Skip to item: of 270
Information about this record Back to top
Open in Universal viewer
Open in Mirador IIIF viewer

[Un-numbered file] 'Correspondence of RAF Special Service Officer, Kuwait (Cpt De Gaury)' [‎23r] (45/270)

The record is made up of 1 volume (133 folios). It was created in 4 Feb 1928-2 May 1928. 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.

Apply page layout

* sluitlbion called ^bdullah al iatato&i. h© is well-
-known *iS a cracked-train young man in whom no trust
whatever can fca put. He said he heard the news from
Sultan iim itrahim al Ikiaib who was a friend of the
Shaikh of i..uwait c.nd consequently ho tnought it must
be correct. Sultan ibn Ibrahim al Ikiaib is a not very
woaltny Garage-owner and co-director of the Zobair-
Auweit taxi company. He had actually visited Zobair
and been seen vitn ..bdull&h Tatabai. He is a fairly
pleasant person and I lelieve is actually looked
upon by the Shaikh of Kuwait as rather reliable,without
^eing quite in the rank of a friend I have seen him
quite often and naji conversations on many subjects with
him ur.a. find aim a great believer in tue new rab world,
a supporter of the belief that Iraq is making greit progress
and firmly convinced tn^t ail the Ar^b civilised states"
will Shortly forge aneaa. xnLa view is rather unusual in
wnat is praolicaiiy a bedouin town. He denies absolutely*
uhat ne toxd tno xataLai youtn anything about a Jihad.
He suggests tnut a misba^e arose tnrougii confusion with
tne weli-Knovn pro-nerifi budiman ibn Kelib who has been
for some time in Kuwait, iloone nas ever heard c^ny more
aoout tne letters issued by ion baud to the tribes,
on passing tnrouga Zobair some tiire ago I ordered an agent
to find out fnat more ne could from ^bdulxan al fatabai
bur tne agent reported tnat tnet young man nkd become
very ObstinaJe # as idiots wiil t and refused to talk, ^y
offer of a large sum for tne proclamation to tne tribes
nas trougnt no response,and tne agents say tney believe
tnia to uuve been embroidery by tne v ourn lists and not
mentioned originally'by iatabai.
Pernaps b.S.O.lasran could get the true story as since the
afJair ocoorred I have never been in Zobair myself for more
tnun an nour when passing through on tne way sonewiere else,
ine discovery of tne xatacai incident wjas related to me tv
berry. ^
cones is also reported to have a source of information at
fhaioah;I believe he told Berry this nimself.
(I mentioned to you the publication,under the heading "Hew
^acos about Faisal ad Tj^wish” my ratner uniportant appendix
to a January intelligence sunirary from h;a3r*h,in the limes
of i esopotamia for i^uron 2 nd. ihe Oriental decretar^ to H*E,
^old Die that it had not been given by tnem to the ^ress in
iact ne nad never seen it. Air Headquarters certainly did
not give it and Aaforce and S.S.O.kasariyah may be excluded,
ihe only otner recipient was the A.I.Bas*«h. A.I. Basxah
was aiso & reuipient.i expect,of the r jinad ,f wire from More
but not of wirew^ subsciuent to my ooming nere on ^aren 2nd.
I mention ail Cnis as it seems w ust possible tnat tne A.I^
confidential oierx.tne kutaaarrif or someone in that office
may nave ujen uaking a nand.i
i remember you mentioned «a p^rt of tne Jinad scare in your
mind tne giving out of Hasran us an ^mnwan objective,
inis ago.in as information was originAliy ^pure' 1 wnetner or no
it was accurate, io uninstructed people "no nad already
captured Rail # Hasa.kecoa and kedinah it may nave and perhaps
still does seem a reasonable ob^eotive. it would loot nicely
and suon a goal would atwraot plenty of hot-heads to the
standards. Zaid ar ciibia toid me tne ataiban wanted to get
tnere but I suppressed it,as my wire was qui^e exciting enoug
ihe next time it appeared,as far as 1 know,was in a wire from
«.ames when witn tne ours, ihey nad captured,in action in
wnicn no nearly los. ais life,a prisoner from the ^utair.
I tnink we can acquit him of intent to "plant'’ information,
inis was tne only time I saw it in a message. (I saw none of
Glubb's). f ih3 prisoner as ,>ou ^now escaped and tne cars did n
not return nere for some time. I never heard Basrah given as
an objective by anyone else. Perhaps Zaid spread the rumour
from Zobair but there is nothing to show that ho did and it
did not "catch on" as I did not get it ’’echoing" subse quently.
My own idea is that it oame probably by tribal agents to the

About this item

Content

The volume comprises the correspondence, signals, expenditure accounts and message notes of RAF Special Service Officer, Kuwait (Captain Gerald Simpson Rutland Hillairet Vere De Gaury) during the period 4 February to 2 May 1928.

The discussion in the volume relates to his involvement in intelligence gathering and operations against the akhwan [Ikhwan] in the desert area around Kuwait, Iraq and Najd. It also concerns the arrangements for his departure and return to England. Included in the file are reports on the topography of Kuwait (ff 29-30; 33-34) and strategic use of desert ports.

The volume also includes (folio 114) De Gaury's handwritten notes on phrases in Arabic (with accompanying English translation) he considered would be of great use during his special service in the desert.

The bulk of the correspondence is with Air Staff Intelligence, Air Headquarters, Baghdad.

Extent and format
1 volume (133 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence for this description commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 135; 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 present in parallel; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled.

Written in
English in Latin script
View the complete information for this record

Use and share this item

Share this item
Cite this item in your research

[Un-numbered file] 'Correspondence of RAF Special Service Officer, Kuwait (Cpt De Gaury)' [‎23r] (45/270), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/R/15/5/107, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100038451272.0x00002e> [accessed 29 March 2024]

Link to this item
Embed this item

Copy and paste the code below into your web page where you would like to embed the image.

<meta charset="utf-8"><a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100038451272.0x00002e">[Un-numbered file] 'Correspondence of RAF Special Service Officer, Kuwait (Cpt De Gaury)' [&lrm;23r] (45/270)</a>
<a href="https://www.qdl.qa/en/archive/81055/vdc_100038451272.0x00002e">
	<img src="https://iiif.qdl.qa/iiif/images/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x000036/IOR_R_15_5_107_0045.jp2/full/!280,240/0/default.jpg" alt="" />
</a>
IIIF details

This record has a IIIF manifest available as follows. If you have a compatible viewer you can drag the icon to load it.https://www.qdl.qa/en/iiif/81055/vdc_100000000831.0x000036/manifestOpen in Universal viewerOpen in Mirador viewerMore options for embedding images

Use and reuse
Download this image