AHQ Iraq and Persia

Air Headquarters Iraq (1941-1943) Air Headquarters Iraq and Persia (1943-1946) Air Headquarters Iraq (1946-1955)
Active	1941 - 1955
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	Royal Air Force
Headquarters	RAF Habbaniya (1941-43, 1946-55)
Royal Air Force Ensign

AHQ Iraq (Air Headquarters Iraq or Air H.Q. Iraq) was a command of the Royal Air Force (RAF).

The command was formed on 1 November 1941 by renaming HQ British Forces in Iraq, the former RAF Iraq Command. AHQ Iraq was renamed AHQ Iraq and Persia on 1 January 1943. AHQ Iraq and Persia was a sub-command of Middle East Command which at the time was a sub-command of the Allied Mediterranean Air Command. AHQ Iraq was reformed by renaming AHQ Iraq and Persia on 1 March 1946. The Headquarters (A.H.Q.) were situated in RAF Habbaniya.

No. 6 Squadron RAF flew out to Shaibah during a period of high tensions with Iran - the Abadan crisis over oil nationalisation in June 1951.

In April 1955 a new agreement was made with the Iraq Government for the defence of Iraq and the use of bases by the RAF with the result that AHQ Iraq was disbanded by being renamed AHQ Levant on 1 May 1955. On 1 December 1955 AHQ Levant started to transfer from RAF Habbaniya to Cyprus and on 15 January 1956, when the move was complete, AHQ Cyprus and AHQ Levant were amalgamated as AHQ Levant.

One of the two main stations in Iraq, RAF Shaibah, was handed over to Iraqi control on 1 March 1956. The RAF maintained a presence in Iraq until May 1959, when RAF Habbaniya and RAF Basrah were closed. The long-present Iraq Levies had been disbanded in May 1955.

Some of the units and commanders assigned to these commands for four different dates during World War II are illustrated below.

Commanders included:

...
Wikipedia