'A Grandfather's Tale: Memoirs being mainly concerned with service in the Indian Army and the Indian Political Service in India and the Persian Gulf from 1932-1947' [‎25v] (50/118)

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Soon after our return to Shiraz we had a day trip out to Persepolis
which was only about thirty miles away. There was a small team of German
archaeologists working there and I suspect they were really part of the
German intelligence network in Persia, but they were very pleasant to us
and took great pains to show us all they could of the magnificent ruins
and carvings on the site.
During August 1939 it was becoming more and more certain that war
with Germany was imminent and Sir Trenchard Fowle suggested to the
Government of India that his term as Hesident should be further extended
,f as it would be unwise to change horses in midstream*'. However, his
recommendation was not accepted and he was most upset about this, particularly
when he heard that his successor was to be Major Geoffrey Prior who though
a brilliant linguist (1st Class Interpreter in Arabic, Persian and Urdu) with
some previous expeience in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , was only 42 and a comparatively
junior officer. Soon after hearing this news, Sir Trenchard decided to
return to Bushire but left me up in Shiraz to "mind the shop" there.
Unfortunately, he took his radio with him. The British Consul was an old-
timer who did not believe in newfangled instruments of this kand and so our
only means of quick contact with the outside world was the somewhat unreliable
telegraph. Only one radio remained in Shiraz and that belonged to the
British Manager of the Imperial Bank of Persia. He suddenly became a very
popular member of the small European Community, particularly as he also had
a swimming pool, and from the last week in August at noon each day we would
all foregather at his house to listen to the latest wireless reports, bathe
in his pool and drink his beer, the latter being supplemented by our own
offerings. At last, on the 3rd September 1939? we heard that we were at
war with Germany, although it was some hours later that the official
telegram arrived.
Once war had been declared we were ordered to return to Bushire and
prepare to transfer the whole of 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. Office to Bahrain, leaving
only the Consular office in charge of Hugh Rushton on Persian soil. It
was thought advisable that 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 now be permanently
on the Arab side of the Gulf, and although Bahrain was not technically a
British Protectorate, it was under British protection, and a Division of
four sloops under a Commodore R.N., the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian
Gulf, was stationed there.
. Sir Trenchard Fowle went home on leave pending retirement and Major
rior arrived to replace him. One of my first tasks was to draft a tactful
letter to the Government of India suggesting that the new Resident should
a least be made a local Lieutenant-Colonel as otherwise the Sheikhs might
be upset. This promotion was duly approved and followed within a year or
two by the customary knighthood. The retention by military Political
officers of their Army ranks was due to the fact that originally they
reverted to tne Indian Army on their last day of service in order to draw
a Lieutenant Colonel's pension, whereas the I.C.S. Political drew the