RAF Hinaidi

Royal Air Force Hinaidi or more RAF Hinaidi is a former Royal Air Force station near Baghdad in the Kingdom of Iraq. It was operational from 1922 until 1938, when operations were transferred to RAF Habbaniya.

History

Hinaidi Cantonment was developed after the First World War as an Army barracks and as the main British airfield, taking over from Baghdad West airfield. The Cantonment passed from British Army Command to the Royal Air Force in 1922 when the Royal Air Force took over garrison duties in Iraq as a result of the Cairo Conference.[1] There were extensive barracks, recreational facilities, a large hospital, Air Headquarters (AHQ), communication facilities, maintenance units, aeroplane squadron hangars, RAF Armoured Car Company lines, RAF Iraq Levies lines and a civil cantonment. 299 British personnel still lie buried in the RAF Cemetery (the Peace Cemetery, now derelict) at Hinaidi. The register of those buried is held by the RAF Habbaniya Association.

In Clause 1 of the "Annexure to Treaty of Alliance" section of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930, maintaining a force at Hinaidi was indicated to be permitted for a period of "five years after the entry into force of this Treaty." This time was provided "in order to enable His Majesty the King of 'Iraq to organise the necessary forces to replace them."

RAF Dhibban (renamed RAF Habbaniya in 1938) was built to replace Hinaidi and the RAF began to move there in 1936, finally vacating Hinaidi in February 1938 when it was handed over to the Iraqi Government.[2] It became a Royal Iraqi Air Force base.

During the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, the airfield was renamed "Rashid Airfield" by the Iraqis in honour of Rashid Ali, former Iraqi Prime Minister and the leader of the coup.[3] During the Anglo-Iraqi War in May 1941, the airfield was bombed and strafed by the British Royal Air Force, damaging and destroying Iraqi aircraft.[4]

Flying Units and Aircraft

No. 1 Squadron RAF (1921–1926) Sopwith Snipe Nighthawk
No. 6 Squadron RAF (1922-1924) Bristol F2b Fighter
No. 8 Squadron RAF (1921-1927) De Haviland Airco DH.9A
No. 30 Squadron RAF (1922-1929) De Haviland Airco DH.9A Westland Wapiti
No. 45 Squadron RAF (1922-1927) Vickers Vernon
No. 55 Squadron RAF (1924–1937) De Haviland Airco DH.9A Westland Wapiti
No. 70 Squadron RAF (1922-1937) Vickers Vernon Vickers Victoria Vickers Valentia

The squadrons were also detached to other airfields during their time at Hinaidi.[5]

A Communications Flight (with various designations) was posted to Hinaidi.[6]

Units

RAF Armoured Car Companies, various Companies, Sections and Wing Headquarters (1922-1936).[7]

References

Citations

AIR8/37, 1921, The National Archives, Kew, UK
The National Archives UK AIR 28/330 et al
Lyman, p. 27
Dudgeon, p. 89
Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
Alan Lake, FLYING UNITS OF THE RAF, pg. 307
- Warwick, Nigel W. M. (2014). IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-9574725-2-5.

Bibliography

Lyman, Robert (2006). Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Campaign. Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 1-84176-991-6.
Warwick, Nigel W. M. (2014). IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-9574725-2-5.
Alan Lake: FLYING UNITS OF THE RAF - The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912 (Airlife, UK, 1999, ISBN 1 84037 086 6).
Air Vice Marshall A. G. Dudgeon CBE, DFC: "Hidden Victory - The Battle of Habbaniya, May 1941 (Tempus Publishing, UK, 2000, ISBN 0 7524 2001 1).

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[1] AIR8/37, 1921, The National Archives, Kew, UK

[2] The National Archives UK AIR 28/330 et al

[3] Lyman, p. 27

[4] Dudgeon, p. 89

[5] Jefford, C.G. (2001). RAF Squadrons, a Comprehensive Record of the Movement and Equipment of all RAF Squadrons and their Antecedents since 1912. Shrewsbury: Airlife Publishing. ISBN 1-84037-141-2.

[6] Alan Lake, FLYING UNITS OF THE RAF, pg. 307

[7] Warwick, Nigel W. M. (2014). IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-9574725-2-5.

[8] Warwick, Nigel W. M. (2014). IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 4. ISBN 978-0-9574725-2-5.