Kabul Airlift

The Kabul Airlift was an air evacuation of British and a number of European diplomatic staff and their families conducted by the Royal Air Force from Kabul between December 1928 and February 1929.

In the late 1920s, the British Legation in Afghanistan was situated 2.5 miles west of Kabul city. At that time, the King of Afghanistan, Amanullah introduced a series of political changes intended to bring about a more European way of life in his country. Having created a parliament, Amanullah made several speeches to his legislature in September and October 1928 which were directly opposed in the chamber by conservative factions. In the country there were protests from the mullahs and Amanullah was denounced as a kafir or unbeliever.

With increasing rumours of civil war, the British Minister at Kabul and former RAF pilot, Sir Francis Humphrys, became concerned about the safety and lines of communication to the Legation. On 3 December Humphrys sent a message to the Air Officer Commanding RAF India, Geoffrey Salmond, asking him to maintain the air mail service to Kabul and prepare extra aircraft in case of an emergency. Salmond agreed with Humphrys assessment but he lacked suitable aircraft for transporting large numbers within his command, although he did have two squadrons of general-purpose Airco DH.9As and two Westland Wapitis. Salmond's only appropriate aircraft, a Handley Page Hinaidi, was in Baghdad as it had temporarily been assigned to transporting Sir Denys Bray, the Indian Foreign Secretary. Salmond did request that a single Vickers Victoria be detached from the RAF in Iraq and flown to India.

The first open rebellion against Amanullah's rule came from the Shinwari tribe who were angered by the imposition of various laws, including the requirement to wear European dress, the rule that required them to send a quota of their daughters to Kabul for education and the impositions of taxes (they had never previously paid tax). The Shinwaris attacked Jalalabad, cutting off its water supply and closing the Kabul - Peshawar road. Amanullah responded by using his fledgling Air Force, including Russian refugee pilots, to bomb the Shinwaris. The use of foreign "infidels" to subjugate Muslims roused other tribes to revolt and the country descended into civil war.

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