Royal Air Force Hinaidi or more commonly known as RAF Hinaidi (or Hinaidi Cantonment), is a former Royal Air Force station near Baghdad in the Kingdom of Iraq. It was operational from 1922 until 1937, when operations were transferred to RAF Habbaniya.
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 at Hinaidi (the Peace Cemetery, derelict as at 2019 but subsequently being restored). 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. The final evacuation of British Forces from Hinaidi took place on 21 December 1937 and the handover of the entire cantonment to the Iraqi Government was completed on 17 January 1938. The Royal Iraqi Air Force had a presence on the airfield from at least 1933 and upon complete handover it became a major Royal Iraqi Air Force base.[2]
^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. ISBN1-84037-141-2.
^*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. ISBN978-0-9574725-2-5.
Bibliography
Lyman, Robert (2006). Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Campaign. Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing. p. 96. ISBN1-84176-991-6.
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. ISBN978-0-9574725-2-5.
Alan Lake: FLYING UNITS OF THE RAF - The ancestry, formation and disbandment of all flying units from 1912 (Airlife, UK, 1999, ISBN1 84037 086 6).
Air Vice Marshall A. G. Dudgeon CBE, DFC: "Hidden Victory - The Battle of Habbaniya, May 1941 (Tempus Publishing, UK, 2000, ISBN0 7524 2001 1).
December 31, 2022
hinaidi, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, scholar, jstor, september, 2013, l. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources RAF Hinaidi news newspapers books scholar JSTOR September 2013 Learn how and when to remove this template message Coordinates 33 17 14 59 N 44 28 31 85 E 33 2873861 N 44 4755139 E 33 2873861 44 4755139 Royal Air Force Hinaidi or more commonly known as RAF Hinaidi or Hinaidi Cantonment is a former Royal Air Force station near Baghdad in the Kingdom of Iraq It was operational from 1922 until 1937 when operations were transferred to RAF Habbaniya RAF Hinaidi in 1924 RAF Hinaidi Contents 1 History 2 Flying Units and Aircraft 3 Units 4 See also 5 References 5 1 Citations 5 2 BibliographyHistory EditHinaidi 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 at Hinaidi the Peace Cemetery derelict as at 2019 but subsequently being restored 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 The final evacuation of British Forces from Hinaidi took place on 21 December 1937 and the handover of the entire cantonment to the Iraqi Government was completed on 17 January 1938 The Royal Iraqi Air Force had a presence on the airfield from at least 1933 and upon complete handover it became a major Royal Iraqi Air Force base 2 During the 1941 Iraqi coup d etat 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 EditNo 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 ValentiaThe 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 EditRAF Armoured Car Companies various Companies Sections and Wing Headquarters 1922 1936 7 See also EditList of former Royal Air Force stations Handley Page HinaidiReferences EditCitations Edit AIR8 37 1921 The National Archives Kew UK The National Archives UK AIR 28 330 FO 624 10 137 amp appendices 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 amp Corporate Publishing Ltd p 4 ISBN 978 0 9574725 2 5 Bibliography Edit 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 amp 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 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title RAF Hinaidi amp oldid 1127255159, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
