'Report on the operations carried out in the southern desert in connection with the Iraq-Najd borders, November 1927-May 1928.' [‎11r] (21/66)

the Dhafir had left the vicinity of Busaiya two days previously
with about 30 men to carry out a raid into Najd in the Bashuk
area. It appears that they had heard that some camels
previously looted from the Dhafir were grazing there with a
party of Mutair. After searching on the 22nd without success,
aircraft succeeded in locating this party on the following
morning near Hassana before they had carried out their raid.
They were ordered to return and were kept under surveillance
by the aircraft until well on their way. On the morning of the
24th armoured cars, working in co-operation with the aircraft,
arrested the leaders near Sama, and brought them in to
Busaiya, where they were dealt with by the civil authorities.
This prompt action prevented an incident which might have
given rise to serious complications in the negotiations about
to take place at Jeddah.
51. On the 3rd May, information was received that Ibn
Sa'ud had arrived at Madinah on his way to meet Sir Gilbert
Clayton at Jeddah. This was the first information received
that Ibn Sa'ud definitely intended to meet the British
representative. It is known that when he first offered to do so
he had not met his tribesmen nor obtained from them an
undertaking not to go forward with the raid for which they
had assembled. Until this date no certain news of Ibn Sa'ud's
meeting with the Akhwan leaders near Buraidah had been
received, although it is now believed that a conference was
held between 19th and 23rd April, at which, however, neither
Faisal ad Dawish nor Sultan ibn Humaid were present in
person. As it was now evident that he had come to some sort
of arrangement with his tribes, orders weie issued to the
effect that no aircraft or cars were to cross the Najd border or
to visit the neutral area. Restricted reconnaissances along
the 'Iraq side of the border were still carried out.
52. On receipt of the news that the Jeddah conference had
been postponed, and that Ibn Sa'ud had given a written
undertaking to restrain his tribes from raiding, all Royal
Air Force detachments at Kuwait, Busaiya and Sulman were
withdrawn, Ur was closed down and Nos. 55 and 70 (B)
Squadrons returned to Hinaidi. These movements were
completed by 29th May, and on 3rd June, Akforce ceased to
exist.
difficulties of terrain.
53. J wish to call attention to some of the exceptional
difficulties of operating over country such as the desert on the
Orders of Iraq and Najd, and in doing so to pay a tribute to
the way the pilots of all squadrons employed have overcome