![Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [‎395r] (794/1154)](https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000648.0x000198/IOR_L_PS_12_3840_0796.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.' [‎395r] (794/1154)")
Coll 30/111 'British Naval Stations in: Establishments at Khor Quwai and Bahrain. Evacuation of Henjam and Basidu.' [395r] (794/1154)
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.
2
^S)
n
(ii) oontd c
mails clos© • •
Ht^Ships^wL 111 t * e *' xlf t ®r Communication^from
v/ith ho^b^H^ 10 Ca ? ^ ain-t: ' ain communication from there
with the 4nf Fo ^ on M/F- At Khar Kuwai ,
p A 30t. pr<
(v)
/
ro^r -l^a^T-rd ro 9 ' s «w.«nJ / oatioM I iouirbe^or,
' k “ Gn & SlngJe op9rator b9
(iii) Administratioru The administration of a base at
Bahrain would bo considerably easier than at Khor
Jiuv;aio At the latter place permanent labour would
have to be engaged and housed and the Clerk-in-Charge
V would have to maintain authority over the Island and
7 harbour without any real right to do so,
^ At Bahrein labour would be engaged and discharged
at will and no housing arrangements^ beyond those for
the Royal Indian Navy personnel^ would be required*
In cases cl doubts moreover* the Clerk-in—charge
would always be able to refer to the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
*
Construction e Appendix II shows clearly that
construction at Bahrein is a much easier and cheaper
problem than at Khor Kuwai. In addition, the cost
of generating and distilling plants and W/T set
would be incurred if the main base was at Khor Kuwai*
Polit i cal. Their Lordships have referred to the
political difficulties of establishing a regular base
at Khor Kuwai* Those difficulties would hardly
arise in the case of the minor facilities to be
provided there under Plan "A". ?^ere Khor Kuwai to be
the main base, the absence of a flag could not fail
to be noticed as pointed out by Senior Naval Officer,
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
, and would be quite impossible of
explanation*
(vi) Liaison
(vii)
Cviii)
Now that the Royal Air Perce are playing an
increasing role in
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
affairs it is even
more necessary that close co-operation and constant
touch should be maintained between the different
authorities in the Gulf. A base situated at Bahrein
would enable the sloops constantly to meet the Royal
Air Force and it is probable, in due course, that an
R.A.F. base may also be established at Bahrein on e
ground recently purchased by them for this purpose*
With the main base at Bahrein, close touch with the
Political Agent
A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency.
at Bahrein will be lacilitated, as
also^with ^Honourable 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.
should the
Residency
An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, established in the provinces and regions considered part of, or under the influence of, British India.
be transferred from Bushire.
Personnel. Finally, the most
Ts 1 'theTSTfect of the two proposals on the oondith
of service of the officers and men of the Persian
Gul£ ' Her'l am° is a place with none of the amenities of
Henjam 13 a ^ npace time base it leaves very
civilisation and a P , while it might be
much to be desired, Kuwai, less &
free from "pinpricks , description of it in
amenities than Henjam an desolate and uninhabited
the letter under reply as a desox ^ a very apt
island which contains no
one. " J
i
Bahrein
• • •
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.' [395r] (794/1154), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/3840, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100080227755.0x0000c3> [accessed 8 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