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Coll 5/65 ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AIR ATTACHE KABUL & LOAN OF AIR PERSONNEL TO AFGHAN GOVNT’ [43v] (86/260)
The record is made up of 1 file (128 folios). It was created in 1 Apr 1948-15 Dec 1949. 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.
gravely prejudiced if it came to the knowledge of
the Afghans that we were passing on information
obtained in\ this way. This would be unfortunate
from Pakistan's point of view as well as our own,
because it is to their advantage as well as to ours
that we rather than others, should continue to
advise the Afghans in matters of this sort and
that our influence should be maintained in Kabul.
3. We therefore took advantage of Cawthom* s
presence in London. We explained the position set
out above to him quite frankly. We showed him the
Air Ministry plan (which was very voluminous) and
\
invited him to say tohat pieces he would like.
This had the advantages (a) that he could say that
he had seen the whole thing, and (b) that, by •
giving him aselection only we reduced to some
extent the risk of embarrassment with the
Afghans. A copy of the \papers he had selected
was handed to him on 19th October with a further
explanation that the plan was dead so far as we
were concerned, since in the opinion of our
\
experts it was too ambitious in the face of the
small numbers of trained personnel in Afghanistan,
the method of recruiting and the low standard
\
of recruits, and the lack of money and facilities.
We are confident that he himself has taken out points
\
and we have left it to his personal discretion to make
what use he thinks fit of the phpers he has been given.
4. Cawthom secured, quite readily we gather, the
agreement of the Pakistan High C&mn.ission to their
request being answered through him personally. They
also recognised, when he pointed it out, that their
request, which included the word "demand”, was
.
not very happily phrased.
5. Perhaps I might mention in this context that we
/would
About this item
- Content
The file is predominantly concerned with plans for the supervision of Royal Air Force (RAF) personnel working for the Afghan Air Force at Kabul. This includes the drafting of a directive for Wing Commander P A McWhannel, the Air Adviser attached to the UK High Commission to Pakistan at Karachi, outlining the responsibilities he is to assume over the aforementioned personnel. The file also contains an application from McWhannel for an aircraft to be made available to facilitate regular visits to Kabul: see folios 12-15.
Another significant topic covered by the file is a request from the Government of Pakistan for a copy of a plan for the expansion of the Afghan Air Force; the Air Ministry had prepared a plan for the expansion of the Afghan Air Force at the request of the Afghan Government. A copy of an abridged version of this plan is included in the file: see folios 52-66.
A report by Wing Commander A R L Griffiths on his visit to Afghanistan (24-28 May 1948) has also been filed: see folios 88-93. This reports on the Afghan Air Force and the role of RAF personnel. It also tackles the question of supplying an aircraft for the use of the Air Adviser at Karachi.
The main correspondents are: HM Minister/Ambassador at Kabul (Giles Frederick Squire), the UK High Commissioner to Pakistan (Sir Laurence Barton Grafftey-Smith), officials of the Air Ministry, officials of the Commonwealth Relations Office, and officials of the Foreign Office.
On the inside front cover can be found a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year.
- Extent and format
- 1 file (128 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file. At the beginning of the correspondence is a set of file notes: see folios 118-129. Serial numbers in black, blue, and red ink, which occur throughout the file refer to entries in the notes.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 129; 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.
A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 5/65 ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AIR ATTACHE KABUL & LOAN OF AIR PERSONNEL TO AFGHAN GOVNT’ [43v] (86/260), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2028, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100040145487.0x000057> [accessed 7 June 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2028
- Title
- Coll 5/65 ‘ESTABLISHMENT OF AN AIR ATTACHE KABUL & LOAN OF AIR PERSONNEL TO AFGHAN GOVNT’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:129v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence