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  • HM Troopship Dorsetshire 1927

    HM Troopship Dorsetshire was used to transport British Forces between Southampton and Iraq during the nineteen-twenties and thirties. These photos show servicemen boarding at Southampton, bound for RAF Hinaidi, Baghdad. See also the story of 70 LXX Squadron on this website. HM Troopship Dorsetshire - boarding at Southampton September 1927 HM Troopship Dorsetshire

  • Crash of 6 Squadron BE2d March 1917

    The BE2d Serial 6241 of 2nd Lt A Appleton (pilot) and Cpl A J Cooper (observer) was shot down in flames on the 17th March 1917 during combat with five German aircraft over Polygon Wood. Both men were killed in the crash. This photograph was kindly supplied by Trevor Henshaw. Members of the German Army inspecting the crash of 6 Squadron's BE2d Serial 6241 near Polygon Wood

  • Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery - Grave Utilisation

    Ever since I have been researching men and women who have died in Iraq and buried at Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery 'between the wars', I have constantly been presented with anomalies in the way in which individual grave sites have been allocated, made all the more perplexing since the only dates that have survived the passage of time have been the 'Date of Death', often very different to the 'Date of Burial'. I have now carried out and extensive study of the 300 burials and the apparent methodology behind the allocation of grave sites and have included a summary of my findings right HERE on my website. I have attached to this post a 1935 photograph of the cemetery that shows how the grave sequencing has been made all the more confusing as the flow of grave numbers has changed over the years from North-South to South-North.

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Other Pages (163)

