![Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎92r] (188/1154)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x000198/IOR_L_PS_12_3840_0190.jp2/full/!1200,1200/0/default.jpg "Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎92r] (188/1154)")
Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [92r] (188/1154)
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.
circumstances, tut no delay or holdup occurred at any
time.
The weather which should have been good ty now was
rather against us. It did not delay .the operation of
evacuation hut it necessitated an adjustment in the
sequence of loading etc. it added to the difficulty
of raising two sets of oil barge moorings, the cables
of which were too big for our windlasses »
^ s(c
5, I forgot to mention that the Deputy Governed
had he come very unpopular locally because the idea had
got around that we were going mainly on account of his
behaviour - in other words that he had succeeded in
turning us out (such is the parochial outlook). I
sent for him before we left and told him that we were
evacuating the Naval building and incidentally mentioned
in the spirit of the communique that we had found a
better place where there was a more protected anchorage
and where we had amenities such as Air Mail, shipping,
and people of their own type for the sailors to associate
with y and that we were moving to a place vliich was
rapidly developing. He became remarkably friendly and
asked me and the Navigating Officer who was with me if
we would honour him by taking sherbet in his house;
he served the tray himself with his own hands, only
drinking when we had finished - a special mark of
respect rarely shown. He expressed his admiraoion
the way British sailors could wo rk• 1 o.on f t think he
meant to be flattering when he said the job would have
taken 3 weeks with
coolies
A term used to describe labourers from a number of Asian countries, now considered derogatory.
. n
"LUPIN at Basidu Informed the natives, weighed
the navigation buoys we had laid, brought off the
/large
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
Use and share this item
- Share this item
Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [92r] (188/1154), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3840, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100080227752.0x0000bd> [accessed 18 June 2026]
https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100080227752.0x0000bd
Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.
<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100080227752.0x0000bd">Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎92r] (188/1154)</a> <a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100080227752.0x0000bd"> <img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x000198/IOR_L_PS_12_3840_0190.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" /> </a>
This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x000198/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images
Copyright: How to use this content
- 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