"تقارير إدارية لسنة ١٩٤٧" [و‎‎٢‎٤] (١٢٨/٤٧)

21
R.A.F. personnel was 46, The R.A.F. Medical Officer has also
'been withdrawn.
During the year surplus R.A.F. vehicles and stores *
were sold by British Stores Disposals Officers, who came down
to Sharjah for the purpose,
(v) B ritish Interests .
(a) Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited.
During the early part of the year Petroleum
Development (Trucial Coast) Ltd. completed geophysical
surve 37 - of Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah territories. The
geophysical party met with constant interference from many
tribes inhabiting these Shaikhdoms and the Political Officer
and the Residency Agent were continually and actively exercised •
in promoting settlements between the tribes and their ruling
Shaikhs, without which the company could not have proceeded
with their work. Most of the interference arose from the
Jawasim Shaikhs’ parsimony towards and lack of influence
oyer the tribes inhabiting the territories for which they had
given oil concessions. A geophysical survey of ^bu tfhabi
was then begun and continued until the end of March when
operations were concluded for the season. The survey party
left the Trucial Coast on the 1st April. On the 11th October
they returned to Sharjah for the 1947 - 48 cool seasons
operations. Geophysical and topographical surveys were started
simultaneously in Abu Dhabi territory and that part of Buraimi
which is under Abu Dhabi. Work in the latter area had been
completed by the end of the year. The Company’s local
representative did not succeed in obtaining permission from
the chiefs of the Nai’m and al-Bushmis tribes to do geophysical
work in their territories. They put forward such unreasonable
demands that his principals decided to drop the matter for
the time being. Work during the latter part of the year
proceeded without any opposition or interference by recalcitrant
tribesmen or common robbers. The Shaikh of Abu Dhabi’s
security for oil company personnel has been complete; and
the party’s main problem has been one of transport. ^During
thfe year under review Mr, H.M. Jackson continued to represent
Messrs. Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited/ He
visited most of the Trucial Coast towns and also Buraimi.
(b) Civil Aviation .
On the 10th i January the last ’’C” Class Flying
boat to fly on this route left Dubai. Since then B.0.A^.C. "have
not used their bases in Dubai and Sharjah except as emergency
landing areas. Wireless and meteorological services have been
maintained, and also catering services on a reduced scale.
International Air ^adio took over the wireless installations
towards the end of the year. A number of casual operators
and through services used B.O.ii.C’s facilities; but, for
passenger and freight space and for the carriage of mails,
local residents have had to rely on the R.A.F. routine services
to their station at Sharjah.
The following ara particulars of aircraft which
passed through Sharjah during the year 1947.
B.O.A.C. 18 Eastbound & "Westbound
K.L.M. 61 ” & »*
Other 113 ” & "
aircraft
(handled by B.O.A.C)
Following the ban imposed by the Government of
India on the landing of Dutch aircraft in India, K.L.M. aircraft
useo Sharjah as a staging post on the Batavia-Amsterdam route
/ from