مذكرة عن السيرة المهنية للسير ريجينالد مايكل هادو [و‎‎١‎٢] (٢٦/٢٣)

Memories My two most vivid memories are: a) Having to get Mr Skrine out of
a cell in Russian Military HQ where he had been hauled for taking photographs
of vital military secrets (Uzbek soliders watering their horses at a trough!),
and b) Smuggling 5 American airmen who were intermed in Siberia after the Dolittle
B25 raid on Japan, escaped and found their way to North of Meshed, through the
Russian cordons and on their way to India.
Autumn 1943 I was posted as A.P.A. to Bahrein. Travelled via Zahidan, Quetta and
Bombay where I was at last able to replemish my wardrobe and that of my new wife.
Thence by oil-tank (Dutch) to Bahrein.
Bahrein P.A. was Tom Hickinbotham; my duties were very run of the mill. A.P.A.
Gulf duties except that for a time I doubled as Political Officer Trucial Coast
visiting from Bahrein rather than resident in Sharjah. I flew to India to take
my Russian lower standard, which I passed with some ease. Found I could not cope
with Arabic or continued my Persian studies. The P.R. Persian Gulf, Sir Geoffrey
Prior, had started life I believe as one of "Wilson's young men" in Iraq after
World War I and modelled himself on that Proconsular figure. He was a keen
linguist and insisted on his "young men" learning all the local language diligently,
conducting the exams himself. He subsequently passed me in my Persian Interpre-
tership when I was in Bushire.
I found the life and work in Bahrein stultifying and the climate execrable. The
only bright spot was learning from Hickinbotham all about the Gulf Arabs and how
to deal with them. But I was delighted to be posted to Bushire on the Persian
side in the winter.
Bushire Vice Consul, but in the general set up of the Political Residency under
Prior. A last view of a real Proconsul and a Proconsular Establishment. Much
resented by the F.O. and the legation in Tehran, I was able to travel quite a bit
and polished up my Persian (see above).
In the spring (1944?) was posted to Bandar Abbas as Consul.
Bandar Abbas Here I was on my own with a great deal to do. I travelled
extensively in Lorimer's footsteps. Accompanied R.N. ships on their trips along
the coast, ran a coastal network of Persians watching for enemy (German or Jap)
submarines. Under the F & P Consular duties were a far cry from the same in the
F.O. One meddled in local politics, ordered the local governor about, told the
military what to do etc. Yet the local Persian did not seem to resent it, what
ever their politicians in Tehran may have felt, and relations were close and
cordial.
I spent 4 months as Consul in Kerman as a stop gap leaving Bandar Abbas vacant
and finally left Persia in 1946, for 4 months home leave - my first since arriving
in Bombay in 1938.
I had in all this period both in the I.C.S. and F & P never had more than 4 weeks
local leave in any one year. I travelled from Bandar Abbas overland via Kerman
Quetta to Bombay, then to the UK in an overcrowded troopship. My wife shared a
cabin with 3 other women, I was luckier in having only one stable companion.
Looking back conditions were appalling. It was the hot weather and the ship a
Cunarder had been built for the North Atlantic ocean. Yet how happy one was to
be returning home to the wettest and coldest June, July and August (1946) in
memory.
Returned to India in Sept 1946 as an Under/Secretary in the Foreign Dept,
of the F & P. Headquarters staff had been greatly increased (I think there were
4 under/secs) and our task was to turn the old Dept into a replica Foreign Office
against the arrival of Independence in August 1947. As far as I remember I had
some 5 Departments under me to set up from scratch: Goa (Mr Nehru's private jewel),
Middle East, Research, Conference and one or two more. One was also allotted