Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence and other papers relating to the institution, running and disbandment of the Bahrain Local Defence Volunteers (LDV), as well as Air Raid Precautions (ARP) being taken in Bahrain. Key correspondents in the file include the Political Agent in Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban), the Defence Officer for the Persian Gulf (Major A C Byard; Major H T Hewitt), and the Air Vice Marshal Commanding British Forces in Iraq (Harry George Smart).Topics covered in the file include:British officials’ efforts to recruit an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officer) qualified in the use of Vickers Berthier guns to train a Bahrain local defence force;recruitment of an LDV Force in Bahrain. The file includes a copy of the public notice issued by the Political Agency asking for volunteers, dated 17 June 1940 (f 33), replies (ff 35-49) from individuals and groups volunteering to the LDV, and a document entitled ‘Formation of the Bahrain Local Volunteer Defence Force’, dated 15 August 1940 (f 54) containing details of training, penalties for breach of rules, medical examination, discharge;correspondence regarding the organisation of searchlight crews, and arrangements for searchlights and other equipment to be dispatched from Iraq to Bahrain;a letter from the Air Vice Marshal Commanding British Forces in Iraq, to the Political Resident, dated 8 November 1940 (ff 64-65), concerning the lack of available anti-aircraft defence equipment for Bahrain; the despatch of a searchlight to Bahrain; and acknowledgement of the ‘serious difficulties’ in the use of British guards recruited by the Company (Bahrain Petroleum Company, or BAPCO) – ‘the use of British Forces at the expense of a foreign company, for the protection of private property’;the disbandment of the LDV as a result of an apparent lack of enthusiasm, and a BAPCO announcement stating that the ‘Company will not be liable for staff employees taking part in Military or Defence duties’ and ‘bonuses will not be paid to them while on such duty’. In a letter to the Political Resident dated 20 November 1941 the Joint Secretary to the Government of India (Hugh Weightman, formerly the Political Agent at Bahrain) expresses surprise at the disbandment of the Bahrain LDV, noting an ‘apparent spirit of apathy and helplessness now obtaining in Bahrain’ (f 82). A response from the Bahrain Defence Officer (Hewitt) to Weightman’s observations, dated 28 December 1941, is also in the file (ff 84-86);in response to Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941, a renewed discussion of Bahrain’s defences, with emphasis on a ‘Passive Air Defence scheme’. A letter from Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, to the Political Agent (Alban), dated 2 January 1942 (ff 87-92) describes the air-raid precautions being taken in Bahrain, including black-outs in Manama and Muharraq, the use of trenches as air-raid shelters, fire-fighting plans, and medical emergency planning.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 106; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional mixed foliation/pagination sequence are also present in parallel between ff 2-104, ff 2-32, and ff 34-71; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. These are located in the same position as the main sequence, except for some instances which are located on the verso. The following foliation error occurs: two f 53.
Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence and other papers relating to the recruitment, particulars and activities of a Defence Officer for the Persian Gulf. Key correspondents in the file include the Political Agent in Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban) and the Defence Officer for the Persian Gulf (Major A C Byard until early 1941, succeeded by Major H T Hewitt in April 1941).The file includes:correspondence between the Political Resident, Political Agent in Bahrain, Air Officer Commanding in Iraq, and others, on the recruitment of Captain A C Byard as Defence Officer for the Persian Gulf (under the command of the Air Ministry), and further discussion on Byard’s pay and rank, with differences of opinion between the Political Agent and Air Ministry representatives, on Byard’s emoluments in relation to his rank and role at Bahrain;proposals made in February 1940, for the recruitment of a force of fifty Bahrainis to guard the Bahrain oil field and refinery, and the recruitment of a levy from Iraq to work as an intermediary between the Defence Officer and force (ff 14-15);an outline, in a letter sent from Air Headquarters in Iraq, dated 21 November 1940, of the duties of the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (ff 62-63);the recruitment of Major H T Hewitt as Defence Officer in Bahrain from April 1941, as a replacement for Byard (ff 65-66);the settlement of outstanding bills and expenses incurred by Byard while he was stationed in Bahrain;in July 1941, the transfer of control for the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf from the Air Ministry to the Indian Army (ff 94-97);operation records prepared by the Defence Officer for July 1941 (ff 100-102), September 1941 (ff 105-106), October 1941 (ff 107-108), November 1941 (ff 110-111) and December 1941 (f 119);correspondence relating to an injury suffered by Hewitt in December 1941 (a broken leg), including a medical note (f 122) that Hewitt should seek travel to Bombay for surgery, and correspondence relating to a second medical opinion noting that further treatment would not be necessary;correspondence between the Political Agent in Bahrain, Political Resident (Lieutenant-Colonel William Rupert Hay), and the Commander-in-Chief PAIFORCE (Persia and Iraq Force), General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson, December 1942, on Hewitt’s promotion from the rank of Major to Lieutenant-Colonel, in response to his increased responsibilities (ff 133-139);an announcement of a Change of Designation, dated 30 November 1943, stating that the title Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf has changed to Station Commander Bahrain (f 141);station Routine Orders covering the period 29 March to 10 May 1944, prepared by the Defence Officer (ff 142-145).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 150; 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 2-145; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. Pagination: a short pagination sequence is also present between ff 146-149; these numbers are written in pencil, and are located in the top outermost corners of each page.
Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence relating to the day-to-day organisation of the Bahrain Special Police, occasionally referred to as the Bahrain Defence Force, including arrangements for recruitment, training, pay, provisions, expenses, etc. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Agent in Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major A C Byard; Major H T Hewitt); Royal Air Force (RAF) officials at Air Headquarters Iraq, Habbaniyah, Iraq.Subjects covered in the file include:in late 1939, enquiries by the Political Agent in Bahrain into the prospect of recruiting men from Baluchistan into a Special Police Force in Bahrain, with mention of the Sheikh of Bahrain’s preference for an Arab levy force;in October 1940, proposals to increase the numbers of the Bahrain Special Police up to circa 150 men, along with correspondence relating to additional defence measures for Bahrain in the wake of an Italian bombing raid over Bahrain and Dhahran;in late 1940, the recruitment of four junior Non-Commissioned Officers (NCOs) from the Iraq Levies, to train the Bahrain Special Police, including arrangements for payment of levies’ travel, accommodation, expenses and salaries;separate concerns from Belgrave: a) of the effectiveness of the Special Police with 150 men (November 1940, ff 29-35); and b) the costs of maintaining the Special Police (July 1942, ff 61-69);in October 1943, discontent amongst the ranks of and the threat of strike by the Special Police, who demand transport allowances and pay increases, leading to Hewitt’s concession that the Special Police are not an effective fighting force;from mid-1944, concerns that the numbers of men in the Special Police will drastically reduce as their four-year contracts, signed in late 1940, expire towards the end of 1944. Recommendations to solve the problem include: replacement of the Special Police by an Indian Garrison Company, rejected on the grounds of an overall lack of manpower in the Indian Army; that a one-year contract extension with pay rise be offered to Special Police officers; a transfer scheme to enable Bahrain State Police to transfer to the Special Police (copy of police order announcing the transfer scheme, ff 107-110);in August 1945, correspondence relating to the disbandment of the Bahrain Special Police, including confirmation from the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), dated 12 September 1945 (f 120) that the Company has no objection to the discontinuation of the Special Police.Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 132; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional mixed foliation/pagination sequences are also present between ff 2-7, ff 112-123, and ff 124-131 respectively; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. They are located in the same position as the main sequence, except for some instances which are located on the verso.
Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence, memoranda and reports relating to the military defence of Bahrain’s oil refineries and oil fields during the Second World War. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent in Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); the Chief Local Representative of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (John S Black; Roger Anthony Kennedy; Milton H Lipp; Ward P Anderson).The file includes:a copy of ‘General Instructions for the Defence Organisation of the Bahrain Petroleum Company’, dated December 1939 (ff 9-52), with sections focusing on: 1) the internal and external areas of the refinery; 2) the personnel camps at Awali and Zellaq; 3) fields and wells; information on inventories of equipment, and specific instructions for patrols and guards;correspondence from BAPCO representatives to the Political Agent relating to: the perceived threat to Bahrain and to Company property, and defensive measures to be taken; assessments of the threat of internal sabotage, local uprisings, bombardment from sea or air (ff 68-71); questions of responsibility for and efficacy of defensive measures being taken in Bahrain; questions of the legal aspects (liability, compensation, War Risk Insurance) of damage to Company property from enemy attack, and volunteers who become casualties while defending Company property, including printed copies of the Gazetteer of India
War Injuries Ordinance, No. VII of 1941 (ff 235-237) and the
War Injuries (Amendment) Ordinance, No. I of 1942 (ff 238-249);correspondence exchanged, and the notes and minutes of meetings held between senior Government officials (including the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, Air Vice Marshal at Air Headquarters in Iraq) on the provision of resources for the defence of Bahrain, including discussion of the availability and use of manpower supplied by BAPCO;a number of monthly progress reports in 1941 on the Bahrain defence scheme, prepared by the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (ff 143-144, ff 146-147, ff 162-164, ff 177-179), referring to: defence force recruitment; the volunteer defence force; general morale and attitude of recruits; equipment supplies; anti-aircraft defence measures;in 1941, plans for the control of telephone exchanges and lines during emergencies, with lists of telephone links to be maintained during an emergency (ff 182-183);plans and proposals for the protection of BAPCO property in the event of enemy action, including: in 1942, BAPCO proposals for the protection of the oil field in case it falls into enemy hands, by the sealing of wells with concrete (ff 270-294); a military report on Passive Air Defence (PAD) at the BAPCO refinery, dated 28 April 1942, focussing chiefly on plans to construct protective sheathing around the refinery tanks (ff 304-323).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 342; 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 also present in parallel between ff 3-341; these numbers are also written in pencil, 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.
Abstract: The file comprises copies of correspondence, memoranda and copies of agreements, relating to the recruitment of a defence force in Bahrain, charged with the security and defence of the Bahrain Petroleum Company’s (BAPCO) refinery and oil fields. The principal correspondents in the file are the Bahrain Political Agent (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald Evelin William Alban), the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major A C Byard; Major H T Hewitt), and the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain, Charles Dalrymple Belgrave.Subjects covered in the file include:1939 correspondence between BAPCO officials and British Government officials (the Bahrain Political Agent, Political Resident in the Persian Gulf, Air Ministry officials) concerning the need for a defence force comprised of up to twelve ‘British European ex-servicemen’ to assist in the defence and security of the BAPCO oil refinery and fields (f 5), paid for by the oil company and enlisted and maintained by the Government (ff 5-25);the recruitment in late 1939 and early 1940 of ex-servicemen, and the conferral of special police officer powers upon them by the Government of Bahrain (ff 33, 37-47);the announcement in October 1940 of the failure of the scheme to recruit ex-servicemen as special police officers in Bahrain, chiefly a result of a lack of discipline amongst the recruits, a result of the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf having no legal authority over the men (ff 49-51);a draft of a document, drawn up by BAPCO, entitled ‘Staff Foreign Service Agreement, Long Term’ (ff 56-60);Correspondence in late 1940 relating to the proposed recruitment from India of serving police inspectors and sergeants for the Bahrain defence force (ff 61-66);correspondence throughout 1941 relating to the recruitment of men from the Calcutta, Bengal and Madras police forces, including: requirements for new recruits, including a preference for unmarried men because no accommodation for married couples is available; multiple copies of employment agreements between the Government of Bahrain and the recruited officers (ff 146-157, ff 167-172, ff 201-206); arrangements for the passage of recruits from India to Bahrain; travel and uniform allowances; salaries and adjustments to salaries for relocation, separation allowance for spouses, etc.; provision of accommodation;correspondence relating to complaints made by several recruits over contracts and pay (ff 140-141), accommodation (ff 133-134), and the resignation of a number of recruits, chiefly owing to their dissatisfaction with conditions in Bahrain, in particular those relating to accommodation for married couples not being available, and the payment of separation allowance (f 181, f 190, f 219);concern from the Bahrain Government (Belgrave), in March 1942, over the cost of recruitment of the British defence officers, with a request that BAPCO reimburse the Government on expenses incurred for the maintenance of the force (ff 272-275);subsequent correspondence relating to the difficulties in recruiting more sergeants from India (ff 221-222), particularly from early 1942 onwards, with war ‘now at the door of India’ (f 276) meaning that no European police sergeants are available to be sent to Bahrain (f 277).