Recruitment and organisation of the Trucial Oman Levies. Code EA file 1203 (papers 1 to 21)

This file contains correspondence relating to:

• Draft telegram [enclosed] to the British Defence Co-ordination Committee (Middle East) discussing the build up of local forces in Trucial Oman (1)
• Issue of supplementing the Trucial Oman Levies (TOL) with men from the Aden Protectorate Levies (APL), including: the agreement of the Governor of Aden, T Hickinbotham, to temporarily spare 400 men to the Trucial States and his terms; a discussion of the use of the APL; and the question of an increase in allowance for APL serving with the TOL or in the Huqf Force (2, 6, 8, 10, 16)
• Saudi Arabian frontier dispute increasing the strength of the TOL and the formation of the Huqf Force (3)
• Supplementary estimates for the Security Force in the Gulf for 1952-53 (4, 9)
• Discussion of a suitable number of men for the TOL and plans to increase its strength (5, 14, 18, 21)
• Raising of the Huqf Force and the employment of a training cadre from the APL (11)
• Cost of the TOL, the suggestion that the Air Ministry pay part of the cost and take over the administration of the levies; and the Air Ministry's refusal to pay (12, 19)
• Request that Aden recruit 170 men for TOL (13)
• Discussion of the necessity of the cost of maintenance of the TOL, including a breakdown of estimates for 1953-54 (15)
• Status of the TOL in terms of financial responsibility, and the practicalities of supplies and which department should be charged (17)