  • Ma'Asker Al Raschid | Steve Buster Johnson | Ramsay

    AC1 John Maxton Ramsay, No 6 Armoured Car Company, the 300th death at Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, Baghdad? Update on John Ramsay February 2025 I am pleased to report that I received a letter from the Head of the JCCC on the informing me " I am pleased to inform you that, following an adjudication board held on Thursday 29 January 2025, JCCC have agreed with your submission both that AC1 John Ramsay would have been buried in the cemetery now known as Ma’Asker Al Raschid, and that his grave would have been at what is now referenced as Plot 3, Row G, Grave 2." The Death of John Maxton Ramsay 6 Armoured Car Company RAF Who Was John Maxton Ramsay And How/Where/When Did He Die? I first became aware of John Maxton Ramsay when I came across his RAF Casualty Card whilst researching a query from a 6 Squadron RAF veteran. The Casualty Card didn't specify the place of death, only the location of the authority who reported it, viz. RAF Air HQ, Baghdad, located at RAF Hinaidi. At first I was unable to find the "Returns of DEATH" until I searched for “Ramsey” instead of “Ramsay” and found an entry for “John Maxton Ramsey”. The surname of “Ramsey” was obviously a clerical error for when I compared the details of “Ramsey" against the birth certificate and the Casualty Card for “Ramsay", everything matched – e.g. the age at death “22 years and 45 days” represents the same birth date as “Second day of June 1902”. The “Returns of DEATH” is unequivocal in stating that Ramsay died on the 17th July 1924 at the RAF British Hospital Hinaidi, part of a complex in the newly completed RAF Hinaidi Cantonment, located in buildings shared by the RAF AHQ and situated less than 1/2 mile from the Armoured Car Companies’ HQ (see diagram of Hinaidi Cantonment further down this page). Having found out where John Ramsay died, the next step was to find out where he was buried. At Which Cemetery Was AC1 John Maxton Ramsay Buried? At the time of Ramsay’s death in July 1924, the RAF Armoured Car HQ and the No: 4 Armoured Car Company were both permanently situated within the cantonment of RAF Hinaidi, only ½ mile from the RAF hospital and less than a mile from the Hinaidi RAF Cemetery (aka Ma’Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery). The other Armoured Car Companies at that time operated out of various locations (Nos: 1 & 2 in Palestine, No: 3 in Basrah, No: 5 in Mosul and No: 6 in Kirkuk), though burials for all but No: 3 Armoured Car Company deaths invariably took place at Ma’Asker Al Raschid, though at least one man from No: 4 Armoured Car Company (AC2 C R Crang from 'C' Section) was drowned at Basra in April 1925 and buried at the Basra (Makina) RAF Cemetery. Between June 1922 and May 1935 there were 23 burials for Armoured Car Company personnel at Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF cemetery – see diagram below. In 1924 there were only two allied Military Cemeteries located in Baghdad, the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery and the Hinaidi RAF Cemetery (name later changed to the Ma’Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery). According to the CWGC Roll of Honour for Iraq (recently made available on-line via the CWGC website), Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery holds the bodies of nine “NON WORLD WAR” deaths for RAF personnel (see below). l researched the deaths of each of these nine men and found that their burials took place between September 2021 and February 1922, the last burial more than two years before Ramsay died. The first burial at the newly completed Ma’Asker Al Raschid cemetery was the 27th December 2021, with a small overlap in the usage of the two cemeteries. There are several reason for the overlap. Four of the nine men died in the “23 British Stationary Hospital”, located in central Baghdad in what was formerly the Turkish Military Hospital buildings, before the General Hospital at RAF Hinaidi had opened. Three of the other deaths were the result of a mid-air collision between two RAF aircraft over Baghdad, another man died in the Mosul hospital and was transferred to Baghdad and the ninth death was of an RAF Captain who was killed in an ambush on the Turkish border whilst he was ‘attached’ to the RAF Iraqi Levies and his body transported back to Baghdad. John Maxton Ramsay’s name does not appear on this list. With Baghdad (North Gate) Cemetery ruled out as Ramsay's final resting place, I searched the whole of the on-line CWGC Iraq Roll of Honour as well as the Basra Memorial document for ‘J M Ramsay’ (and also for ‘J M Ramsey’) and couldn't find a match. As a matter of interest, for the name listed above Ramsay’s entry on the Military “Returns of Deaths” extract, a Corporal Frank Stuart Bolan whose death was also entered by the RAF Air HQ Baghdad on the same day, 24th July 1924. For him I did find a match. Dolan was reported to have died at the RAF Combined Hospital in Basrah and was buried at the Basrah (Makina) RAF Cemetery. Having exhausted every other avenue, I came to the only (and obvious) conclusion that AC1 John Maxton Ramsay was buried at the same cemetery as his contemporaries from 6 Armoured Car Company who lost their lives whilst serving with the Royal Air Force in Iraq – namely at the Ma’Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. But where exactly was he buried? Where Was the body of AC1 John Maxton Ramsay Interred? According to the CWGC 1964 Burial Record Plan, at that time there were five vacant plots recorded at Ma’Asker: Plot 1 Row A Grave 13 Plot 1 Row D Grave 3 Plot 2 Row B Grave 1 Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 Plot 3 Row N Grave 8 Looking at the timeline of