‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [54r] (107/252)
The record is made up of 1 file (124 folios). It was created in 17 Jan 1938-13 Sep 1939. 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.
With reference to your D.O. No, C/729 of 1st October,
although I have not yet heard from the Commander-in-Chief
whether he intends to carry out his original programme, I
would like to offer the following remarks regarding the sug
gestions contained in your letter.
2 . The proposed exercise is designed to finish when the
"enemy raider" has reached the longitude of 55°S (vicinity
of Tunb Is.) and there is no time availabe for an investiga
tion into how much damage she could do before being caught.
3. It would be quite possible from my point of view
to issue a warning by W/T to the Political Officers on the
Arab side of the Gulf that an "Enemy Haider" had entered and
was at large, but I would point out that this warning might
reach them at any time during the 48 hours of the exercise
and the time of receipt might not be an entirely suitable
moment to exercise a "black out" from the point of view of
convenience to the local authorities, and local firms.
4. Apart from exercising com unications between myself
and the political authorities, I do not think that there is
much to be gained by combining this test with the proposed
exercise. A trial of communications can of course be arranged
at any time if desired. I suggest also that more value
would be obtained from a test "black out" if aircraft co
operation were available to observe the effect. During the
proposed exercise all available aircraft will be co-operating
with the forces at the entrance to the Gulf.
5. There is one point in connection with communications
which I think is worth consideration, and that is that Bah
rain Radio does not normally keep a constant watch by day
and closes down at night. In the event of war there would
almost certainly be none of H.M. Ships at Bahrain and all
W/T messages would have to go through Bahrain Radio. I do
not/-
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence, extracts of Government reports and other papers relating to the drawing up of defence policies for the various states in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , in anticipation of the start of a global war. The file’s principal correspondents are: 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 Trenchard Craven William Fowle); 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. at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); representatives of RAF Air Headquarters at Habbaniyah in Iraq (including Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice Marshal John Hugh Samuel Tyssen); various representatives of the Government of India 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. .
The file includes:
- a letter from 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. to the 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. , dated 18 January 1938 enclosing a ‘Note on the Defence of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in the Event of a Major War’, which contains: the Resident’s assessments of the strategic importance of the Gulf; details of communications and the air route in the Gulf; hypothetical war situations (attacks, hostile countries); British interests in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Muscat (ff 13-36);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to January 1939 relating to a visit to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. of military officials, for the assessment of the region’s defence requirements and proposed defence schemes, including recommendations from a Major Price of the need for a volunteer defence force at Bahrain, and the posting of a permanent adjutant to Bahrain (ff 68-73);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to March 1939 concerning an assessment of maritime trade in the Gulf during wartime, including a copy of a questionnaire issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station (ff 81-82), with a reply and completed questionnaire from 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. at Bahrain (ff 90-94);
- correspondence dated April to July 1939 concerning ‘Appreciations’ of defence schemes for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah and Dibai [Dubai], including: extracts from a report issued by the Oversea Defence Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence (ff 112-115); and approval from the Government of India of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. defence schemes, subject to remarks made in an enclosed note from the Chief of the General Staff of India (ff 117-118).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (124 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. There are no file notes included at the end of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 126; 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 2-125; 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 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [54r] (107/252), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/762, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x00006c> [accessed 22 November 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/762
- Title
- ‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:125v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence