Page 233 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (II)_Neat

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appreciate proper medical attention and to make use of the Government midwives
whose services are given freely to the wives of Policemen.
(/) Mounted Sections. The camel section maintained patrols around the
coast continously throughout the year except when employed on patrolling the
oil field.
The cavalry section carried out some patrols and acted as mounted escort on
various state occasions. During the summer the section was under canvas for
several weeks near Budeya. A number of the horses were out of action during the
year owing to a bad epidemic of strangles which is thought to have been introduced
by five new horses which were bought from Iraq.
(g) Machine Gun Section and Motor Bicycle Section. The Government pur­
chased a dozen Vickers Berthier machine guns during the year and a machine gun
section consisting of 13 men and 3 N.C.Ou. was trained. Another section was under
training at the end of the year Captain H. Banco, of the Indian Army, and an Indian
Havildar instructor who was lent for three months by the Government of India, gave
instruction to the Police. A course was fired on the new machine gun range at
Safra and the result was satisfactory.
One N.C.O. and 8 men were trained as a motor bicycle section by Mr. H. D.
Furber. The Police already had two B.S.A. motor bicycles, and five new Norton
bicycles were bought in India, one of them having a side car. The bicycles were
first-class machines, some of them of the type used for racing in England: they
were adjusted in such a way that their speed was reduced. When the patrol work
began at the oil field there were frequent accidents and several of the riders were
damaged but after some practice they acquired a certain degree of efficiency.
(/{) Buildings. Details of buildings are given in the Public Works Department
report. They included new barrack rooms, a kitchen and mess hall, and the rebuilding
of part of the Fort wall.
The improvement in the health of the Police is probably partly due to the
increased cleanliness of the Fort and the adequate sanitary arrangements and
washing facilities. More shower baths and more latrines were being installed at I
the end of the year. The old buildings of rubble walls and mud floors were dark
and dirty and it was impossible to keep them clean and free from mosquitoes.
(i) Promotions and Appointments. Shaikh Khalifah, son of Shaikh
Mohammed bin Isa, and a nephew of His Highness Shaikh Hamad, was appointed
Superintendent of Police after completing his training in India.
Havildar Abdul Karim, son of the. late Superintendent of Police, Haji
Sulman bin Jasiin, was sent to the Police Training School at Nasik.
3 Lance Naiks were promoted to Naiks.
11 Policemen were promoted to Lance Naiks.
2. Naturs.
Before the war little attention was given to the training and the recruitment
of the naturs who were in fact night watchmen similar to the ghaffirs in Egypt.
Although provided with rifles and ammunition few of them were efficient in the use
of firearms and they were not required to pass any physical test when enlisted.
Their work, however, for the last twenty years has been satisfactory and owing to
them the number of thefts and robberies iu Manamah and Muharraq has been small.
When the war began and the defence soheme came into operation it was
considered advisable to reorganise the naturs and to give them some training. On
examination 70% of the men failed to pass the eye test. These men are now being
replaced by men who are physically fit and whose sight is satisfactory. They are
being trained to use firearms and they have to pass a musketry course. They are
also being given some drill under men among them who had previously served in
the Police.