burials at Ma’Asker, all of these plots except Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 are in areas of the cemetery that were used for burials between 1928 and 1937, at least four years after John Ramsay’s death ( see diagram at the bottom of this page for the burial sequence of all 300 graves ). However, Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 fits the timeline perfectly, with the burial in Plot 3 Row G Grave 3 taking place 11 days before Ramsay’s death and the burial in Plot 3 Row G Grave 1 taking place four days after Ramsay’s death. If you look at the extract of Ma’Asker burials shown below, you will notice that between the 19th April 1924 and the 8th March 1925, five men from No: 6 Armoured Car Company were buried at that cemetery, including the then commanding officer of the company, Squadron Leader Jasper Cruickshank OBE. As final photographic proof, here is a photograph (taken in 1935) showing that Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 was not vacant and contained a headstone of similar design to that of the majority of headstones in the Ma’Asker cemetery. The photograph below was taken c1935 and is a wide-angled shot taken from near the south-eastern corner of Plot 3, looking towards the north-western corner of the cemetery. In the immediate foreground are two headstones whose details are clearly visible, for Sergeant William Stanley Woods (Plot 3 Row M Grave 1 ) and Pilot Officer Jack Whitworth Wood (Plot 3 Row M Grave 2 ). By examining the photo, it is a simple matter to count back seven rows from Jack Wood’s headstone to confirm that there is indeed a headstone in Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 . Note: If the body buried in Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 is not that of AC1 John Maxton Ramsay, then it means there is another fallen (and unknown) British serviceman who needs to be accounted for and honoured by the CWGC. So What Happened To AC1 John Maxton Ramsay’s Headstone? British war cemeteries in Iraq suffered greatly over time from the extreme climate of the region, with headstones weathering due to the wide temperature variance as well as water damage from heavy rains and the frequent flooding of the river Tigris. Vandalism also played its part, especially in periods of war and political unrest, with many headstones damaged or destroyed altogether. The CWGC has done an excellent job in replacing headstones and restoring cemeteries in Iraq when it is safe to do so, but it is inevitable that some burials might be overlooked, especially in abandoned cemeteries such as Ma’Asker. Last year, when I was compiling a database of headstone photographs for the recently restored Habbaniya War Cemetery, I discovered that one of the burials had been overlooked during the restoration process and that nothing now marked the grave of Norwegian sailor First Officer Magnus Kristiansen. Going through my archives I found a photograph of the original headstone for Kristiansen and understood why his grave might have been forgotten as the face of the headstone was badly eroded and almost illegible. I had to use special computer software to reveal what was written on the headstone (see the two images below that show the condition of the headstone and an artist’s impression of what it should have looked like). Perhaps something similar happened to the headstone of AC1 John Ramsay at some point between 1933 and 1964 when the official CWGC survey team deemed the grave ‘VACANT’ and John Ramsay’s name was forgotten. How Can AC1 John Maxton Ramsay’s Memory Be Restored? The first action by the Commonwealth War Graves should be to add “RAMSAY, J M ” to the IRAQ ROLL OF HONOUR, page 273 for the MA’ASKER AL RASCHID RAF CEMETERY, under the category, ‘Aircraftman 1st Class ’. In the longer term, when a memorial is erected at Ma’Asker for the 300 men, women (+ one baby) buried there, or when the cemetery is restored and new headstones erected, AC1 John Maxton Ramsay must be included. NOTE: If physical evidence is deemed necessary to prove that human remains lie in Plot 3 Row G Grave 2, it would be a relatively simple matter for a local contractor in Baghdad to excavate on behalf of the CWGC a shallow trench at the southern end of Row G. Two years ago when the concrete headstone bases of Plot 3 were examined, they were found to be intact (see photo below). Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery - Old and New Grave Numbering System The system of recording Plot numbers changed at some point between 1935 and 1965, but I have yet to determine whether this was intentional on the part of the CWGC or whether it was an oversight. However, this change is immaterial as it does not have an impact on the burial locations. Below is a copy of the official Ma’Asker Al Raschid Cemetery Burial record Plan that was produced in 1964 and updated in 1965. The layout and names of the burials are completely consistent with the many photographs that I have of the cemetery and the 300 graves contained in it. The only difference is that the sequencing of the grave numbers for the three Plots has been reversed (1 to 14 instead of 14 to 1). As to why this happened is unknown to me, but it makes no difference as all of the records currently held by the CWGC for Ma’Asker are consistent with the revised numbering system. Taking the grave of AC1 Ramsay as an example, his original burial location of Plot 3 Row G Grave 13 translated into Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 in 1965 and has remained the same ever since. All the records I have seen that are held by the CWGC are consistent with the new system. It is only old photos that show the original Grave numbering format (see grave photo below). Anchor 1

