'File 35/134 IV (A 56) Sur. Ja'alan - Amirs of.' [89r] (175/536)
The record is made up of 1 volume (253 folios). It was created in 22 Dec 1931-18 Mar 1932. 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.
J, ' ■ H 5fe
of political officers in touch with the tribes should, in the
Council^ view, dispose of the misgivingB expressed in the
Admiralty's letter as to the effect upon relations with the
Arab rulers in the area concerned and the fear that relations
between the tribesmen and the personnel of the Royal liavy will
become embittered. There is, of course, much independent
testimony by senior political officers in Iraq and elsewhere to
the same effect.
3. A 8 regards the particular apprehensions disclosed by
Their Lordships' letter, the Council would further observe:-
(a) That it has been an mvariablf principle amon^ all
three'fighting Services of the Crown that when torce
has to be employed to achieve the objects of H.l.
Government the degree of force recommended should be
the minimum considered likely to achieve the end in
view. This principle has been, and will be, applied no
less rigidly by the Royal Air Force than by the other
Services.
(b) Air operations against the habitations of tribesmen
not in open war against H.l . Government have never been
undertaken and never will be undertaken, except after
all possible action has been taken to reduce loss of
life to a minimum. It has been, and will continue to
be, the invariable practice for tribes to te warned
that a village is liable to be bofcibed and should be
evacuated. oreover, the demonstration suggested in
the Admiralty letter is, as the Secretary of State for
in lia will be aware, the invariable preliminary to air
operations of the nature proposed and may, as has
frequently occurred, render them unnecessary.
(c) ihe view apparently held by the Lords Commissioners ol
the Admiralty that the bombing of Jaalan Fort will
adversely aifect the relations between H.L. Government
and the tribes elsewhere in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
area,
especially in regard to the Arabian air route, seems
to the council to be unsupported by any evidence.
iiixperience on the Worth West Frontier of India, in
Iraq and in Aden leads rather to the conclusion that
li.^ lscriminatin6 use of aircra ^ against one tribe or
section results in an improvement in relations between
Government and other tribes or sections in the same area
Indeed the Council take the view that, if one
recalcitrant ruler finds that by retiring inland out of
reach of naval bombardment he can be defiant with
impunity, others will be quick to appreciate our weak
ness and to^take advantage of it by raising all
possible difficulties ana objections against every
proposal for the implementing of British policy in the
Persian ^ulf. In ;act, it is due to the recalcitrant
nature oi the tribes beyond the reach of naval
bombardment that our negotiations for the establishment
o ,he alternative civil air route to India have been
so prolonged.
About this item
- Content
Correspondence relating to actions against the Bani Bu Ali [Banī Bū ‘Alī] in Sur in 1932 who were claiming independence from the Muscat State. Correspondence discusses how the Bani Bu Ali led by Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah al-Hammuda [Muḥammed bin Nāṣir al-Ḥamūdah] were rebelling against the Sultan of Muscat's authority and in particular the creation of a customs post in Aiqa. Shaikh Ali had deployed armed forces to Aiqa fort and prevented the establishment of the customs post. The timing for deployment of aircraft from Iraq including Wapitis and flying boats is discussed and in particular the implications of reconnaissance flights during Ramadan. One Wapiti crashed 40 miles south of Muscat but the occupants were unhurt and safely rescued. Saiyid Said bin Taimur [Sa‘īd bin Taymūr] visited Sur in a sloop along with HMS Emerald . Correspondence details the agreement of the Foreign Office, 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. in London to the use of aircraft. A letter from the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty concurs in the action whilst expressing concern over the use of aircraft and the repercussions this could have on relations with Arab rulers, and suggests only use of naval bombardment. The Air Ministry responded noting 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. 's view that 'action by warship alone would be entirely ineffective; past history has shewn this.' 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. notes that the action proposed by the Government of India were based on discussions with the Senior Naval Officer Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and Air Officer Commanding, Iraq; furthermore, 'aerial demonstration will precede punitive air action.'
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. , Muscat discusses the relations between the Bani Bu Ali ,[Banī Bū ‘Alī] Bani Bu Hassan [Bani Bū ‘Hasan] and Bani Amer; also the likely response of the Bani Bu Ali to any British attack and the need to take precautions to avoid the experience of a British Indian force in 1821. In 1821 a force was dispatched to avenge the defeat there of a different expedition the previous year but three hundred of the Bani Bu Ali attacked at night resulting 16 killed. Correspondence discusses the negotiations with Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah bin Abdullah bin Hammuda
Correspondence between the Air Officer Commanding, Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt and Colonel Hugh Vincent Biscoe, 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. , Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. discusses the reconnaissance photos and the bombing of the Jaalan [Ja’alān] fort following the dropping from aircraft of warning messages. There are also extracts from a report by Group Captain W L Welsh on reconnaisance by two Rangoons and three Wapitis of the Sur area with arrangements for the deployment of flying boats to conduct bombing missions and their protection by the Muscat Infantry.
Correspondence includes letters betweeen Saiyid Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman, to Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah and Hugh Vincent Biscoe, 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. Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Following aerial demonstrations by Rangoon flying boats Shaikh Ali accepted the customs post and agreed to meet the Sultan on board the Sultan's vessel. The Senior Naval Officer Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. wrote to Shaikh Ali informing him that as he had accepted the customs post the bombardment would not take place.
Includes aerial photos (ff 128D-128P) of Jaalan and Khor Janaba which were made in preparation for a possible punitive bombing raid. Also includes a sketch map of Khor Janaba and an enclosure with a 'Sheikhly family of Bani Bu Ali.
Correspondents include H.V. Biscoe, 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. Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Trenchard Craven Fowle, 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. Muscat; Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt, Air Headquarters, Iraq Command, Hinaidi; Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; Eion Pelly Donaldson, 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. , London; Christopher Llewellyn Bulloch, Air Ministry, London; No. 203 (Flying Boat) Squadron; Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty; Saiyid Said bin Taimur, Sultan of Muscat and Oman; Shaikh Ali bin Abdullah bin Hammudah; Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, Simla.
- Extent and format
- 1 volume (253 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged chronologically from the front to the rear of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation system in use is the sequence of numbers in the top right hand corner of each folio including the covers.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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- Reference
- IOR/R/15/1/444
- Title
- 'File 35/134 IV (A 56) Sur. Ja'alan - Amirs of.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 1ar:1ev, 2r:16v, 19r:22v, 23ar:23bv, 24r:24v, 30r:127v, 128ar:128av, 128cr:128cv, 129r:143v, 144ar:144bv, 145r:151v, 152ar:152cv, 153r:236v, 240r:250v, 250ar:250av, 251r:252v, back-i, back
- Author
- Royal Air Force
- Usage terms
- Public Domain
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