Page 238 - Records of Bahrain (7) (i)_Neat

224 Records of Bahrain
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ll° Scnior Navftl Officer, Persian Gulf'o lettor XFG.002D/5 datod 6th March, »56.

Anti-British ologans were ahouted, and atonoa were thrown. The Political
Residents oar, whioh waa led and followed by a polioo Landrovcr, aufforod littlo
harm, though a bag of aand waa thrown into it, and io roportod to have landed
on Sir Jlurold Cacoia, the Deputy Under Secretary of State. The Prooeooion
proceeded Jerkily, with atopo and atarta.
8. The raob crowded round the Senior Naval Officer'a car at one point and
banged the bodywork, denting tho mudguards and doing other auperficial domago.
The Senior Naval Officer did not know what thoy were shouting (his driver haa
hardly any English) exoopt that it preeumably wan not complimentary. However
the inob, though behaving riotously, did not appear particularly menaoing. They
could obviously have done a great deal more damage had they been inclined. A.
brick waa thrown through the glaaa window of one car, but nobody was injured.
9. The prooeasion eventually crossed tho Causeway and the Senior Naval
Officer drove back to the Naval Base.
10. Subaequently it was learnt that two B.O.A.C. raotorbuaea whioh were
'
at tho tail of tho procession were wrecked by the mob, which also attempted
to burn a BAPCO bus by dropping lighted matches into the petrol tank (they
went out). A fire engine waa uuramonod, and was atoned by the crowd. It waa
rescued by a flying aquad of police under the direction of Colonel Hammeraely,
tho Assistant Commandant. It waa this polio© detachment which waa twice prevailed
upon to disperse the crowd by clubbing them with rifle butts. This io tho firptf
time tho polioo have oorae to grips with a crowd, and io an encouraging sign.
Thoy have on previous occasions opened fire (unnecessarily) but refuaod to try
conolusiono personally. Only in the last week, twelve police were driven out
to Awali, whore a mob of Bahrainis had bosieged a much smaller party of Indian
employees. The Police could not be persuaded to alight from their transport.
11. . The Senior Naval Officer attended the dinner at the New Palace, which
followed the usual pattern. Before, during, and after the meal, it appears that
the Ruler attempted to pin down tho Secretary of Steto to an acknowledgement
that Her Majesty's Government had every confidence in the Bahrain Government,
and to throw any crumb of encouragement in the face of the Political Resident
and Political Agent,

12. After dinner the Political Resident aaked tho Senior Naval Officer
not to sail "LOCH FADA", and it was arranged that the Ministers party should
return to the Residency (which is within the Royal Naval Base), The Minister
had intended to proceed direct from the Palace to the airport for a 2300 take­
off for New Delhi. Tho change of plan waa due to reports that roadblocks had
been erreoted on the Causway, varioua puncturing devices had been planted, and
the mob woa as strong as before.
13. Tho Senior Naval Officer finally found one of the few telephones in
the Palace which appear to be connected to anything, and got e message to the
Main Signal Office, Jufair (the Naval Base) postponing "LOCH FADA's" sailing
and ordering her to bring a landing party to inatont readiness, This mossoge
was despatched at almost exactly 2300. Shortly afterwards the Minister left
the Palace for the Residency, and the Senior Naval Officer made his getaway
immediately afterwards. The Senior Naval Officer loft and returned to
Navy House to oontaot the Resident Naval Officer who then set about alerting
an organisation to collect "LOCH FADA's" landing party if need be.
14. "LOCH FADA" reported her landing party ready at 2338»'oboub w
hour after the Senior Naval Officer had initiated the signal from tho Palaoe.

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