[North West Frontier Province on eve of Second Mohmand Campaign, 1935] Typed secret British RAF Signals report titled 'Tribal Reconnaissance. Northern Area - Bajaur, Utman Khel, & Mohmand Country.' Describing territory from Shabkadr to Abazai Fort.

14pp., foolscap 8vo. Carbon copy of typescript, consisting of a covering page and the report itself, paginated 1-13. With a few minor manuscript emendations. In good condition, on lightly aged and worn paper. In brown paper 1937 OHMS envelope ('S.E.6.'), stamped 'SECRET' twice, with red wax seals of the '20 (A.C.) SQUADRON | R.A.F.', and typed address: '513996. Corporal Murray, J.P. | Royal Air Force Signals Detachment (No. 20 (AC) Squadron). | BANNU, N.W.F.P.' The covering page of the report is stamped 'RESTRICTED', and reads: 'SECRET. | TRIBAL RECONNAISSANCE. | NORTHERN AREA - BAJAUR, UTMAN KHEL, & MOHMAND COUNTRY. | MAP SHEET : 38 N., 1" = 4 Miles. | (Grid I, 1930 EDITION). | APPENDIX "A" - TRACING OF AREA. | ROUTE. | 1. SHABKADR. - 2. HAFIZ KOR. - 3. GANDAO KHWAR to NAHAKKI. - 4. LAKARAI. 5. NAWAGAI. - 6. KHALOZAI. 7. PASHAT. - 8. ZULUM. - 9. BAGH in ARANG. - 10. KHAR. 11. TRACK to SURDAG & HAD. - 12. AMBAHAR & SWAT RIVERS ['TO ABAZAI' added here in manuscript] FORT.' (Neither map nor appendix is present.) Undated, but clearly written on the eve of Auchinleck's Second Mohmand Campaign, 1935. (From the envelope it seems that Murray was sent the document no earlier than 1937.) A detailed report, giving valuable information regarding terrain, inhabitants and political situation. The background to the document is described on p.2: 'The area of this reconnaissance is an important one from the military point of view because it flanks the KHYBER-KABUL route and the route to CHITRAL. The latter State is of strategical importance, although the passes into it from AFGHANISTAN which are possible to military forces are few and are closed by weather over large periods of the year; yet any force which entered CHITRAL would be very difficult to eject. The threat to the plains from this direction is slight owing to the distance and difficulties of maintaining a sufficiently large force, but the penetration into CHITRAL of a hostile force would be regarded as a moral victory and might have disturbing effects on neighbouring States. It is for this reason that a battalion is maintained in CHITRAL.' After short initial sections subtitled 'BAJAUR', 'UTMAN KHEL', 'MOHMAND' and 'GENERAL', the 'ROUTE : DETAILS' (pp.3-13) is divided into 12 'Items', of which 'Item 8' gives a good impression of the style and content: 'ZULUM. - On PANJKORA River. Note route from CHAKDARA which across [sic] the river by a bridge here then follows the JANDOL KHWAR and BAJAUR streams and carries on beyond NAWAGAI. This has been the usua northerly line of advance in the past by military formations operating in BAJAUR & MOHMANDS territory. The last military force to enter MOHMAND & BAJAUR country by this route did so in 1897. | South of the JANDOL KHWAR is MITAKKAI. This area is of particular importance because it flanks the route to NAWAGAI and also the route to CHITRAL up the PANJKORA River. | [in margin: 'Reference C.D. 96 Report on the Operations in DIR, BAJAUR & MOHMAND Territory, January to March 1932.'] The NAWAB of DIR is responsible for the security of the CHITRAL route. At the beginning of January 1932 some of his tribesmen, notably the PAINDA KHELS, had become infected with Congress and Red Shirts propaganda, and were intent on raising trouble. They started their operations by laying an ambush near WARAI LEVY POST [in manuscript: 'for a BRITISH officer'] (just off map and in S.W. Corner of 43A). No Officer materialised so they seized a mail runner complete with mail bags. This was followed by the burning of rifles. ROBAL POST (12 miles N.W. of ZULUM) followed suit as did LARAM POST (8 miles S of ROBAT). Air action was taken against lashkars and by the end of the month they had dispersed. These disturbances were followed by and, to a certain extent, provoked the MOHMAND and BAJAUR disturbances mentioned in Items 3, 4, and 6. | During the CHITRAL RELIEFS in September and October 1932, the movement of troops in the BANDAGI, ZULUM, SADO area proved provocative to the SHAMOZAI and SALARZAI tribesmen and necessitated air attacks on lashkars in this area and the bombing of certain SHAMOZAI and SALARZAI villages (see Item 9).'