Search Results

Aerial photos of destructive shoots on enemy batteries along Klijtgatstraat (east of Klein-Zillebeke), taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Destructive Shoot at Klijtgatstraat The two photographs on Page 28 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The photographs were taken of a destructive shoot (before and after) on a hostile battery off the Klijtgatstraat, east of Klein-Zillebeke, defined by mapping coordinates 28. J. 31. C and 28. J. 31. B . (approximate present location in the middle of a field 50°48'57.3"N 2°57'04.8"E), prior to the Battle of Messines. The first photograph was taken on the 3rd May 1917 and the date of the second was 27th May 1917.

The Habbaniyah War Cemetery story, providing the location and name of all 290 burials with links to photos of every headstone in the 6 plots within the cemetery. The Habbaniya War Cemetery This section of my website is dedicated to the Habbaniya Military Cemetery, with the aim of providing the names and locations of every burial in the six Plots contained within the cemetery walls (thirty-nine burials in Plot 1, forty in Plot 2, thirty-nine in Plot 3, sixty in Plot 4, seventy-three in Plot 5 and thirty-nine in Plot 6). With the kind assistance of staff at the Australian Embassy in Baghdad during 2023, photographs of every headstone were taken and I have collated and catalogued them on this website. Of the two hundred and ninety (290) burials at Habbaniya, one hundred and seventy-three (173) were for WW2 deaths, with the remaining one hundred and seventeen (117) deaths taking place 'between the wars' or post WW2. Click HERE to view the an interactive diagram of the cemetery with links to each of the headstone photographs. My website is the only place where you will find photographs of every headstone (290 in total) at the Habbaniya War Cemetery. At the southern end of the cemetery there is a memorial to the one hundred and six (106) men who served with the Royal Air Force (Iraq) Levies and died in Iraq during WW2. I created a composite image of five photographs, taken of the memorial by Australian Embassy staff, showing the name of every man whose death was honoured on the Habbaniya Memorial, as well as basic details of each of the fallen. Click HERE to link to the Iraq Levies page. With the kind permission of Doctor Christopher Morris, who was the honorary secretary of the RAF Habbaniya Association until the association was wound up in 2022, I have also been able to provide a list in alphabetical order of every person buried at the Habbaniya Military Cemetery as well as details (where available) of their service record and cause of death Click HERE to be redirected to the on-line database. Click HERE to be re-directed to the RAF Habbaniya Association website. It is hoped that the Habbaniya website will be brought up to date within the near future - watch this space for news. To view the headstone photos, click on one of the buttons below: PLOT ONE PLOT TWO PLOT THREE PLOT FOUR PLOT FIVE PLOT SIX See also the news story on the Iraq Levies Memorial .

Shematic diagram of the Habbaniya Military Cemetery. It shows the names of all the burials in Plots 1 through 6 with links to photographs of all 290 headstones. Habbaniya War Cemetery - Burial Layout / Identification The interactive table shown below the Commonwealth War Graves cemetery layout is a representation of the Habbaniya War Cemetery. The table contains the names and grave location for each of the 290 burials. By clicking on a name, a current image of the corresponding headstone will be displayed, the complete image database compiled from hundreds of photographs taken at the cemetery by various staff members of the Australian Embassy and groundkeepers during 2023. The background image to this page shows what the cemetery looked like in the mid nineteen-hundreds, taken from the memorial looking north towards the Cross of Sacrifice and the Cemetery Gatehouse and main entrance. Note: When the full restoration of the Habbaniya War Cemetery by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission was carried out in 2018 / 2019, in an oversight of theb workers, no replacement headstone was made for a Norwegian sailor Oskar Magnus Kristiansen (the only Norwegian to be buried in Iraq during WW2) and his almost illegible headstone was discarded, leaving an unmarked plot in Plot 6 Row C Grave 1 . Oscar Kristiansen was the First Mate on board the M.T. Bralanta when he received 1st and 2nd degree burns in an on-board explosion and died of his injuries at RAF Habbaniya on the 26th March 1945. I informed the CWGC of the situation (Jan 2024) and shortly afterwards a discussion took place with the Norwegian Department of Cultural Heritage and it has been agreed that the CWGC will make a replacement headstone on behalf of the Norwegian Government and transport it to Habbaniya for installation when next maintenance of the cemetery is carried out. In the meantime, I have linked a photograph of Kristiansen's old faded headstone to his name in the table below as well as a 'corrected' image that reflects what was originally carved on his headstone and should be replicated on the new headstone. RIP Anchor 1 Habbaniya War Cemetery - Valletta VW832 Crash Burials On the morning of the 17th April 1957, a Royal Air Force transport Vickers Valetta of 114 Squadron (Serial No: VW832) took off from Aqaba in South Jordan with 3 crew members and 24 military personnel on board (18 from the 10th Hussars, 5 from the REMEs and 1 from the Army Catering Corps). Its destination was RAF Habbaniya. What was later determined as being structural failure due to extreme turbulence, after five minutes airborne, its left wing separated from the fuselage and the aircraft fell from the sky, crashing in a fireball, with everyone on board killed. The twenty-seven bodies were transported to RAF Habbaniya where they were buried in a mass grave side by side in surname alphabetic order, occupying an area previously allocated for seven graves (Grave 1 to Grave 7) in Row B of Plot 5. As can be seen from the photographs of Plot 5, the twenty-seven headstones are erected in a straight line, almost touching. The names are listed below, with links to individual headstone photographs. A

