Persia and Iraq Command
Encyclopedia
The Persia and Iraq Command was a British Army
Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad
. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia (modern day Iran) and Iraq. Its further role was to ensure the transport of supplies from Persian Gulf
ports through Iraq and Persia to the Soviet Union
.
command of land forces in the country was passed from GHQ India to Middle East Command
, as the latter was the only formation that could send effective support for operations in northern Iraq and also because air operations were controlled by the Air Officer Commanding
-in-Chief, Middle East. In June 1941 following the conclusion of fighting in Iraq command was passed back to the Commander-in-Chief, India
. The British Chiefs of Staff
wished to return control of land forces in Iraq back to Middle East Command but decided to let Operation Crusader
get underway before making any changes. On 12 December 1941 with Operation Crusader well on the way to success, the German threat from the Caucasus
subsided and with the Japanese attacks on Thailand
, Malaya
and Burma the Chiefs of Staff decided now was the time to make changes to the command structure; to unburden GHQ India so it could now solely “look east” and so that speedier planning could take place for forces in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean areas. General Archibald Wavell, now the Commander-in-Chief, India, opposed such a move as he believed Iraq to be an overburden and distraction to Middle East Command; General Claude Auchinleck
, now commander-in-chief Middle East Command, believed it to be the right move and would allow speedier planning and the administration and operational aspects of all forces in the Mediterranean Basin
and Middle East to be more closely related; the Minister of State
also supported such a move as it would help to ease the supply situation and would also, at a later date, help co-ordinate the planning of operations with the United States forces if they only had one command to deal with. The Defence Committee agreed with the Chiefs-of-Staff and Middle East Command retook over Iraq on 12 January 1942. All forces in Iraq hitherto known, it appears, as Iraq Command
were redesignated Tenth Army.
accompanied by a senior delegation including the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke, stopped off in Cairo on the way to the Teheran Conference with Joseph Stalin
and Theodore Roosevelt
. Discussions in Cairo resulted in a reorganisation of Middle East Command. This included the replacement of Auchinleck in his role as GOC-in-C Middle East by General Harold Alexander and in his role as Eighth Army
commander by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery and the splitting of Middle East Command to create a new Persia and Iraq Command. Aware that the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command needed to devote his full attention to halting the German-Italian forces in North Africa Churchill wanted to free him of the burden of the forces in Iraq and Persia. With Commander-in-Chief, India also having to devote his full time attention to fighting the Japanese the solution seemed to be the creation of a new command to guard the northern front. After some resistance the British cabinet approved its creation on 8 August and Auchinleck was offered the command but turned it down. He opposed the idea of the new command, believing that all forces in Iraq and Persia should be under the same leadership as those in the Middle East area. The War Cabinet
believed that with the renewed threat from the Caucasus that the argument for a unified command was even stronger now, than it had been in January.
On 21 August 1942, when Churchill's party returned to Cairo following the Teheran conference, the Persia Iraq Command was offered to General Sir Maitland Wilson who accepted the post. On 18 September, the headquarters was opended in Baghdad. Wlson's tasks, in order of priority, were as follows: First, to secure at all costs from land and air attack the oil fields and oil installations in Persia and Iraq. Second, to ensure the transport from the Persian Gulf ports of supplies to Russia to the maximum extent possible without prejudicing my primary task.
general area Mosul-Kirkuk. On 17 February, Wilson left for Cairo to take up his new duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East Command.
The Commanders-in-Chief were:
- General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson
In addition, lines of communication headquarters, either designed Lines of Communications Areas or Sub-Areas or under deception titles such as 2nd Indian Infantry Division, were also ultimately responsible to the command.
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
Command established in September 1942 in Baghdad
Baghdad
Baghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
. Its primary role was to secure from land and air attack the oilfields and oil installations in Persia (modern day Iran) and Iraq. Its further role was to ensure the transport of supplies from Persian Gulf
Persian Gulf
The Persian Gulf, in Southwest Asia, is an extension of the Indian Ocean located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula.The Persian Gulf was the focus of the 1980–1988 Iran-Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers...
ports through Iraq and Persia to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
.
Background
During the rebellion in IraqAnglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...
command of land forces in the country was passed from GHQ India to Middle East Command
Middle East Command
The Middle East Command was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to defend British interests in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean region.The...
, as the latter was the only formation that could send effective support for operations in northern Iraq and also because air operations were controlled by the Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding
Air Officer Commanding is a title given in the air forces of Commonwealth nations to an air officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, an air vice marshal might be the AOC 38 Group...
-in-Chief, Middle East. In June 1941 following the conclusion of fighting in Iraq command was passed back to the Commander-in-Chief, India
Commander-in-Chief, India
During the period of the British Raj, the Commander-in-Chief, India was the supreme commander of the Indian Army. The Commander-in-Chief and most of his staff were based at General Headquarters, India, and liaised with the civilian Governor-General of India...
. The British Chiefs of Staff
Chiefs of Staff Committee
The Chiefs of Staff Committee is composed of the most senior military personnel in the British Armed Forces.-History:The Chiefs of Staff Committee was initially established as a sub-committee of the Committee of Imperial Defence in 1923. It remained as such until the abolition of the CID upon the...
wished to return control of land forces in Iraq back to Middle East Command but decided to let Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
get underway before making any changes. On 12 December 1941 with Operation Crusader well on the way to success, the German threat from the Caucasus
Caucasus Mountains
The Caucasus Mountains is a mountain system in Eurasia between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea in the Caucasus region .The Caucasus Mountains includes:* the Greater Caucasus Mountain Range and* the Lesser Caucasus Mountains....
subsided and with the Japanese attacks on Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
, Malaya
British Malaya
British Malaya loosely described a set of states on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Singapore that were brought under British control between the 18th and the 20th centuries...
and Burma the Chiefs of Staff decided now was the time to make changes to the command structure; to unburden GHQ India so it could now solely “look east” and so that speedier planning could take place for forces in the Middle East and eastern Mediterranean areas. General Archibald Wavell, now the Commander-in-Chief, India, opposed such a move as he believed Iraq to be an overburden and distraction to Middle East Command; General Claude Auchinleck
Claude Auchinleck
Field Marshal Sir Claude John Eyre Auchinleck, GCB, GCIE, CSI, DSO, OBE , nicknamed "The Auk", was a British army commander during World War II. He was a career soldier who spent much of his military career in India, where he developed a love of the country and a lasting affinity for the soldiers...
, now commander-in-chief Middle East Command, believed it to be the right move and would allow speedier planning and the administration and operational aspects of all forces in the Mediterranean Basin
Mediterranean Basin
In biogeography, the Mediterranean Basin refers to the lands around the Mediterranean Sea that have a Mediterranean climate, with mild, rainy winters and hot, dry summers, which supports characteristic Mediterranean forests, woodlands, and scrub vegetation...
and Middle East to be more closely related; the Minister of State
Minister of State
Minister of State is a title borne by politicians or officials in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a "minister of state" is a junior minister, who is assigned to assist a specific cabinet minister...
also supported such a move as it would help to ease the supply situation and would also, at a later date, help co-ordinate the planning of operations with the United States forces if they only had one command to deal with. The Defence Committee agreed with the Chiefs-of-Staff and Middle East Command retook over Iraq on 12 January 1942. All forces in Iraq hitherto known, it appears, as Iraq Command
Iraqforce
Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II.-Background:...
were redesignated Tenth Army.
Formation of the command
In August 1942 the British Prime Minister, Winston ChurchillWinston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
accompanied by a senior delegation including the Chief of the Imperial General Staff, General Alan Brooke, stopped off in Cairo on the way to the Teheran Conference with Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
and Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore "Teddy" Roosevelt was the 26th President of the United States . He is noted for his exuberant personality, range of interests and achievements, and his leadership of the Progressive Movement, as well as his "cowboy" persona and robust masculinity...
. Discussions in Cairo resulted in a reorganisation of Middle East Command. This included the replacement of Auchinleck in his role as GOC-in-C Middle East by General Harold Alexander and in his role as Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
commander by Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery and the splitting of Middle East Command to create a new Persia and Iraq Command. Aware that the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East Command needed to devote his full attention to halting the German-Italian forces in North Africa Churchill wanted to free him of the burden of the forces in Iraq and Persia. With Commander-in-Chief, India also having to devote his full time attention to fighting the Japanese the solution seemed to be the creation of a new command to guard the northern front. After some resistance the British cabinet approved its creation on 8 August and Auchinleck was offered the command but turned it down. He opposed the idea of the new command, believing that all forces in Iraq and Persia should be under the same leadership as those in the Middle East area. The War Cabinet
War Cabinet
A War Cabinet is a committee formed by a government in a time of war. It is usually a subset of the full executive cabinet of ministers. It is also quite common for a War Cabinet to have senior military officers and opposition politicians as members....
believed that with the renewed threat from the Caucasus that the argument for a unified command was even stronger now, than it had been in January.
