Page 355 - Bahrain Gov Annual Reports (III)_Neat

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police assisted by producing recruits for enlistment. During this year an arrangement was made,
which lasted till the end of the war, by which the police were supplied with uniforms and dry rations,
on payment, by the military authorities in Iraq. This was negotiated by the Defence Officer; as
supplies at the time were difficult to obtain this assistance was of very great value.

In 1362 (1943) owing to local conditions it became necessary to increase the pay of the police.
Labour was in great demand and all able bodied men could obtain well paid temporary employment
which was more attractive to the average Arab than serving in the police on a four years' agreement.
The fact that the police were given good rations, free quarters, houses with light and water for married
men, and clothing has never been taken into consideration by the men themselves. A number of men
who had completed their service took their discharge and their places were filled by men from one of
the Levy companies which was being disbanded, the type of men who were taken on were not up to
the standard of the State Police and when they had completed their time they too were discharged.
In spite of many special duties and the maintenance of over twenty outposts in various parts
of the islands normal parades were carried out throughout the year and musketry courses were fired.
The musketry course was brought into line with that of the British Army and another innovation was
the adoption of foot drill in three ranks instead of in fours.

The construction of a new jail at Jida was completed and all prisoners save those sentenced
to very short terras were sent there to carry out their sentences. This put an end to prison working
parties in Manama which had always been an unsatisfactory affair giving opportunities to prisoners
for meeting and receiving messages from their friends and relations.

During 1363 (1944) 34 men left the force and 20 recruits were enlisted. The State Police,
Special Police and Naturs were under strength. Police pay was again raised and at the end of the
year a policeman was receiving pay, allowances and rations which amounted in value to about Rs. 80
per month. A few years before the war a policeman received Rs. 25 per month, on joining, and his
rations ; then there was no difficulty in obtaining good recruits.

The Special Police had for some time been showing signs of restiveness and when about half
of them completed their periods of service they declined to re-enlist. They we* stationed at Rafaa
and worked in the oil fields and the work was unpopular because the were 0 uy able to visit their
homes in Manama, Muharraq and Hedd, about twice a month. A satisfactory solution was found
by posting a number of the special police to the fort every month where they carried out normal police
duties and had opportunities of visiting their families, this distribution t duties and the increase
in pay resulted in most of them enlisting for a further two years. The Bahrain Arabs are both insular
and domesticated, they dislike being away from their families and for this * ;‘ason many prefer lower
paid posts in the towns to higher paid posts with the Oil Company.

At the end of the war in 1364 (1945) the Special Police w i disbanded, those who still had
tim* to serve were taken on the strength of the State Police whose n nbers rose to 389 officers, N.C.O's
and other ranks. The special police were men of a better type and better disciplined than the R.A.F.
Levies, partly because they had served at Rafaa and in the oil field and not in the camps at Muharraq
among troops of various nationalities; close contact between local forces and British, American,
Indian and Iraqi troops has resulted, in Bahrain, in a definite deterioration in the discipline and conduct
of the locals.

During the latter part of the year more police posts were set up at places on the coast and
in the smaller islands to prevent smuggling which had become rampant. Lack of transport reduced
the mobility of the police but an additional motor launch was built and sea patrols made many captures
of smuggling craft.