Page 663 - PERSIAN 9 1941_1947

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*been withdrawn.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) British Interests.
(a) Petroleum Development (Trucial Coast) Limited.
During the eer3y part of the year Petroleum
Development.(Trucial Coast) Ltd. completed a geophysical
survey of Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah territories. The
geophysical party met with constant interference fror.i many
tribes inhabiting these Sheikhdoms and the Political Officer
and the Residency Agent were continually end actively exercised
in promoting settlements between the tribes and their ruling
Shaikhs, without which the company could not have proceeded
with their work, lost of the interference arose from the
Jawasici Shaikhs* parsimony towards ar.d lack of influence
over the tribes inhabiting the territories for which they had
giver, oil concessions. A geophysical survey of *-bu tfhabi
was then begun end continued until the end of March when
operations were concluded for the season. The survey party I
left the Trucial Coast on the 1st April.* Cn the 11th October
they returned tc Sharjah for the 1347 - 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. \/crk in the latter area had been
completed by the end of the year. The Company’s local
representative did not succeed in obtaining permission frora^
the chiefs of the Nai’ra and al-Bushmis tribes to do geophysical
work in their territories. They put forward such unreasonable
demands that his principals decided to dren the matter for
the tire being. Work during the latter part of the year
proceeded without any opposition or interference, by recalcitrant
tribesmen or cor-.on 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 Hr. K.L*. 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 January the last "C" Class Flying
boat to fly on this route left Dubai. Since then r.O.A.C. have
not used their bases in Dubai and Sharjah except as emergency
landing areas. Vflreless and meteorological services have been
maintained, and also catering services on a reduced scale.
International Air ^adio took over the V7ireless installations
towards the end of the year. A number of casual operators
and through services used B.O.A.C's facilities; but, for
passenger and freight space and for the carriage of calls,
local residents have had to rely on the R.A.F. routine services
to their station at Sharjah.
The following are particulars of aircraft which
passed through Sharjah during the year 1947*
B.O.A.C. 18 • Eastbound & Westbound
K.L.LI. 61 n & M
Other 113 * n &
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.LI. aircraft
used Sharjah as a staging post on the Batavia-Amsterdam route
Z from