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Coll 30/58 'Persian Gulf. Anglo-Persian Relations. Persian insult to British flag at Basidu' [‎117r] (238/1186)

The record is made up of 1 file (589 folios). It was created in 3 Aug 1933-31 Jan 1934. 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. .

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2 „
dissuade Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs from
argumentative reply. I pointed out that simple
acknowledgment was enough and that if he wished to state
his point of view on various complaints of paragraph No .4
he could do so hy answering each of the notes referred to
one hy one but I stressed the bad impression if answers
were unhelpful. He explained reason why we had not yet
roceived answers was unsatisfactory interdepartmental
correspondence, me had had to refer several questions
back to Minister oi War. Meantime he must warn me that
Persian Government could hardly send us X entlrely X satis
factory An East India Company trading post. reply about iamb. I reminded him of status quo
agreement c
5. He then gave me his version of Persian Charge
d'Affaires' visit at Foreign Office which in the light of
your telegram .>o- g63 I was able to correct. Charge
d'Affaires had been rather more optimistic about ultimate
communique than I felt able to be. Nevertheless I said
that if His Majesty's Government were really satisfied
that Persian Government intended incident closed I would
nture to again suggest to you the idea of communique.
6 . Sepahbodi said the Shah was sure to ask him
what, about troops at Basidu. I repeated what you had told
Persian Charge d'Affaires and added that troops were not
marines, merely the usual armed guards. He objected that
they had machine guns and I said that all detachments of
mis majesty's forces wore usually so armod nowadays. He
repeated that the shah would look to us to re-embark armed
guards as an earnest that the incident was finished. I
- at I had no authority to make any promise whatever.
First/

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Content

This file contains correspondence between British diplomatic and naval officials concerning an incident on 31 July 1933 when four Persian naval officers landed at Basidu (a naval station on Qishm island used by Britain) and took down the British flag in the presence of witnesses including an Italian and a Frenchman. Subsequently, a Royal Navy vessel arrived at the station and the British flag was re-hoisted.

The correspondence discusses the details of the incident itself, its aftermath and its impact on Britain's relations with the Government of Iran. It also covers what steps were taken to 'restore British prestige in the eyes of the Gulf Arabs', including details regarding the dispatch of a royal navy flotilla to the region.

In addition to correspondence, the file also contains the following:

  • Relevant press cuttings regarding the incident and Britain's response (folios 78, 169, 311 and 364)
  • Copy of a circular clarifying the sequence of events in Basidu that was issued by the British authorities in the Gulf (folio 11)
  • 'Copy of a note dated the 14th August 1933, from the Head Clerk, H.B.M.'s Consulate, Bandar Abbas, regarding a conversation which recently took place between the Governor of Bandar Abbas and the Consulate Mirza' (folio 255)
  • 'Basidu Incident' a summary of events written by J V Creagh, Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (folios 329-331)
  • 'Extract from Cabinet Conclusions dated 5th September 1933 - Relations with Persia, Basidu Incident' (folios 370-376)
  • 'Legal Status of Basidu' (folios 398-399)
  • 'Cabinet: Relations with Persia - Basidu Incident. Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty' (folios 413-415)
  • Cabinet Memorandum regarding Basidu Incident (folios 416-417)
  • 'Foreign Office Memorandum for submission to the Cabinet on the subject of the Flag Incident at Basidu' (folios 435-440)
  • A small sketch map marking the boundaries of 'British Basidu' (folio 536).

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (589 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 591; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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Coll 30/58 'Persian Gulf. Anglo-Persian Relations. Persian insult to British flag at Basidu' [‎117r] (238/1186), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3775, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100060481229.0x000027> [accessed 1 January 2025]

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