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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [67r] (133/431)
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.
Secret
Quarterly Report on the Afghan Air Force
for the period 1st August to 31st October 1944
General ,
1, (a) The Afghan Air Force has not been engaged in any
active operations during the Quarter, but a number of
reconnaissance flights by aircraft b&sed on Kabul have been
carried out in the Khost district of the Southern Province.
Details of these flights are given in paragraph 2 (b).
f5ne Hind aircraft forced landed at the Matun air field
during one of these reconnseissances bur returned to Kabul
next day. The Afghan autnorities nave snown a desire to
avoid using their Hind aircraft for training purposes
during the summer and autumn, not so much, from the point
of view of saving petrol as preserving the aircraft for
operations against Masrak Zatdran and nis adherents should
they resume their activities in tne Southern Province against
the Government*
(b) Flying training in squadrons has been drastically
reduced during the quarter, and pilots have not been
allowed to fly for more than of an hour per month* such
flying training as has taken place consisting of snort
flights of 10 to 15 minutes duration in the vicinity of
Kabul. The Flying Training School has been more fortunate
in securing flying training, and 8 out of the 9 students
completed their training and were passed out as pilots at
the end of the quarter after having carried out 140 hours
flying training during a period of two years.
(c) The health of the Commandant F.M. Muhd Ihsan Khan
has shown no improvement, and his continued absence has
led to a date: ioration in the administration of the A;; -
Force, and delay in the selection of officers whom th
Afghan Govt wish to send to India for initial and advanced
flying training under the Royal Air Force. There nave been
no further overt signs of discontent amongst Afghan officers
of the Air Force, and. it would appear that the Minister of
Defence has dealt with tneir complaints tactfully and that
botn the officers and tne Ministry of Defence wish to avoid
bringing matters to a head.
A number of officers nowever still complain about
their conditions of service, tne officers employed in tne
worksnops being tne worst offenders, and tnsy show their
resentment by absenting tnemselves from work witnout
permission® No officers of tne Air Force nave so far been
retired on the new pension regulations introduced for the
Army and Air Force though tne C.G.S. has given hints to
the Military Attache* that the Ministry of Defence intend
to pension off or find other employment for a number of the
older officers in the Air Force and replace them by young
officers.
(d) The Tiger Moth aircraft sent from India to Kabul
for test in May last was to have returned to Peshawar on
4th September, but on the previous day when the British
pilot instructor was carrying out a test flight prior to
flying back to Peshawar the propeller broke
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’ [67r] (133/431), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2034, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038334404.0x000086> [accessed 25 March 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