IOR/R/15/2/739

The file comprises miscellaneous correspondence relating to the work of the Town Major (also referred to as the Defence Officer in the Persian Gulf) Major (later Lieutenant-Colonel) H T Hewitt.

The file includes:

• various advance warnings from Hewitt of field gun exercises, artillery practice, tactical marches;
• reports of theft in Bahrain, and plans to tackle theft, including: theft of Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO) property (f 22, f 40); theft from the Bahrain port area, with correspondence relating to proposals for a secure area at the port (ff 55-60);
• reports of incidents involving members of the Defence Police and other military personnel, including a motorcycle accident involving a sergeant of the Royal Engineers (ff 2-9); civil imprisonment for fourteen days of a recruit from the 15 Indian Staging Section for disobeying orders (ff 46-47);
• a report of a lapse in security measures at the BAPCO refinery, in which an unauthorised vehicle was allowed access to the BAPCO refinery area (ff 49-54);
• other miscellaneous items including: leave requests; Bahrain communications; appointment of an official photographer; a notice of thanks from Hewitt, acknowledging the assistance of numerous individuals in working towards the ‘occupation’ (landing of troops at Bahrain), dated 25 May 1943 (f 44).