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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [52r] (103/431)
The record is made up of 1 file (214 folios). It was created in 14 Jun 1938-30 Dec 1947. 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 Conti,
■tactfully in oxercrising the increased powers piven to him^
The Allied victories in Europe and the Far East have increased
British prestige in air force circles, and many officers now
hope that t»h« Afghan Government will bo able to purchase now
aircraft ana despatch a number of officers to India r v oven
Great Britain for training* There has als^ been some
un-informed. talk amongst Afghan air force officers about the
the purchase of American aircraft, and the despatch of officers
to America for training. Distrust and fear of" Russian
intentions continues to be expressed by air force officers,
but it is possible that some of their statements are made with
a view te securing opinions about Russia from British people
in Kabul.
i-G. Onl TIS H INS TRD CTO R3 *
(a) ^ Mr* H. Bradley, Messrs Hawkers fitter" and rigger,
left .*abul for England 22nd April, and was temporarily
repla.eea by ’warrant Officer R. Blytn, R fli ..F., wno arrived in
Kabul from India, on 7th July i946. Mr^ Blyth is still attached
to tiiv iifghan air force and is prepared to stay until March
1946. Ho is also considering accepting a more permanent
attachment to the Afghan air force providing questions
concerning his pay, family allotment, war gratuity, and pension
c^n be^settled. After he came to Kabul the R.a.F* pay and
ostablisHaent autnorities in In ia disoxiarged him from the R„AoF
stopped his family allotment, and informed him that his services
in Kabul would not count for pension or war gratuity. Mr* Blyth
has 18 ( years service in the R.A S F. This problem has boon taken
up with the Air India an i the matter has been referred
to the Air Ministry, London. The solution appears to lie in
allowing R.A.F« personnel attached to the Afghan air force to
c unt their services in ICabuI. as if they wore serving with
the R./x.F. in Indio c
(b)
attached to
;ing Commander B.M.King, R.A.F., pilot instructor
, ^ Afghan air force has extended his contract with
the Afghan G&vornmont for a further year up to September 1946r
(c) The contract of Mr, H. Pearson, Messrs Rolls Royco
5 n dineer, expired on September j. 945 an» he wishes to return to
Mn^land as soon as ^.ossiole. He "Nets prepared to serve in Kabul
lor a further pertod providing tne Afgna.n Government would
increase nis salary by £200 ^er annum. Tnis tney refused to \o,
Messrs Rolls Roycc -were asked to provide a relief for Mr. Pearson
but were unable to find :>ne except at a very hign salary.
India ^ i-c ye now agreed eo provide a relief for ivir,
Pearson and it is a oped that *ie will reach Kabul in
future, iha Afghan Government agreed to retain iva •
any pay for his services on the seals of his former
until suen time as a relief for him can be found or
England obtained for him.
the near
Pearson
contract
a passage to
(-0 The difficulties and expanse attached to finding
instructors from civil firms in England f >r the Afghan air force
v r erc ^.ointo 1 )ut ^ tno iifgnan Government c-arliei* in the year
and it vas suggested that it would prove more economical for
them and better fr m a disciplinary point of view if they would
m future accept British instructors from the R.A.F. in India.
Reliefs could also bo found more quickly, and the R*A.F. instruct
rs wpu^^ work mo.ye amj.cably with the British pilot instructor
than civilian instructors arc likely to do. The (Ministry of
Defence have now intimated tivat they are prepared to accent
British instructors from the in inW, and oxi resscd the
hope that the R.^-.F. in India will do all they can to assist the
■g^ohan air force by providing efficient instructors, giving
f ? r Afghan air force personnel in ln^la and b-
ofiering taeir advice on air matters generally.
About this item
- Content
The file contains periodical reports by the British Military Attaché at Kabul (Colonel Alexander Stalker Lancaster) on the Afghan Air Force, they cover the period 1 March 1938 to 31 October 1947. There is a gap for the period 2 May 1938 to 31 October 1940 for which no reports are present in the file.
The reports cover a range of topics such as training flights, operations conducted, condition of aircraft, accidents, maintenance work, availability of spares, petrol stores, ground facilities, administrative or political developments, and any proposals for the purchase of additional aircraft. The reports also cover the positions of the British Instructors at Kabul relative to their Italian counterparts, and indicate the progress made in training Afghan students.
The file includes a report by Squadron Leader Reid (see folios 22-23) on his testing of the Avro Anson XIX, and a report by Squadron Leader B P King on his testing of the de Havilland Tiger Moth (see folios 82-83), for service in Afghanistan.
The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (214 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 215; 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.
A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [52r] (103/431), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2034, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038334404.0x000068> [accessed 5 April 2025]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2034
- Title
- Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:215v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence