‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’ [9r] (17/252)
The record is made up of 1 file (124 folios). It was created in 17 Jan 1938-13 Sep 1939. 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.
Secret,
D.O.No.C/150
Office of 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.
,
Camp, Bahrain.
Dated the 22nd March 1^38.
My dear Metcalfe,
Subject Defence of the
Persian Gulf
The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
>iQ . in times of war.
M yf
!X/ ^ Could you please refer to my Express letter No.
C/l45 of the 21st March 1^38 in which I gave the details
of a rather serious agitation at Debai which had arisen
recently against the deportation of two gun-runners, and
against our policy of manumitting slaves who apply to us
for manumission. The agitation against the latter proce
dure, which has been in force for many years, came about
owing to the large increase of such applications which have
been made to us in the last few months. There is of course
no question of our giving up our policy of manumission, but
the last reports from Debai indicated that the situation
was quieter.
/ 7S
2. This agitation, however, raises in a somewhat acute
form the defence of the
Trucial Coast
A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates.
section of the Air
Route to India. (See paragraphs 23-24 of Note enclosed
with my letter No.C/14 of 18th January). If in the present
instance drastic action to quell the agitation has been
necessary, or may still be necessary, such as preventing by
a sloop the Debai pearling fleet going to sea, before we
put such action into force we should have to consider the
safety of the Imperial Airways flying boats, which, as you
are aware, land some eight times or so a week at Debai for
refuelling. As a reply to such action on our part the local
malcontents might retaliate by shooting up a flying boat or
two
Sir Aubrey Metcalfe, KCIE., CSI., MVO.,
Secretary to the Government of India,
External Affairs Department,
NEW DELHI.
About this item
- Content
The file comprises copies of correspondence, extracts of Government reports and other papers relating to the drawing up of defence policies for the various states in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. , in anticipation of the start of a global war. The file’s principal correspondents are: 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. (Lieutenant-Colonel Trenchard Craven William Fowle); 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 (Hugh Weightman); representatives of RAF Air Headquarters at Habbaniyah in Iraq (including Air Officer Commanding, Air Vice Marshal John Hugh Samuel Tyssen); various representatives of the Government of India and 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. .
The file includes:
- a letter from 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 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. , dated 18 January 1938 enclosing a ‘Note on the Defence of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. in the Event of a Major War’, which contains: the Resident’s assessments of the strategic importance of the Gulf; details of communications and the air route in the Gulf; hypothetical war situations (attacks, hostile countries); British interests in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. and Muscat (ff 13-36);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to January 1939 relating to a visit to the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. of military officials, for the assessment of the region’s defence requirements and proposed defence schemes, including recommendations from a Major Price of the need for a volunteer defence force at Bahrain, and the posting of a permanent adjutant to Bahrain (ff 68-73);
- correspondence dated December 1938 to March 1939 concerning an assessment of maritime trade in the Gulf during wartime, including a copy of a questionnaire issued by the Commander-in-Chief of the East Indies Station (ff 81-82), with a reply and completed questionnaire from 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 (ff 90-94);
- correspondence dated April to July 1939 concerning ‘Appreciations’ of defence schemes for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Sharjah and Dibai [Dubai], including: extracts from a report issued by the Oversea Defence Sub-Committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence (ff 112-115); and approval from the Government of India of the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. defence schemes, subject to remarks made in an enclosed note from the Chief of the General Staff of India (ff 117-118).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (124 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. There are no file notes included at the end of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1 and terminates at the back cover with 126; 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. An additional foliation sequence is also present in parallel between ff 2-125; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
- 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/15/2/762
- Title
- ‘File 28/75 Defence policy for the Gulf’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:125v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence