growth of ‘Considerable local prejudice’ against these workersThe post-war occupation and government of MesopotamiaBritish assessments of Mesopotamian public opinionConstruction of railways in MesopotamiaVaccination of animals shipped to MesopotamiaArrest of thirteen Turkish [Ottoman] ‘ringleaders in recent political intrigue’ by British forces in BaghdadTurkish military presence at Joziret Ibn Omar [Cizre]British use of petroleum wells at Zakhd [Zakho]British arming of ‘Turcomans’ to fight the Bolsheviks on behalf of the Transcaspian GovernmentIntelligence suggesting the presence of the former Ottoman leader Enver Pasha [Enver Pāshā] in the CaucasusBritish military actions in Persia [Iran] including: occupation of key roads; maintenance of roads; and discussion of a ‘most virulent form of malaria’ affecting British troops in North Persia.The volume also contains:Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of lines of communication, general organisation, and corrections (ff 63-73)State of supplies on 27 January 1919 (f 25), 31 January 1919 (ff 162-163), 7 February 1919 (f 168)Distribution Report showing number and condition of motor vehicles with Force D, 1 December 1918 (ff 27-42)Ration strength of Force D on 21 December 1918 (ff 124-130), 28 December 1918 (ff 130-136), 4 January 1919 (ff 182-187), 11 January 1919 (ff 75-78), 18 January 1918 (ff 149-152)Strength return of Force D on 23 November 1918 (ff 79-90)Weekly return of sick and wounded dated 4 January 1919 (ff 99-100), 11 January (ff 188-189)Ammunition return of Force D on 2 January 1918 (ff 110-111)Programme for February despatch of British troops from Mesopotamia and India (f 112).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 192; these numbers are printed, and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
2. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 55. PART II. (From 16th to 28th February 1919.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 16 and 28 February 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, tables, and letters.An index to the contents of this volume can be found at the start of IOR/L/MIL/17/5/3317. The volume concerns:Military personnel issues, including the granting of leave, promotions, nominations for Staff Officer positions, and conditions for garrison unitsSupply of food, artillery, construction materials, and other items to Force DReductions of planned supply shipments to Force DMatters relating to the demobilisation of Force D, including: shipment of troops from Mesopotamia to India and the United Kingdom; provision of civilian clothing for demobilised troops; and the disposal of surplus stores and motor vehiclesRepatriation of non-Turkish prisoners of warNomination of Indian officers for honorary ranks in the British Indian ArmyDiscussion of conflict between Bin Saud [‘Abd al-‘Azīz bin ‘Abd al-Raḥmān Āl Sa‘ūd] and King Hussein [Al-Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī]Discussion of coordination of British policy in Mesopotamia, South Persia [Iran] and Maskat [Muscat]Arrangements for financing the army of occupation in post-war MesopotamiaDiscussion of future political system of Mesopotamia, including need to ‘prevent Arab nationalism from being drawn into opposition to British control’Construction of railways in MesopotamiaBritish assessments of Mesopotamian public opinionAppointment of a Commercial Secretary in MesopotamiaTesting and disposal of malfunctioning ammunitionReports of ‘dissatisfaction’ among soldiers in Force D regarding pace of demobilisationWithdrawal of British forces from Trans-Caspia [Turkmenistan] to Meshed [Mashhad]British occupation of Krasnovodsk [Turkmenbashi]Arming of ‘friendly Turcomans’ in Trans-CaspiaDispatch of naval vessels from India for service in northern RussiaConstruction and maintenance of roads in PersiaSupplying of captured Turkish [Ottoman] ordnance to the Persian GovernmentTensions between the Persian Government and the Jangali [Jangalī] Movement.The volume also contains:Strength return of Force D on 11 January 1919 (f 23)Ration strength of Force D on 11 January 1919 (ff 109-114), 25 January 1919 (ff 32-35), February 1 1919 (ff 106-109)Programme for March despatch of British troops from Mesopotamia (f 48)Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of lines of communication, general organisation, and post-war garrison units (ff 53-62)State of supplies on 17 February 1919 (ff 64-65)Firing test results and summary for 18-pounder shrapnel ammunition (ff 90-97)Weekly return of sick and wounded dated 18 January 1919 (ff 98-99).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 121; these numbers are printed, and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the leading and ending flyleaves.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
3. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 58. (From 1st to 31st May 1919.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 1 and 31 May 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, and tables.An index to the contents of this volume can be found at folios 3-8. The volume concerns:Military personnel issues, including the granting of leave, demobilisation of troops, and transfer of units from Mesopotamia to IndiaSupply of animals to Force DDispatch of water tanks from Mesopotamia to IndiaA report on the performance of Kachin recruits in the 85th Burma Rifles (ff 32-33)Dispatch of units from Force D to respond to ‘disturbances’ in India and on the North-West FrontierSpread of the ‘Ikhwan movement’ in Bahrein [Bahrain], Kowait [Kuwait], and MesopotamiaIntelligence concerning public opinion in Mesopotamia, including: opposition to the British occupation; the preference of ‘leading men’ for direct British administration; and hostility towards the involvement of Sheikh Faisul [Shaikh Fayṣal bin Al-Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] in the post-war GovernmentThe number of troops required to occupy MesopotamiaRailway construction in MesopotamiaReports of ‘serious disorders’ at Sulaimaniyah [Sulaymaniyah] and a ‘serious rising’ in southern Kurdistan led by Sheikh Mahmud [Shaikh Maḥmūd Barzanjī]Matters relating to the administration of Mesopotamia, including: arrangements for the financial management of British administration; conditions of employment for Army officers hired to work in the civil administration; and the creation of administrative provinces, including an ‘Arab province of Mosul’ and a ‘fringe of autonomous Kurdish States … with British political advisers’Maintenance of waterways in MesopotamiaDiscussion of the creation of a daily train service between Baghdad and Basrah [Basra] carrying mail and passengers.The volume also contains:Weekly return of sick and wounded dated 29 March 1919 (ff 10-11), 5 April 1919 (ff 64-65), 12 April 1919 (ff 108-109), 19 April 1919 (ff 112-114), 26 April 1919 (ff 129-130)Distribution and composition of Force D, including details of lines of communication and general organisation, 19 April 1919 (ff 24-38), 1 May 1919 (ff 78-89)State of supplies on 30 April 1919 (ff 66-67)Strength return of Force D on 12 April 1919 (f 120).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 147; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right hand corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 3-145; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
4. ‘WAR DIARY. ARMY HEADQUARTERS, INDIA. […] I.E.F. “D”. Volume 59. (From 1st to 30th June 1919.)’
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume contains a chronological list of brief summaries of papers relating to the activities of the Indian Expeditionary Force D (also known as the Mesopotamia Expeditionary Force) between 1 and 30 June 1919. This is accompanied by appendices containing copies and extracts of these papers, which include: telegrams, memoranda, and tables.An index to the contents of this volume can be found at folios 3-8.The volume concerns:Supply of construction materials, firewood, and other items to Force DDisposal of surplus weaponry and animals, including transfers from Mesopotamia to IndiaArrangement of transport for leave, demobilization, and personnel transfers to IndiaRailway construction in MesopotamiaMatters concerning the Kurdish uprising led by Sheikh Mahmud [Shaikh Maḥmūd Barzanjī], including: the movements of British units; reports of Kurds joining and leaving the uprising; fighting between British and Kurdish forces at ‘Bayzan Pass’ on 19 June 1919; the British capture of Suleimaniyeh [As Sulaymaniyah, also written as Sulimaniyah in the volume]; and British reprisals against Kurdish villages ‘where evidence of hostile action by inhabitants [is] clearly proved’Assessments by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf of the conditions in Kerbela [Karbala], Nejef [Najaf], Diwaniyeh [Al Diwaniyah], Hillah, and SuleimaniyehA proposal from ‘Cherif Pasha’ [Şerif Pāshā] that the British should find a suitable Kurdish individual with 'European training' and establish them as leader of the Kurds in MesopotamiaSelling of weapons to the Persian [Iranian] Government by Force DDiscussion of the gifting of weapons to Shaikh ‘Khazal’ of Mohammerah [Khorramshahr]Logistical issues affecting Force D’s supplying of units in Persia and the CaucasusA statement of the British Government’s position on Kurds in MesopotamiaBritish objections to the planned visit of the King-Crane Commission to the Middle EastIntelligence concerning pan-Arab activities in Mesopotamia and SyriaBritish censorship and suppression of Arab publicationsPreparations for a tour by Major Noel to assess ‘relative proportions of various races, feelings of local inhabitants, repatriation of refugees including Moslem [Muslim] refugees now in occupied territory, and connected questions’.The volume also contains:Ration strength of Force D on 5 April 1919 (ff 12-14)Detailed statements of ration strength of Force D on 15 March 1919 (ff 39-43) and 22 March 1919 (ff 48-53)Strength return of Force D dated 10 May 1919 (ff 64-65)Ration strength of Force D on 31 May 1919 (f 74)Weekly return of sick and wounded for the week ending 17 May 1919 (ff 106-107)Distribution of Force D including details of lines of communication, 1 June 1919 (ff 109-122).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 124; 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 3-122; these numbers are printed and are located in the bottom centre of the recto side of each folio.Dimensions: 21 x 33cm
