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‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’ [10r] (19/92)
The record is made up of 1 file (44 folios). It was created in 19 Oct 1940-7 Jan 1941. It was written in English. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
2 /-
P. R.
AT ^
BMHHBHi
1
I give below a more detailed account of the airraid
on the Oil Refinery at Bahrain and subsequent events.
2. At about 3.15 a.m. on the 19th October one of the
Refinery guards saw aircraft approaching from a southerly direc
tion with their navigation lights burning. The consensus of
opinion is that there were three enemy planes and this appears
likely as the bombs were dropped in salvos of three, ihe
machines flew over the Refinery at a height between two and
three thousand feet and dropped some 40 bombs a number of which
failed to explode. As soon as he had sighted the ai ‘craft
the Refinery guard informed the Defence Officer and 1 am
told that the lights of the Refinery were put out very soon
after the first salvo of bombs had been dropped. The flares
however could not be extinguished rapidly and it appears
that the bombs were aimed at a point midway between the two
flares on the east side of the Refinery. The position of
one of these flares had been changed only a few days pre
viously and had it remained in its former position it seems
probable that the bombs would have fallen within the Definery
area. Actually they fell about 300 yards to the east of the
Refinery perimeter. The bombs were obviously of small
calibre as the craters were not more than 8 to 10 feet
across and 4 feet deep. There were no casualties and no
damage whatsoever was done. I personally visited .he scene
with the Senior Naval Officer at dawn. Guards were at once
placed on the area where the bombs fell and to-day a oyal
Air Force expert arrived by Blenheim to inspect the duds.
While I was still at the Camp a message was received to the
effect that a single aircraft had dropped some seven bombs
close to Dharan but it now seems that the number of airc aft
which took part in this raid was three and that the number
of bombs dropped was between 20 and 30. As already reported
there was no serious damage and there were noc asualties.
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence and other papers relating to an air raid carried out by Italian bombers over the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) refinery in Bahrain and the California-Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC) refinery at Dhahran [al-Ẓahrān] in Saudi Arabia, on the night of 19 October 1940. The principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. in Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Geoffrey Prior); the British Minister in Jedda (Hugh Stonehewer-Bird).
The file includes:
- initial reports of the raid (ff 2-3);
- an order from the Government of Bahrain (f 4, copy at f 30) dated 19 October 1940, announcing the raid and the British Government’s intentions to take all measures in the defence of Bahrain. The order also calls for calm amongst the islands’ inhabitants;
- a draft letter written by the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. to the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. , dated 20 October 1940 (ff 10-12, copy at ff 27-29) giving details of: the number of planes taking part in the raid and their altitude; the number of bombs dropped; damage (of lack of damage) caused; and precautions being taken against further raids: placement of light machine gun posts, blackout measures, the preparation of air raid shelters, increased refinery patrols);
- correspondence from the British Minister at Jedda (ff 13-14, ff 15-16, f 32), giving an account of the Italian minister to Saudi Arabia’s initial denial of the raid over Dhahran, his response to the official announcement from the Italian Government of the raid over Bahrain, and his subsequent apology to the Amir Faisal [Fayṣal]. The British Minister at Jedda also reports on the official apology to Saudi Arabia from the Italian Government, and speculation that the refinery at Dhahran was mistaken for the BAPCO refinery at Bahrain by the Italian bombers;
- correspondence between Air Ministry and India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. officials in London (ff 41-42) discussing if such a raid could be repeated in future, and whether further air raid protection measures should be taken at Bahrain.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (44 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 44-45) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 46; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-43; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’ [10r] (19/92), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/669, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025479604.0x000014> [accessed 24 November 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/669
- Title
- ‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:3v, 5r:29v, 31r:33v, 35r:36v, 38r:45v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence