RAF Iraq Command
Encyclopedia
Iraq Command was the RAF
commanded inter-service
command
in charge of British
forces in Iraq
in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the period of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. It continued as British Forces in Iraq until 1941 when it was replaced by AHQ Iraq. It consisted of Royal Air Force
, Royal Navy
, British Army
, Commonwealth
and locally raised units and was commanded by an RAF officer normally of Air Vice-Marshal
rank.
and the accompanying British defence cuts, the new RAF took up the task of policing the Empire
from the air. It was argued that the use of air power would prove to be a more cost-effective way of controlling large areas than by using conventional land forces. In Mesopotamia
there was a need to counter Turkish
aspirations and by 1920 a Mesopotamian Wing
had been established. In January 1921 Mesopotamian Group
was formed by raising Mesopotamian Wing to group status and on 1 October 1922 Mesopotamian Group was absorbed into the newly formed Iraq Command which was given control of all British forces in Iraq.
The above section is incomplete.
had been King of Iraq under the League of Nations Mandate. As of 1932, the mandate ended and the Kingdom of Iraq
was nominally independent. In accordance with the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
of 1930, British forces remained in Iraq.
In 1933 or 1934, "Iraq Command" was renamed the "British Forces in Iraq." By the late 1930s, these forces were restricted to two Royal Air Force stations, RAF Shaibah
near Basra
and RAF Habbaniya
west of Baghdad
. There were several Commanders of the "British Forces in Iraq". This command appears to lasted until 1942. During the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War
, Iraqforce
subsumed this command.
In 1 November 1941, "British Forces in Iraq" was renamed Air Headquarters Iraq (AHQ Iraq).
list incomplete
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
commanded inter-service
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces are the armed forces of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Also known as Her Majesty's Armed Forces and sometimes legally the Armed Forces of the Crown, the British Armed Forces encompasses three professional uniformed services, the Royal Navy, the...
command
Command (military formation)
A command in military terminology is an organisational unit that the individual in Military command has responsibility for. A Commander will normally be specifically appointed into the role in order to provide a legal framework for the authority bestowed...
in charge of British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
forces in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the period of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. It continued as British Forces in Iraq until 1941 when it was replaced by AHQ Iraq. It consisted of Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
, Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
, British Army
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...
, Commonwealth
Commonwealth of Nations
The Commonwealth of Nations, normally referred to as the Commonwealth and formerly known as the British Commonwealth, is an intergovernmental organisation of fifty-four independent member states...
and locally raised units and was commanded by an RAF officer normally of Air Vice-Marshal
Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
rank.
Origins
Following the end of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and the accompanying British defence cuts, the new RAF took up the task of policing the Empire
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom. It originated with the overseas colonies and trading posts established by England in the late 16th and early 17th centuries. At its height, it was the...
from the air. It was argued that the use of air power would prove to be a more cost-effective way of controlling large areas than by using conventional land forces. In Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia is a toponym for the area of the Tigris–Euphrates river system, largely corresponding to modern-day Iraq, northeastern Syria, southeastern Turkey and southwestern Iran.Widely considered to be the cradle of civilization, Bronze Age Mesopotamia included Sumer and the...
there was a need to counter Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
aspirations and by 1920 a Mesopotamian Wing
Wing (air force unit)
Wing is a term used by different military aviation forces for a unit of command. The terms wing, group or Staffel are used for different-sized units from one country or service to another....
had been established. In January 1921 Mesopotamian Group
Group (air force unit)
A group is a military aviation unit, a component of military organization and a military formation. Usage of the terms group and wing differ from one country to another, as well as different branches of a defence force, in some cases...
was formed by raising Mesopotamian Wing to group status and on 1 October 1922 Mesopotamian Group was absorbed into the newly formed Iraq Command which was given control of all British forces in Iraq.
Actions
Iraq Command was responsible for the following military actions:- 1920 to 1922 - The Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920Iraqi revolt against the BritishThe Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
started in BaghdadBaghdadBaghdad is the capital of Iraq, as well as the coterminous Baghdad Governorate. The population of Baghdad in 2011 is approximately 7,216,040...
in the summer of 1920 and dragged on until 1922. - February to May 1923 - Following the anti-British activities of Sheikh MahmudMahmud BarzanjiSheikh Mahmud Barzanji or Mahmud Berzenji was the leader of several Kurdish uprisings against the British Mandate of Iraq. He was sheikh of a Qadiriyah Sufi family from the city of Sulaymaniyah, which is now in Iraqi Kurdistan...
