History

When the Turks were defeated at the end of the
Meopotamian Campaign of WW1, the British
were given the mandate to rule the 3 Vilayets of
Mosul, Baghdad and Basra.

It was a very hot land, inhospitably unhealthy
and with very few facilities. It was a land
populated by many different races and with
many tribal factions and Sheikhdoms. The size
of the country, poor communications required a
large British army and the climate and disease
took their toll. The rebellions of 1920 showed
there had to be a better way and Lord
Trenchard, father of the Royal Air Force
proposed that the RAF could control the
country at a fraction of the price of the Army.
His suggestion was eventually accepted and in
1922 AVM Salmond took over with 8 Squadrons
of aircraft, RAF Armoured Cars and the Iraq
Levies. They were based at Hinaidi cantonment
on the outskirts of Baghdad and with other
airfields, principally at Mosul and the
infamously inhospitable Shaiba.

In 1931 Iraq became independant, although
heavily influenced and controlled by the British.
It was no longer acceptable to have an RAF
station in Baghdad and the treaty allowed for a
major base west of the Euphrates. Thus was
Habbaniya born.

The site was chosen because there was water
from the Euphrates, a flat area for the airfield
and the lake for flying boats and recreation. It
was also considered an ideal defensive position
(true - it is in the official files) but how wrong
that proved to be in May 1941.

Construction began in 1934 and the main contractors were
Messrs Humphries of Knightsbridge and because of this the
workers village became known as Humphreya. It was still
known by that name in 1959 and was administered by the Civil
Cantonment.

The camp was originally known as RAF Dhibban after the
nearby village but as this translated into something to do with
flies the name was changed in May 1938 to the more
appropriate RAF Habbaniya. This is supposed to be the Arabic
for of the oleander. Nothing could be more true because
Habbaniya truly became a camp of beauty with its shaded
avenues of Eucalyptus trees, hibiscus and oleander shrubs,
rose beds, ornamental gardens and green lawns.

The first operational use of the airfield was in October 1938
when 30 Squadron moved in and then all the various units at
Hinaidi transferred to Habbaniya with the station fully open
from March 1937.

Control of Habbaniya passed to the Iraqi forces in May 1955
but remained very much in use by the RAF. Sadly the Iraqi
revolution on 14 July 1958 made the RAF presence untenable
and the RAF Ensign was finally lowered on 31st May 1959.