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Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [13r] (30/1154)
The record is made up of 1 volume (572 folios). It was created in 24 Oct 1934-4 May 1937. It was written in English and Arabic. 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.
f.l, c\m
Minute Paper.
Department.
i l
3 9.'] 9
5000 7 35
0 - .
It will be remembered that in the Chancellor of
the Exchequer’s letter of 30th September, 1930,it was
stated that if we are prepared to meet the Treasury over
the larger issue of India’s contribution to havy Votes,
the Treasury would be willing to waive their claim in
regard to the small question of some contribution to the
cost of the new naval stations m the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
.
This was a somewhat curious way of putting the matter,
both because the two questions are of different orders of
magnitude, and because the Treasury are not really in a
position to press a claim in regard to the smaller one;
but it gives us the opportunity of making an inexpensive
gesture which might facilitate agreement on the larger
question.
2 In regard to this smaller question of the cost oi
the new naval stations at Bahrein and Khor Kuwai, The
Treasury suggestion (which v/as declined by the G. of !•)
was that the G. of I. might bear the cost of the
maintenance of the new buildings and appropriate Indian
Navy personnel (as they previously did at Hen jam) and in
addition make a lump sum contribution of, say, T7,000
It was thought that the cost of the new stations would
probably be not less than £25,000. From the reply to a
question in the H. of 0. on 12th December last on the file
it will be seen that no expenditure is expected to be
incurred at Bahrein (by far the more important of the two j
stations) except for the provision of storage and |
recreational facilities on a moderate scale, and certain
navigational aids, and it is not expected that the total
amount will exceed £23,000 (exclusive of the cost of land
already purchased for £4,47(J.
When/
About this item
- Content
The file concerns the evacuation of the British naval stations at Henjam [Jazīreh-ye Hengām] and Basidu [Bāsaʻīdū, Qeshm], in Iran (generally referred to in the papers as Persia), and the transfer of naval facilities to a new main station at Bahrain (also spelled Bahrein) and a subsidiary station at Khor Quwai (also spelled Khor Kuwai), Musandam, in the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman. The British Government had become aware that the legal basis for their occupation of Basidu was very weak, and that it would probably be impossible to oppose a determined effort by the Iranian Government to assert their claims to Basidu. In addition, between 1932 and 1934 there had been a change in the relative importance to the United Kingdom of the Arab and Iranian coasts of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. ; the Arab side was now viewed as being more important, as a result of (a) the transfer of the air route to the Arab Coast in 1932, and (b) the discovery of oil at Bahrain, and its probable existence in other parts of the Arab coast. For these reasons, it was felt desirable to move the base of British naval operations in the area (Foreign Office memorandum, folios 221-225).
The main correspondents are the Foreign Office; the Admiralty; senior British naval officers; HM Minister, Tehran (Hughe Montgomery Knatchbull Hugesson); and the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle).
The papers include: discussion of the advantages and disadvantages of establishing a naval station at Khor Quwai (folios 539-571); issues raised by Muscat's position as an independent state, and the Anglo-French Declaration of 1862 (folios 529-538); minutes of meetings at the Foreign Office and the Admiralty; the question of the reaction of the Iranian Government; discussion of the announcement of the withdrawal; negotiations with the Sultan of Muscat [Sa'īd bin Taymūr Āl Bū Sa'īd] over Khor Quwai; the removal of stores from Henjam; the question of the protection of British cemeteries at Henjam and Basidu (e.g. Iranian assurances, folio 126); descriptions of the evacuation of Henjam and Basidu in April 1935 in intelligence reports and correspondence; and the expression of gratitude by British Government to the Ruler of Bahrain (Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah [Shaikh Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah]) over the assistance given by the Government of Bahrain in construction work for the new station at Bahrain (folios 39-54).
The Arabic language content of the file consists of a single item of correspondence on folio 40.
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 volume (572 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 inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 574; 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.
- Written in
- English and Arabic in Latin and Arabic script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [13r] (30/1154), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3840, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100080227752.0x00001f> [accessed 3 July 2026]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/3840
- Title
- Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.'
- Pages
- front, back, spine, edge, head, tail, front-i, 2r:5v, 7r:21v, 23r:37v, 38v:51v, 55r:60v, 61v:64v, 65v:69v, 70v:72v, 73v:81v, 82v, 84r:102v, 103v:119v, 122r:125v, 126v:138v, 139v, 140v:149v, 151r:172v, 173v:452v, 452ar:452av, 453r:573v, back-i
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence