29 arrangements we have to despatch our homeward bound letters via either Bahrein or Basrah; all our outcoming letters are delivered at Basrah for subsequent transmission by sea. This, you will readily see, entails a considerable delay. Our ships spend the greater part of their time in the Southern Section of the PersianGulf, and frequently visit Shargah, and if it were possible to despatch and receive air mails at Shargah a great saving of time could be effected. This is at present impossible, as there is no post office at Shargah. The technicalities of mail arrangements between Imperial Airways and the General Post Office are, of course, unknown to me, and I am therefore unable to put forward any constructive remarks for overcoming the difficulty, but it will be most highly appreciated by the 450 officers and men serving out here under very trying conditions if some means can be devised which will enable them to receive and despatch their air mails via Shargah . Perhaps some similar arrangements could be made as in the case of our ordinary sea route mails, which are posted on board H.M. Ships and placed in sealed bags addressed to the Postmaster General, London, using English stamps. There is a Post Office at Debai - the next state to Shargah - but though ordinary letters can be posted there they will not accept air mails. Under the existing conditions it, not infrequently, happens that one of our ships has to steam hundreds of miles (e. g. to Bahrein) when it is necessary to despatch urgent official letters by air. I am sure you will readily see what a great difference it would make to be able to receive and despatch air letters at Shargah. All H.M. Ships concernedwere on this stationwhile the air route was being established, and were, and are, instrumental in making its development possible fromthe standpoint of security.” 15 In January 1935, the Foreign Secretary in the British India Office wrote to the Deputy Foreign Secretary in London informing him of the issue of a post office in Sharjah and that the British India Office had considered all the points. However, when Olaf Caroe, Deputy Secretary to the Government of India, inquired from Lieutenant Colonel Fowele, the Political Resident in the Gulf, about the post office for Sharjah, he received the following 15 Ibid., L.P.&S/12/4120, P.Z.4875/1934. THE BUILDING OF SHARJAH AIR STATION
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