‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’ [10r] (19/246)
The record is made up of 1 file (121 folios). It was created in 20 Nov 1943-14 Dec 1944. 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.
Note on an interview with Colonel Lewis, and Major
Van Nostrund of the United States Array and Squadron Leader
W.A. Chase Royal Air Force Air Liaison Officer Bahrain at
the
Agency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent.
on the 19th of December 1943.
Major Van Nostrund stated that he was on the staff
of Major General Malloy commanding the North African Wing
of the American Transport Corps and that Colonel Lewis
represented Major General Connolly of the Iraq-Persia Command.
I understood that these two gentlemen had arrived here on the
18th of December and proposed to leave on the 21st December
and that they were accompanied by a staff of experts in
engineering and signalling.
They had had consultations with Squadron Leader Chase
and examined the present Royal Air Force installations and
had very right and properly been brought round to see me by
him to explain their plans and intentions.
2 : .Major Van Nostrund sketched the general outline of the
reinforcement programme, touched on the allotment to them of
certain air-fields in North Africa, and dwelt on the magnitude
of their programme. He is I believe a lawyer with political
leanings in civil life. • He then traced the history of the
project and laid his cards on the table as he termed it or at
any rate as many of them as he thought fit to disclose.
It seems that their the=fep reinforcement plan necessitates
their having a permanent landing ground here which would be
operated should Abadan become unserviceable and in addition to
Abadan when their flov; of aircraft render it necessary^ and an
emergency landing ground at Sharjah.
3. Permission has been applied for by General Malloy to
make use of the Royal Air Force landing ground at Bahrain and
to construct certain buildings but by the time Major Van
Nostrund left Cairo ho answer had been received from the Air
Ministry. He trusted that by the time he returned to Cairo^
which he hoped would be about the 24th of this month^sanction
would have been received and they would be able to proceed
/with
About this item
- Content
The file contains copies of correspondence, reports and other papers concerning oil storage facilities requested by the United States Army Transport Corps (USATC) at Muharraq airfield in Bahrain. 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. at Bahrain (Major Tom Hickinbotham); the Royal Air Force (RAF) Air Liaison Officer (ALO) at Bahrain, Squadron Leader W A Chase; representatives of the 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. .
The file includes:
- correspondence and notes, chiefly 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. at Bahrain during the period November to December 1943, concerning meetings held with the ALO at Bahrain, US Army and RAF officials, concerning the USATC’s requests for Bahrain and Sharjah (specifically, aviation fuel supplies, accommodation and wireless facilities at Bahrain), in anticipation of the increased movement of US troops to the Far East theatre of war (ff 2-36);
- correspondence dated 1944 concerning the installation of a pipeline to carry aviation fuel from the Bahrain Petroleum Company’s (BAPCO) refinery to the RAF jetty at Manama and airfield at Muharraq, and fuel storage tanks at Muharraq. Correspondence concerning the fuel storage tanks occupies much of the remainder of the file, and includes correspondence between various parties including 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, 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) 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. and Air Ministry officials. The correspondence includes: BAPCO objection to the erection of tanks on behalf of the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company (AIOC), who supply aviation fuel to the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) and RAF at Muharraq; proposals for the RAF to purchase and install fuel tanks; legal questions over whether the storage of AOIC fuel for use by BOAC at Bahrain contravenes the exclusive rights BAPCO holds with the Government of Bahrain; the Air Ministry’s assertion of its right to construct and maintain fuel storage facilities at Bahrain for its air stations (f 120).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (121 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 are no file notes 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 inside back cover with 123; 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 mixed foliation/pagination sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-122; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’ [10r] (19/246), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/761, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025782255.0x000014> [accessed 25 February 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/761
- Title
- ‘File 28/74 Oil storage facilities for U.S.T.A.C. [United States Army Transport Corps] at Muharraq’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:40v, 43r:121v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence