Page 232 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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During the visit of His Majesty King Ibn Sa'ud the Police supplied special
guards and escorts and performed a ceremonial parade in front of the Palace on
which they wero warmly congratulated by His Majesty. They also presented a
torchlight tattoo and spectacle on the last night of the ltoyal visit which was
enthusiastically received by an audience of many thousands of people and appeared
to make a great impression on the Arab guests from Sa'udi Arabia.
(d) Defence Duties. From the day that war began the Police with a number
of specially enlisted naturs took over the duty of guarding the Refinery, Oil Field
and Bahrain Petroleum Company s works, and special guards consisting of Police
and nature wore posted at various*places in and around Manamah. The Police
worked in conjunction with and under orders of the specially appointed personnel
of the Bahrain Petroleum Company staff who were employed on the defence scheme.
Their duties included oar patrols, camel patrols, and guards on gates, tanks and pipe
terminals etc.
There were three sections of recruits in training when the war started and
it was difficult to obtain the necessary number of men for duty with the Bahrain
Petroleum Company and to carry on the normal Police work at the same time.
All leave was stopped and men who had served their contracted time in the Police
Force and who wished to be discharged were not allowed to leave. Later, men who
had earned leave were given one month’s leave pay as a temporary measure.
Granting of leave and discharge has not been resumed. In spite of this it was
necessary at first for a number of men to remain on duty at the Refinery and Oil
Field for six weeks continously. At the beginning there was some difficulty over
arranging rations and accomodation for the Police and as the men were sent out at
a few hours notice they were unable to make arrangements for their families who
lived in the Fort married lines or in Manamah and Muharraq.
After a month or two conditions improved and it was possible to make more
satisfactory and more permanent arrangments. The camel section wes relieved
by Police mounted on motor bicycles and the section which had been stationed on
a barge at the sea terminal of the pipe line, three miles from shore, was brought
back ; the total number of Police on defence duty was reduced and the number of
nature was increased.
Although the duties of the Police on the defence scheme were not arduous,
merely monotonous, the new conditions in which they found themselves were
difficult. For the first time they had to deal with and to work under Englishmen
and Americans whose language and methods they did not understand. There were
misunderstandings and complaints on both sides. The Police suffered from being
given orders by a number of diderent people in authority, usually through interpreters,
whioh often seemed to them unintelligible and contradictory. Eventually how­
ever the Police became accustomed to their new duties and to the Europeans
employed in the defence scheme and the work proceeded more smoothly.
(c) Health of the Police. During the year 1358 a total number of 6,172
Police were seen at sick parade giving an average of 17 approximately out of a force
of 347. Last year the average sick parade was 10 out of a force of 316. In 1358
there were 2160 malaria cases but many of the cases were recurrent. There was
less malaria among the Police than in former years due to the anti-malaria
measures in the adjacent gardens which used to be one of the worst mosquito
breeding places in the neighbourhood of Manamah.
Last year ulceration of the legs was responsible for 28% attendance at sick
parade. An experiment, which proved very successful, was made during the summer
when the wearing of puttees was discontinued. This reduced leg sores very
considerably.
Infant Welfare Clinic. The clinic was continued throughout the year. It in
held in the married lines by Mrs. Belgrave and a Government nurse. Over 1,100
cases were dealt with. The Policemen’s families are gradually being taught to