File 7 Royal Air Force

The files and volumes in the series deal with the activities of the Royal Air Force (RAF), and to a lesser extent Imperial Airways/British Overseas Airways Corporation, in the Gulf, before, during and after the Second World War. The principal correspondents in the files are the numerous incumbents of the posts of Political Agent in Bahrain, Political Officer or Native Agent at Sharjah, and the Political Resident; the Adviser to the Bahrain Government (Charles Dalrymple Belgrave); numerous RAF and Air Ministry representatives at Bahrain, Sharjah, and Air Headquarters in Iraq. The first part of the series (IOR/R/15/2/259-268) focuses on the establishment of seaplane anchorages, refuelling points, and aerodromes at strategic points along the Arab coast of the Gulf (notably Bahrain, Doha, Şīr Banī Yās, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, and Kalba) for both civil and military aircraft. Files covering the period mid-1930s to 1945 focus on RAF activities, specifically at Bahrain (Muharraq) and Sharjah, including the wartime expansion of aerodromes, the recruitment of levies for the protection of aerodromes, bomb storage at Sharjah, medical facilities at Bahrain, and customs exemption on RAF materials imported into Bahrain. Other wartime files relate to emergency landings of aircraft, aircraft crashes, sightings and reports of unauthorised aircraft, and unauthorised flights. Post-war files relate to the winding down of RAF facilities at Muharraq and Sharjah, the assessment of those aerodromes neglected since the pre-war period, demonstration flights by the RAF over the Trucial Coast, and the use of RAF facilities at Muharraq by the United States Air Force.

The Royal Air Force (RAF) subject files are arranged by file and part number. As an example, in the reference 7/2 III, 7 represents the subject reference (RAF), 2 the file number (Landing Grounds), and III the part number. Not all subject files have survived, and the gaps in file and part numbers indicate likely gaps in the series. The arrangement of the subject files is also approximately chronological, with the first of the RAF subject files containing the earliest correspondence, and the last of the RAF subject files containing the latest correspondence. Many items of correspondence in the files and volumes are annotated in pencil with file and page numbers, which refer to other items within the subject reference (File 7, RAF). Page numbers refer to the original pagination/foliation system which uses red/blue pencil numbers throughout the files and volumes.

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