'File 8/77 Muscat Infantry.' [‎7r] (13/180)

BAHRAIN.
(§V 2 l/50) . f' 27 th November, 1950.
CONFIDENTIAL
1 U , : n/
y
Will you please refer to your despatch No. 27(35/8/77/50)
of the 8th November.
There are in fact no levies in Qatar, only a Police Force.
The niuscat Government may perhaps have been thinking of the Trucial
Oman Levies which are now in the course of being established, and
as the presence of this force on the boundaries of the Sultanate of
Muscat and Oman is presumably a subject of interest for the Muscat
Government, Sir Rupert has asked me to give you a brief outline of
the scheme and its purposes so that you can keep the Muscat Govern
ment informed.
2. The main duties of the force which is shortly to be
established at Sharjah are:-
(i) to provide protection for the Political Officer,
Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , and other British Government officers
when touring,
(ii) to assist in the suppression of the traffic in
slaves, and
(iii) to assist generally in the maintenance of law and
order on the Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. under the direction of
the Political Officer.
3• The strength of the force to begin with is to be limited
to 70. A nucleus of officers and men from the Arab Legion is
expected before the end of the year and it is hoped to recruit the
rest locally.
4. As the Muscat Government will no doubt hear of the exist
ence of this force from other sources, I should be grateful if you
would inform them about it on the above lines. I enclose copies of
the scales of pay for the new levies and also conditions of detach
ment for the Arab Legion personnel. The exact scale of pay for
local recruits will be decided in the light of conditions on the
Trucial Coast A name used by Britain from the nineteenth century to 1971 to refer to the present-day United Arab Emirates. , but should approximate to the total pay laid down in
column 3 of the enclosure, less the 30% deputation allowance which
has been added to attract recruits from the Arab Legion. There is
no objection to your communicating to the Muscat Government so much
of the enclosure as you consider desirable.
5* There is also of course no objection to your passing on to
them such information of the conditions of service of the Qatar
Police as you may receive from pelly.
Major F. C. L. Chauncy,
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. ,
Muscat.