The No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of
Britain's Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) an ...
(RAF) based in
Iraq
Iraq,; ku, عێراق, translit=Êraq officially the Republic of Iraq, '; ku, کۆماری عێراق, translit=Komarî Êraq is a country in Western Asia. It is bordered by Turkey to the north, Iran to the east, the Persian Gulf and K ...
and which played a role in the defence of
RAF Habbaniya
)
, location = Habbaniya
, country = Iraq
, image = Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941.jpg
, alt = A black and white image of some hangars, tentage and hard standings in a desert
, ...
during
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
.
Creation
On 19 December 1921, "No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF" was formed at
Heliopolis in the
Kingdom of Egypt
The Kingdom of Egypt ( ar, المملكة المصرية, Al-Mamlaka Al-Miṣreyya, The Egyptian Kingdom) was the legal form of the Egyptian state during the latter period of the Muhammad Ali dynasty's reign, from the United Kingdom's recog ...
and then moved to
Palestine, being disbanded there on 1 December 1923 with elements being absorbed into
No. 2 Armoured Car Company RAF.
During the 1920s further RAF Armoured Car Companies (Nos 3, 4, 5 & 6) were formed in Iraq but by 1930 they were consolidated into No. 1 Company with its base at
RAF Hinaidi
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 ...
and sections at
Mosul
Mosul ( ar, الموصل, al-Mawṣil, ku, مووسڵ, translit=Mûsil, Turkish: ''Musul'', syr, ܡܘܨܠ, Māwṣil) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of Nineveh Governorate. The city is considered the second larg ...
and
RAF Shaibah
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
.
Composition and organization
During the
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The ca ...
, the No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF was composed of eighteen
Rolls-Royce armoured cars and several
Morris
Morris may refer to:
Places
Australia
*St Morris, South Australia, place in South Australia
Canada
* Morris Township, Ontario, now part of the municipality of Morris-Turnberry
* Rural Municipality of Morris, Manitoba
** Morris, Manitob ...
tenders. These vehicles were among the last of a consignment of ex-
Royal Naval Armoured Car Division
The Royal Naval Air Service (RNAS) was the air arm of the Royal Navy, under the direction of the Admiralty's Air Department, and existed formally from 1 July 1914 to 1 April 1918, when it was merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps t ...
armoured cars that had been serving in the
Middle East
The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Province), East Thrace (Europ ...
since 1915. In addition to the Rolls-Royce armoured cars, the company had two ancient tanks, named "Walrus" and "Seal."
The company was organised into a headquarters and three sections. Each section had six armoured cars and two wireless tenders. The make-up of the company did however vary from time to time. Various sections would be detached to other RAF bases in Iraq and on various duties throughout Iraq (and even beyond).
The company was based at
RAF Hinaidi
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 ...
Cantonment until it moved to
RAF Habbaniya
)
, location = Habbaniya
, country = Iraq
, image = Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941.jpg
, alt = A black and white image of some hangars, tentage and hard standings in a desert
, ...
in 1936 (and Hinaidi became the Iraqi Rashid Airbase). RAF Habbaniya had purpose built, modern facilities for both men and machines in the Armoured Car Lines.
Renaming
On 3 October 1946 the company was incorporated into the
RAF Regiment and named No. 2701 Armoured Squadron.
On 25 February 1947, this unit was renamed
No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack, and patrolling a large area around main operating bases abroad, in order to defend aircraft o ...
.
[Warwick, ''In Every Place'', pg. 604]
See also
*
Royal Naval Air Service
*
RAF Iraq Command
*
RAF Habbaniya
)
, location = Habbaniya
, country = Iraq
, image = Habbaniya airfield, circa 1941.jpg
, alt = A black and white image of some hangars, tentage and hard standings in a desert
, ...
*
RAF Regiment
*
No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment
No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment is a field squadron of the RAF Regiment in the Royal Air Force. Its mission is protection of RAF bases from ground attack, and patrolling a large area around main operating bases abroad, in order to defend aircraft o ...
*
1941 Iraqi coup d'état
The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état ( ar, ثورة رشيد عالي الكيلاني, ''Thawrah Rašīd ʿAlī al-Kaylānī''), also called the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup, was a nationalist coup d'état in Iraq on 1 April 1941 t ...
*
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
During World War I, the British Army defeated the Ottoman Army in the Middle Eas ...
*
Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF
The Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) which was based at Amman in what was then called the Transjordan. It was the counterpart of No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF, which performed a similar r ...
Notes
References
*
*
External links
RAF Regiment Official Site
1 Armoured Car Company RAF
1 Armoured Car Company RAF
1 Armoured Car Company RAF
1 Armoured Car Company RAF
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