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Coll 5/87S ‘United States: Request for Military Air Transit Rights in India and Burma’ [‎164r] (327/609)

The record is made up of 1 file (303 folios). It was created in 2 Mar 1946-26 Dec 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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3* The details of the U•3* request are by no means clear;
it would appear that the airfields which they wish to use
are as follows:-
Tripoli
Me11aha Airfield
India
• Karachi, Agra and Dumdum
The Americans also wish to exercise rights at Barrackpore,
until A.T.C. operations can be moved to Dumdum, and at
Kharagpur airfield for aircraft too large to be accommodated
at Dumdum.
NOTE: Dumdum, Barrackpore and Kharagpur are all
in the vicinity of Calcutta,
Burma
Mingaladon (near Rangoon)
At Annex II we consider in detail each airfield at
which the Americans have asked for military air transit
rights.
Other Negotiations
4. In addition to this request through diplomatic channels
in London which 'we have been asked to consider, the Americans
have made the following approaches;-
(a) To the Government of India direct in New Delhi.
The U.S. Commissioner in India has put forward a
parallel request for military air transit facilities
at the airfields in India shown in.paragraph 3, with
attendant rights set out in the same words as in the
request to the Foreign Office, The Americans linked
this request in India to negotiations which were
proceeding in Washington regarding the termination
of Lease-Lend and to the satisfactory conclusion of
a Civil _.viation Agreement with India, and stated
that in their view these negotiations were rglated.
The Government of India have already replied^ to the
U.S, request for military air transit rights, giving
the conditions under which they would be prepared to
negotiate an agreement. The progress of the
negotiations in India was not known, when our previous
paper was written on this subject.
(b) Various requests from the American Minister in
Egypt and other American authorities in the Middle East
to allow American civil airlines to use Mallaha
airfield in Tripoli. This request was referred to
London and has been’refused.
Future Action
3 . We are of the. opinion that all the American requests
for military air transit rights should be considered as a
whole, and that the Americans should receive the same answer
in London as in Delhi. The concurrence of the Governments
of India and Burma to the negotiations being handled by the
Foreign Office v/ould be required.
/ Appendix II to C.0.S#(46) 194 ( 0)
-2-

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Content

The file contains papers related to negotiations for air transit rights for United States military aircraft through India and Burma. The United States Army Air Force (USAAF) had enjoyed transit rights for its aircraft for the duration of the Second World War (1939-1945), and desired to continue these rights for the duration of the military occupations of Germany and Japan. It contains aide memoires, correspondence, memoranda, and notes related to parallel negotiations between the Unites States and the governments of India and the United Kingdom (UK).

Two copies of a report –JP (46) 142 (Final)– on these proposals prepared by the Joint Planning Staff, a subcommittee of the Chiefs of Staff Committee, can be found on folios 123-135 and 137-145. They include appended maps of the route: see folios 134 and 145. A few preliminary drafts of the report can also be found within the file.

Papers relating to customs, health, and passport examination of Royal Air Force (RAF) aircraft in India can be found on folios 27-39.

Towards the front of the file are a small number of papers regarding the need for the UK to enter into negotiations with the newly independent dominions of India and Pakistan in order to ensure continued air transit rights for British military aircraft.

The main correspondents in the file are as follows: officials of the Burma Office (A F Morley, and Leonard Brian Walsh-Atkins) officials of the Cabinet Office (Sir Leslie Chasemore Hollis and Lieutenant-Colonel T Haddon), officials of the Foreign Office, 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. , representatives of the External Affairs Department of the Government of India, and representatives of the United States in both London and New Delhi (including Waldermar John Gallman). The file also contains a number of telegrams sent to/from the Governor of Burma and the Viceroy of India.

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 (303 folios)
Arrangement

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

Physical characteristics

Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 304; 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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Coll 5/87S ‘United States: Request for Military Air Transit Rights in India and Burma’ [‎164r] (327/609), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2054, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040141153.0x000082> [accessed 28 March 2024]

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