Page 1368 - Belgrave Diaries(N)_Neat

1365
1365
1940

The King's Birthday

HH called on PH & we had usual Guard of Honour but no other callers and no uniform.
Afterwards Shs S & A came to see me & stayed a long while discussing defence measures

etc. Sh S longs for aeroplanes, guns & ships to be here to defend Bahrain, he is obstinate
about it.

Saw various people, had a long session with Byard about his defence force of 400 local men,
he doesn't seem to understand anything whatever about organising them & I cant imagine

what sort of success he will make with a British defence force - however its good to have got
him into this. Vallance came in & stayed till two oclock.

Drove to Budega & met the Thornburgs & we went across to the island, very strong Shamaal
but deliciously cool. Sat about under the veranda of the bar & had an excellent dinner.

They have a very pleasant place there, several bar rooms, Kitchen, water laid on, shower
bath & modern sanitation. Lovely moonlight night.

Friday 14th June

at Om al Subaan

Bathed before breakfast, not a nice place for bathing, mostly rock & no sand. Had an

excellent breakfast & then sat about & sketched while Max went out in a launch looking at
the shoals & surveying, Leila went home, tired I think. After lunch sat about & then home,

very rough crossing in small sailing boat. Got home & heard Paris has fallen, terrible news, I
cant bear to think of it - a wire from Sh Mohd & is somehow in Malta, went over to see Hugh

who explained that Mohd was on an Italian boat from Alex to Beyrout & it went to Italy. He
seemed to have been exchanged for some Italian & now in Malta being bombed six times a

day & no chance of getting away at present. I can imagine what a fix he is in.