, delayed-action bombs are dropped outside SulaymaniyahSulaymaniyahSulaymaniyah is a city in Iraqi Kurdistan, Iraq. It is the capital of Sulaymaniyah Governorate. Sulaymaniyah is surrounded by the Azmar Range, Goizja Range and the Qaiwan Range in the north east, Baranan Mountain in the south and the Tasluje Hills in the west. The city has a semi-arid climate with...
in an effort to get the Sheikh to adopt more pro-British policies. British land forces occupy Sulaymaniyah on 17 May and Sheikh Mahmud flees to Persia. - March to April 1923 - In response to the uncovering of Turkish plans for an attack on Kurdistan, supported by local tribes associated with Sheikh Mahmud, Imperial troops and levies occupy RowanduzRowanduzThe town Rawandiz is a city of Iraq, which located in the sub-district of Soran, in the Arbil Governorate of Iraqi Kurdistan, close to the Iranian border.The population in 2003 was 95,089...
and drive Turkish troops into nearby Persia. - April 1923 - The RAF flies 280 SikhSikhismSikhism is a monotheistic religion founded during the 15th century in the Punjab region, by Guru Nanak Dev and continued to progress with ten successive Sikh Gurus . It is the fifth-largest organized religion in the world and one of the fastest-growing...
troops from Kingarban to KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
in the first British air trooping operation. - 25 December 1923 - Sheikh Mahmud proclaims himself King of KurdistanKingdom of KurdistanThe Kingdom of Kurdistan can refer to two short-lived unrecognized states formed in the 1920s in the geo-cultural region of Kurdistan after the collapse of the Ottoman Empire, in the territory officially under the jurisdiction of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia.-Northern Iraq:During the collapse...
; subsequently, the RAF bombs his house in Sulaymaniyah. - December 1923 to January 1924 - The RAF bombs Akhwan raiders from NajdNajdNajd or Nejd , literally Highland, is the central region of the Arabian Peninsula.-Boundaries :The Arabic word nejd literally means "upland" and was once applied to a variety of regions within the Arabian Peninsula...
in an attempt to stop their attacks on the tribes living in southern Iraq. - 4 May 1924 - Following a dispute between AssyrianAssyrian peopleThe Assyrian people are a distinct ethnic group whose origins lie in ancient Mesopotamia...
levies and the Muslims living in KirkukKirkukKirkuk is a city in Iraq and the capital of Kirkuk Governorate.It is located in the Iraqi governorate of Kirkuk, north of the capital, Baghdad...
, the levies run amok. Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
J F A HigginsJohn Frederick Andrews HigginsAir Marshal Sir John Frederick Andrews Higgins KCB, KBE, DSO, AFC, RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Flying Corps and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century.-RAF career:...
has two platoons of the 1st Battalion the Royal Inniskilling FusiliersRoyal Inniskilling FusiliersThe Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers was a Irish infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 27th Regiment of Foot and the 108th Regiment of Foot...
airlifted from HinaidiRAF HinaidiRoyal Air Force Station Hinaidi, more commonly known as RAF Hinaida, was a British Royal Air Force station near Baghdad in the Kingdom of Iraq...
to Kirkuk to restore order. - 5 May 1924 - The fusiliers are reinforced by air with two additional infantry platoons. No. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron RAFNo. 30 Squadron of the Royal Air Force operates the second generation C-130J Hercules from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire. The squadron operates alongside No. 24 Squadron and No. 47 Squadron all flying the Hercules.-History:...
carries out thorough air reconnaissance of the Kirkuk district.
The above section is incomplete.
Follow-on
Since August 1921, Faisal IFaisal I of Iraq
Faisal bin Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi, was for a short time King of the Arab Kingdom of Syria or Greater Syria in 1920, and was King of the Kingdom of Iraq from 23 August 1921 to 1933...
had been King of Iraq under the League of Nations Mandate. As of 1932, the mandate ended and the Kingdom of Iraq
Kingdom of Iraq
The Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...
was nominally independent. In accordance with the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty
Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930)
The Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930 was a treaty of alliance between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the British-Mandate-controlled administration of the Hashemite Kingdom of Iraq. The treaty was between the governments of George V of the United Kingdom and Faisal I of Iraq...
of 1930, British forces remained in Iraq.
In 1933 or 1934, "Iraq Command" was renamed the "British Forces in Iraq." By the late 1930s, these forces were restricted to two Royal Air Force stations, RAF Shaibah
RAF Shaibah
RAF Shaibah was an RAF station situated at Shaibah about 13 miles south west of the city of Basrah in Iraq. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World War....
near Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
and RAF Habbaniya
RAF Habbaniya
Royal Air Force Station Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya, was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about west of Baghdad in modern day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah...
west of 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...
. There were several Commanders of the "British Forces in Iraq". This command appears to lasted until 1942. During the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War
Anglo-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...
, Iraqforce
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:...
subsumed this command.
In 1 November 1941, "British Forces in Iraq" was renamed Air Headquarters Iraq (AHQ Iraq).
Precursor formations
- 6 January 1921 (as Officer Commanding, HQ Mesopotamian Group) Group CaptainGroup CaptainGroup captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
A E BortonAmyas BortonAir Vice-Marshal Amyas Eden Borton CB, CMG, DSO, AFC was a pilot and commander in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the 1920s. He saw active service on the Western Front, in Palestine and in Iraq... - 13 October 1921 (as Officer Commanding, HQ Iraq Group) Group Captain, later Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
, A E Borton
RAF Iraq Command
- 1 October 1922 Air Vice-MarshalAir Vice-MarshalAir vice-marshal is a two-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in...
