Page 615 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947_Neat

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On tho 18th March an R.A.P. Wellington flew
over the s.s. "Afghanistan” anchored off the island of
Abu Musa to drop a message on board, unfortunately in
doing so the pilot misjudged his lieight and struck the
top of one of the ship*3 masts, carrying it away, and
damaging tho tail and rudder of. his aircraft. After
jettisoning its petrol the 'plane made a belly landing
on the island. The crew were uninjured and were taken
to Sharjah the same day by launch.
The engines were undamaged but the 'plane was ^
"written off" and offered, with the dismantled engines, *
to the Shaikh of Sharjah.
(xi) U.S.A.T.C.
About 60 tons of wireless masts and other
wireless equipment from the U.S.A.T.C. establishment
at Sharjah were sold to the Arabian American Oil Company
by the U.S. Army authorities and shipped to Dhahran by
oil barge.

(xii) Local Affairs.
(a) In April of this year the Shaikh of Ras al
Khaimah built a fort at Wadi al Qaur to prevent highway
robbers from invading the Batinah Coast through the Wadi
al Qaur. The Muscat Government met the cost of building
the fort and are also paying for the maintenance of the
garrison consisting of eight men.

(b) After the Khor Ghanadhah incident relations
between the Shaikhs of Dubai and Abu Dhabi became strained.
When all the efforts of the political Agent to induce the
Shaikh of Dubai to return some 150 camels, which he had
looted, to Abu Dhabi failed sanctions were imposed on him
by stopping all travel facilities to Dubai subjects and by
diverting one steamer to Sharjah, in the meanwhile the
Shaikh of Abu Dhabi had raised a force of 2,000 men under
the command of his brother Shaikh Hazza bin Sultan for
invading Dubai. The political Agent who was then at
Sharjah prevented a clash by obtaining the agreement of
Dubai to pay compensation to Abu Dhabi. The Shaikh of Dubai
also agreed to return all the Abu Dhabi looted camels.
Although these demands were complied with,
negotiations for the restoration of friendly relations
between Shaikh Hazza and the Shaikh of Dubai broke down,
and the efforts of the various Trucial shaikhs to mediate
in the dispute were all in vain. Both sides indulged in
numerous camel looting incidents the Shaikh of Dubai taking
the initiative in most cases. By the end of the year the
situation had quietened down.

(c) Another significant event on the Trucial
Coast during the year was the dispute between the Shaikh
of Ras al Khaimah and his brother and his nephews. In
August the Shaikh of Ras al Khaimah garrisoned his fort
and strategic points in and around Ras al Khaimah stopping

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