'File 8/16 Bahrain Intelligence Summary' [‎16r] (31/108)

S 5 C R E T . Intelligence Summary of the
Political Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. , Bahrain, for the
No. 8 of 1945 . period 16th to 30th April, 1943*
55. SHIPPING .*
Twelve ships called at Bahrain during the period under
report. Three of them were of British registry and 9 American.
The imports were 462 tons general cargo for Bahrain. The exports
consisted of 14£ tons general cargo and 1,05,000 tons petroleum
products.
56. MOVEMENTS OF OFFICIALS .
(i) On the 16th April, C.J. Pelly, Esq., O.B.E., I.C.S.,
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. , Bahrain, left in the P.C.L. launch "Ghazal" for
Qatar arriving there after a somewhat rough passage, on the morn
ing of the 17th. During his stay 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. called on
His Excellency Shaikh Abdullah bin Qassim A1 Thani, C.I.E., Ruler
of Qatar, whose lively, almost mischievous, manner belies his
frail appearance. The Shaikh 1 s.son, Hamad bin Abdullah bin
Qasim in whose hands his father entrusts all state affairs,
attended 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. on several occasions. He had ^
(in view of Qatar T s reputation for smuggling) the iJall to com
plain that supplies were short. 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. also met
other Qatar notables. He returned to Bahrain on the 18th April.
(ii) On the 17th April Captain R.C. Murphy, Political
Officer, Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , left by air for Sharjah.
^ (iii) On the 29th April the Hon’ble Sir Geoffrey Prior,
K.C.I.E., 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. , accompanied
by Lieutenant-Colonel A.C. Galloway, O.B.E., arrived in H.M.S.
M Seabelle" from Muscat. * ,
(iv) Air Marshal Sir Charles Medhurst, C.B.^, O.B.E.,
M.C., Air Officer Commanding in chief, Middle East^ accompanied
by Air Vice-Marshal R. George, C.B.E., M.C., arrived in Bahrain
from Sharjah on the 28th of April and left the next day.
57. BAHRAIN RULING FAMILY .
(i) On the 19th April, Shaikh Salman bin Mohammed,
fifth son of the senior uncle of the Ruler of Bahrain, left
by air for Jerusalem to take up a course of judicial training.
(ii) On the afternoon of April 21st Shaikh Rashid bin
Abdulla, a. cousin of the Ruler, visited 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. .
On the next morning a carpenter working in the Agency An office of the East India Company and, later, of the British Raj, headed by an agent. was
imprisoned. The incidents are connected because Shaikh Rashid
came to complain that he was being exiled by the Ruler for
drinking, and the carpenter was imprisoned for acting as the
Shaikh's bootlegger. During his interview with the Political
Agent, the Shaikh simulated weeping with a fair degree of
success and his manner was vaguely offensive; he was, in fact,
drunk. His lapse, and more particularly his punishment, was
most welcome to his father since it was occasioned by, or
perhaps merely the accompaniment, of his successful seduction
of one of the latter’s mistresses. The story (worthy of the
"Arabian Nights") is being retailed locally with gleeful and
Rabelaisian embellishments.
58. R.A.P.« SHARJAH .
(i) On the night of lst/2nd at .about 2.30 a.m. one of
the Royal Air Force lorries, driven by an unknown person, ran
into and damaged several reed huts and reed sheds at the
entrance of Dairah (Dubai) bazaar. The matter was reported
by the Shaikh of Dubai to the 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. Agent who on his part
brought it to the notice of the officer Commanding, Royal Air
/Force