RAF Hinaidi

{{Short description|Former Royal Air Force station near Baghdad}} {{Use dmy dates|date=November 2017}} {{Use British English|date=November 2017}} {{more citations needed|date=September 2013}} {{Infobox military installation | name = RAF Hinaidi | ensign = Ensign of the Royal Air Force.svg | ensign_size = 90px | native_name = | partof =  | location = [[Baghdad]] | country = Iraq | image = [[File:Landing Fields - Turkey - NARA - 68161592.jpg|250px]] | caption = RAF Hinaidi in 1924 | image2 =  | alt2 = | caption2 = | type = | coordinates = {{Coord|33|17|14.59|N|44|28|31.85|E|region:IQ_type:airport|display=title}} | gridref = | pushpin_map = Iraq | pushpin_map_caption = Shown within Iraq | pushpin_label = RAF Hinaidi | pushpin_label_position = | ownership = [[Air Ministry]] | operator = [[Royal Air Force]]<br />[[Iraqi Air Force|Royal Iraqi Air Force]] | controlledby =  | open_to_public =  | site_other_label =  | site_other =  | site_area =  | code =  | built = {{Start date|1922}} | used = 1922 - {{End date|1937}} | builder = | fate = | condition = | battles = | events = | past_commanders =  | garrison =  | occupants =  | designations = | website = | footnotes =   | IATA = | ICAO = | LID = | elevation =  | r1-number = | r1-length =  | r1-surface = | r2-number = | r2-length =  | r2-surface = | r3-number = | r3-length =  | r3-surface = | h1-number = | h1-length =  | h1-surface = | airfield_other_label =  | airfield_other =   }} '''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 Habbaniya]].

==History== Hinaidi Cantonment was developed after the First World War as an Army barracks and as the main British airfield, taking over from Baghdad West airfield. The Cantonment passed from British Army Command to the Royal Air Force in 1922 when the Royal Air Force took over garrison duties in Iraq as a result of the [[Cairo Conference]].<ref>AIR8/37, 1921, The National Archives, Kew, UK</ref> There were extensive barracks, recreational facilities, a large hospital, Air Headquarters (AHQ), communication facilities, maintenance units, aeroplane squadron hangars, [[RAF Armoured Car Company]] lines, RAF [[Iraq Levies]] lines and a civil cantonment. 299 British personnel still lie buried in the RAF Cemetery at Hinaidi (the Peace Cemetery, derelict as at 2019 but subsequently being restored). The register of those buried is held by the RAF Habbaniya Association.

In [[Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930)#Clause 1.|Clause 1]] of the "Annexure to Treaty of Alliance" section of the [[Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930)|Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930]], maintaining a force at Hinaidi was indicated to be permitted for a period of "five years after the entry into force of this Treaty." This time was provided "in order to enable [[List of Kings of Iraq|His Majesty the King of 'Iraq]] to organise the necessary forces to replace them."

RAF Dhibban (renamed [[RAF Habbaniya]] in 1938) was built to replace Hinaidi and the RAF began to move there in 1936. The final evacuation of British Forces from Hinaidi took place on 21 December 1937 and the handover of the entire cantonment to the Iraqi Government was completed on 17 January 1938. The [[Iraqi Air Force|Royal Iraqi Air Force]] had a presence on the airfield from at least 1933 and upon complete handover it became a major [[Iraqi Air Force|Royal Iraqi Air Force]] base.<ref>The National Archives UK AIR 28/330, FO 624/10/137 (& appendices) et al.</ref>

During the [[1941 Iraqi coup d'état]], the airfield was renamed "[[Rasheed Air Base|Rashid Airfield]]" by the Iraqis in honour of [[Rashid Ali]], former Iraqi [[Prime Minister]] and the leader of the coup.<ref>Lyman, p. 27</ref> During the [[Anglo-Iraqi War]] in May 1941, the airfield was bombed and strafed by the British [[Royal Air Force]], damaging and destroying Iraqi aircraft.<ref>Dudgeon, p. 89</ref>