This is a table of maintenance carried out at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery since it was commissioned in 1921 and abandoned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in 1975 (information taken from the CWGC Annual reports from 1921 to 2019). Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery Timeline (1921 to Now) The table below gives a detailed timeline of the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (formerly the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery), from the date of the first burial until August 2023. The information regarding the maintenance of the cemetery, from 1937 to 1974 inclusive, was taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Annual Reports, showing that for a total of 65 years, no work at all was carried out at Ma'Asker. Another interesting statement by the CWGC in its 23rd Annual report (for the year 1941/1942) is that WW2 burials were carried out at Hinaidi during that period. If this is correct, then two issues need to be clarified, viz: a) Should the Ma'Asker/Hinaidi cemetery be regarded as a World War cemetery? b) Where are the graves for the burials in 1941/1942? A

Aerial photos of the effect of allied barrage at Vormezele, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Barrage at Vormezele The two photographs on Page 36 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The photographs were taken to show the effect of the pre-bombardment allied barrage on a German battery at Vormezele. The photographs were taken on the 3rd June 1917 4 days before the Battle of Messines, over map coordinates 28. I. 30. D and 28. O. 2. B .

This page shows photographs of every headstone in Plot 2 of the Habbaniya Military Cemetery Plot 2 Headstones - Habbaniyah War Cemetery This page shows photographs of the forty (40) headstones in Plot 2 of the Habbaniyah War Cemetery. They appear below in Row and Grave sequence but can also be accessed directly by clicking on the name of the person of interest by via the cemetery diagram page. The background image for this page (visible on all devices except mobile 'phones) is a wide-angle photograph of Plot 2. For those using a smart phone, click HERE to view a copy of this image. Anchor 1 Anchor 2 Anchor 3 Anchor 4 Anchor 5 Anchor 6 Anchor 7 Anchor 8 Anchor 9 Anchor 10 Anchor 11 PLOT 3 HEADSTONES A

This page shows the detailed site plan of the Hinaidi Cantonment, including the provisional design of the RAF Hinaidi Air Base and the location of the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery (now the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery) RAF Hinaidi - Site Plan (Then and Now) Shown below is the provisional site plan (1932) for the Hinaidi Cantonment, including the layout of the RAF Hinaidi air base and the Ma' Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery). Note that the concept plans were fairly accurate, especially with regards the service roads etc, though many detailed changes were made in the placement and size of the actual buildings, hangars etc. The extent to which the construction of the Hinaidi Cantonment remained faithful to the original site plan can be seen in the 2019 Google Maps aerial photograph of southern Baghdad that is the background to this page. If you play the movie file below the plan, you will see that much of the infrastructure exists to this day, including the roads, the concrete airport aprons, the Hinaidi RAF Cemetery (Ma'Asker Al Raschid) and several buildings of the old General Hospital (later renamed as the Al Rasheed Military Hospital).

