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Coll 5/73 ‘Afghan Air Force: Reports on’ [198r] (395/431)
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.
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Aq
2
i and
2. HIND SQUADRONS ; (a) Flying hours.
Since the period of the last report there has been no
change in tne flying hours of the Squadrons. Until winter
came the school alone was granted unlimited petrol and in the
first six weeks of the quarter the Training Flight did 130 hours
with one flying instructor and only 3 aircraft; snow then
interrupted flying. In December it was proposed to move the
school to Jalalabad so that flying might continue. All
preparations for this won. made and the three British instructors
actually sent their furniture ahead, when the idea was suddenly
abandoned/during one week three different excuses were given to
Burt-Andrews for this sudden cancellation. One was that they
could not afford the petrol to carry on through the winter and
that flying could be resumed in Kabul in the spring; the second
was that the Afghan Government did not want ''foreigners touring
round the Eastern province at the present time" , and the third
excuse was that there was insufficient material to maintain
the Hinds flying through the winter. The excuses based on
economy were in the opinion of Squadron-Leader Burt-Andrews
obviously false.
One flight of 4 Hinds with pilots from the two Squadrons
did move to Jalalabad in the middle of December and reports
indicate that only about 1 hour’s flying per week per pilot has
been carried out since.
(b) O perations.
No operations were carried out during the quarter,
(c) Standard of flying efficiency .
The continued absence of any advanced flying training for
the Hind Squadrons has not helped to improve the general standard.
All pilots, however are now competent to fly the Hind under
normal conditions and the standard ef formation flying is good
and out of all proportion to th^ir operational efficiency.
(d) Accidents.
There were no accidents during trie quarter.
(e) Maintenance.
The arrival of Sergeant Gillette., a Fitter/Rigger loaned by
the Royal Air Force for a period of one year (together with a
Sergeant photographer, and a Sergeant Wireless Operator) has
done much to improve the general standard of maintenance. He
has proved of great assistance to Mr. Robinson who is now free
to devote more time to workshop organisation. ■ The Keenan &
Froude test bed has now been erected and test work has started
with excellent results; an engine entirely rebuilt in Afghanistan
by Mr. Robinson from crashed engines and stores spares, has
passed the standard Rolls Royce tests, much to the gratification
of the Commandant.
(f) General ,
Sergeants Murray (Photographer) and Brierly (Wireless Operator)
mentioned in paragraph (e) above, have done excellent work since
their arrival in November. The Wireless Section is now funct
ioning smoothly and is ready for full tests when the weather
becomes fit for flying.
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’ [198r] (395/431), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2034, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038334405.0x0000c4> [accessed 26 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