==Flying Units and Aircraft== [[File:Landing Fields - Turkey - NARA - 68161594.jpg|thumb|RAF Hinaidi]] * [[No. 1 Squadron RAF]] (1921–26) [[Sopwith Snipe]] [[Nieuport|Nighthawk]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=23}} * [[No. 6 Squadron RAF]] (1922-24 & 1926-29) [[Bristol F2b Fighter]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=25}} * [[No. 8 Squadron RAF]] (1921-27) [[de Havilland]] [[Airco DH.9A]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=26}} * [[No. 30 Squadron RAF]] (1922-29) [[de Havilland]] [[Airco DH.9A]] [[Westland Wapiti]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=35}} * [[No. 45 Squadron RAF]] (1922-27) [[Vickers Vernon]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=39}} * [[No. 55 Squadron RAF]] (1924–37) [[de Havilland]] [[Airco DH.9A]] [[Westland Wapiti]] [[Vickers Vincent]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=42}} * [[No. 70 Squadron RAF]] (1922-37) [[Vickers Vernon]] [[Vickers Victoria]] [[Vickers Valentia]]{{sfn|Jefford|1988|p=46}} The squadrons were also detached to other airfields during their time at Hinaidi.

;Units: * Aircraft Depot, Iraq (1929-37){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=41}} * Aircraft Park, Iraq (1918-22){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=42}} * Iraq Aircraft Depot (1922-29){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=169}} became Air Depot Iraq (1929-37){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=45}} * Hinaidi Station Flight{{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=262}} * Air Headquarters Iraq (1938){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=169}} * Iraq Command (1928-38){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=169}} * Communication Flight Iraq and Persia (1930-38){{sfn|Sturtivant|Hamlin|2007|p=169}}

==Units== * [[RAF Armoured Car Company|RAF Armoured Car Companies]], various Companies, Sections and Wing Headquarters (1922-1936).<ref>*{{cite book| first=Nigel W. M.|last=Warwick| title=IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953| publisher=Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd| location=Rushden, Northamptonshire, England| year=2014 | page=4 | isbn=978-0-9574725-2-5}}</ref>

==See also== * [[List of former Royal Air Force stations]] * [[Handley Page Hinaidi]]

== References == ===Citations=== {{reflist|2}}

===Bibliography=== *{{cite book| first=Robert|last=Lyman| series=Campaign| title=Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad| publisher=Osprey Publishing | location=Oxford, New York| year=2006 | pages=96 | isbn=1-84176-991-6}} *{{cite book| first=Nigel W. M.|last=Warwick| title=IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953| publisher=Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd| location=Rushden, Northamptonshire, England| year=2014 | page=4 | isbn=978-0-9574725-2-5}} *Air Vice Marshall A. G. Dudgeon CBE, DFC: ''Hidden Victory - The Battle of Habbaniya, May 1941'' (Tempus Publishing, UK, 2000, {{ISBN| 0 7524 2001 1}}). *{{cite book |last1=Jefford |first1=C. G. |title= RAF Squadrons. A comprehensive record of the movement and equipment of all RAF squadrons and their antecedents since 1912 |year=1988 |publisher= Airlife Publishing |location= [[Shrewsbury]], UK |isbn= 1-85310-053-6 }} *{{cite book |last1=Sturtivant|first1=Ray|last2=Hamlin|first2=John|title=Royal Air Force flying training and support units since 1912 |year=2007 |publisher= Air-Britain (Historians)|location=[[Tonbridge]], UK|isbn=978-0851-3036-59}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hinaidi}} [[Category:Royal Air Force stations in India|Hinaidi]] [[Category:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in the Middle East|Hinaidi]] [[Category:Military history of Iraq]] [[Category:Iraq–United Kingdom relations]] [[Category:World War II airfields in Iraq|Hin]] [[Category:Military history of Diyala Governorate]] [[Category:20th century in Diyala Governorate]] [[Category:Military airbases established in 1922]] [[Category:Military airbases closed in 1937]]