  • Ma'Asker Al Raschid Cemetery | Habbaniya Cemetery | 6 Squadron RAF | Steve Buster Johnson | UK graves in Iraq

    The plight of the abandoned Hinaidi RAF Peace cemetery (now known as Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, the early years of 6 Squadron on the Western Front and in Mesopotamia, the books of Steve Buster Johnson, and facts, photos and statistics pertaining to early military aviation and Royal Air Force casualties. 6 Squadron Royal Air Force - The Early Years The original purpose of my website was to document the early years of 6 Squadron. This evolved from my first book, For God, England & Ethel , the story of my grandfather who served with 6 Squadron on the Western Front during WW1. I also wanted to display some of the research material that didn't end up in the book. The website has expanded a lot over the past twenty years but 6 Squadron still plays a major part, with sections on the 6 Squadron journal, the Tin-opener , the squadron's move to Mesopotamia after WW1, Facts & Figures on the squadron's early operations, the types of aircraft on charge during that time, numerous WW1 photos , the 6 Squadron Roll of Honour as well as profiles of several 6 Squadron pioneers. The Royal Air Force took over control of all British Forces in Iraq in October 1922, requiring a bigger RAF station than its old HQ in Baghdad West. The new site, named RAF Hinaidi, was established in the south of the city, eight miles south-east of Baghdad West, on the eastern bank of the River Tigris. To protect the low-lying land from flooding, a bund was constructed around the perimeter of the cantonment, eight and a quarter miles in length and surrounding an area of 2,500 acres. RAF Hinaidi was operational from 1921 until January 1938, by which time all British operations had been moved to RAF Dhibban, later renamed RAF Habbaniya. Ma'Asker Al Raschid (Hinaidi) RAF Cemetery Throughout the operational life of RAF Hinaidi, most British servicemen and women from all arms of the British Forces who died in Southern Iraq were buried at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery, located at the south-western corner of the RAF cantonment. The land upon which RAF Hinaidi stood was handed over to the Iraqi government in January 1938 with the exception of the cemetery grounds which remained the property of the British Ministry of Defence. The cemetery was to be maintained in perpetuity by the Imperial War Graves Commission, name later changed to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Sadly, over the next eighty years, the cemetery (since renamed the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery or more simply the Rasheed Cemetery) containing 300* graves gradually fell into disrepair and by 1975 was abandoned altogether by the CWGC (click HERE for a timeline of the cemetery). I first became aware of the appalling condition of the Ma'Asker RAF Cemetery in 2018 whilst researching the death of a WW1 'ace' pilot who was killed in 1922 taking off on a mission from RAF Hinaidi. He was buried in the cemetery, half a mile from where his Bristol FB2 Fighter crashed. At the end of 2021, thanks in the main to the support and perseverance of the British Embassy staff in Baghdad, particularly Defence Attaché Brigadier Adam McRae, a new wall was constructed around the cemetery, with a contract put in place to pay for a caretaker. Sadly, though approval was given in December 2022 for the local contractors who built the new cemetery wall to commence Stage 2 of the restoration (moving the remaining headstones to one side, tidying up the site and repositioning the 71 surviving headstones ), this work was suspended by the JCCC (Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre) until such time the CWGC/MoD/JCC were able to come to a decision as to what restoration works should be carried out at Ma'Asker and the appropriate timeframe, especially given the delicate political situation in Iraq. Click HERE for the full story. In January 2024 I was informed by the Area Director Africa & Asia at the CWGC that a site survey had been carried out at the Ma'asker Cemetery, yielding enough information for the CWGC and the MoD to determine the scope and timing of the next phase of restoration. No further progress has been made since then, primarily due to the difficult security situation in Baghdad where it is not considered safe for CWGC employees to gain access to the site. It is hoped that in January 2025, costings will be determined for the next stage of restoration, including flood mitigation works and the erection of a small temporary memorial. The timetable and budget to be determined by the MoD, so watch this space . . . . . . . . . . . * In early 2023 I found compelling evidence of another burial (the 300th) at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid Cemetery, namely AC1 John Maxton Ramsay of the 6th Armoured Car Company, RAF. Click HERE for details. I immediately forwarded my findings to the Commemorations & Licensing, JCCC on the 5th April 2023 as the CWGC will only update their records if/when the JCCC