‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’ [70r] (139/246)
The record is made up of 1 file (121 folios). It was created in 20 Nov 1943-14 Dec 1944. 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.
Minute by Srfcemal Department
I saw Mr. G-ass, a Director of the A.I.O.C* , on Thursday
16 th Marcel# He explained that for a number of years his
Company had been supplying B.O.A*C*( and its predecessor) with
petrol on the air route along the Gulf. Hitherto petrol has
been brought in from Abadan in tanks and drums and has been poured
straight into bowsers on the aerodromes. With the increase in
traffic however requirements are getting too big for this method
to be maintained successfully and it is essential to be able to
put up storage tanks. Until the point was raised recently by
the Bahrain Petroleum Conpany his Coupsiay had no knowledge of the
exclusive right of B.A.P. Go* to construct and supply oil storage
tanks in Bahrein and he wanted to find out what thee position of
his Company now was* Were they in effect now excluded from
operating on behalf of the B.O.A.C. in Bahrein as they have been
doing hitherto? I explained to Mr. Gass that the exclusive
right to erect and operate oil storage tanks had been in
B.A.P.Co.'s earlier agreements but had then only applied to a
particular area. when in 1940 the Coup any obtained a further
concession which gave them the whole of the f-heikh* s
territories the exclusive right as to storage tanks was again
included and this of course had the effect of giving them
exclusive right over the whole of Bahrein. Mr* Gass enquired
whether they also had the exclusive right to sell oil in Bahrein
and I was able to assure him that paragraph 4 (c) of the
Agreement specifically excluded any such right. I told Mr. Saas
that as far as I could see although we had not yet had time to
explore the position from its legal aspect, there was nothing in
the .Agreement to prevent his Company from continuing to operate
except that they could not erect storage tanks. Under the Civil
Air Agreement, Article 11, H.M.G. have the right to supply petrol
either direct or through their agents to users of the aerodrome,
and if they chose to select A. I* 0*0. as their agents this would
mako the Company's position unassailable especially as there was
clause in the Political Agreement with the Bahrain Petroleum
Company that said *The Company shall not have the right to use or
occupy my sites which may have been selected by H. M.G. fear
aerodrome or sea plane bases*. I explained to Mr* Gass that
this was only ay personal opinion of the position arid if.
About this item
- Content
The file contains copies of correspondence, reports and other papers concerning oil storage facilities requested by the United States Army Transport Corps (USATC) at Muharraq airfield in Bahrain. 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. at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham); the Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Liaison Officer (ALO) at Bahrain, Squadron Leader W A Chase; representatives of the 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. .
The file includes:
- correspondence and notes, chiefly 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. at Bahrain during the period November to December 1943, concerning meetings held with the ALO at Bahrain, US Army and RAF officials, concerning the USATC’s requests for Bahrain and Sharjah (specifically, aviation fuel supplies, accommodation and wireless facilities at Bahrain), in anticipation of the increased movement of US troops to the Far East theatre of war (ff 2-36);
- correspondence dated 1944 concerning the installation of a pipeline to carry aviation fuel from the Bahrain Petroleum Company’s (BAPCO) refinery to the RAF jetty at Manama and airfield at Muharraq, and fuel storage tanks at Muharraq. Correspondence concerning the fuel storage tanks occupies much of the remainder of the file, and includes correspondence between various parties including 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, 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) 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. and Air Ministry officials. The correspondence includes: BAPCO objection to the erection of tanks on behalf of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), who supply aviation fuel to the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and RAF at Muharraq; proposals for the RAF to purchase and install fuel tanks; legal questions over whether the storage of AOIC fuel for use by BOAC at Bahrain contravenes the exclusive rights BAPCO holds with the Government of Bahrain; the Air Ministry’s assertion of its right to construct and maintain fuel storage facilities at Bahrain for its air stations (f 120).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (121 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 are no file notes 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 inside back cover with 123; 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 mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-122; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’ [70r] (139/246), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025782255.0x00008c> [accessed 25 February 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/761
- Title
- ‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:40v, 43r:121v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence