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A series of seven retained typed letters, all composed by a young Canadian man, and sent from the wartime oil fields of Bahrain to his mother in Canada. These letters were retained by the young sender as a record for posterity due to the high possibility of his letters being lost at sea, or as he puts it ". catching a torpedo" i.e. from being sunk by a German U-boat. The collection consists of a series of letters typed onto 44 sheets of mostly, translucent onion skin paper. The letters are variously toned with an occasional finger soil stain, the first 22 sheets have their corners marginally trimmed, all are now housed in clear removable sleeves held within a 3-ring binder. They record the young man's circuitous wartime journey to Bahrain, and his subsequent work and social life in and around the oil fields of Bahrain. The narrator, originally from the small city of Kamloops, British Columbia, in Canada, works as a newly fledged secretary for an oil company executive. Both men were likely working for the Canadian-registered company, Bahrain Petroleum Company (BAPCO), established in 1929 by California Standard Oil (SOCAL), which made the first oil discovery in the Gulf in 1932. He writes with youthful, and sometimes naive enthusiasm, sharing his observations, perceptions and opinions with his mother back home. He comments on travel situations as he experienced them, and also while living and working in and around the Bahrain industrial base, as well as commenting on some of the people he meets, and the exotic new places he visits in the Middle East. He notes that he is writing his letters cautiously to avoid giving away any sensitive wartime information, and comments that the letters must pass the test of the censor before being forwarded to her. He also shares some his interpersonal relationships, which included being the guest of Sheikh Hamad on a pearl diving trip in the Persian Gulf on the Sheikh's yacht. Together, these letters offer an intriguing glimpse into the views and experiences of a young outsider facing the difficulties and dangers of traveling to, and working and socializing in, the Persian Gulf while on a wartime footing. n.b. Included is an 8x10 portrait photo of a gentleman. We are unsure if this a later, more mature image of the letter writer, of his boss, or an unrelated image, but deemed it best to keep the collection intact and as found. The first Peninsula oil well was discovered in Bahrain at what came to be called the Awali oil field. This discovery was not only significant as being the first in the Arabian Peninsula, but also in that it had very fortuitous timing, coinciding as it did with the collapse of the world pearl market, and along with it, a significant part of the Bahrain economy. ref. Bahrain Oil and Development 1929-1989, Clarke (Immel Pub. 1991) & wiki.
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