Page 23 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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agreed in 1942 to the stationing by the service of a light-vessel off Qais Island as
they were unable to keep their own lighthouse there in order, but stated that after
the war they would re-establish their lighthouse and give prior notice of its
re-establishment so that the light-vessel might be removed when it was ready.(6I)
In March 1950 a request was received from the Lingeh Customs Department through
the Anglo-lranian Oil Company for the removal of the light-vessel as the lighthouse
had been re-established.C3) A few months later the Basra Port Directorate received
a similar request from the Persian Ports and Navigation Administration. As the
Persian lighthouse was not functioning satisfactorily it was decided to keep the
Qais light-vessel, which is manned, in position pending further developments and
no reply was sent to the Persians’ requests. The lighting-tender continued to pay
regular visits to the vessel without any previous notifications to the Persian
authorities in accordance with past practiced3) and nothing further had been heard
from them on the subject by the end of 1953. In 1950, a verbal request was
received from the Commandant of the Persian Southern Naval Forces for the
acquisition by the Persian Government of the two outer gas buoys at Bushire, but
the matter was not pursued. In 1952 the Persian authorities removed one of the
service’s buoys at Bushire and replaced it with one of their own. Her Majesty’s
Government saw no objection to the installation by the Persians of their own
lighting at Bushire, provided they returned the service’s property, and suggested
that the matter should be taken up by the service through the Persian Consulate-
General at Basra,C4) but no further action appears to have been taken, presumably
because of the breach of diplomatic relations with Persia. Later in the year
the Persians refused to allow the Relume to visit Bushire to service the buoys(03) and
no attempt to resume this service had been made by the end of 1953. In 1952 the
service proposed to remove their buoy from Jask and to hand over the lighthouse
there to the Persian Government.!06) This proposal however was not proceeded
with and the Relume continued to pay regular visits to Jask(GT) up to the end of 1953
without any previous notification to the Persian authorities and without any
objection being raised by them.
31. In 1951 the Persian authorities made informal enquiries through the
Anglo-lranian Oil Company whether the Persian Gulf Lighting Service would
consider undertaking the maintenance of all their lights, and whether they could
be represented on the service’s Local Advisory Committee!6") but neither proposal
was pursued. In 1952 the question arose of the channel through which the Persian
authorities should be notified of the relief of the Nearchus by the Relume, which
was to be based in Bahrain, and of proposed visits by the latter to Persian waters.
Her Majesty’s Government did not approve of a proposal that notification should
be made through Her Majesty’s Consulate-General at Basra, for fear that the
service’s operations might be impeded by political actions on the part of the
Persians, and suggested that the Captain of the Relume should communicate with
the Persian Consulate-General at Basra either direct or through the Basra Port
Directorate in accordance with past practice.!68) It was decided that for the time
being communications should be made by the Captain of the Relume through the
Basra Port Directorate!70) to the Persian Consul-General at Basra,(7I) and that
notification of visits to Persian waters should only be made where this had been
customary before.!72) It would appear that only visits to Bushire, Lingeh or Qishm
had been so notified.
32. The Saudi Arabian Government have shown no desire to participate in
the service’s operations and have only interfered when the service has operated
without their approval in what they considered as their territory. In 1938 they
agreed to the service’s complying with a request received from the Californian
Arabian Standard Oil Company (later the Arabian American Oil Company) for
(•») pr toF.O. 135/70/50 of May 6. 1950 (EA 1401/27 of 1950).
H P.R. to F.O. 135/86/50 of June 3. 1950 (EA 1401 /33 of 1950).
f*s) FO to P.R. EA 1401/2 of January 31, 1953.
W) F O. to M. of T. EA 1402/14 of August 19, 1952.
?•») Tel from Basra to F.O. 62 of November 10, 1952 (EA 1402 /18 of 1952).
PR to F.O. 1401 /46/52 of June 7, 1952 (EA 1402/12 of 1952).
f" PR* to F.O. 1401 /33/53 of October 30. 1953 (EA 1401/7 of 1953).
P R to F.O. 1403/1 of March 12, 1951 (EA 1402/10 of 1951).
(••) F.O. to P.R. EA 1402/16 of September 23. 1952. . . ,
(T0) In 1954 it was decided that communications to the Persian Consul-General should be made
thr°ugh ^er ^^e^ypo0nS^1 ^^2/3/02Sorf November 14. 1952 (EA 1402/17 of 1952).
(”) M. of T*. to F.O. M (NA) 32/3/02 of December 24. 1952 (EA 1402/21 of 1952).