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Coll 5/7 ‘Afghanistan: Violation of frontier by RAF machines; Special instructions to pilots; General international practice’ [‎11r] (21/449)

The record is made up of 1 file (223 folios). It was created in 13 Nov 1930-20 Mar 1947. 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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D.O. No .244/i/25.
!'°«r ,. ; eightu'an,
JZa -fi- 1
5674
, yO
British Legation,Kabul.
14 th Februoiv 1947 •
Will you plaa&e refer to Phelps 1 official inemorancium
No.F#5(3)-F/45 dated 29th January 1947 on the subject of the
alleged violation of Afghan territory by British planes? The
Afghan Government cofiiplained of throe separate air violations
of the frontier on the 26th, 27th and 29th of June, the last by
a three-engined aircraft. Bayond saying that there are no
three-e^gined aircraft in the L.A.F. or R.I.A.F. no answer is
offered to any of tho specific complaints and instead I am
requested to reply that M with the advent of long range high
speed aircraft such as ths Tempest it will become increasingly
difficult to prevent frontier violations 1 *, enu to say that
navigational errors of much cs 20 easily occur. It
is further suggested that I should say that pilots are unlikely
to disregard the existing restrictions and that therefore such
violations as do take place should be considered as purely
accidental. In effect, so far from offering any explanation or
apology, I am asked to inform the Afghan Government that more
frequent and deeper violations of Afghan territory must be
expected in the future and that no action is being or can be
taken to prevent them.
2. In view of the fact that the Afghans are, as you are
aware, extrema*ly touchy on these matters any reply that I give
on the above lines, however wrapped up in verb*jge, is bound to
cause the strongest resentment and it would in my opinion be
better to give no reply at all (the ca.jas are already over 7
month* old) than to act as suggested by the Government oi India.
If I am indeed to make such a communication I should be glad of
more explicit inatmctions giving me as far *s possible the
wording which it is desired that I should use. I would however
suggest that before I am given further instructions the Afghan
rights under international law require further consideration and
it might be desirable that the Foreign Office should also be
consulted.
Yours sincerely,
*.»• r •aw.'qctjLre
H.weightman Esq. ,C.S• I.,C. 1 «£•,
External Affairs Gep^rtmerit,
New Delhi .

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Content

The file is concerned broadly with three topics. The first, found predominantly between folios 102-224, is about complaints made by the Government of Afghanistan over violations of its territory by aircraft of the Royal Air Force, and complaints made by HM Minister at Kabul that the Government of India does not take the complaints seriously enough. The file therefore contains details of these violations, investigations undertaken into complaints, and any action taken by the Government of India in response: for example see folios 208-12. It also contains a number of memoranda outlining examples of territorial violations by aircraft from the rest of the world for comparison: see folios 165-68, 159-60, and 149-51.

The second topic, also found predominantly between folios 102-224, is about periodic amendments to the Government of India's rules for pilots flying in the North West Frontier. The most significant change is a reduction of the extent of prohibited zone — an area around the Afghan-Indian border within which aircraft are not supposed to fly — from six to three miles. The file includes related discussion as to what impact this could have respecting the number of accidental incursions into Afghanistan.

The third topic, predominantly found between folios 4-101, concerns aerial photographic survey work to be undertaken along the Afghan frontier in Baluchistan and the North West Frontier Province. The file includes proposals for survey work from the Surveyor General of India, correspondence respecting the suspension of the prohibited zone, and notifications of proposed survey work provided to HM Minister at Kabul. A map showing the areas in India prohibited to civil aircraft can be found on folio 95.

The main correspondents are as follows: HM Minister at Kabul; the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India; the Foreign and Political Department of the Government of India (from 1937 the Department of External Affairs); the Government of India Department of Education, Health and Lands; the Surveyor General of India; officials of the Foreign Office; and officials of 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. .

The file includes a divider which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.

Extent and format
1 file (223 folios)
Arrangement

The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the first folio with 1 and terminates at the inside back cover with 224; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located at 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 present in parallel between ff 2-222; these numbers are also written in pencil and circled, but are crossed through.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 5/7 ‘Afghanistan: Violation of frontier by RAF machines; Special instructions to pilots; General international practice’ [‎11r] (21/449), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1952, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100034816460.0x000016> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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