On 21 August 1942, when Churchill's party returned to Cairo following the Teheran conference, the Persia Iraq Command was offered to General Sir Maitland Wilson who accepted the post. On 18 September, the headquarters was opended in Baghdad. Wlson's tasks, in order of priority, were as follows: First, to secure at all costs from land and air attack the oil fields and oil installations in Persia and Iraq. Second, to ensure the transport from the Persian Gulf ports of supplies to Russia to the maximum extent possible without prejudicing my primary task.
Transition of commanders
In 1943, a series of victories in southern Russia and the success of operations in North Africa rendered the German threat to northern Persia progressively more and more unlikely. Therefore, the forces in Wilson's Command were reduced and the status of the Command was revised. In January, Wilson received orders to despatch the 5th Infantry Division to the Middle East Command and, on 23 January, Wilson was summoned to a conference with the Prime Minister in Cairo. On l0 February, the 56th (London) Infantry Division was also ordered to the Middle East Command. Wilson then decided to re-group the remaining formations within the Command and issued orders for their location in thegeneral area Mosul-Kirkuk. On 17 February, Wilson left for Cairo to take up his new duties as Commander-in-Chief of the Middle East Command.
The Commanders-in-Chief were:
- 1943 - 1943 Lieutenant General Sir Maitland WilsonHenry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron WilsonField Marshal Henry Maitland Wilson, 1st Baron Wilson, GCB, GBE, DSO , also known as "Jumbo" Wilson, saw active service in the Second Boer War and First World War, and became a senior British general in the Middle East and Mediterranean during the Second World War...
- 1943 - 1944 Lieutenant General Sir Henry PownallHenry Royds PownallLieutenant General Sir Henry Royds Pownall KCB, KBE, DSO was a British general, who held several important command and Staff appointments during World War II. In particular, he was Chief of Staff to the British Expeditionary Force in France and Belgium until the fall of France in May 1940...
- 1944 - 1945 Lieutenant General Sir Arthur SmithArthur Smith (British Army officer)Lieutenant General Sir Arthur Francis Smith KCB KBE DSO MC was a British Army General during World War II.-Military career:Smith was commissioned into the Coldstream Guards in 1910....
Order of Battle - Persia and Iraq Command 1942
General Officer CommandingGeneral Officer Commanding
General Officer Commanding is the usual title given in the armies of Commonwealth nations to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC II Corps or GOC 7th Armoured Division...
- General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson
- General Reserve troops
- 5th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General H. Rawdon BriggsHarold Rawdon BriggsLieutenant-General Sir Rawdon Briggs KCIE KBE CB DSO and two bars was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War I, World War II and the post-war era.Field Marshal Viscount William Slim said of him-Early life:...
- 9th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier W.H. Langran
- 161st Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier D.F.W. Warren
- Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle DivisionPolish 3rd Carpathian Rifle DivisionThe Polish 3rd Carpathian Rifle Division , also commonly known as Christmas Tree Division due to the characteristic emblem, was an Allied unit fighting during World War II on the Italian Front...
- Major-General Stanisław Kopański - British 7th Armoured BrigadeBritish 7th Armoured BrigadeThe 7th Armoured Brigade is a formation of the British Army. The brigade is also known as the 'Desert Rats', a nickname formerly held by the 7th Armoured Division.-History:The brigade was raised from garrison troops stationed in North Africa in 1938...
- Brigadier John AnsticeJohn Henry AnsticeBrigadier John Henry Anstice DSO & bar was an officer in the British Army during World War II.-Military career:John Anstice was commissioned into the Royal Armoured Corps on 7 April 1916 and from August that year he saw service in France and Belgium until the end of World War I. In October 1922,...
- 5th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General H. Rawdon Briggs
- Tenth Army - Lieutenant-General Sir Edward QuinanEdward QuinanGeneral Sir Edward Pellew Quinan KCB, KCIE, DSO, OBE was a British army commander during the Second World War. In the early part of his career, he was involved in Indian Army campaigns in Afghanistan and Waziristan on the North West Frontier of the Indian Empire, also known as the British Raj...
