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Chapter Nine

The Trials, Exile, and Belgrave’s Departure

December 1956 to April 1957

With the fall of the NUC the Government of Bahrain sought to re-organise its

Administration. One of the earliest moves was the appointment of new councils for

Diving, Trade, Minors, Waqf (religious endowments), Agriculture, and Water. The

appointed members were presented to the Ruler on 10 December. During the

presentations the Sheikh said that, although the councils had been elected in the

past, it was advisable at this point and under current circumstances that they be

appointed and for a one-year period only. 868 On the same day the councils were

presented to the Ruler interrogation began of the five frontline members of the NUC,

according to Al-Bakir’s memoir. 869 Since, the interrogation was carried by Bahrain’s

Police Force, there are no documents that exist in TNA on the details of the

interrogation process, nor did Al-Bakir’s memoir provide much information.

Based on the Administration’s desire to have some of the NUC’s prisoners

exiled as presented in the previous chapter, the British Cabinet discussed briefly the

Ruler’s request to move some of the Party’s members in custody abroad. In the

discussion Lloyd asked for suggestions about places of their imprisonment and Alan

Lennox-Boyd, the Secretary of State for the Colonies, responded by putting forward

the island of St Helena. 870 The Foreign Secretary then instructed the Residency to

868 TNA, FO 1016/470, New Councils Present themselves and Ruler’s Speech, 10 December 1956.
869 Al-Bakir, From Bahrain to Exile, 307.
870 TNA, CAB 195/15, C.M. 97 (56), Discussion on the Suez Canal, 7 December 1956.

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