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highly volatile situation Burrows felt that it would be a good idea to establish an

Administration Council to take over Belgrave’s responsibilities. 560

Eden’s response to this news of further disturbances in Bahrain was

recorded in Shuckburgh’s diary entry of 12 March. At first a meeting to discuss the

matter was held at 10 Downing Street. Shuckburgh noted that Eden in the meeting

immediately ‘began by cursing us for not telling him about the Bahrain telegrams

last night (Sunday), and proceeded to be pretty bloody to everyone present’. 561

Internationally-circulated newspapers, such as the New York Times, covered

developments in Bahrain. It reported that a dispute at the vegetable market in

Bahrain had turned into a riot aimed at Belgrave’s dismissal. The newspaper also

claimed that eleven people had died as a result of the riot without providing further

details. 562 The UK daily The Manchester Guardian offered its version of events

saying that only three men were killed in the latest disturbance. The paper

concluded that, ‘There is no foundation for reports that the incident had any anti-

British basis’. 563 The London-based Daily Express offered a more detailed account of

the disturbance and background to the conflict, adding that one hundred and twenty

British military personnel were on their way to Bahrain and said that the riot was in

protest at Belgrave’s presence. 564 The Daily Mirror newspaper maintained in its

news coverage that eleven people were killed ‘when anti-British riots flared’ in

560 TNA, FO 371/120544, Despatch 207, Burrows to FO, 12 March 1956.
561 Descent to Suez, 12 March 1956, 346.
562 ‘11 Die in Bahrein Riot: Vegetable Market Dispute Starts Street Battle’, New York Times, 12 March
1956, 8.
563 ‘Official Version of Bahrein Incident: A Quarrel, Not Anti-British’, The Manchester Guardian, 13
March 1956, 9.
564 ‘Eleven killed in new oil riots’, Daily Express, 12 March 1956, 1.

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