The book, 'Over the Western Front with 6 Squadron' is written in two parts, Part One in the form of a detailed monthly journal of corporal Fred Johnstone and Part Two giving a complete account of the squadron's operations on the Western Front during WW1, with every action, aircraft movement and casualty associated with 6 Squadron Over the Western Front with 6 Squadron Royal Flying Corps ' Over the Western Front' was my fifth book, published in November 2018, though I started the research process back in 2003. It was published by Feed-a-Read and is currently available directly from the publisher in hardback format or through the Amazon books worldwide network in both paperback and eBook format. Postage can vary a lot so it pays to see which is the cheapest option in your country. Over the Western Front is divided into two parts: Part One is an expanded version of my grandfather's war diaries, kept by him for the whole of the time he served with 6 Squadron on the Western Front during WW1. It has been written in the form of a month-by-month journal, covering the period November 1915 to January 1918 inclusive, and describes what is happening within the squadron as well as my grandfather's own personal experiences of the war. Reproduced below are three pages from Part One, in which my grandfather as an Air Mechanic 1st Class is describing his first month at 6 Squadron, which at the time was operating from an aerodrome at Abeele on the French/Belgian border, on the Western Front about ten miles from the Ypres. Part Two of Over the Western Front is a month-by-month detailed analysis of 6 Squadron's operations during the whole of the Great War, from the time 6 Squadron is sent to France in October 1914 to December 1918, one month after the Armistice was signed. In addition, the complete history of every single aircraft on charge with 6 Squadron during those fifty-one months is provided, along with every known squadron casualty. Complementing my first book, For God, England & Ethel , my latest book will give the reader a thorough understanding of the wartime operations of 6 Squadron and where it fits within the Royal Air Force casualties for the whole of WW1. Cross & Cockade Book Review - 2019 © 2019 Steve Buster Johnson. Proudly made by Wix.com

This page will detail the progress of Phase 2 of the Ma'Asker Al Raschid (Hinaidi) cemetery restoration, that of re-making and installation of the 300 headstones Ma'Asker Al Raschid (Hinaidi) Cemetery Restoration - Stage 2 This page is under development and will be updated as progress is made The next phase of the restoration project, the moving of the surviving headstones to one side of the new perimeter wall and levelling the cemetery grounds has been sent out for quotes, with the contractor who organised the construction work in Stage 1 providing the cheapest quote for this work and approval given to proceed in early December 2022. However, a temporary halt was placed on this work in early January 2023 when the JCC (Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre) reaffirmed that the CWGC would not be in a position to address even temporary improvements until the 23/24 UK financial year (viz. until April 23). As a prelude to the levelling of the site, the contractors have excavated several of the concrete foundation strips to verify the accuracy of the dimensions of the cemetery as well as to inspect the condition of those areas affected by the gravel track used by Iraqi lorries prior to the new perimeter wall being erected in October 2021 (see photos below). After an hiatus of twelve months, things are finally moving at Ma’Asker. The erection of a new wall around the cemetery in October 2021 succeeded in making the cemetery secure for the first time in decades, but ironically created a new problem with regards drainage. In 2022 a burst water main caused the cemetery to be partially covered in water for a couple of months and more recently in early 2023 water from heavy rains were trapped inside the cemetery grounds and it took months for it to completely drain away. After recent talks between the MoD and the CWGC, the services of a local contractor were secured in December 2023 to carry out a thorough site survey in order to recommend the best way to mitigate future drainage problems. The next step is for the MoD/JCCC/CWGC to arrange for the remediation of the site using local expertise before making a decision regarding the timing and extent of the next phase of renovation. So far, more than two years later, (January 2026), no progress has been made despite funding being made available for site remediation. The CWGC is in the process of trying to hire a local (ie Iraqi) project manager who will be able to project-manage all of the CWGC cemetery sites in Iraq, the first task being the remediation work at Ma'Asker. Watch this space . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Selection of reader reviews and feedback for books written by Steve Buster Johnson Steve Buster Johnson - Reader Reviews Leaning on a Lamp Post "Leaning on a Lamp Post has been slowly absorbed, as befits a book set in three different years - and most intriguing it was. It was good to explore Basingstoke in 1910 with you as I have been with Fred and Ethel from the start. Throughout the chapters set in 1952 there were odd things that stirred recollections for me - so thank you for that." Geoff Thornton (Crawley - UK) "I found it compelling reading and had a job to put it down. Truly a most revealing biographical history and I admire the way that you have brought it to life with fictional, but entirely probable, dialogue. My profound congratulations for a wonderful achievement." Katie West (Reading, UK) Seven Days in April "I read the mystery while on holiday in Jamaica and really enjoyed it, particularly looking into the day to day life in the Aerodrome and the vibrance of the Captain and other characters." Bryan Tripp (Ontario - Canada) "I certainly enjoyed your second book (as I had the first) and now Margaret is reading it. It's a trifle technical in parts and she did ask what a magneto was. