Page 62 - Historical Summaries (Persian Gulf - Vol II) 1907-1953

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land forces in the Persian Gulf for which Her Majesty’s Government are
responsible; to co-ordinate the supply of equipment, instructors, &c., to the various
police and military forces in the Persian Gulf Shaikhdoms and the Sultanate of
Oman; and in general to maintain communications and co-operation in all military
matters between the Political Residency, the senior officer of the Royal Navy and
the Royal Air Force in the Persian Gulf and the British Military Authorities in
the Middle East.” He was told that it was not proposed to appoint more than
four officers and fifteen other ranks, and that the office would be situated in the
Royal Air Force Camp at Muharraq where the other ranks would live. The Ruler
agreed to these proposals on the conditions stated about the number and residence
of the personnel (Appendix J (i) and (ii)). The Brigadier who had previously been
designated Military Adviser to the Political Resident was accordingly appointed
Senior Army Officer, Persian Gulf and the command set up as proposed.

(e) Civil Aviation
118. In 1929 the Bahrain Government asked Imperial Airways to provide
subsidiary services from Basra or Bushire to Bahrain during the pearling season.
Their request was considered both in 1929 and 1930 but not implemented owing
to the difficulty of obtaining Ibn Saud’s permission for the use of emergency
landing-grounds in Hasa. In 1932 Imperial Airways were forced by Persian
intransigence to transfer their through route to India to the Arabian side of the
Gulf. They obtained the permission of the Bahrain Government to use the
landing-ground on Muharraq Island and the service through Bahrain started in
October. In 1933 the Ruler agreed to the use of Bahrain for landings by the Royal
Dutch Air Transport Company provided they came to some arrangement with
him, and asked that instructions should be issued prohibiting private flying over
his territory.
119. In 1932 before Imperial Airways started their service through Bahrain
their representative presented to the Financial Adviser a draft agreement between
them and the Ruler. The terms of this were under discussion for a long time and
in August 1933 His Majesty’s Government issued instructions regarding the uniform
procedure to be followed in negotiating air facilities with the Gulf Rulers.(230)
Negotiations with Hamad were continued accordingly and a Civil Air Agreement
was signed on June 6,1934.(237) This gave His Majesty’s Government exclusive rights
to establish and maintain aerodromes and ancillary services within his territories
and a number of other privileges in return for an annual rental of £500 for a period
of four years. At the same time Air Navigation Regulations were made by the
Ruler. These were in due course enforced against persons subject to the Order
in Council by a King’s Regulation^238) Imperial Airways were appointed His
Majesty’s Government’s agents under the Agreement and the Regulations
accompanying it.(23B)
120. In 1936 the Bahrain Government granted authorisation for certain
special aircraft of the Dutch Air Line K.L.M. to land at Bahrain in case of
emergency. Subsequently the K.L.M. aircraft which had not been authorised
landed there. A protest made by the Bahrain Government was brought to the
notice of the K.L.M. authorities through the Netherlands Government and an
apology was received.(24°)
121. In 1937 Imperial Airways decided to establish a flying-boat service to
Bahrain and the Ruler agreed to certain amendments which became necessary to the
Air Navigation Regulations and other documents attached to the Civil Air
Agreement of 1934.(241) The amendments to the Air Navigation Regulations were
not applied to persons subject to the Order in Council by a King’s Regulation. The
company were allowed to use an undefined area of the sea off Manamah and the
only rent they were asked to pay was Rs. 25 a year for the site of their passenger
shelter.(24a) The area of the Muharraq aerodrome was defined in 1937 and a copy of
a map of it given to the Bahrain Government^243)
(”') I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 4434 of August 14. 1933 (E 4632/11 /91 of 1933).
(2iT) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 4121/34 of June 23. 1934 (E 4161/231/91 of 1934).
(,3‘) No. 1 of 1936.
(***) A.M. to F.O. S. 32956/DDCA of October 19. 1934 (E 6473/231/°1 of 1934)
£4#) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 2612/37 of April 26. 1937 (E 2302/248/91 of 1937)
( ) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 6971/37 of November 11. 1937 (E 6708/248/91 of 1937)
£"> I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 8373/37 of January 4. 1938 (E 59/59/91 of 1938)
( ) I.O. to F.O. P.Z. 5757/37 of September 16. 1937 (E 5464/248/91 of 1937)
46639 H 2