IOR/L/PS/12/3775

This file contains correspondence between British diplomatic and naval officials concerning an incident on 31 July 1933 when four Persian naval officers landed at Basidu (a naval station on Qishm island used by Britain) and took down the British flag in the presence of witnesses including an Italian and a Frenchman. Subsequently, a Royal Navy vessel arrived at the station and the British flag was re-hoisted.

The correspondence discusses the details of the incident itself, its aftermath and its impact on Britain's relations with the Government of Iran. It also covers what steps were taken to 'restore British prestige in the eyes of the Gulf Arabs', including details regarding the dispatch of a royal navy flotilla to the region.

In addition to correspondence, the file also contains the following:

• Relevant press cuttings regarding the incident and Britain's response (folios 78, 169, 311 and 364)
• Copy of a circular clarifying the sequence of events in Basidu that was issued by the British authorities in the Gulf (folio 11)
• 'Copy of a note dated the 14th August 1933, from the Head Clerk, H.B.M.'s Consulate, Bandar Abbas, regarding a conversation which recently took place between the Governor of Bandar Abbas and the Consulate Mirza' (folio 255)
• 'Basidu Incident' a summary of events written by J V Creagh, Senior Naval Officer in the Persian Gulf (folios 329-331)
• 'Extract from Cabinet Conclusions dated 5th September 1933 - Relations with Persia, Basidu Incident' (folios 370-376)
• 'Legal Status of Basidu' (folios 398-399)
• 'Cabinet: Relations with Persia - Basidu Incident. Memorandum by the First Lord of the Admiralty' (folios 413-415)
• Cabinet Memorandum regarding Basidu Incident (folios 416-417)
• 'Foreign Office Memorandum for submission to the Cabinet on the subject of the Flag Incident at Basidu' (folios 435-440)
• A small sketch map marking the boundaries of 'British Basidu' (folio 536).

The file includes a divider, which gives a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. This is placed at the back of the correspondence.