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 297; 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 5-278; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file comprises correspondence related to the recruitment of NCOs (Non-Commissioned Officers) from Iraq, to serve in the Bahrain Special Police Force. The principal correspondents in the file are the Political Agent at Bahrain, Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban and the Air Officer Commanding at Habbaniyah in Iraq.The file includes:correspondence between India Office, Air Ministry and Government of India officials, covering the period December 1939 to March 1940, on the recommended rates of pay and terms for Majors in the Indian Army, and for NCOs serving in India, in order to establish the appropriate rates of pay for their employment in Bahrain (ff 9-21);a recommendation from the British Embassy at Baghdad for the provision of an officer from the Iraq Levies for the Special Police Force in Bahrain (ff 27-32);correspondence relating to the appointment of Major A C Byard as Defence Officer for the Persian Gulf, including a letter from Air Headquarters, dated 8 June 1940, outlining the Defence Officer’s duties and responsibilities (ff 42-44);the Political Agent’s visit to Air Headquarters in Iraq in June 1940, to assist in the process of recruitment for the Bahrain defence force. A report of his visit, sent to the Political Resident is included in the file (ff 37-38, ff 45-47);recommendations for the appointment of an Alwan officer from Iraq, and their eventual despatch to Bahrain, after difficulties in obtaining a passport;in May 1940, Major Byard’s, and other British officials’ concerns over the attitude of the Iraqi NCOs in Bahrain, in light of hostilities in Iraq, and Government decision to return the Iraqi NCOs to Iraq (ff 74-85).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 94; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Three additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 2-73, ff 2-91, and ff 92-94 respectively; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file contains copies of correspondence on a range of subjects associated both directly and indirectly with events and the impact of the Second World War. Key correspondents in the file include: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban; Edward Birkbeck Wakefield), the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major H T Hewitt).Subjects in the file include:correspondence dated October 1939 from officials in the Government of India, on the institution of a War Purposes fund by the Governor-General and Viceroy of India, Victor Alexander John Hope (ff 6-11);the detention in June 1940 of Italian prisoners of war on board HMS
Falmouthat Jubail, Bahrain (ff 17-19);enquiries made by the Government of India in 1940 into desert vehicles used by the Californian Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC), with detailed information supplied by CASOC, including: diagrams of tyre profiles; photographs of trucks manufactured by US companies Marmon Herrington and the Autocar Company; statistical data and measurements for trucks (ff 20-25, ff 28-36, ff 41-65);enquiries made by the Government of India Supply Development Committee in 1942 into the prevalence in the Gulf of large sharks, as part of an investigation into the possibility of using shark skin in lieu of leather as a wartime measure (ff 80-86);preparations against the prospect of enemy attack undertaken in Bahrain during 1942, including: the appropriation of sites for the construction of defensive posts and anti-aircraft batteries (f 88, f 99, f 100, ff 122-125, f 141); the arrival in Bahrain of the No. 57 Indian Garrison Company; the removal of signposts in Bahrain (f 98); camel and horse patrols; artillery practice and manoeuvres (f 116, ff 118-120); protection of cable communications on the island (ff 139-140). A letter from the Political Resident, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior, to the Secretary to the Government of India, dated 23 December 1942, gives an overview of the preparations made for the defence of Bahrain (ff 149-151);Troop movements in the Gulf in 1942 (ff 103-104);1942 Ministry of State proposals to standardise time in the Middle East and East African Commands (ff 112-113, ff 134-135).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 187; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. Between ff 47-52 these numbers have also been underlined. An additional incomplete foliation sequence is also present between ff 2-167; 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. The exceptions being ff 47-52 where the previous sequence was not crossed out, as these folios consist of photographic prints.
