‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [43r] (85/252)
The record is made up of 1 file (124 folios). It was created in 17 Jan 1938-13 Sep 1939. 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.
9
be ruled out. The only exception to this was if
hostile bases were established in Persia.
4. It followed from the above that in the opinion of
the Admiralty and the Air Ministry no defences need be
organised in the Gulf against naval or air attacks.
This, combined with the decision not to send troops to
either the Persian or Arab side of the Gulf (see paras 5
(d) and (e) and para. 6 below), clears the ground enormously
and only leaves us with schemes of defence and internal
security to be organised locally (see paras. 7 to 11 below).
I had thought (vice para. 3 of my letter of 18th January)
that some at least of the queries contained in my Note
answered themselves in the negative, but it is a distinct
advantage to have had those dealing with the possibilities
of naval and air attack answered now by the competent
authorities. As we all know problems assume a different
aspect when considered quietly in peacetime from that
which they take on in the stress of war. If, for instance,
the problem of the defence of Bushire had been considered
before the Great Mar at some such meeting as we have now
had, it is difficult to believe that the mistake (in my
opinion) would have been made of tying up a whole division
there- to deal with Wassmuss and his Persian tribesmen.
5 . The other provisional conclusions were as follows:-
(c) (see para. 7 of my Note).
The Ganowen-Mi shun-Gach Q.aragnuli area was not
included in the Abadan defence scheme, and it was
doubtful whether it would be possible to draw up
any scheme for its defence.
(d) (see para. 8 of my Note).
Bushire. It was agreed that no troops could be
sent/
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence, extracts of Government reports and other papers relating to the drawing up of defence policies for the various states in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , in anticipation of the start of a global war. The file’s principal correspondents are: 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 Trenchard Craven William Fowle); 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. at Bahrain (Hugh Weightman); representatives of RAF Air Headquarters at Habbaniyah in Iraq (including Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice Marshal John Hugh Samuel Tyssen); various representatives of the Government of India 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. .
The file includes:
- a letter from 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. to 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. , dated 18 January 1938 enclosing a ‘Note on the Defence of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in the Event of a Major War’, which contains: the Resident’s assessments of the strategic importance of the Gulf; details of communications and the air route in the Gulf; hypothetical war situations (attacks, hostile countries); British interests in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Muscat (ff 13-36);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to January 1939 relating to a visit to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. of military officials, for the assessment of the region’s defence requirements and proposed defence schemes, including recommendations from a Major Price of the need for a volunteer defence force at Bahrain, and the posting of a permanent adjutant to Bahrain (ff 68-73);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to March 1939 concerning an assessment of maritime trade in the Gulf during wartime, including a copy of a questionnaire issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station (ff 81-82), with a reply and completed questionnaire from 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. at Bahrain (ff 90-94);
- correspondence dated April to July 1939 concerning ‘Appreciations’ of defence schemes for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah and Dibai [Dubai], including: extracts from a report issued by the Oversea Defence Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence (ff 112-115); and approval from the Government of India of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. defence schemes, subject to remarks made in an enclosed note from the Chief of the General Staff of India (ff 117-118).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (124 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. There are no file notes included at the end of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 126; 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 2-125; 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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [43r] (85/252), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/762, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000056> [accessed 19 February 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000056
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000056">‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [‎43r] (85/252)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000056"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0000af/IOR_R_15_2_762_0085.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0000af/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/762
- Title
- ‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:125v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence