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1. 'C-85. 86/30 - I WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN BAHRAIN AND SAUDI ARABIA'
- Description:
- Abstract: The volume comprises correspondence regarding applications from the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) and California Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC), represented primarily by Hamilton R Ballantyne and Max Weston Thornburg, for permission to install wireless apparatus and operate wireless telegraphy between Dhahran [Aẓ-Ẓahrān] and Awali [ʻAwālī].The discussion, which is primarily between the Political Agent at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman, Reginald George Evelin Alban), the Political Resident in the Persian Gulf (Trenchard Craven Fowle, Charles Geoffrey Prior), the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, the India Office (Roland Tennyson peel, John Percival Gibson, Esmond Walter Rawson Lumby), and the Imperial Communications Advisory Committee (William Warren Shaw-Zambra) relates initially to the question of whether Cable and Wireless have a monopoly on international telegraphic communications in Bahrain, and whether therefore such a proposal would infringe on that.The later correspondence discusses the wartime implications of such a communication service, particularly in regards to the question of censorship, and its possibilities as an advance warning of enemy aircraft from Arabia, which arises following the air raid on CASOC’s facility at Dhahran in 1941.Also discussed in the volume is a proposal for an agreement between Cable and Wireless and BAPCO whereby Cable and Wireless would operate the services required by BAPCO for a fee, but it was ultimately abandoned owing to restrictions laid down by the Saudi Arab Government that wireless communication between the two companies would only be permitted provided the recipient wireless sets in Bahrain were on BAPCO sites only.Other matters discussed in the volume include:the discovery that CASOC were using wireless sets on board launches and tankers outside of the territorial waters of Saudi Arabia to communicate direct with the USA and whether or not this contravened international laws or regulations;the potential expansion of the Bahrain refinery to accommodate wartime needs, using crude oil shipped from Saudi Arabia;an agreement made in 1935 between the Saudi Government, Sudan Government, Eastern Telegraph Company and Cable and Wireless which granted Cable and Wireless a monopoly in Saudi Arabia;concerns over the Saudi Arabian Mining Syndicate and their lack of awareness and concern over the need for secrecy in wartime.A series of file notes which were maintained as a record of the correspondence in the volume can be found at folios 186-193.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 197; 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 5-185; 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.
2. ‘File 28/1 D Local Volunteer Defence Force. British N.C.O. Instructors for Defence Force’
- Description:
- 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.
3. ‘File 28/1 War – Miscellaneous’
- Description:
- 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.
4. ‘File 28/13 Black out and A.R.P. [Air Raid Precaution] measures in Bahrain’
- Description:
- Abstract: The file contains correspondence, copies of official notices and regulations, and other papers, relating to air raid precautions and passive air defence measures taken in Bahrain throughout the Second World War. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent in Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban; Edward Birkbeck Wakefield); the Adviser to the Government of Bahrain (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); the Port Director at Bahrain (Claud Cranbrook Lewis DeGrenier, who also occasionally writes in the capacity of Acting Adviser to the Government of Bahrain); the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (SNOPG); the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major H T Hewitt); various representatives of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO).The file includes:discussion between officials in May 1940 of arrangements for the dowsing of BAPCO flares, and the assessment that the risk of an air raid in Bahrain is sufficiently low to not require extensive blackout plans (ff 2-12);correspondence issued in the immediate wake of an Italian bombing raid at Bahrain and Dhahran on 19 October 1940, relating to the enforcement of blackout procedures at the BAPCO refinery, in Manama and Muharraq and at the Bahrain port. Papers include: official notices (issued by the Political Agency, Government of Bahrain, BAPCO) of blackout procedure (including dimming of car headlamps; extinguishing of port navigation lights; operation of refinery without gas flares); reports by the Assistant Political Agent, assessing the effectiveness of the blackout from the air; formulation of an emergency medical aid scheme for Bahrain (ff 13-79);correspondence, dated May 1941, concerning night-time flying boat services at Bahrain, and restrictions on lighting for these services (ff 106-111);correspondence dated between July and October 1941, concerning the relaxing of the existing blackout regulations, in light of the diminished threat to Bahrain from enemy air raids. Papers include: official notices of the relaxation of measures, issued by the Political Agency and Government of Bahrain (ff 117-139);correspondence, between March and November 1942, relating to the renewed threat of air raids at Bahrain, including: correspondence relating to instructions in dealing with incendiary bombs; extracts from newspapers ( The Statesman, the Bahrain Newspaper) and a journal ( Indian Information) relating to air raid risks and precautions at Bahrain, including lessons learnt in the wake of Japanese air raids on Rangoon [Yangon]; minutes of the meetings of the Bahrain ARP committee; air raid warning procedure; telephone and radio communications in the event of air raid warnings received at Bahrain; ARP practice; the visit to Bahrain of Home Office ARP expert Lucas Webster (ff 145-257);announcement in December 1942 of a relaxation of blackout restrictions at Bahrain (ff 259-265);correspondence in early 1943, relating to the lifting of regulations on the dimming of car headlamps in Bahrain (ff 276-277);official announcement in June 1943 of the lifting of all blackout regulations in Bahrain (ff 287-293).Physical description: Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 316; 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 2-296; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled. Pagination: the file notes at the back (ff 297-315) have been paginated using pencil.
5. Coll 1/60 'Defence of Aden: supply of anti-gas equipment (precautionary measures in view of Italo-Ethiopian situation)'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file contains correspondence regarding the supply of gas masks and other anti-gas equipment to the military and civilian populations at Aden, in view of the Italo-Ethiopian conflict and the possibility of war with Italy. The principal correspondents are the Aden Chief Commissioner, the India Office Political Department, the Colonial Office, the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, the Air Ministry, the Treasury, and the Air Raid Precautions Department within the Home Office.It includes discussion of the following: the possibility of air attacks on Aden; the provision of gas masks for civilian personnel employed in essential services in Aden; the provision of gas masks for the remainder of the civilian population; whether masks should be distributed free of charge or made available for a small fee; the provision of related articles, including medicines, boots, bleaching powder and goggles; permission to conduct training exercises in preparation for an attack; and the allocation of costs between the Aden authorities, the Government of India, and the Colonial Office.The file also includes discussion of the precautions to be taken at Malta, British Somaliland, and Kenya, plus several references to the debate over the free issue of anti-gas equipment in Britain.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 inside back cover with 222; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio.
6. Coll 1/63 'Aden. Precautionary measures in view of Italo-Ethiopian dispute: scheme for evacuation of civilians from Aden in certain eventualities'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file contains papers regarding the preparation of a scheme for the evacuation of civilians from Aden, in the event of the outbreak of hostilities between Italy and Britain.The file primarily consists of correspondence between the Aden Resident, the India Office Political Department, the Colonial Office, the Air Ministry, Government of India Foreign and Political Department, the War Office, and the Mercantile Marine Department of the Board of Trade. There are also excerpts of minutes from the Committee of Imperial Defence Sub-Committee on Defence Policy and Requirements.The following topics are discussed: the categorisation of the dependents of European and Indian officials and non-officials, plus other inhabitants; the capacity for commercial maritime traffic to transport evacuees; the proposed destinations for evacuees, including India and the UK; possible routes for the marine transport of evacuees; accommodation arrangements; the division of costs between Imperial and Indian revenues; the appointment of a Civil Embarkation Officer; the international situation, and the likelihood of an Italian attack against Aden; and plans for possible Admiralty control over merchant shipping in the Mediterranean, in the event of the outbreak of war. The file also contains information about the evacuation plans for Malta.Folios 60-70 comprise a copy of the 'Draft scheme for the evacuation of Women and Children from Aden in the event of Aden being within the War Zone', with Appendices: I, Public Notice of Evacuation; II, Counter Foil Emergency Evacuation Tickets; III sample Passenger List table.Folios 71-76 comprise minutes of a meeting held at P&O House to discuss the evacuation scheme, attended by the Civil Embarkation Officer (Captain A Messenger of the P&O Steam Navigation Company), plus representatives of the main shipping firms operating in Aden: Messrs Luke Thomas & Co.; Cory Bros & Co.; the Anglo-Iranian Oil Co.; and Cowasjee Dinshaw & Bros.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 front cover with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 234; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top centre of the recto side of each folio.
7. Coll 1/65 'Defence of Aden: general precautionary measures in view of Italo-Ethiopian situation; food supplies'
- Description:
- Abstract: The file contains correspondence between the Aden Chief Commissioner (Bernard Reilly) and the Government of India Foreign and Political Department, regarding arrangements to supply Aden with food during times of war. Reilly also requests that an additional Police Officer be posted at Aden during the emergency.The file also contains telegraphic correspondence between the Admiralty and the Commanders-in-Chief of the East Indies and the Mediterranean, regarding precautions to be adopted against sabotage and attack at Aden, Port Sudan, Port Alexandria, Port Said, and at Suez.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: The foliation sequence 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.