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'File 35/134 IV (A 56) Sur. Ja'alan - Amirs of.' [‎143v] (314/536)

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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. .

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(m) General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Northern Command, and
General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, may,
at their descrebion, delegate their authority to any selected sub
ordinate Commander.
(iv) Air reconnaissance shall not be called for by any military authority
except after consultation with the political officei concerned.
(v) Whenever possible, the ordinary channels of communication will be
adhered to and every opportunity will be taken for consultation
between the civil, military and Royal Air Force authorities concern
ed. The sanction to dispense with reference to higher authority
is accorded solely to avoid delay in an emergency.
(c) A ir Demonstration. —This is not offensive action nor does it commit
the Government of India to such action.
Its employment is a question of policy and is not dictated by the immediate
military requirements of the troops or other Government forces.
It can be ordered by the undermentioned civil officials on whom will rest
the responsibility for calling out aeroplanes for this purpose :—
Chief Commissioner, N. W. F. P.
The Resident in Waziristan.
The Agent to the Goveror General in Baluchistan.
(d) Should an unforeseen emergency arise such as the sniping of or the offering
of active opposition to any force, whether irregular or regular, by the
tribesmen, the authority under whom the civil forces are acting or
in the case of a regular force the District or Force Commander may
call for air assistance without reference to higher authority. In such
cases aeroplanes may take offensive action provided such action is
confined to the tribesmen actually engaged.
For the above purpose calls for air assistance will be made to the nearest
Wing Commander, Royal Air Force, or to the Officer Commanding,
squadron or detachment. Royal Air Force, if the nearest Royal Ah
Force unit is a detached squadron or portion of a squadron. Such
calls will be repeated through the usual channels to superior authority,
political, military and Royal Air Force.
{e) Mobile Columns. —Whenever a Mobile Column is out, the Commander
of the District concerned will arrange through the usual channels,
for such air support as may be considered necessary. Officers
Commanding No. 1 (Indian) Group or No. 3 (Indian) Wing. Royal
Air Force, will make the necessary arrangements and report action
taken to Royal Air Force Headquarters.
The Officer Commanding a Mobile Column is authorised to employ with
his column such aeroplanes as have been detailed to support him.
Aeroplanes employed with a Mobile Column can take any action the
situation renders advisable with the following exceptions :—
(i) No offensive action is to be taken unless hostile sniping or other
active opposition is encountered.
(ii) Offensive action is limited to that required to deal with actual off
enders, i.e., personnel targets only. It will be advisable to use
aeroplanes freely for reconnaisance or for demonstrations in con
nection with any operations or march of a Mobile Column.
{{) Retaliation against rifle fire from tjte ground. —When aeroplanes carrying
out any of the duties described above are subjected to deliberate and
definitely hostile fire from the ground and the individuals responsible
for such firing can be clearly discerned, they may, in the absence
of specific instructions to the contrary issued beforehand by com
petent authority, retaliate in their own defence with machine gun
fire or bombs against such individuals. This action must not be
taken indiscriminately and is never to be used against villages.

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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
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'File 35/134 IV (A 56) Sur. Ja'alan - Amirs of.' [‎143v] (314/536), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/1/444, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100023998667.0x000074> [accessed 23 August 2026]

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