Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [‎41r] (81/431)

Para 7 Contd.
Page 6.
(b) Kbaaia^Pawaak*.
The foundations of three large hangars have been
laid and v;ork on them is in progress. Buildings for stores
have now been completed to roof level* and the tarmac croa
in front of the existing hangars has been enlarged by about
50 y a rd s •
A survey of a proposed runway approximately 2000
metres long has been completed, and the runway marked out
but construction has not yet been started.
8.
Aiiation^iMimLL.
cs of aviation^petrol in Kabul are reported
maintained b T? inports from India and all stc
i St.nrl-s pt, thr. Jp] nlabad airfield are saa
Stock
to have been rna .. ,
tanks -are full. Stocks at tne J"
have been increased, while stocks ^
Kazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, G-h;
been turned over. The petrol held
i j x o
alabad airfield are said
of aviation petrol at
or age
znx and 'J-ardez have
at Lhzar-i-Sharif is
stated to have been placed there 8 years ago, and to hays
shown a loss through evaporation of 30 gallons only during
this 'oeriod. The officer in charge of the petrol was placed
under"arrest by the military authorities and called on to
for the petrol and account for the shortage# ne W 2 S •
er released on explanations cpncerning evaporation being
given by the Commandant of the Air Porceh
The Afghan Air Force may shortly be compelled to
revise their petrol stprage arrangements as three different,
types of aviation spirit will be required i.e# 68 octane
for the Tiger Moths, 87 octane for the Hinds and Romeos and
100 octane for the Hurricane. In the past only 87 octane
aviation petrol has been imported.
a
9.
!n_AirJImi£j2fL£ia£X3.
has improved
tna t
the
The morale of_officers in the Air Fprce
durir^t the winter. This is due to visible signs
Afghan Govt intend to reorganise their Air Force and secure
more aircraft. The retirement and transfer of the less
efficient officers has been welcomed and the remaining ofiicers
feel that their future prospects are brighter, ihe Afghan
Govt have also given
promotion to officers
■■I
awards included one 1 st cla s,
Orders of the Star, nine Hold
a number of decorations and special,
who were engaged in operations against
and Mohnands in the Kunar valley last year. “These
one 2 nd class and
service medals, and
two
3rd cla
^ the grant
of seniority for periods varying from 4 to 12 months to^
13 officers. This appreciation by the 'Govt of tne services
of officers in the Air Force
effect on morale and dispipl
? has had a very benefipial
.ine generally. In addition,
rumours regarding a 257o increase of pay tor officers and
other rankswith effect from 21st Uarch 1946, and the opening
of cooperative stores and shops where rations of cloth and
other commodities can be purchased by officers at reasonable
prices, have tended to improve the tone of the Air ^oree.
The British instructors report that officers and other ranks
in the Air-Force are working together well and that, tne
factional spirit and prejudices formerly so prevalent are
disappearing. Afghan officers continue to express^distrust
of Russia, and Russian actions in Persia, and .Russian policy
in Europe and the Near East are ireely criticized# . ^
• r «»*
10*.
Briidsh^lnatnual^rax
(a)
Hr.
H.
Pearson, Messrs Rolls Royce engineer left
1945 on completion of his contract.
for England in December ^ ~ ~ - - 7 ——in x\ -j-i--; -o
His technical efficiency was admired by the Afghan authorities
but they
£200 per
did not
annum.
feel justified m increasing nis salary by