166
pile a passenger list, which he would produce 2½ hours later on arrival at
the CEV. SIME Interrogation Section, Appendix A of Report of visit by
Mr. A.J. Kellar to SIME and CICI organizations, May 1944, KV 4/384,
TNA.
- Ibid.
- Security Intelligence Summary No. 63, Defence Security Office, CICI
Iraq, 1 March–1 June 1944, AIR 29/2512, TNA.
- Ibid.
- The Abwehr outstation in Istanbul.
- Security Intelligence Summary No. 66, Defence Security Office, CICI
Iraq, 1 August–3 September 1944, AIR 29/2512, TNA.
- Ibid.
- Security Intelligence Summary No. 68, Defence Security Office, CICI
Iraq, 1 October–1 November 1944, AIR 29/2512, TNA.
- Ryan to Edmonds, 16 May 1943, WO 201/1422, TNA.
- Closing of frontiers, GHQ PAIFORCE, 523/1/GSI(b), 16 May 1943,
WO 201/1422, TNA.
- In the absence of a railway line between Iraq and the Levant, the Nairn
Pullman buses became legendary: articulated, air-conditioned units that
traversed the desert regularly between Baghdad and Damascus in 18 hours,
but were generally reserved for VIPs and senior officers only. For more
about the Nairn Transport Company and the Nairn brothers who created
it, see John M. Munro and Martin Love. ‘The Nairn Way’, Aramco World
(July–August 1981): 19–24. For a more typical, gruelling 29-hour desert
crossing experienced by a junior officer, see Private papers of Captain
J.E. Williams, 11631, IWM.
- Ryan to Couldrey et al., 16 May 1943, WO 201/1422, TNA.
- Ryan to Scott, 16 May 1943, WO 201/1422, TNA.
- Couldrey to GSI(b), GHQ PAIFORCE, 9 December 1943, WO
201/1423, TNA.
- Ibid. According to their FSO, 71 FSS had only 14 men in country, with
only two at Tel Kotchek and one at Zakho. Unfortunately I cannot trace
how many were at the disposal of 401 FSS.
- Ibid.; Couldrey to A/DDMI PAIFORCE, 16 May 1943, WO 201/1422,
TNA.
- United Kingdom, Naval Intelligence Division, Iraq and the Persian Gulf,
B.R. 524 (Restricted), Geographical Handbook Series (London: NID,
1944), 6.
- At the time, Wood also complained about his inability to obtain from
PAIFORCE an adequate number of British troops to guard the Abadan
refinery. Minutes and notes on the meeting of SIME representatives held
at Beirut, 12–13 February 1943, KV 4/240, TNA.
ADRIAN O’SULLIVAN