5. 'File 1/A/50 I Publicity'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file deals with the dissemination in Bahrain of publicity and propaganda material in support of the British and allied cause at the start of the Second World War (1939-45). Most of the information originated with the Ministry of Information in London. The file also contains information on the response of British officials to broadcasts in the region by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), and the support given to the allied side by the Ruler and people of Bahrain.The principal correspondents are the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (principally, Major Charles Geoffrey Prior); the Political Agent, Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); the Ministry of Information (which is often referred to in the correspondence as MINIF or MINIFORM); the Information Office, Aden; the India Office; and the Government of India.The papers cover: the selection of Bahrain as the publicity distributing centre for the Arab side of the Gulf, and the appointment of a publicity interpreter at Bahrain, who would also undertake intelligence duties (folios 2-6); India Office telegram explaining the principles adopted as the basis of British publicity abroad (folios 8-9); Arabic broadcasts by the BBC, including comments on the service, many of them critical, by the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Prior), and the Political Agent, Bahrain; discussion of the format and publication of the Arabic language Al Bahrainnewspaper (e.g. folios 29-30); numerous reports from the Ministry of Information on political, military and economic developments in the war (including contradictions of German propaganda), which were then recast in Bahrain and translated for publication in the newspaper Al Bahrain; the suggested use of loudspeakers to broadcast a daily Arabic news bulletin (e.g. folios 36-37); official reports forwarded to Bahrain by the India Office (e.g. Papers concerning the Treatment of German Nationals in Germany, 1938-1939(London: His Majesty's Stationery Office, 1939) (folios 221-238); covering letters for pamphlets of war interest sent by the Political Agency, Bahrain to the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) for the use of employees of the company (e.g. folio 266); the support of the Ruler of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad [Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah], for the allied cause (e.g. folios 251, 253); the assessment of public opinion on the war in Bahrain and the Trucial Coast (e.g. folios 279, 281, and 348); and newspaper cuttings used for publicity purposes (folios 313-319).The Arabic language content of the papers consists of approximately fifteen folios of publicity material and correspondence.The date range gives the covering dates of the correspondence; the last dated additions to the file are notes on a couple of the documents dated 29 November 1939.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 405; 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 2-395; 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 28/7 I War: Propaganda: local opinion’
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume comprises reports and correspondence concerning: the dissemination of pro-British and Allied propaganda in Bahrain and the wider Persian Gulf region, as prepared and coordinated by the Publicity Office in Bahrain; the reception of anti-British propaganda in Bahrain, chiefly via radio broadcasts; the impact of both on local public opinion in Bahrain. The propaganda covers events in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and the Far East, from the Norwegian campaign (April 1940) to the Japanese capture of the Dutch East Indies (March 1942). The volume’s principal correspondents are: the Publicity Officer in the Persian Gulf (Roy Douglas Metcalfe; John Baron Howes; Bertram Thomas); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior).The volume includes:weekly letters of ‘talking points’ (the strategy for their use as a propaganda tool being explained in a letter from the Publicity Office, f 10), received from the Ministry of Information, distributed by the Publicity Officer and comprised of pro-British and anti-Axis propaganda, commenting chiefly on progress in European War and later on, the war in North Africa and the Middle East; the question of the United States’ involvement in the war; the relative economic and military strengths of the conflict’s key protagonists;weekly reports, prepared by Political Agency staff, summarising local opinion in Bahrain towards the war in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, and sent in digested form to the Political Resident;radio broadcasts in Bahrain and the wider Persian Gulf region, including: the opening of and content for the Persian Gulf radio station; minutes of meetings held by the Bahrain Radio Committee; the public preference in Bahrain for Berlin Arabic radio over the British Broadcasting Corporation’s (BBC) Arabic service, and proposals to jam Berlin Arabic by broadcasting naval Morse code messages at its frequency; anti-British propaganda radio broadcasts from Italy, Germany, and from broadcasters campaigning against British imperialism in the Middle East and India; Government of India proposals for an Arabic broadcast service transmitting from Delhi;the appointment of Bertram Thomas as Publicity Officer in late 1941, as relief for Metcalfe;reports of local opinion in response to specific events affecting the Persian Gulf region: the Italian bombing of Bahrain in October 1940 (ff 89-94); Rashid Ali’s coup d’étatin Iraq in April 1941 (ff 217-218);schedules for the portable cinema in Bahrain, indicating date and venue (f 268, f 287).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 330; 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 mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 5-312; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.Pagination: the file notes at the back (ff 313-326) have been paginated using pencil.Binding: The pages of a single letter were separated during the volume’s binding. The first page of this letter is at f 181, the remaining pages at ff 209-211.