J M SalmondJohn SalmondMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir John Maitland Salmond, GCB, CMG, CVO, DSO and Bar was a British military officer who rose to high rank in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I... - 13 March 1924 Air Vice-Marshal J F A HigginsJohn Frederick Andrews HigginsAir Marshal Sir John Frederick Andrews Higgins KCB, KBE, DSO, AFC, RAF was a senior officer in the Royal Flying Corps and a senior commander in the Royal Air Force in the first half of the 20th century.-RAF career:...
- 3 November 1926 Air Vice-Marshal E L EllingtonEdward Leonard EllingtonMarshal of the Royal Air Force Sir Edward Leonard Ellington GCB, CMG, CBE was a senior officer in the Royal Air Force...
- 1 November 1928 Air Vice-Marshal H R M Brooke-PophamRobert Brooke-PophamAir Chief Marshal Sir Henry Robert Moore Brooke-Popham, GCVO, KCB, CMG, DSO, AFC, was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force. During World War I he served in the Royal Flying Corps as wing commander and senior staff officer...
- 2 October 1930 Air Vice-Marshal E R Ludlow-HewittEdgar Ludlow-HewittAir Chief Marshal Sir Edgar Rainey Ludlow-Hewitt GCB, GBE, CMG, DSO, MC, DL was a senior Royal Air Force commander.-World War I:...
- 1932 Air CommodoreAir CommodoreAir commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
C L CourtneyChristopher CourtneyAir Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Lloyd Courtney, GBE, KCB, DSO was a senior British Royal Air Force officer.-RAF career:Courtney joined the Royal Navy in May 1905 as a midshipman at Britannia Naval College...
(temporary appointment) - 23 November 1932 Air Vice-Marshal C S Burnett
British Forces in Iraq
- 1932 Air Vice-Marshal C S BurnettCharles Burnett (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
- 1934 Air Vice Marshal W G S MitchellWilliam Mitchell (RAF officer)Air Chief Marshal Sir William Gore Sutherland Mitchell, KCB, CBE, DSO, MC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force and the first RAF officer to hold the post of Black Rod.-RAF career:...
- 1937 Air Vice Marshal / Air MarshalAir MarshalAir marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
(from 1939) C L CourtneyChristopher CourtneyAir Chief Marshal Sir Christopher Lloyd Courtney, GBE, KCB, DSO was a senior British Royal Air Force officer.-RAF career:Courtney joined the Royal Navy in May 1905 as a midshipman at Britannia Naval College... - 1939 Air Vice Marshal H G SmartHarry George SmartHarry George Smart, CBE, DFC, AFC, is best known as the commander of RAF Habbaniya during the first part of the Anglo-Iraqi War. Smart was a British officer in the British Army, the Royal Flying Corps, the Royal Australian Air Force, and the Royal Air Force...
- 1941 Air Vice Marshal J H. D'AlbiacJohn D'AlbiacAir Marshal Sir John Henry D'Albiac KCVO, KBE, CB, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during World War II.-Biography:...
Chief staff officers
The following served as Chief Staff Officer (or Senior Air Staff Officer) at the headquarters of Iraq Command:- 2 February 1923 Air Commodore L E O CharltonLionel CharltonAir Commodore Lionel Evelyn Oswald Charlton CB, CMG, DSO, RAF was a British infantry officer who served in the Second Boer War. During World War I, Charlton held several command and staff posts in the Royal Flying Corps, finishing the war as a brigadier-general...
(resigned) - 22 October 1923 Air Commodore J G Hearson
- 19 August 1924 Air Commodore H C T DowdingHugh Dowding, 1st Baron DowdingAir Chief Marshal Hugh Caswall Tremenheere Dowding, 1st Baron Dowding GCB, GCVO, CMG was a British officer in the Royal Air Force...
- 24 April 1926 Air Commodore T C R Higgins
- 9 March 1928 Group Captain (later Air Commodore) F W BowhillFrederick BowhillAir Chief Marshal Sir Frederick William Bowhill, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO & Bar was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force before and during World War II.-RAF career:...
(as Senior Air Staff Officer)
list incomplete
See also
- Ottoman IraqOttoman IraqOttoman Iraq refers to the period of the history of Iraq between 1534 and 1920 when the region was ruled by the Ottoman Empire.Ottoman Iraq was divided into the three vilayets.* Mosul Vilayet* Baghdad Vilayet* Basra Vilayet...
- British Mandate of Iraq
- Kingdom of IraqKingdom of IraqThe Kingdom of Iraq was the sovereign state of Iraq during and after the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. The League of Nations mandate started in 1920. The kingdom began in August 1921 with the coronation of Faisal bin al-Hussein bin Ali al-Hashemi as King Faisal I...
- Iraqi revolt against the BritishIraqi revolt against the BritishThe Iraqi Revolt against the British , or the Great Iraqi Revolution of 1920, started in Baghdad in the summer of 1920 with mass demonstrations of both Sunni and Shia, including protests by embittered officers from the old Ottoman army, against the policies of British Acting Civil Commissioner Sir...
- IraqforceIraqforceIraqforce 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:...
- Persia and Iraq CommandPersia and Iraq CommandThe 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 and Iraq...
- Iraq Levies