and Air Historical Branch corroborate my finding. With nothing forthcoming thirteen months later in May 2024, I spent two weeks of further research to change what I considered 'compelling' evidence into 'conclusive' evidence, in the form of a second photograph (that clearly shows Ramsay's headstone) as well as the official Military Death Notice confirming that Ramsay died in the RAF Hinaidi General Hospital, a mere 900 yards from the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. I am pleased to report that I received a letter from the Head of the JCCC on the 5th February 2025 informing me: " I am pleased to inform you that, following an adjudication board held on Thursday 29 January 2025, JCCC have agreed with your submission both that AC1 John Ramsay would have been buried in the cemet ery now known as Ma’Asker Al Raschid, and that his grave would have been at what is now referenced as Plot 3, Row G, Grave 2. The extensive and detailed evidence submitted by you has enabled this airman (or aviator to use the current RAF parlance) to have his final resting place recognised. For this we are grateful and appreciate the time, effort, and patience this has taken. As you are aware the cemetery has been very badly damaged and it is unlikely reinstallation of individual headstones will be attempted in the foreseeable future, but being able to confirm AC1 Ramsay’s grave reference means he will now be included in the Roll of Honour for the cemetery, and details included on any memorial erected to commemorate those who lie there. JCCC will now inform the CWGC so they can carry out any action required to recognise this decision. " This confirms that John Ramsay becomes the 300th grave at Ma'Asker. I have added my latest research to the Ramsay page on my website. In February 2024 I completed an interactive database comprising seventy-one (71) photographs of the surviving identifiable headstones at Ma'asker, linked to the position of the matching grave. Click HERE to view the photos, searchable by name. Habbaniya War Cemetery I expanded my website in January 2024 to include a section devoted to the men and women who are buried at the Habbaniya War Cemetery, 55 miles west of Baghdad. The cemetery was originally part of RAF Dhibban, later known as RAF Habbaniya. I have added details of each person buried there, including the grave location and a recent (2023) headstone photograph . If you want more information on the history of RAF Habbaniya that isn't covered on the pages of my website, take a look at the RAF Habbaniya Association website or send me a message via the CONTACT tab at the top of this page as I have access to some of the RAF Habbaniya Association's arhcives. Photographs and Statistics on WW1 Military Aviation My website also contains photographs covering WW1 and the inter-War years, with an emphasis on 6 Squadron Royal Flying Corps (later Royal Air Force). There is also a section with 43 pages of high definition aerial photographs (two to a page) taken by 6 Squadron aircraft in May and June 1917, before and after the Battle of Messines . Recently added are images of WW1 maps and photographs as well as copies of every page of my grandfather's WW1 wireless training document . Researching WW1 Royal Air Force Personnel Service Records If you need help researching anyone who served in the British Royal Flying Corps or the early years of the Royal Air Force, send me a message via the CONTACT page . Steve ' Bus ter' Johnson News New South Wales, AUSTRALIA RAF Hinaidi, Baghdad, IRAQ My Books My sixth and most recent book, "Rising from the Flanders Mud" was published in November 2023, with copies available to purchase from Amazon and other on-line book stores or alternatively direct from the publisher Feed-a-Read . To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Updated 10 February 2025 Recent News / Blog Topics HM Troopship Dorsetshire 1927 Crash of 6 Squadron BE2d March 1917 Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery - Grave Utilisation Flying Officer Ellis Reid No 1 Squadron RAF Farewell Dinner for LXX (70) Squadron October 1934 Additional Burial Details at Ma'Asker Cemetery Graves of Leonard and Phoebe Marks at Ma'Asker Ma'Asker Al Raschid Cemetery - Scottish Regiment Deaths

  • Ma'Asker Cemetery | Headstone Queries | stevebusterjohnson

    This is a diagram of all 300 burials at Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, with names highlighted for the 30 family queries and existing headstones marked Queries Received for Specific Burials at Ma'Asker RAF Cemetery The table below shows the name and grave location for each of the 300 burials at the Hinaidi / Ma'Asker RAF cemetery. The names with a black background are for those men whose families have enquired after their graves (31 as at March 2024 though several more have been received since but as yet updated on this chart). The names displayed in pale blue are the 71 headstones (complete or damaged) that were able to be identified at the cemetery during between October 2021 and November 2023. A

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