Coll 28/97(2) ‘Persia; Diaries. Tehran Intelligence summaries. No 1 to 50 of 1946.’ [‎14v] (28/292)

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4
British Interests — Disposals.
13. Some time ago the Persian State Railways asked the British Military
Authorities whether they could purchase certain items of rolling-stock, consisting
of passenger coaches, goods wagons, refrigerator vans and portable cranes The
price fixed by the British Military Authorities was £156,200. The Persian State
Railways are also anxious to buy a sawmill at a cost of £40,000, and some second
hand lorries for £7.000. As rials are unacceptable to the British Military
Authorities, the Persian State Railways have asked for Cabinet sanction to
borrow the sterling amount from the Persian National Bank.
R ussian I n terests.
14. When the Russians withdrew their troops from Qaleh MurMieh aero
drome on the night of the 18th-19th September. 1945. they left behind some
twenty-five civilian personnel of Intourist to operate their air services to Tabriz,
Meshed and Moscow. These have now been transferred to Mehrabad aerodrome
and Qaleh Murgheh is in undisputed possession of the Persian Air Force. The
Russian personnel at Mehrabad are said to number about fifty and to be com
posed of men and women. They also maintain a meteorological station.
15. M. Ali Abdul Oglu Iliev, the First Secretary of the Russian Embassy,
referred to in paragraph 1 of last Intelligence Summary, has now been appointed
charge d aftaires in place of M. Yakubof, who left some time ago.
16. The Russians have now made another gesture of goodwill towards the
eisian Cjovemment, presumably to mark their pleasure at the appointment of
Qawam-us-Saltaneh as Prime Minister. They have permitted some officials of
the Ministry of Agriculture to visit Azerbaijan to study the locust situation.
Most Persians would say that in Azerbaijan the pest which requires eradication
is not the locust.
Polish Interests (see paragraph 11 of last Intelligence Summary).
17. Thirty-four Polish Jew refugees still remain in Tehran They refuse
to recognise the Warsaw Government or its legation in Tehran. On account of
the 1 ales tine problem the Lebanon Government refused them entry into Lebanon
along with the other refugees. Owing to their attitude to the Warsaw Govern-
men and to the Russians, their continued presence in Tehran was embarrassino-
fortunately the Government of India has now agreed to admit them
Appendix.
The Persian Navy.
1. List of Persian Naval Vessels as believed to exist prior to August 1941
showing present whereabouts.
Name.
Type.
Ton- I
nage. j
1. Babr
2. Palang
3. Shahbioke
4. Shabaz
5. Simurgh
6. Karkas
... Sloop
... Sloop
Gunboat
Gunboat
Gunboat
Gunboat
7. Euphrates or Ex steam yacht
Humai Ivg used as depot !
ship
8. Shahin
9.
10. Neyrou...
... Minesweeper
Floating dock
... ! tug
700
185
600
Present Situation.
950
950
f
331
331 |
331 j
331 i
His Majesty’s Govern
ment’s Recommendations.
Sunk by li.N. in 1941
Sunk by R.N. in 1941
Taken over by British naval
authorities for use with
the Royal Indian Navy.
Now in Indian waters.
One of these has been
cannibalised
Used by R.N. until re
cently. Now in charge of
Harbourmaster, Khor-
ramshahr. Sunk at her
moorings
Scuttled by R.N. July
1944
Removed by R.N. Present
whereabouts Alexandria
Previously in use by R.N.
in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. . Now
returned to Persians
His Majesty’s Govern
ment has under consider
ation the question of
providing two suitable
vessels as replacements.
His Majesty’s Government
has proposed a gift of
three H.M.D.L’s (a) to
replace cannibalised gun
boat (6) in place of hire
of four gunboats used by
British.
No action so far proposed.
No action so far proposed.
To be returned to Bandar
Shahpur.
No action required.