- Army troops
- 6th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General J.N. ThomsonJames Noel ThomsonJames Noel Thomson was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II.As part of Iraqforce , Major-General Thomson commanded the Indian 6th Infantry Division during Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia.-Command history:...
- 27th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier A.R. Barker
- 6th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
- 31st Indian Armoured Division31st Indian Armoured DivisionThe 31st Indian Armoured Division was an armoured formation of the Indian Army during World War II, formed in 1940, as 1st Indian Armoured Division; it consisted of units of the British Army and the British Indian Army...
- Major-General Robert WordsworthRobert Harley WordsworthMajor-General Robert Harley Wordsworth was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II.From 1942, major-general Wordsworth commanded the 31st Indian Armoured Division. As part of the British 10th Army, his division was stationed in Persia in 1942...
- 3rd Indian Motor Brigade - Brigadier A.A.E. Filoze
- 252nd Indian Armoured Brigade - Brigadier G. Carr-White
- 10th Indian Motor Brigade - Brigadier Harold RedmanHarold RedmanLieutenant General Sir Harold Redman, KCB, CBE was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II and the post-war era.-Military career:...
- 6th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General J.N. Thomson
- III Corps - Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond AndersonDesmond AndersonFor cricketer see Desmond Anderson Lieutenant-General Sir Desmond Francis Anderson, KBE, CB, CMG, DSO was a British officer in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
- 5th Infantry Division - Major-General Horatio Berney-FicklinHoratio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-FicklinMajor-General Horatio Pettus Mackintosh Berney-Ficklin CB MC was a British Army officer who served in World War I and World War II.-Military career:...
- 13th Infantry Brigade - Brigadier V.C. Russell
- 15th Infantry Brigade - Brigadier H.R.N. Greenfield
- 17th Infantry Brigade - Brigadier G.W.B. Tarleton
- 5th Reconnaissance Regiment, Royal Armoured CorpsRoyal Armoured CorpsThe Royal Armoured Corps is currently a collection of ten regular regiments, mostly converted from old horse cavalry regiments, and four Yeomanry regiments of the Territorial Army...
- 56th (London) Infantry Division - Major-General Eric MilesEric Grant MilesMajor-General Eric Grant Miles CB DSO MC served as an officer with the British Army during World War II.-Military career:Miles was commissioned into the King's Own Scottish Borderers in 1911...
- 167th (London) Infantry Brigade - Brigadier J.C.A. Birch
- 168th (London) Infantry Brigade2nd London Infantry Brigade- 168th Brigade or British 2nd London Infantry Brigade :This formation was part of the Second World War 56th Division. The division remained in the United Kingdom during the Battle of France, moving to the Middle East in November 1942 where it served in Iraq and Palestine until moving to Egypt in...
- Brigadier K.C. Davidson - 169th (London) Infantry Brigade - Brigadier L.O. Lynne
- 5th Infantry Division - Major-General Horatio Berney-Ficklin
- Indian XXI Corps - Lieutenant-General Sir Mosley MayneMosley MayneGeneral Sir Ashton Gerard Oswald Mosley Mayne GCB, CBE, DSO was a British Indian Army officer in both World War I and World War II.-Early career:...
- 8th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Charles HarveyCharles Offley HarveyMajor-General Sir Charles Harvey CB, CVO, CBE, MC was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War I and World War II.He was appointed CVO in 1922 for performing the duties of Assistant Military Secretary to the Prince of Wales during His.Royal Highness's Indian Tour and knighted in...
- 17th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier F.A.M.B. Jenkins
- 19th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier C.W.W. Ford
- 10th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Alan BlaxlandAlan Bruce BlaxlandAlan Bruce Blaxland CB OBE was an officer in the British Indian Army during World War II.As part of Paiforce , Brigadier Blaxland commanded the 27th Indian Infantry Brigade of the Indian 6th Infantry Division during the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia.In 1942, Blaxland was made an acting...
- 20th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier L.E. MacGregor
- 25th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier A.E. Arderne
- 8th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General Charles Harvey
- Army troops
In addition, lines of communication headquarters, either designed Lines of Communications Areas or Sub-Areas or under deception titles such as 2nd Indian Infantry Division, were also ultimately responsible to the command.