‘File 28/1 K I Defence of oil field and refinery’ [112r] (223/684)
The record is made up of 1 file (340 folios). It was created in 5 Dec 1939-3 May 1942. It was written in English. 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.
5
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could be
Para. 20 (Cont/d.).
Each area should have one patrol working in it throughout the
entire night. Each patrol should consist of* tv/o men, working
in pairs. They should be taken to their area by '’pick-up 1 *
and dropped at a previously selected point, to be picked up
later at another point. Each patrol should be able to work
for four hours without relief, and during this time should
visit certain selected wells. In order to check the action
of patrols it will be an advantage if they can be supplied each
with a time clock (the Oil Coy. has three such clocks) and if
asparate keys could be fixed to each well-head. Hr. Me CO Iff EL
thought it might be possible to arrange this*.
space of time and during one of these "blackout” periods the
patrol should be dropped or picked up. Driving up and down
with headlights on is useless. If sufficient men are
available it will be an advantage if one man can accompany the s
driver of each car and remain in the car throughout its tour./ \
The lookout post on the Jebel should be maintained by night in
order to see Very Lights Signals. Each patrol should carry
a Very pistol and several cartridges to give warning of any
unusual occurrence.
advantage by night, and this post could possibly be used as a
Headquarters for certain patrols which would not then require
M.T. to take them to their areas.
closed ones and require guarding at night. Tv/o men should be
sufficient. In order to ensure that these guards remain : wake
it would be an advantage if a telephone could be installed at
each open wellhead.
Any stragglers found by the Defence Police should be
apprehended and later handed over to the Civil Police.
USE 0? RESERVES.
21. In the event of any unusual occurrence at the refinery
or in the Oilfields area a small mobile force, moving in M.T.,
will be necessary to investigate and to deal with the situation,
if any. A suitable Central Headquarters for the Mobile Force
would appear to be the Native Camp near the refinery. The
pick-up allotted to the refinery area might be used to augment
other available transport in the event of this reserve having
to move to the oilfields area.
Saloon Car (for R,s 1,200) which is satisfactory. He is now
trying to obtain a suitable "pick-up", authority for the purchase
of which has been given by A.H.Q. The S.A.S.O, authorised the
use of the searchlight lorry for defence purposes, if required
(the searchlight is to be removed - see para. 13).
fields area and one for the refinery. The use of Oil Coy.’s
transport should be limited to essential defence duties,
including periodical reliefs of defence personnel.
patrol cars should be used intelligently. This
can be done switching off all lights periodically for a short
An additional lookout post elsewhere might be an
Open well heads can be sabotaged more easily t n
/ TRANSPORT
22
The Defence Officer has purchased one second-hand
The Oil Company is now providing three pick-ups for the
Continued/.„...
23
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence, memoranda and reports relating to the military defence of Bahrain’s oil refineries and oil fields during the Second World War. The principal correspondents in the file are: 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. in Bahrain (Hugh Weightman; Major Reginald George Evelin William Alban); the Chief Local Representative of the Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) (John S Black; Roger Anthony Kennedy; Milton H Lipp; Ward P Anderson).
The file includes:
- a copy of ‘General Instructions for the Defence Organisation of the Bahrain Petroleum Company’, dated December 1939 (ff 9-52), with sections focusing on: 1) the internal and external areas of the refinery; 2) the personnel camps at Awali and Zellaq; 3) fields and wells; information on inventories of equipment, and specific instructions for patrols and guards;
- correspondence from BAPCO representatives 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. relating to: the perceived threat to Bahrain and to Company property, and defensive measures to be taken; assessments of the threat of internal sabotage, local uprisings, bombardment from sea or air (ff 68-71); questions of responsibility for and efficacy of defensive measures being taken in Bahrain; questions of the legal aspects (liability, compensation, War Risk Insurance) of damage to Company property from enemy attack, and volunteers who become casualties while defending Company property, including printed copies of the Gazetteer of India War Injuries Ordinance , No. VII of 1941 (ff 235-237) and the War Injuries (Amendment) Ordinance , No. I of 1942 (ff 238-249);
- correspondence exchanged, and the notes and minutes of meetings held between senior Government officials (including 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. , Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , Air Vice Marshal at Air Headquarters in Iraq) on the provision of resources for the defence of Bahrain, including discussion of the availability and use of manpower supplied by BAPCO;
- a number of monthly progress reports in 1941 on the Bahrain defence scheme, prepared by the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (ff 143-144, ff 146-147, ff 162-164, ff 177-179), referring to: defence force recruitment; the volunteer defence force; general morale and attitude of recruits; equipment supplies; anti-aircraft defence measures;
- in 1941, plans for the control of telephone exchanges and lines during emergencies, with lists of telephone links to be maintained during an emergency (ff 182-183);
- plans and proposals for the protection of BAPCO property in the event of enemy action, including: in 1942, BAPCO proposals for the protection of the oil field in case it falls into enemy hands, by the sealing of wells with concrete (ff 270-294); a military report on Passive Air Defence (PAD) at the BAPCO refinery, dated 28 April 1942, focussing chiefly on plans to construct protective sheathing around the refinery tanks (ff 304-323).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (340 folios)
- Arrangement
The file’s contents are arranged in approximate chronological order, from the earliest item at the front to the latest at the end. The file notes at the end of the file (ff 326-341) mirror the chronological arrangement.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 342; 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. Two additional foliation sequences are also present in parallel between ff 3-341; these numbers are also written in pencil, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/R/15/2/661
- Title
- ‘File 28/1 K I Defence of oil field and refinery’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:6v, 52v:56v, 59r:67v, 72r:87v, 91r:91v, 93r:98v, 100r:115v, 117r:127v, 129r:150v, 152r:153v, 157r:175v, 177r:184v, 187r:187v, 189r:190v, 193r:193v, 195r:200v, 204r:207v, 209r:211v, 213r:217v, 220r:220v, 222r:270v, 272r:276v, 279r:298v, 301r:309v, 311r:341v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence