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Coll 5/25 ‘Air Route to India (Arab Coast): Landing ground at Bahrain; Bahrain Civil Air Agreement’ [‎104v] (208/1088)

The record is made up of 1 file (542 folios). It was created in 13 Sep 1932-19 Dec 1945. 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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* In ^ 1S ex P rQSS letter of 24th November the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency.
raiseu trie question of the definition of the Manama sea aerodrone >
0011 as regards the alighting area and the shore installations.
^.^ res ^ t oli f area 13 ^here defined in writing and practical
S ^ ai ’ ;Lsen from time to time as regards the leasing
of land for shore installations. The Government of Bahrein are^
apparently willing to accept the definition af''aerodrome'laid
aown in Indian Aircraft Rules 1920^includes the water ^ used
1 ? r the Riding and departure of aircraft, and all -buildings,
piers, etc appertaining thereto. The Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. has
ecommended that a definition on these lines should he formally
agreed .0 with the Bahrein Government and thaj the area of the"
Aut^rities 110 ^ def±lied in consultation with the R.A.P.
• . ?° n f? Gted with ;:his l^ostion is the secondary one of the
installation of bulk fuelling tanks for refuelling the flying
i !? e ^ r .-ifstiy have recently decided that such tanks
ill have uo be installed since the present system of refuelling
from barges is not satisfactory. The question is much
complicated by the Bahrein Petroleum Company’s claim to the
exclusive right to erect and operate oil tanks in Bahrein (the
* S £\ Ct °:f, thls ^ ues t io n is explained at length in the note
x lagged XJ. It is clearly desirable that the area of the base
.0 mcluue shore installations should be defined before the tanks
are erected, since this will not only simplify the question of
acquisition of land from the Bahrein Government, but will also
strong one n our nand in resisting any claim by the Bahrein
Petroleum Company in regard to their rights in connection with
ohe tanks it we can show that they are being erected in an
area which is specified as part of the aerodrome. As in the
c^se °x aerourome at muharraq the Air Ministry are proposing
t \ e contract for erection and operation (i.e.
re illing) of the tanks to the Bahrein Petroleum Company as their
Agent but to continue to use A.X.O.C. as their AgenfsTor the
actua! refuelling 01 the aircraft from the tanks (this would
thinkTr OI p a f neral Gontract w hich the Air Ministry and I
think b.O.A.C. have with A.I.O.C. for the refuelling of aircraft
m this part of the world). G aircrai t
. . hrad t telegram below which has been concerted with the
Air ministry and Petroleum Division instructs the Political
Resident to arrange for the definition of the aerodrome area and
tanks" 1 ^ t0 111111 thS 1)0311:1011 as regards the erection of the oil
^ G L r<rUt
1L fJcjA ^
v Uu*- ihif^
j- ^ •

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Content

The file contains correspondence related to negotiations surrounding the Bahrain Civil Air Agreement (1934) between the British Government and the Government of Bahrain, along with subsequent amendments and renewals, and issues arising from the implementation of the agreement. Occasional reference is made to similar agreements with Kuwait, Muscat, and Sharjah. It also covers the preliminary negotiations in 1933 between Imperial Airways and the Government of Bahrain, and the file contains three draft versions of this agreement: see folios 489-495, 516-518, and 533-539. The latter negotiations are superseded by negotiations for the Civil Air Agreement, following a decision to standardise civil aviation procedures across the Arab Shaikhdoms.

Issues related to Muharraq Aerodrome and the Manama Flying Boat base are also covered in the file, which includes the application of a legal definition of an aerodrome to Bahrain, and efforts to define the geographical extent of these air bases. This includes negotiations with the Government of Bahrain for the purchase of additional land round the Muharraq Airfield for the Royal Air Force (RAF), and the extension of facilities such as the pier at Manama. A sketch map produced by the Government of Bahrain in 1944 can be found on folio 133 in relation to a proposal from the British Government to acquire an area – referred to as area 'C' – adjacent to the Muharraq Aerodrome for the RAF.

A map can be found on folio 245 showing the approaches to Bahrain harbour, which is included as a result of negotiations to establish a flying boat service through Bahrain in 1937.

The Arabic language content is limited to a copy of the Bahrain Civil Air Agreement (1934), which contains both Arabic and English translations (see folios 332-348), and a few items of additional correspondence with the Shaikh of Bahrain, Shaikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifah [Shaikh, Ḥamad bin ‘Īsá Āl Khalīfah].

The main correspondents are as follows: the Political Resident A senior ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul General) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Residency. in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. (Trenchard Craven William Fowle, Hugh Weightman, and Charles Geoffrey Prior), the Political Agent A mid-ranking political representative (equivalent to a Consul) from the diplomatic corps of the Government of India or one of its subordinate provincial governments, in charge of a Political Agency. at Bahrain, officials of the Air Ministry, 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. . Occasional reference is made to the Government of Bahrain via Charles Dalrymple Belgrave, Adviser to the Government of Bahrain.

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 (542 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 for this description commences at the inside front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 543; 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.

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English in Latin script
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Coll 5/25 ‘Air Route to India (Arab Coast): Landing ground at Bahrain; Bahrain Civil Air Agreement’ [‎104v] (208/1088), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/1972, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100054514175.0x00000b> [accessed 19 April 2024]

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