7. ‘File 28/7 II War: Propaganda – Local Opinion’
- Description:
- Abstract: The file, a direct chronological continuation of ‘File 28/7 I War: Propaganda: local opinion’ (IOR/R/15/2/687), comprises reports and correspondence concerning: the dissemination of pro-British and Allied propaganda in Bahrain and the wider Persian Gulf region, as prepared and coordinated by the Publicity Office in Bahrain; the reception and impact of propaganda (Allied and Axis) on local public opinion in Bahrain. The propaganda covers events from Germany’s advances in Russia and Japan’s advances in the Indian Ocean in early 1942, to the Allied Landings in Normandy in June 1944. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Public Relations Officer in the Persian Gulf (Bertram Sidney Thomas); the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban; Edward Birkbeck Wakefield; Major Tom Hickinbotham); and the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior).The file includes:weekly reports, prepared by Political Agency staff, summarising local opinion in Bahrain towards news of events in the war. These reports were sent by the Political Agent in digested form and on a weekly basis to the Political Resident;throughout the file, minutes of the approximately monthly meetings held by the Bahrain Radio Listeners Committee between July 1942 and August 1943. The minutes chiefly comprise comments on the content, quality of reception, quality of delivery, and timing, of BBC Arabic radio broadcasts, and to a lesser extent that of the Persian Gulf radio station;throughout the file, summaries of ‘talking points’ for dissemination as propaganda, focusing on topics including: Russia’s military strength against Germany (ff 42-43); facts and figures of the air war in the Mediterranean (ff 135-136); facts and figures on the Allied bombing campaign over Germany, with a focus on damage in Berlin and Essen (f 173);a report by Thomas of his tour of Middle East publicity centres (in Cairo, Jerusalem, Baghdad), dated 28 February 1943, commenting on: printing resources at Cairo; mechanical monitoring of radio broadcasts in Baghdad; use of cinema vans in remote districts of Iraq; Thomas’s own recommendations for publicity in the Gulf, including use of additional film projectors, hospitality sessions; majlis sessions (ff 11-16);a copy of an undated letter from L H Hurst of the Ministry of Information in London, to Thomas, requesting advice on ‘the best ways of capitalising the sympathies of pro-British Arabs.’ Thomas’s lengthy reply is appended to the letter (ff 47-51, with an additional copy at ff 59-64);correspondence relating to Thomas’s planned trip across the Arabian Peninsula, in March 1943 (ff 141-156);correspondence relating to Thomas’s departure to take up a role as head of an Arab Centre for training new officers (f 227);arrangements to send coloured film and records for broadcast in Sharjah (f 202);Government of Bahrain public notices: a prohibition on listening to German and Italian radio broadcasts, dated 16 June 1940 (f 5); a prohibition on listening to Japanese radio broadcasts, dated 8 December 1941 (f 6); dimming of car headlamps and other air raid precautions, dated 16 April 1942 (f 22).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 343; 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 2-314; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. An additional mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 315-342.
8. ‘File 28/7 III Public opinion and general publicity’
- Description:
- Abstract: The file, a direct chronological continuation of ‘File 28/7 II War: Propaganda – Local Opinion’ (IOR/R/15/2/688), comprises weekly reports describing local public opinion in Bahrain, in relation to events and the general course of the war, both in Europe and the Far East, covering the period from the Allied victory in Normandy (August 1944), to Victory in Europe (VE) Day (May 1945), and including comments on events in the Middle East, Egypt and Saudi Arabia’s declaration of war against the Axis powers, Russia’s progress into Germany, and the ongoing war against Japan. The principal correspondent in the file is the Political Agent at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham). The file comprises copies of the weekly reports, prepared by Political Agency staff, which were sent onwards in digested form by the Political Agent to the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 77; 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 2-58; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.Pagination: the file notes at the back (ff 72-76) have been paginated using pencil.
