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‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’ [41r] (81/92)
The record is made up of 1 file (44 folios). It was created in 19 Oct 1940-7 Jan 1941. 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.
P.Z. 5982/40
SECRET
D.0.G./D.0.
AIR MINISTRY
KING CHARLES STREET,
S.W.l.
29th October, 1940.
Dear Peel,
With reference to your P.Z.5716/40 of the 24th
October, 1940. The development by the Italians of the
Cant Z.1007B long range aircraft has now made possible a
light intermittent scale of air attack on Bahrein.
The recent attack, which entailed a flight of
2,500 miles, requires an effort by the Italians altogether
out of proportion to the results obtained and may have been
undertaken partly for propaganda purposes and partly
as an endeavour to draw off our A.A. defences from elsewhere
These aircraft carrying a heavier load of bombs
could have been much more effectively employed on nearer
objectives. It is therefore unlikely that these flights
will be repeated frequently.
It is of course, desirable to establish A.A.
defences at Bahrein to counter these attacks, but whilst we
are still so short of Fighters, A.A. guns and searchlights
for the defence of other important targets with a higher
scale of attack, we can do little more at the present
time than make the best use of the H.A. gun which has
been installed by the Navy, and the machine guns already
there to meet low flying attack. All possible passive
defence measures should, of course, be undertaken including
the institution of a warning system. We are asking the
A.O.C.Iraq to inform us what local defence measures are
being put in hand.
I am sending a copy of this letter to Spraggett,
Admiralty, Mallaby, War Office, and Baxter, Foreign Office.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd.) W.A.Coryton.
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence and other papers relating to an air raid carried out by Italian bombers over the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) refinery in Bahrain and the California-Arabian Standard Oil Company (CASOC) refinery at Dhahran [al-Ẓahrān] in Saudi Arabia, on the night of 19 October 1940. 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. in Bahrain (Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); 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); the British Minister in Jedda (Hugh Stonehewer-Bird).
The file includes:
- initial reports of the raid (ff 2-3);
- an order from the Government of Bahrain (f 4, copy at f 30) dated 19 October 1940, announcing the raid and the British Government’s intentions to take all measures in the defence of Bahrain. The order also calls for calm amongst the islands’ inhabitants;
- a draft letter 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. to 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. , dated 20 October 1940 (ff 10-12, copy at ff 27-29) giving details of: the number of planes taking part in the raid and their altitude; the number of bombs dropped; damage (of lack of damage) caused; and precautions being taken against further raids: placement of light machine gun posts, blackout measures, the preparation of air raid shelters, increased refinery patrols);
- correspondence from the British Minister at Jedda (ff 13-14, ff 15-16, f 32), giving an account of the Italian minister to Saudi Arabia’s initial denial of the raid over Dhahran, his response to the official announcement from the Italian Government of the raid over Bahrain, and his subsequent apology to the Amir Faisal [Fayṣal]. The British Minister at Jedda also reports on the official apology to Saudi Arabia from the Italian Government, and speculation that the refinery at Dhahran was mistaken for the BAPCO refinery at Bahrain by the Italian bombers;
- correspondence between 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. officials in London (ff 41-42) discussing if such a raid could be repeated in future, and whether further air raid protection measures should be taken at Bahrain.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (44 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 file notes at the end of the file (ff 44-45) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 46; 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 foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-43; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’ [41r] (81/92), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/669, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025479604.0x000052> [accessed 14 July 2026]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/669
- Title
- ‘File 28/1 P Visit of enemy aircraft to Bahrain’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:3v, 5r:29v, 31r:33v, 35r:36v, 38r:45v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence