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'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Reports' [‎159r] (317/432)

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The record is made up of 1 file (214 folios). It was created in 20 Jan 1941-31 Dec 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. .

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(iii)On July 25th the levies marched, to the strains of
the Police band, from their old quarters near the Fort in
Manama to their new barracks on Jiiharraq Island. The march
was a great success, and large and friendly crowds lined the
route.
147. British Overseas Airways Corporation .
At the beginning of May 1942 the British Overseas
Airways Corporation announced that there would be five ser
vices a week, East and West, through Bahrain. Three services
were to be by flying boat and two by land plane. Subsequently
one of the flying boat services was given up, and now the two
landplane services have also been discontinued. Since July
20 th there have been only two flying boats a week each way.
148. Food Supplies .
(i) Reference para 118(i) Of Intelligence Summary No.12
of 1942 in which it was reported that a system of card ration
ing for rice, flour and sugar had been introduced.
The ration for rice was fixed by Mr. de Grenier, the
Bahrain Government Food Controller, at 12 oz. per head per day,
or 22J lbs. per month, an amount which was described as M the
generally prevailing Army ration". The issue of rations at
this rate rapidly depleted existing stocks of rice, and belated
calculations by the Food Controller showed that, if everybody
drew their full rations, monthly consumption of rice would
amount to more than double the quantity of rice which Bahrain,
under the new quota system, is permitted to import. On making
this discovery the Food Controller precipitately reduced the
rice ration to 12 lbs. a month, a quantity which is manifestly
inadequate for people who make rice the main article of their
diet. As H.H. the Shaikh was greatly disturbed at these
developments, and appeared to think that Bahrain’s rice quota
was only about half of the population’s minimum requirements,
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. suggested to the Adviser that he should
personally examine and verify the figures, provided by the Food
Controller himself, on which Bahrain’s rice quota had been
based. The Adviser’s preliminary inquiries indicate that the
Food Controller’s original estimates of Bahrain* s minimum
requirements of rice were much too low. If the result of these
preliminary inquiries is confirmed the Bahrain Government will
no doubt ask for a revision of their rice quota.
(ii) The Bahrain date crop this year is above average.
(iii) The bazaar price of meat, eggs, milk and vegetables
has risen owing to the demand for these commodities by the
contractors who supply the various defence units now stationed
in the island.
149. Currency .
(i) Reference Para 133 (iii) of Intelligence Summary No.13
of 1942, in which it was reported that the price of sovereigns
on the 15th July was fairly steady at Rs 59-60.
Between July 15th and July 20th the price rose slight
ly to Rs 60/8/-. On July 21st it fell sharply to Rs57 owing to
an order issued by 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. directing that bullion
brokers must produce before him every week a statement giving
details of all their transactions in gold. When the first
shock caused by this order had worn off the price of sovereigns
again began to rise but had not, by the end of the month, gone
above Rs 60 .
The chief bullion brokers in Bahrain are Iraqi Jews.
They are chary of taking the risk of smuggling gold out of Bab
rain as they know that detection would involve their

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Content

The file contains fortnightly intelligence summaries produced by the Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. at Bahrain for the years 1941-42. The reports, marked as secret, were sent to the Government of India, the 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. , and numerous diplomatic, political, and military offices in the Middle East. Most of the reports cover a two week period, though due to holidays, tours, and work pressures some cover an entire month.

The reports are divided into short sections that relate to a particular subject, often closely connected to the Second World War. Contained within the file is intelligence on the following:

Folios 57-61 are correspondence relating to the alleged sinking of an Iranian dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. by a British man-of-war in March 1941.

Folios 85-88 is a list of prominent individuals in Bahrain, compiled by 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. at Bahrain, Reginald Alban, and submitted to the Political 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. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. at Bushire.

Folio 122 is the statement of thirteen Qatari sailors who were aboard a dhow A term adopted by British officials to refer to local sailing vessels in the western Indian Ocean. sunk by a Japanese submarine on 12 April 1942.

Folio 176 is a telegram from the Government of India in New Delhi requesting that intelligence summaries differentiate between truly confidential content and that which can be distributed more widely.

Folio 190 is a letter, dated 15 October 1942, from Charles Geoffrey Prior, 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. , to Edward Birkbeck Wakefield, 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. at Bahrain, regarding the risk of including information about the revival of the slave trade in the Gulf in his diaries due to their wide readership.

Included in the file is correspondence between 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. and the Naval Officer in Charge at Basrah regarding prominent people of the region and events of the war.

On the inside of the front cover is the distribution list for the summaries.

Extent and format
1 file (214 folios)
Arrangement

The file is arranged chronologically.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 216; 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.

Written in
English in Latin script
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'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Reports' [‎159r] (317/432), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/2/314, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100025549536.0x000076> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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