9. 'File 1/A/25 I Broadcasting Soviet'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file deals with wireless broadcasting to Bahrain (also spelled Bahrein), particularly the start of the Arabic service by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) in January 1938. The papers also have much information about broadcasting to Kuwait and other parts of the Persian Gulf.The correspondence is mainly between the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and the Political Agent, Bahrain. Other correspondents include Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain; the India Office; the BBC; and Shaikh Abdullah bin Isa Al Khalifah [Sheikh ‘Abdullāh bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah] of Bahrain. Enclosures to correspondence sent to the Political Agency Bahrain by the Political Resident and the India Office include correspondence from the Foreign Office, Colonial Office, Government of India, and other British officials in the region, in particular the Political Agent, Kuwait.The papers (folios 1-51) cover: concern over the broadcasting to the Middle East of anti-British propaganda by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), April - June 1933 and February - March 1935; information on the number of wireless sets in Bahrain and the capacity of those sets to pick up broadcasts from Europe, April - June 1933; mention of a considerable increase in the number of wireless sets in Bahrain, February 1935; concern over broadcasts from Egypt, 1935; Government of India papers on censorship of broadcast matter, May 1936 (with enclosure dated May 1932); letter from the Political Resident (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle) to the Government of India, in which he notes the increase in the number of wireless sets and wireless listeners in the region, the decreasing importance of the Soviet Union and rise of other powers (such as Italy) in broadcasting terms, and the use of Arabic over a wide area, and suggests that the United Kingdom should broadcast 'publicity' (which he differentiates from propaganda) to the Arab world, 21 December 1936; and quality of reception and opinions on the value of broadcasts in Bahrain, February 1937.The papers (folios 51-291) cover: initial plans by the BBC to broadcast in Arabic, February - March 1937; discussion of the best location from which to broadcast, June -August 1937; reception and reaction to broadcasts at Bahrain, September 1937; broadcasts from the Italian station at Bari, e.g. September 1937; discussion of Jerusalem broadcasts in Arabic in enclosures to India Office letter dated 13 October 1937; outline of new BBC service, December 1937 (enclosures November - December 1937); concern over the 'colonisation menace' (i.e. British colonialism) expressed by the Italian broadcasting station at Bari, December 1937; the announcement in December 1937 of the commencement of BBC broadcasts on 3 January 1938; bulletin of BBC Arabic programmes for January 1938, enclosed with correspondence dated December 1937 (other weekly bulletins of programmes later in the file); broadcasts connected with the wedding of King Farouk of Egypt, January 1938; discussion of a factual error in a BBC news announcement, 16 January and 1 March 1938; reactions to broadcasts in Bahrain, and Political Agent's recommendations for improvements, January - February 1938; recommendation that Arabic music should be played instead of English music, January - February 1938; criticism by the Political Agent, Kuwait of lack of variety in the Arabic music that was broadcast, March 1938; proposal for the formation of a local committee of radio listeners in Bahrain, June 1926. The dates given refer to main items of correspondence, and may include enclosures of an earlier date.The Arabic language content of the file consists of approximately twenty folios of bulletins of BBC Arabic programmes, and correspondence between British officials and senior members of ruling families.The date range gives the covering dates of the main items of correspondence; however, the earliest document is an enclosure on folio 33 dated 19 May 1932, and the last dated addition to the file is an entry in the notes on folio 313 dated 6 July [1928].Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 317; 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 5-313; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in same position as the main sequence.
