RAF Shaibah
Encyclopedia
RAF Shaibah was an RAF station
situated at Shaibah
about 13 miles south west of the city of Basra
h in Iraq
. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign
of the First World War
.
First occupied by the British
Royal Air Force
(RAF) in 1920, the resident squadron was No. 84 Squadron RAF
until 1940 when No. 244 Squadron RAF
took over. 244 Sqn was involved in the Rashid Ali rebellion
on 1941. RAF Shaibah was a small and primitive base in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. It expanded during the Second World War. By July 1942 RAF Shaibah was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq (see AHQ Iraq and Persia
). At this time several units were based at Shaibah. They included:
In 1956 it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force
.
Following the Gulf War
of 2003 it became the site of a British Military Hospital
and the Shaibah Logistics Base (SLB), but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces.
In 2007 the SLB was handed over to Iraqi Army.
RAF station
A Royal Air Force station is a permanent Royal Air Force operations location. Many RAF stations are aerodromes, or airbases, being the home to one or more flying squadrons. Other RAF stations are training units, administrative units, headquarters , or carry out ground-based operational tasks...
situated at Shaibah
Shaibah
Shaibah is the name of small village and a site of a military airfield near Az Zubayr, south west of Basrah in Iraq.It was the site of RAF Shaibah from 1920 until 1956 when it was then handed over to the Iraqi Air Force....
about 13 miles south west of the city of Basra
Basra
Basra is the capital of Basra Governorate, in southern Iraq near Kuwait and Iran. It had an estimated population of two million as of 2009...
h in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign
Mesopotamian Campaign
The Mesopotamian campaign was a campaign in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I fought between the Allies represented by the British Empire, mostly troops from the Indian Empire, and the Central Powers, mostly of the Ottoman Empire.- Background :...
of the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
First occupied by the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Royal Air Force
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
(RAF) in 1920, the resident squadron was No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron RAF
No. 84 Squadron of the Royal Air Force is at present a Search and Rescue Squadron based at RAF Akrotiri, it uses the Bell Griffin HAR.2 helicopter. It is currently part of the RAF's Search and Rescue Force-History:...
until 1940 when No. 244 Squadron RAF
No. 244 Squadron RAF
No. 244 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a bomber unit in the Middle East in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No...
took over. 244 Sqn was involved in the Rashid Ali rebellion
Anglo-Iraqi War
The Anglo-Iraqi War was the name of the British campaign against the rebel government of Rashid Ali in the Kingdom of Iraq during the Second World War. The war lasted from 2 May to 31 May 1941. The campaign resulted in the re-occupation of Iraq by British armed forces and the return to power of the...
on 1941. RAF Shaibah was a small and primitive base in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. It expanded during the Second World War. By July 1942 RAF Shaibah was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq (see AHQ Iraq and Persia
AHQ Iraq and Persia
AHQ Iraq was a command of the Royal Air Force .-History: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...
). At this time several units were based at Shaibah. They included:
- No. 115 Maintenance Unit
- No. 119 Maintenance Unit
- No. 8 S & T Column
In 1956 it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force
Iraqi Air Force
The Iraqi Air Force or IQAF is the military branch in Iraq responsible for the policing of international borders, surveillance of national assets and aerial operations...
.
Following the Gulf War
Gulf War
The Persian Gulf War , commonly referred to as simply the Gulf War, was a war waged by a U.N.-authorized coalition force from 34 nations led by the United States, against Iraq in response to Iraq's invasion and annexation of Kuwait.The war is also known under other names, such as the First Gulf...
of 2003 it became the site of a British Military Hospital
British Military Hospital
This may refer to a number of establishments in the world where the British military was present:*British Military Hospital, Hong Kong*British Military Hospital, Colombo*British Military Hospital, Singapore...
and the Shaibah Logistics Base (SLB), but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces.
In 2007 the SLB was handed over to Iraqi Army.
See also
- List of RAF stations
- Article 5 of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty