Coll 28/108 ‘Persia. General situation in Meshed following the Russian occupation (incl. proposed consular escort. Withdrawal of Indian Long Range Squadron.’ [‎290r] (579/721)

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[22-73] B 2
7. The Russians proceeded to take over charge of all public offices, while
detachments of troops paraded the streets in their lorries, talking to and dis
tributing fruit and cigarettes among the common people, who crowded round
them. A speech was also made by a Russian officer in the public street, explaining
that they had come to take care of the people. During the night more troops, this
time from Kuchan, arrived, and to-day all is quiet. The Governor-General and
civil administration are still apparently functioning under Russian control, and
it is expected that normal communication with the outside world may shortly be
re-established. The most urgent problem is the provision of bread, but stocks in
the neighbourhood are believed to be sufficient.
| E 6370/42/34] (2)
Consul-General Squire to Sir R. Bullard.
(No. 61/1/22.)
Sir, Meshed, September 6, 1941.
WITH my previous despatch of the 30th August (printed letter No. 300 to
the Government of India) I forwarded an account of the events leading up to the
entry of Russian forces into Meshed on the 29th August.
2. After closing all Government departments on the 29th, disarming the
police and placing sentries on other offices, the Russians next day restored the
civil administration, with which, they said, they had no intention of interfering.
Whether such restoration is intended to be permanent or only temporary is by
no means clear, but on Saturday and Sunday morning aeroplanes dropped leaflets
over the town which perhaps give some indication of their intentions. The
Saturday leaflet explained why the Russians and their British allies had found
it necessary to enter Persia and followed the lines of the statements previously
broadcast from Moscow and elsewhere; but two leaflets on Sunday, one of which
had obviously been intended primarily for the armed forces on the frontier, seem
to indicate that the intention of the Russians fp to eliminate altogether the present
Government in Persia as being treacherously in league with the Axis. Rough
translations of these leaflets are enclosed.
3. This impression was strengthened by the arrival on Sunday afternoon of
a very large force of cavalry from Sarakhs. This force was marching through the
main streets of the town continuously from 3-30 to 6-30 p.m. and must have
comprised a full division. The men were mounted on small but wiry horses and
each regiment had its complement of machine guns and four light guns, two of
which were perhaps anti-tank guns, mostly on rubber-tyred limbers. They had
a considerable number of light carts with them also, but not many motorised
vehicles; at least, very few took part in the parade. This force is camped a mile
or two east of the town and is in the main supplied by motor supply column from
across the border; but its headquarters have been established in the Persian
divisional headquarters in the town itself. The headquarters appear to be that of
the IVth Army Corps, though some of the passes issued to the visitors emanate
from the 4th Cavalry Division only.
4. In my previous report I was not apparently correct in saying that troops
from Quchan had also entered Meshed; if these did so enter, it was only in very
small numbers. This latter force, believed to be under the command of a General
Kazakoff, sent detachments from Quchan to Sabzewar. Another small force, this
time from Gurgan, is reported to have occupied Shahrud. Motorised units of the
Meshed force are believed to have penetrated to Turbat-i-Sheikh Jam, near the
Afghan border on the south-east, and to Turbat-i-Haidari, on the road to India
on the south.
5. All the roads out of Meshed have thus been occupied by the Russians
and at one time it seemed likely that their advance might be continued to the
south, but on the 2nd September it was announced in Moscow that the Russian
advance into Persia had been halted and notices to this effect were also posted up
in Meshed. I have since been informed that the small motorised contingent that
entered Turbat-i-Haidari has been withdrawn.
6. On the arrival of the Russian forces in Meshed I endeavoured to get into
touch with them, and on Saturday evening, the 30th August, was received at the