مجموعة ٥/٧٣ "سلاح الجو الأفغاني: تقارير" [و‎‎١‎٧‎٠] (٤٣١/٣٣٩)

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tt z W/T ir.suru.ctor 1 and the Photographic instructor (both on loan
iroin the R,A*F. in India, Sergeants Brierly nod Murray respectively)
s luxuries whicn they could rot aifor^L The three R.A.F. Sergeant
instructors are due uo return to India in November.
To is ottiuudc on the part of ‘ohe Air Commandant in September, before
me expuls:;.or of German and Italian nationals became prominent, could
only be treated with suspicion It is however possible that the
n.xgnan Government wished to reduce to a bare mirimun the number of
Jo ear loreign enxpioyees, ud the Air Comma, id'ant, who still maintains
some contact with the Italian Legation, may have decided that the
Dost way of curtailing his quota of foreign instructors would be to
elimiCc ^ T ° ou t oi the six British instruc‘c»ors, thus leaving three
Italian ana four British instructors in his Air Force.
* l ^ o oi October the position cnanged and one 3 Italian iiastiuc—
tors, remaining in the Afghan Ail- Force, left Afghanistan under safe
conduct for Italy via India*
Tue xmntccaate eixect of tnis action, on the p.art of the Afghan Governmr
ana nas been to confine the advisory staff of foreign instructors
attached to the Afghan Air Force to British personnel.
It can therefore be anticipated th^t the British instructors will
h' re increased scope, since tney will be made responsible for the
care, and maintenance, mad minor and major repairs of Italian aircraft
r s well as for British aircraft. In these circumstances it is
important tmt we should now seize every opportunity of assisting in
every way possible the Air Force in Afghanistan by ensuring the speedy
supply of spares from India, the supply of aviation spirit on the
basis of supplies made during the past three years, and the provision
of technical advisors, or facilities for the trailing of nfgnan Air
iorce per sonnel in India, should the Afghan Government make requests
f o i* s u ch assist: n c a.
ve have been successful in eliminating possible German and Italian
competition in the Afghan Air Force for the noman t, and it is urgently
necessary that we siiould tame every opportiviity of providing all
assistance r.n our powei and thus ensure timt we not only retain our
present influence in the Afghan Air Force, but if possible increase it.
Air Force, but