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icccptcd by the British and Canadians but the 500-odd Indians were so upset that they
Petitioned the PA. Later the Britons had further grievances as none of them had any home
cave for years.

Apart from a suggestion in 1941 that some 70 Bahraini pearl divers should proceed to the
•UCZ Canal to look for treasure in sunken ships, there was little increased demand for labour
Jntil 1943. Then the RAF needed about 3,000 for building work not merely in Bahrain but in
>thcr places in the Gulf including Sharjah. The expansion of the Refinery, approved in May
943, led to a need for 3,500 American and 2,000 Bahraini construction workers. Skilled
abour became difficult to get, the staff of the hospital found that they could cam much more
vith the army in India and so did garage mechanics. The shortage of experienced drivers
neant a great increase in the number of traffic accidents. More serious, the following year, *
here was considerable unrest amongst the police, who, as they received rations, had no
upplcmentary War Allowance and so found themselves no longer a well-paid elite and some
>f them sought other work. Refused permission to leave, there was a mutiny in the summer to
he intense chagrin of Belgrave who had regarded them as his particular favourites: nearly 50
vere discharged. In December of the same year more than 600 men went on strike at the
R.efinery but during the week that they were out, production continued almost as normal.

A labour Committee consisting of the principal employers including the armed forces was
et up and meeting early in 1944 its members concluded that all who were employable had
obs. Belgrave noted that of the 120 new girls enrolled in the schools that year, the father of
>nly one was unemployed. The demand was so great that the employers disregarded agrec-
nents and double-crossed each other to attract staff. Pearling still needed about 7,000 men
ind there was a great demand for coral-cutters to bring up materials to strengthen the runways
t the aerodrome. Later in the year plans to expand Ras Tanura meant that another 15,000
□en would be needed and inevitably some of them would be attracted from Bahrain. In
August 1944 the RAF needed a further 2,500 labourers. Attempts made to recruit workers in
audi Arabia, Iraq and Iran proved largely unsuccessful although BAPCO did manage to
•ring 280 artisans from Iraq. Such was the shortage of workers that 600 Indian soldiers were
►osted to Bahrain to handle the drums of aviation fuel which the Refinery had started to
>roduce. Early in 1945 with much of the building work finished, the pressure eased.

In 1942 it was estimated that there were about 300 Europeans and Americans resident in
Bahrain but the subsequent expansion of the Refinery and of the service population brought
lany more. In September 1943 the PA reported the arrival of the first 22 American
onstruction workers and they were followed by 200 men of the Bechtel Corporation who
jbsequently were joined by another 300 — amongst whom, according to both Belgrave and
le PA, were many very rough types. In addition increased military activity in the Gulf meant
lat many sailors and airmen spent brief periods on the Islands.

We must not, however, give the impression that life in Bahrain between 1939 and 1945
evolved entirely around the war. The death of Shaykh Hamad in February 1942 caused great
rief amongst his people. Belgrave has described in Personal Column (pp 118-119) the
rocess by which his successor had previously been designated so there is no need to dwell
pon it here. His diary does, however, add the interesting details that the document was
lodelled upon the one of 1898 in which Shaykh Hamad had himself been nominated by his
wn father and that on both occasions, fifty years apart, the signature of the Ruler had been
ritnessed by Shaykh Rashid b. Muhammed.

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