Abstract: The file, while entitled ‘Defence of Qatar’, chiefly concerns the issue of six rifles and 1,200 rounds of small arms ammunition (SAA) to British personnel employed by Petroleum Concessions Limited (PCL) in Qatar during the war. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban) and the Manager of PCL at Bahrain (Ernest Vincent Packer).The file includes:correspondence relating to a report, entitled an ‘Appreciation of the Defence of Qatar against tribal attack and sabotage’ prepared by staff at Air HQ in Iraq, and sent to the Political Resident on 6 February 1939 (f 2). A copy of the report is not included in the file, however, the Political Agent at Bahrain’s comments on the report are (ff 3-5);a copy of a report prepared by the Air Liaison Officer at Bahrain (R Coates) in July 1939, being a reconnaissance of possible landing grounds and flying boat mooring areas at Dohat-es-Zekrit [Zikrīt] (ff 11-12);correspondence dated September 1939, relating to protection for British personnel working on the Qatar oil field, and a request by the Political Agent at Bahrain to the Air Officer Commanding at Bahrain, for six rifles and SAA to be loaned to PCL’s British employees in Qatar (ff 13-19). Later correspondence, dated June and July 1941, details the eventual receipt of the rifles and ammunition by PCL (f 21, f 26), a rifle register (f 28), and a note written by the PCL Manager, describing the poor condition of the rifles (f 32);correspondence dated July 1939, relating to PCL’s plans to close down their operations in Qatar and the Trucial Coast, including: copies of letters from the Political Agent in Bahrain to the Rulers of Qatar and the Trucial Coast, informing them of PCL’s closure of operations (ff 47-54); the return of the six rifles and ammunition to the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major H T Hewitt), the latter’s complaint at the poor condition of the rifles, and the PCL Manager’s response that the rifles had been received in poor condition (ff 57-59).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 75; 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 1-74; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Abstract: The file contains correspondence, instructions and other papers relating to: troop numbers in Bahrain; troop movements through the Gulf into and out of Bahrain; military movements and military transportation in the wider region; Ministry of War Transport operations at Bahrain. Principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent in the Persian Gulf (Edward Birkbeck Wakefield; Major Tom Hickinbotham); the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major H T Hewitt); officers at PAIFORCE [Persia and Iraq Force] officials.The file includes:throughout, reports from numerous correspondents (including the Defence Officer at Bahrain, the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, officials at Bombay, RAF [Royal Air Force] Shaibah) reporting specific troop movements, as well as military equipment and supplies, through Bahrain;details of the numbers and locations of military personnel based at Bahrain, submitted to the Political Agent at Bahrain by the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (ff 12-14, ff 21-22; ff 67-68), and movement of troops out of Bahrain, as the risk of enemy action there diminishes, with troops transferred to Abadan (ff 29-34);correspondence dated December 1944 relating to proposals to move troops by air between India and Britain, with Bahrain being a staging post, the expectation being that 1,500 military personnel would need to be accommodated at Bahrain at any given time (f 64).The file contains numerous instructions from PAIFORCE:Administrative Instruction No. 60, dated December 1943, relating to the anti-locust campaign in Saudi Arabia, 1943/44, and including details of: general outline of the campaign; responsibilities; order of battle; outline plan; provision of supplies; medical matters; post; pay and allowances; civilian labour and personnel (ff 37-42); subsequent amendments to Administrative Instruction No. 60 (f 55, f 57, f 62);Operation Instruction No. 12, dated November 1943, relating to the destruction of locust swarms in South Persia, and including details of: present locust situation; anti-locust organisation; co-operation from the RAF; locust control in Saudi Arabia and India; object of campaign; administration; intercommunication. Appendix A contains topographical information about the route between Baghdad and Bandar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās]. Appendix B is a wireless communications plan (ff 45-52);GHQ Movements and Transportation Working Instruction No. 77, dated February 1945 (ff 73-81), HQ (Mov & Tn [Movements and Transportation] PAIFORCE Working Instruction No. 79, dated May 1945 (ff 83-91), and Joint HQ (Mov & Tn) PAIFORCE and Air HQ Iraq and Persia Working Instruction No. 1, dated September 1945 (ff 95-103), with each subsequent instruction superseding the previous instruction, and containing details of: functions of the Movements and Transportation officers; imports and exports; personnel; air movements; BOAC [British Overseas Airways Corporation] services; RAF services; bookings; documentation; air freight; POL [petroleum, oil and lubricants] shipments.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 109; 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 3-30; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence. Two previous foliation sequences, which are also circled, have been superseded and therefore crossed out.