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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [95r] (189/431)
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.
REPORT ON TKB AFGHAN AIR FORCB FOR THE
PERIOD 16th NOVEMBER, 1943 to 31st JANUARY^. 1944>
^ 1 . GERERa r -iL.
(a) There has been very little activity in the Afghan Air Force
during^the quarter under review. This is partly due to climate
conditions in Kabul being unfavourable for flying training, and partly
to the absence of F.M. Muhd Ihsan Khan, the Air Commandant, from Kabul.
The Flying Training School moved from Kabul to.Jalalabad early in
December for the winter months. Two Hind (dual) aircraft, one Hind
aircraft cquipp&dfor operations, and one Breda trainer aircraft were
despatched wion one senool to Jalalabad.
The air Commandant proceeded oo Jalalaba.d at tne end of November, and
is to stay tnere for tno winter. His hoaitn is still poor, and ne
probably seized tno opportunity of spending tne winter in a warmer
climate after arranging for tne Flying Training School to be stationed
at Jralalabad* He continues to command tne ^ir Force in Kabul, and
issues nis or .. rs by telephone or letter. Tnere nave been rumours to
tne effect tn. t ne is to be replaced as ^iir Commandant by a senior
army officer, but tnore is no confirmation that such a change is contem
plated.
(b) The Chief of the General Staff nas informed
Attacno that tney do not wisn eo purchase any of tue
aircraft whicn wore offered to them by His Majesty's
the Military
"iyja.ster" type of
Government at a
in lieu of the 9
reasonable price, for delivery within 9 to 12 months,
second hand Hind aircraft which the Afghan Govt, originally wished to
buy. No particular reason was given for the refusal of the offer, but
there was a hint to the effect that this type of aircraft was considered
unsuitable for use in Afghanistan.
No definite reply nas so far been given regarding the offer to supply 9
sec on:
be e
and the
the Air
aircraft
hand Audax aircraft from India at break
UTD
I- value. There have
n conflicting reports concerning the reactions of the Air Commandant
officers of the ^ir F^rce t) this offer, one version being that
Commandant had refused the offer on the grounds that Audax
and of little use in Afghanistan, the other
were
bsoletv
version being that tne nir Commandant wished to purchase them for use as
trainer aircraft. Early in January the Cnief of the General Staff told
the Military ^ttdchc that tne Minister of Defence
reply which the Air Commandant proposed to give to
aircraft, and stated tnat tne Minister of Defence
few more days t^ discuss tne jffbr, after wnicn nis
ion would be communicated to tne Legation. On January tn~ 25th one
Chief of tne General Staff again asked for time to discuss and consider
tne x^udax offer, and intimated that ne noped to be
Legation nave a decision in the very near future,
delay on the part of tno Afghan Govt, in coming to
Whether to accept or refuse tne offer of tne rxueax
known, and it can only be supposed tnat tnere are
on airforce; policy between one i*ir Commandant and tne Ministry of Defenc*
that the visitsto Kabul in January, of Major General P. Hurley,
did not agree with the
the offer of x-iudax
would like to nave a
Government's decis-
able to let tne
Tne reasons for tne
a decision as to
aircraft are n^t
differences of opinion
or
President Roosevelt
s special representativ
in tne Middle East, and Mr.
Eric Bee croft, the representativ- of the U.S.-n,. Foriegn Economic Admin
istrative Board, nave led the Afghan authorities to postpone a decision
in the hope that obey rmy be able to obtain an indication as to whether
America is prepared to supply aircraft of more modern types to Afghanis
tan. Mr. C.V. Engert, the nmerican Minister, and Major G.B. Endors, the
American Military Attache, have both denied that there is any truth in
the rumours circulating in Kabul that the Afghan Govt, have made request!
for the supply
Beecroft,
U
of aircraft from America.
en making
xxfghan air force
has while in Kabul,b
On the otner hand Mr. Eric
detailed enquiries about the
as regards aircraft and air for
present position in th
equipment and spares.
The Afghan Air Force undoubtably requires more aircraft for training
purposes, and the xxfghan^pilots are known to be anxious to obtain some
up to date aircraft. .hile the Afghan Govt, may be prepared to purchase
Page 2 . (b)
*
.... •
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’ [95r] (189/431), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2034, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038334404.0x0000be> [accessed 2 February 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