"الملف ‎1/39 I الرائد ت. هيكينجبوثام، حائز على رتبة الإمبراطورية البريطانية (ملف خاص)" [و‎‎٣‎٠‎٥] (٨٣٦/٦٥٦)

Form 7510 C.(9.40.)
KUWAIT OIL COMPANY, LIMITED.
Telegrams
Kuoco, Kuwait.
KUWAIT
Your Reference
Our Reference
D/0 87.
My dear Hickinbo'tham,
ARABIA
31st December 1942.
Reference your D.0.No.1408 of 30*12.42, I am indeed sorry
that you should have been put to trouble and inconvenience at Zubair
on 29th December, by the stupid conduct of the driver of our Basra
bazaar vanette.
I do not think that the driver could possibly have intended
a discourtesy to yourself, as he is one of the best charactered men
the Company has, and has been with us since the Company started
operations. He is an elderly Indian who has lived in Kuwait most of
his life, and was making his first trip to Basra after a month's
convalescent leave. He had been in hospital previous to that.
I
Actually, and acting on what you told me at Dr.Greenway's
dinner party on the night of 30.12.42, I sent for the Driver as soon
as he returned from Basra yesterday and asked him to explain his
conduct. This was before I received your note under reference.
The driver made the following statement to me which I think
shows that he was partly the victim of bad luck.
H 0n Monday, owing to late departure and rain, I reached Zubair
at 5 P.M. I had with me as passenger the Company's Electrician
Ismail Mohamed, who had been discharged and was to be conveyed
to Shuaiba (place of his entertainment). By the time I had
delivered my passenger and had left Shuaiba, it was 7 P.M.
Between Shuaiba and Basra both of my lights failed and I had
to spend the whole night on the side of the Bund road.
In the morning (30.12.2f2) I drove into Basra, delivered a
parcel to the British Red Cross authorities in Ashar and
proceeded to Muftiyeh (R.O.C.Depot). Having handed over
various parcel/s etc. and had some food, I set out for Ashar
to purchase vegetables etc. etc. for various persons in
Kuwait, but was held up for 2 hours just outside the oil
depot by an overturned lorry which completely blocked the
road. When I eventually got through to Ashar I first took
my lorry to a Garage to have my lights seen to. At 3 P.M.
and before I had made any bazaar purchases I got a message
from the Pilling Station Clerk who told me that the P.A.
Kuwait was anxious to get to Kuwait at once, and I asked if
the P.A.would allow me to finish my work, make my purchases