Skip to main content
Service phase: Beta

This is a new way to search our records, which we're still working on. Alternatively you can search our existing catalogue, Discovery.

File

'WILFRED THESIGER'.

Catalogue reference: IOR/R/15/2/599

What’s it about?

This record is a file about the 'WILFRED THESIGER'. dating from 20 Mar 1948-27 May 1950.

Access information is unavailable

Sorry, information for accessing this record is currently unavailable online. Please try again later.

Full description and record details

Reference
IOR/R/15/2/599
Title
'WILFRED THESIGER'.
Date
20 Mar 1948-27 May 1950
Description

This file concerns the movements of Wilfred Thesiger at the end of his second crossing of the Empty Quarter [al-Rub' al-Khālī]. Correspondence in the file is between the Political Officer, Sharjah; the Political Agent, Bahrain; the Political Resident, Bahrain; the Political Agent, Muscat; the Residency Agent, Sharjah; G W Furlonge and B A B Burrows, Foreign Office, London; and Richard ('Dick') Bird, representative of Petroleum Development Oman. Details concern Thesiger's arrival in Abu Dhabi on 16 March 1948 and his intention to proceed to Buraimi [al-Buraymī]; the preference of the Sultan of Muscat for Thesiger not to visit Muscat and the cancellation of his visa to enter the Sultanate of Oman; Thesiger's intention to collect plants and animal specimens at Buraimi and to travel from Abu Dhabi to Bahrain by dhow; Bird's desire that Thesiger should not proceed anywhere south of the village of Hafit [Ḥafīt]; Thesiger's legal status during his travels and restrictions on his movements; the retention of Thesiger's Bedouin and their raid on Bani Qitab; his arrival in Bahrain; requests by Thesiger for ammunition; concerns that he was responsible for raiding in Saudi Arabian territory; and his nickname 'Mubarak bin London'. The file also includes summaries of intelligence gathered from Thesiger (ff 38, 42) and Bird's letter regarding Thesiger's presence in Buraimi (ff 54-55).

Arrangement

The papers are arranged in chronological order from the front to the rear of the file. File notes appear at the rear of the file.

Held by
British Library: Asian and African Studies
Legal status
Public Record(s)
Language
English
Physical description
1 file (61 folios)
Access conditions

Unrestricted

Physical condition
Foliation: the main foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the inside back cover with 64; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto side of each folio. An additional foliation sequence is present in parallel between ff 1-61; these numbers are also written in pencil, but are not circled, and are located in the same position as the main sequence.
Record URL
https://beta.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/id/15d07a6d-efac-4f74-bd88-49feb58274db/

Series information

IOR/R/15/2

Political Agency, Bahrain

See the series level description for more information about this record.

View series description

Catalogue hierarchy

963,091 records
52,857 records

Within the fonds: IOR/R

India Office Records transferred later through official channels

22,113 records

Within the sub-fonds: IOR/R/15

Records of the British Residency and Agencies in the Persian Gulf

2,250 records

Within the series: IOR/R/15/2

Political Agency, Bahrain

910 records

Within the sub-series: IOR/R/15/2/139-916

Bahrain Agency, Confidential Office Files

14 records

Within the sub-sub-series: IOR/R/15/2/588-600

File 19 Travellers and Tourists

You are currently looking at the file: IOR/R/15/2/599

'WILFRED THESIGER'.