"ملف 28/57 I متطوعون للخدمة الوطنية" [و‎‎١‎٦‎٤] (٦٩٤/٣٣٢)

Political Agency.
Bahrain 5 the 27th July 1940.
NOTICE
Volunteering^by Britons living Overseas
for service in the Armed Forces
The Political Agent has received the following
instructions from His Majesty 1 s Government in the United
Kingdom,
2. His Majesty 1 s Government have now decided that,
subject to the conditions set out below, British subjects
living overseas who desire to volunteer for service in the
Armed Forces should be given encouragement. At the same
time His Majesty’s Government desire to impress on all
concerned the importance of maintaining at t heir utmost
efficiency all British commercial and financial concerns
abroad and they therefore state that volunteers who occu
py key positions in British concerns may not be accepted.
His Majesty’s Government further state that in view of
the importance of Bahrain oil they are concerned to ensure
that there shall' be no diminution or interruption of the
output of petroleum products from these Islands. His
Majesty’s Government hold that employees of the Bahrain
Petroleum Company are engaged in work of national value
and they reaffirm that men in key positions serve their
country best by staying in their present jobsf consequently
the above qualification prohibiting acceptance of volunteers
in key positions will apply equally to them. In view of
the above it devolves on the Political Agent, Bahrain, to
exercise the responsibility of deciding, in consultation
with the responsible heads of companies or firms 5 in^Bahrain,
whether or not any volunteer is occupying a key position
(which may be defined as a post requiring special knowledge
or qualifications for which a substitute cannot readily be
found).
3. His Majesty’s Government have pointed out that in
so far as any British subjects who wish to join the Armed
Forces can be spared it is preferable that insuead^of^
making the long and difficult journey to the United King- |
<3om they should join the Forces in India. The Government "
of India have stated that they would welcome offers of
servicea and desire information about the qualifications
and ages of any volunteers who can be spared. They further
add that men are particularly required for the Corps of
Engineers and as Ordnance Mechanical Engineers. the age
limit for the latter being from 25 to 50. In addition
they would welcome men between the ages of 19 and 35 who
would be suitable for Commissions in the Indian Army pro
vided they are passed medically fit for general service
in any theatre of operations.
4. It is recognised that there may be some volunteers
to whom the prospect of service In India is distasteful
and in such cases the Political Agent has instructions to
telegraph their applications to the Umbed Kingdom, though
it /-