IOR/R/15/2/732

The file contains correspondence, instructions and other papers relating to: troop numbers in Bahrain; troop movements through the Gulf into and out of Bahrain; military movements and military transportation in the wider region; Ministry of War Transport operations at Bahrain. Principal correspondents in the file are: the Political Agent in the Persian Gulf (Edward Birkbeck Wakefield; Major Tom Hickinbotham); the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (Major H T Hewitt); officers at PAIFORCE [Persia and Iraq Force] officials.

The file includes:

• throughout, reports from numerous correspondents (including the Defence Officer at Bahrain, the Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf, officials at Bombay, RAF [Royal Air Force] Shaibah) reporting specific troop movements, as well as military equipment and supplies, through Bahrain;
• details of the numbers and locations of military personnel based at Bahrain, submitted to the Political Agent at Bahrain by the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf (ff 12-14, ff 21-22; ff 67-68), and movement of troops out of Bahrain, as the risk of enemy action there diminishes, with troops transferred to Abadan (ff 29-34);
• correspondence dated December 1944 relating to proposals to move troops by air between India and Britain, with Bahrain being a staging post, the expectation being that 1,500 military personnel would need to be accommodated at Bahrain at any given time (f 64).

The file contains numerous instructions from PAIFORCE:

• Administrative Instruction No. 60, dated December 1943, relating to the anti-locust campaign in Saudi Arabia, 1943/44, and including details of: general outline of the campaign; responsibilities; order of battle; outline plan; provision of supplies; medical matters; post; pay and allowances; civilian labour and personnel (ff 37-42); subsequent amendments to Administrative Instruction No. 60 (f 55, f 57, f 62);
• Operation Instruction No. 12, dated November 1943, relating to the destruction of locust swarms in South Persia, and including details of: present locust situation; anti-locust organisation; co-operation from the RAF; locust control in Saudi Arabia and India; object of campaign; administration; intercommunication. Appendix A contains topographical information about the route between Baghdad and Bandar Abbas [Bandar-e ʻAbbās]. Appendix B is a wireless communications plan (ff 45-52);
• GHQ Movements and Transportation Working Instruction No. 77, dated February 1945 (ff 73-81), HQ (Mov & Tn [Movements and Transportation] PAIFORCE Working Instruction No. 79, dated May 1945 (ff 83-91), and Joint HQ (Mov & Tn) PAIFORCE and Air HQ Iraq and Persia Working Instruction No. 1, dated September 1945 (ff 95-103), with each subsequent instruction superseding the previous instruction, and containing details of: functions of the Movements and Transportation officers; imports and exports; personnel; air movements; BOAC [British Overseas Airways Corporation] services; RAF services; bookings; documentation; air freight; POL [petroleum, oil and lubricants] shipments.