Katana VentraIP

RAF Habbaniya

Royal Air Force Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya (Arabic: قاعدة الحبانية الجوية), (originally RAF Dhibban), was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about 55 miles (89 km) west of Baghdad in modern-day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah. It was developed from 1934, and was operational from October 1936 until 31 May 1959 when the RAF finally withdrew after the July 1958 Revolution made the British military presence no longer welcome. It was the scene of fierce fighting in May 1941 when it was besieged by the Iraqi Military following the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état.

RAF Habbaniya

33°22′56.99″N 43°34′23.71″E / 33.3824972°N 43.5732528°E / 33.3824972; 43.5732528

Flying station

Air Ministry

Royal Air Force

RAF Iraq Command

1934 (1934)

1936–1959 (1959)

It is currently a major Iraqi military airbase.

No.1 Squadron, Venom FB.1, based at Habbaniyah AB, CO Capt. A.-Mun’em Ismaeel

No.6 Squadron, Hunter, based at Habbaniyah AB, CO Capt. Hamid Shaban

later Marshal of the Royal Air Force, served at Habbaniya in 1951 on detachment[42]

Michael Beetham

commanding officer, 1954–1956[3]

Hugh Hamilton Brookes

was stationed there in 1940, as described in his book, Going Solo, but his opinion rather was unfavourable compared with that of most personnel who served there.[43]

Roald Dahl

commanding officer, 1956–1958[4]

Hughie Edwards

was a medical officer at Habbaniya in the 1940s[44][45]

Jeremy Swan

officer commanding No. 84 Squadron in 1949[46]

George Unwin

(1950–1954) de Havilland Vampire FB5 & FB9[47]

No. 6 Squadron RAF

(1956) de Havilland Vampire FB4[48]

No. 8 Squadron RAF

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV[48]

No. 11 Squadron RAF

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV[49]

No. 14 Squadron RAF

(1938) Hawker Hardy, later Bristol Blenheim I[50]

No. 30 Squadron RAF

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV[51]

No. 45 Squadron RAF

(1941–1942) Hawker Audax[52]

No. 52 Squadron RAF

(1937–1939) Vickers Vincent Bristol Blenheim I[53]

No. 55 Squadron RAF

(1937–1939) Vickers Valentia[54]

No. 70 Squadron RAF

(1953–1955) de Havilland Vampire FB9 & FB1[55]

No. 73 Squadron RAF

(1943) Hawker Hurricane I[56]

No. 74 Squadron RAF

detachment (1951–1952) Avro Lancaster PR1[57]

No. 82 Squadron RAF

(1941) Bristol Blenheim IV[57]

No. 84 Squadron RAF

detachment (1941) Gloster Gladiator[58]

No. 94 Squadron RAF

(1942) Gloster Gladiator[59]

No. 123 Squadron RAF

(1942) Bristol Blenheim IV[60]

No. 162 Squadron RAF

(1952) de Havilland Vampire FB5[61]

No. 185 Squadron RAF

detachment (1941) Bristol Blenheim IV[62]

No. 203 Squadron RAF

detachment (1941) Hawker Audax[63]

No. 208 Squadron RAF

detachment (1942) Lockheed Hudson IV

No. 216 Squadron RAF

detachment (1942) Martin Baltimore[64]

No. 223 Squadron RAF

[S' Squadron RAF Formed Habbaniya 1939 & re-designated on move to RAF Shaibah on 1 November 1940.[65]

No. 244 Squadron RAF

(1946) de Havilland Mosquito FB26 Hawker Tempest F6[66]

No. 249 Squadron RAF

(1941) Gloster Gladiator Hawker Hurricane I[67]

No. 261 Squadron RAF

detachment (1948) Auster AOP6[68]

No. 651 Squadron RAF

detachment (1945–1946) Fairchild Argus[69]

No. 680 Squadron RAF

(1952–1953) Vickers Valetta C1[69]

No. 683 Squadron RAF

(1942–1946) Gloster Gladiator, Hawker Hurricane[70][71]

No. 1415 (Meteorological Flight) RAF

(1942) Bristol Blenheim[72]

No. 1434 (Photo Survey) Flight RAF

(1939–1941)[73]

No. 4 Flying Training School RAF

A Communications Flight (with various designations) was based at Habbaniya from 1936 until 1 April 1958.

[74]

(1954–1956)[75]

No. 104 Maintenance Unit RAF

(1942 and 1943 to 1946)[76]

No. 134 Maintenance Unit RAF

(1945 to 1958)[77][78]

No. 115 Maintenance Unit RAF

(1 January 1956 to 31 October 1958)[79]

No. 123 Signals Unit RAF

(1946–1958)[80]

No. 276 Signals Unit RAF

19 Topographical Squadron R.E.

(1936–1946)[81]

No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF

(1948–1955)

Number 2 Squadron RAF Regiment

1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment

HQ, 1st, 2d,3d, 4th, and 5th Assyrian Levies and 8th Levy. All companies of 125 men plus their dependents totaling 2,000 people.

Iraq Levies

RAF Servicing Flight/(Royal Iraqi Air Force) (1957–1958)

Hawker Hunter

RAF Hospital, Habbaniya (variously named; General Hospital, No.6 RAF Hospital, Station Hospital). Transferred from December 1937.[82]

RAF Hinaidi

List of former Royal Air Force stations

Article 5 of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty

Al Taqaddum

References[edit]

Citations[edit]

Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

RAF Habbaniya Association

Dunford Wood, Colin. . A Story of War. – diary entries for May and June 1941 by an RAF pilot officer stationed at Habbaniya

"Habbaniya Campaign, Iraq 1941"

Dunford Wood, Colin (4 March 2012). . A Story of War. – daily intelligence reports from May 1941

"RAF Habbaniya Daily Intelligence Bulletins"