10. File 301/1921 'MESOPOTAMIA: INTELLIGENCE REPORTS'
- Description:
- Abstract: This volume contains the Intelligence Reports of Sir Percy Cox, High Commissioner for Mesopotamia [also written as Iraq in this volume], based in Baghdad, covering the period 15 November 1920 to 15 September 1921. They largely relate to: the political situation in Mesopotamia and the surrounding region; the formation and proceedings of the provisional government; the events leading up to the creation of Mandatory Iraq [also known as the Kingdom of Iraq under British Administration] and the election and appointment of Faisal [Fayṣal bin Ḥusayn bin ‘Alī al-Hāshimī] as the first King of Iraq [Fayṣal I].The Intelligence Reports are numbered and appear to have been issued at two-week intervals. This volume contains the reports numbered 1-3, 9-19 and 21. There is no explanation in the volume regarding the reason for the absent reports. The format of the reports is a mixture of printed and copy typescript. Each report is preceded by a covering circular issued by the office of the High Commissioner indicating the British Government departments and the officers and departments in the Middle East to which the report was copied.Report Nos. 1-3 are preceded by an assessment of the political situation described in the Intelligence Report, written by Major R Marrs.The reports generally comprise the following sections:A summary of the report (from report No. 14 onwards only)An account of the proceedings of the Council of MinistersAnalysis of current public opinion and allegiances, (notably an analysis of public opinion on the Amir [Emir] Faisal and his arrival in Mesopotamia, including a reference to his 'personal magnetism', f 88), in report Nos 16-19Notes on provincial affairsNotes on the situation at the frontiersExtracts of 'Iraq Police Abstracts of Intelligence' (reports No. 9-14 only).Other subjects notably covered in various reports include:Assyrian, Armenian and Urumiyan [Urmian] refugees (report Nos. 2 and 19)Perceived foreign influences in Iraq (report Nos. 2 and 3)The withdrawal of Saiyid [Sayyid] Talib Pasha [Sayyid Ṭālib bin Rajab al-Naqīb] from the Government and Baghdad (report No. 12)Kurdistan (report Nos. 12-14)Turkish and Kurdish Frontiers (report No. 12)Dair al Zor [Deir ez-Zor] (report Nos. 1 and 12)Notes on 'Internal Affairs' (Nos. 18 and 19)Analysis of the referendum result which confirmed the election of Faisal as Iraq's first monarch (report No. 19)The formation of King Faisal's first cabinet (report No. 21).Appendices are included with some reports, usually comprising copies of the High Commissioner's proclamations or communications 'to the people of Iraq' or documents relevant to the particular report (notably 'Provisional scheme for the re-organisation of the law courts' and 'Report of the committee constituted for studying the irrigation problem in Mesopotamia' in report No. 9).Each report is concluded with a Supplement or Press Bureau Report, comprising extensive summaries and extracts of newspaper articles published in the local and 'foreign' (local region mainly) press. Notable publications cited are: Al 'Iraq, Al Fallah, Al Dijlah, and (Syrian publication) Lissan al 'Arab.The volume includes a divider which gives the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. This is placed at the end of the correspondence (front of the volume).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the last folio with 284; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. The foliation sequence does not include the front and back covers, nor does it include the two leading and two ending flyleaves. The sequence contains one foliation anomaly: f 267a.
11. PZ 2645/41 'Public Opinion in the Persian Gulf. Weekly telegraphic reports from the Political Resident.'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file mainly consists of weekly telegrams from the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf and His Majesty's Minister at Kabul respectively, reporting on the trend of public opinion in the Persian Gulf (specifically Bahrain, Koweit [Kuwait], and Muscat) and Afghanistan regarding the Second World War, as requested by the Ministry of Information.The Political Resident's reports are mainly addressed to the Secretary of State for India, with copies circulated to the Foreign Office; the Minister's reports are principally addressed to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, with copies forwarded to the India Office.The reports comment on the effect on public opinion of particular events and developments in the war (e.g. the fall of Paris in 1940, and the fall of Rome in 1944). Also discussed are the following: the impact of British, German, and Italian broadcasts; fears of Russian aggression among the official classes in Afghanistan; the British Broadcasting Corporation's (BBC) approach to reporting British naval losses early on in the war; the extent of anti-British feeling among the various classes in Bahrain; the Italian bombing of Bahrain in October 1940; food shortages in the Persian Gulf.There are no reports from Kabul dating from after September 1940. The reports from the Political Resident continue until April 1945, but they become more and more brief from 1941 onwards, and during the final three years of the war consist of no more than a couple of lines.Other notable correspondents besides the Political Resident and the Minister in Kabul include representatives of the British Broadcasting Corporation and officials of the Ministry of Information, the India Office, and the Government of India.The file includes three dividers which give the subject number, the year the subject file was opened, the subject heading, and a list of correspondence references by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folios 2-4).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 364; 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.
12. PZ 2108/40 'Press article by H N Brailsford: need to discourage this type of article'
- Description:
- Abstract: This file contains correspondence sent between British officials in the India relating to their reactions to an article, 'Why this army in the East?', which was written by Henry Noel Brailsford and published by the British newspaper Reynolds News.The main correspondents are Roland Tennyson Peel (Assistant Secretary for Political (External) Department) and Edward Walter Fletcher (Deputy Secretary for the External Affairs Department).Physical description: Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 6; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
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