RAF Habbaniya

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Royal Air Force Station Habbaniya
Active1930s - 1950s
CountryIraq
BranchRoyal Air Force
TypeFlying station
Royal Air Force Ensign
Map of Iraq during World War II

RAF Habbaniya (originally RAF Dhibban) was a Royal Air Force station about 55 miles (89 km) west of Baghdad in modern day Iraq, near the town and lake of Habbaniya. It was operational from the late 1930s until the 1950s when the British withdrew their forces from the newly independent Iraq.


History

On 1 May 1938 RAF Dhibban was renamed RAF Habaniya. It was a large flying training school during World War II, as well as a transport staging airfield. During the Rashid Ali rebellion in 1940 the base was besieged by the Iraqi Army encamped on the overlooking plateau. The siege was lifted by the units based at Habbaniya, including pilots from the training school, a battalion of the King's Own Royal Regiment, the RAF Regiment and the Iraq Levies. The arrival of a relief column (Kingcol), part of Habforce sent from Palestine, then a British mandate, combined with the Habbaniya units to force the rebel forces to retreat to Baghdad. Later in World War II Habbaniya became an important stage on the southern air route between the UK and the USSR. British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) ran a regular passenger service via North Africa and the Middle East using Consolidated Liberator transports.

In the late 1930's Imperial Airways established a staging post on Lake Habbaniya for the flying boat service from the UK to British India. The lake provided the necessary landing area for these aircraft in the middle of the Mesopotamian desert. After WW11 BOAC did not restart this service and the RAF acquired the hotel buildings at the side of the lake for use as a Rest and Recreation centre.

Rest and Leave Centre
Lake Habbaniya Sailing Club

Roald Dahl was stationed there in 1940, as described in his book, Going Solo. After WWII, BOAC discontinued the flying boat service and the hotel buildings at the lake were acquired by the RAF and used as a Rest and Recreation Centre.

Among the Units located at Habbaniya at various times were:- No4 Service Flying Trainng School; 115 Maintenance Unit; 123 Signals Unit; 276 Signals Unit; Squadrons Nos 8, 30, 70, 84, 244, 249, 683; 2 Armoured Car Squadron; 1st Battalion King's Own Royal Regiment.

In present times, the former British base is used by both the United States Armed Forces and the New Iraqi Army as a forward operating base. From this outpost, combat operations are run from the outskirts of Fallujah to the outskirts of Ramadi.

Units and aircraft

See also

References

  • G G Jefford, RAF Squadrons, second edition 2001, Airlife Publishing, UK, ISBN 1-84037-141-2.
  • Ray Sturtivant, Flying Training And Support Units since 1912, 2007, Air-Britain, UK, ISBN 0 85130 365 x

External links

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