"الملف 7/5 اقتراح إنشاء قاعدة لسرب الطيران التابع لسلاح الجو الملكي في البحرين" [و‎‎٣‎٦] (٢٢٤/٧٧)

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north and if the buildings were at either end of the aerodrome
it would mean that either l&ndings or take-offs would be across
the buildings; and tnis they must try to avoid. There remains
then the west side. There is not quite enough space between
the present western boundary of the R.A.F. aerodrome and the
Busaitin Gardens but enough could be obtained by tae following
plan; take an extension of 60 yards to the east, bringing the
aerodrome up to the dotted blue line on my sketch, this small
addition being thrown into the aerodrome; then take roughly
170 yards the west of the aerodrome up to the red dotted
line (i.e. the area marked B)j then for the balance a portion
of the area marked C along the sea-shore. The only difficulty
here is that it clashes with one of the sites for the proposed
ne\* Hesidency, and that is the reason for the present letter.
4. Would it not be as well now lo abancon finally any idea
of loccting the netv Residency at Busaitin ? I have given ,
various arguments in the corresponcen.ce regarding the new
Residency for preferring Essex Point to Busaitin (see in parti
cular my demi-official letter No. C/v23 dated tne 21st December
1937) and I think now there are two additional reasons for
selecting the Essext Point finally. The first is that by doing
so we aid the R.A.F. to establish their detachment in Bahrain
without treading on anyone^s toes; and the seconc is more
selfish but not less potent, namely that to live on the edge
of a R.A.F. aerodrome will be the purest misery. I did not
stress this point vex^y strongly ueiore, but having had ex
perience in the last summer of the distractions caused by
R.A.F. flying-boats flying close to the Agency when they were
down here for exercise, I can assure you that the daily/take-
off from Maharraq aerodrome, when the flight is established
there, with the normal left-hand circuit practically past the
suggested Residency windows, would drive the Political Resident
to insanltyt
dawn
5/-