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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [164r] (327/431)
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.
car they had supplied him with 24 second-hand aircraft.
The British Government, hov/ever, had not given him a present
or a decoration, and could not therefore have held a high
opinion of him when he visited India and England, but they
had supplied him with 8 new aircraft and 20 secondhand aircraft
The Air Commandant further stated th r t the 8 new Hind aircraft
he had purchased in 1937 were the best available in Europe at
the time, and he was fully satisfied with these aircraft which
had proved both suitable and useful for service under Afghan
conditions.
4. Flying Training School .
(a) Two pupils passed out as pilots on the 15th November, and three
more passed on the 23rd December, 1S41„ The British pilot instructor
considers that the last three pupils were passed out too early, but
the Air Commandant pressed for this,on the grounds that the pupils were
losing pay and allowances, and if they were not passed out in December
they would become disgrunted by remaining on students allowances during
the v/ inter months. The pupils in question are safe pilots, but
require further instruction in formation flying etc. They have now
joined the Kind squadrons.
(b) The total average flying time put in by the pupils was 80 nours,
of whi ch 30 hours were dual and 50 nours solo.
(c) The two Afghan pilots under training rs instructors are limited
to a certain amount of mutual dual flying on Breda aircraft. One of
them who is unsuitable on account of age and is a brother-in-law of the
Air Commandant has been replaced by T.M. Abdur Raz&q. They have not
made much progress during the quarter. Breda aircraft have not so
far been flown by the British pilot instructor.
5. A erodromes.
(a) Very little progress has been made with the construction of the 8
hangers and workshops on the Khwaja Bawash aerodrome.
(b) The construction of a cement run-way on the Khvaja Bawash aerodrome
has not yet started,
(c) The construction of the hanger on the landing ground at Kandah-r
is held up by a lack of iron for the roof. This iron is to come from
India and arguments about the cost, (which is said to vary between Bs.30
and Bs.60 Indian per cwt) plus the difficulty of obtaining an export
licence in India have delayed a decision to purchase the iron.
6. Aviation Petrol .
Stocks of petrol at the Sherpur aerodrome are estimated zo be about
the same as they were at the end of last quarter i.e. 100,^00 gallons.
The six iO,GuO gallon tanks newly installed on the Khwaja Bawash aero
drome are being gradually filled as penrol arrives from India.
7. B rinish Instrue nors.
(a) Squadron-Leader Newman R.A.F., Sgt Gillette R.A.F. , Mr. Bradley
and Mr. Robinson were presented winh gold watches by the Minister of
Defence in November, 1941 in appreciation of the services they had
rendered to the Air Force, and particularly to the Flying Training School
(b) The arrival of a U.3.A. Military Attache* in Kabul during December
led to rumours (probably Axis inspired) to the effect that British
instructors would shortly be withdrawn from the Afghan Air Force and
that the Afghan Govt, intended to purchase aircraft from the U.3.A.
There was of course no foundation for these rumours.
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’ [164r] (327/431), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2034, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038334405.0x000080> [accessed 28 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