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Coll 5/85 ‘Airfield at Dharan for U.S.A.A.F.: Proposal to construct new airport at Bahrain (Hamala)’ [51r] (102/522)
The record is made up of 1 file (259 folios). It was created in 17 Mar 1944-14 Nov 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. .
Transcription
This transcription is created automatically. It may contain errors.
I
49
DC 88050/1
BAHREIN
'P*
This airfield has £ P.S.P. runways, and 2 rolled sand strips:-
ESE - WNW
ESE - WSW
| P.S.P.
7200 ft. long by 150
6900 ft. long by 150
ENE - WSW
6630 ft. long by 150
N - S
4200 ft. long by 300
(very seldom used.)
ft. v/ide.
ft. wide,
ft. wide,
ft. wide.
As was already known before the Survey Party left England, the
R.A.F. had prohibited aircraft weighing more than 1*0,000 lbs. from
using this airfield; our own investigations confirmed that this was,
in fact, a very necessary restriction. The bearing capacity of the
soil is extremely low, and a ny further development of this air field is
out of the question. It was not, therefore,' given furtner consideration
BAHREIN
New Site - Hamala
This site lies on the island of Manama, which is the main island
of the group. An inspection showed that this site could be developed
to meet the requirements of a large civil airport. It lies on a flat
plain v/ith very minor variations of level. The approaches are all •
unobstructed, and it was considered that a one runway lay out would
give sufficient annual wind'coverage to meet the requirements of air
craft capable of operating in v/inds giving a 15 m.p.h. cross wind com
ponent. The R.A.F. engineers at Habbaniya had produced a proposed lay
out for this site Based on the standard R.A.F. V.H.B, design. It
provided for 3 runways at 60° to one another. If it is decided to
develop this site in conjunction with the R.A.F., it is suggested that
an entirely new design should be agreed with Air Ministry in London,
as it is thought that a one runway lay out might very well meet R.A.F.
as well as civil requirements.
On a one runv-ay ley out it was estimated that the airfield c ould be
complete v/ith buildings etc., to PI0A0 Class C standards Jin
a cost of £1,250,000.
To develop it to PICA0 Class B standards would take 2^ years, and
would cost £1,750,000, It could, if necessary, be extended to meet
PICA0 Class A runway lengths, if desired.
About this item
- Content
The file is concerned with proposals for the construction of an airfield – suitable for very heavy bombers – at Dhahran by the United States Army Air Transport Command as a wartime necessity, and applications from the United States to the United Kingdom for the latters support in obtaining permission from Saudi Arabia. See folios 239-241 for a brief on these proposals.
The file also contains papers related to proposals for the post-war civil operation following the construction of the airfield, and the transfer of ownership from the United States to Saudi Arabia. Related papers concern proposals from Trans World Airlines for the development of civil aviation in Saudi Arabia, and counter proposals from the British Government for a civil air mission. This includes the use of Dhahran by the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC).
A typed copy of a report by a Ministry of Civil Aviation Technical Survey Party on aerodromes in the Middle East and Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (1947) has also been included: see folios 26-55. The minutes of a subsequent meeting held by the Civil Aviation Planning Committee on 1 April 1947 to discuss the reports findings can be found on folios 18-19.
The main correspondents in the file are as follows: HM Minister at Jeddah (Sir Laurence Grafftey-Smith), officials of the Foreign Office, officials of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, 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. (Commonwealth Relations Office from August 1947).
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 (259 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 260; 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 5/85 ‘Airfield at Dharan for U.S.A.A.F.: Proposal to construct new airport at Bahrain (Hamala)’ [51r] (102/522), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2052, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100043044458.0x000069> [accessed 16 April 2024]
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Copyright: How to use this content
- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2052
- Title
- Coll 5/85 ‘Airfield at Dharan for U.S.A.A.F.: Proposal to construct new airport at Bahrain (Hamala)’
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:73v, 75r:76v, 79r:106v, 108r:260v, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence