"ملف 8/16 تقارير استخباراتية بشأن البحرين" [و‎‎١‎٣‎٦] (٤٣٢/٢٧١)

On June 7th the California Arabian Standard Oil
Company reported that a fisherman, who was believed to be
reliable, had stated that shortly before noon on May 31st he
had seen a large aeroplane disappear into the sea. In the
absence of any other information there seemed no reason to deny
credit to this story, and the worst fears were entertained for
the safety of the crew.
However, on the evening of June 10th a telegram was
received from the Political Resident at Bushire intimating
that a message had arrived from the crew of the missing machine
to say that they were all safe though their machine was wrecked,
that they were stranded at Tahiri, a place on the Persian coast
135 miles South-East of Bushire, and that they would like trans
port arranged for them. This dramatic message, written on June
1st, had been taken overland to Bushire by runner.
At 4.0 aom. cn dime 11th, under orders received from
the Senior Naval Officer, Persian Gulf, a naval vessel left for
Tahiri; and later the same morning an aircraft (a Blenheim)
set off with medical stores, food, clothing, cigarettes and a
bundle of Persian currency notes to the value of 5000 riyals.
The aircraft duly sighted the missing men and dropped the
stores and money to them - dropped also a message that help was
on the way and that a ship would arrive next morning to take
them off.
The account of their adventures given to the Political
Agent by the rescued crew of the aircraft contained many fea
tures of interest. They landed on a stretch of sand uncovered
by the tide (which was fortunately low at the time) some four
miles South-East of Barak. Having established their location
on a map, they set off in the evening to walk to Kangan. At
Barak they were met by the local Shaikh, Canaan Nasouri, who
gave them food, bedding and shelter. They stayed the night at
Barak, hoping to get donkeys to take them on their way the
following morning. The next day, June 1st, having returned to
the aircraft, which had been partly submerged by the sea, and
having salvaged certain equipment from it, they made their way
to Tahiri whose Customs Officer, Sadrnddin Suddedor, had sent
donkeys to bring them there. At Tahiri they were told that
it would take them a fortnight to make their way to Bushire
overland (a strong North wind made travelling by sea impossible)
while a messenger could complete the journey within a week.
Accordingly they decided to send a messenger to Bushire while
they themselves remained at Tahiri as guests of the Customs
Officer, who was of a most friendly disposition and seemed
genuinely anxious to extend his hospitality to them.
During their enforced stay at Tahiri they were most
hospitably treated. Food in the village was by no means plenti
ful, but the airmen were given as much as they wanted - eggs
and bread for breakfast, rice and side dishes of meat, soup,
dates etc. in the middle of the day and in the evening. The
Customs officer who provided this fare could not do enough for
his guests, I was told. He had been educated at the American
Mission School at Kirmanshah, and asserted that he was only
too glad to repay to English speaking people something of the
kindness he had received from them as a boy. To the very end
he refused to accept any payment for himself; eventually,
after the rescue party had arrived, the interpreter on the
naval vessel persuaded him to accept 1500 Riyals (he would not
take more) for distribution among the poor of his village.
The friendliness with which the airmen were treated by every
one was most marked.
During the period of their stay the Shaikh of Barak
and his followers were prosecuting a feud with their neigh
bours to the South. Raiding parties went out almost daily,
and in the course of the operations three of the Shaikh* s men
were killed. The airmen examined many of the rifles used.
/ They