‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [49r] (97/252)
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.
P.Z.3128/1938
s^wr.
S.40564.
AIK MiKISTKY,
m
Adastral House,
Kingsway, fo.C.2.
3rd May 1^38.
Dear Peel,
I have no comments to make on the minutes of the
discussion which we had concerning the appropriate defence
measures to be undertaken in the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.
I do dot intend to send a complete copy of the
minutes to the A.O.G. Iraq, and I think it will be sufficient
to send him a resume of the Conclusions to which we agreed.
I intend to inform him that the possibility of any
commiCrnents (apart from the defence scheme of the Anglo-
Iranian oil fields) on the eastern sideof the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
is most remote. On the western side the threat of any
attack from the sea or from the air is slight and we
would not at present be justified in making any provision
for fixed defences against sea or air attack. Our
immediate aim should be to develop whatever local resources
there are in order to offset the possibility of tribal
attack from the landward side, and of sabotage both in the
Bahrain oil fields and at those places which are staging
points on the Iraq-India and Iraq-Aden air routes.
I, also propose to tell the A.O.C. that we are asking
him tosend an officer to assist in drawing up defence
plans for Kuwait, Bahrain, Sharjah and muscat. It is
obviously desirable that this officer’s visit to tie Gulf
should take place after Sir Trenchsrd Fowls 1 s return. We
will therefore tell the A.O.C. that he may expect in the
course of time to te ar from the K.P.G. suggesting
arrangements by which collaboration on drawing up defence
plans for the places mentioned can best be achieved.
Perhaps you will be good enough to inform Sir Trenchard
Fowle of the action we propose to take.
Yours sincerely,
Sd. W.A.Coryton.
R.T.Peel, Hsq., tt.C.
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.
,
King Charles Street,
-London,
S.W.l.
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’ [49r] (97/252), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/762, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000062> [accessed 16 February 2025]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000062
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_100025781730.0x000062">‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [‎49r] (97/252)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100025781730.0x000062"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000241.0x0000af/IOR_R_15_2_762_0097.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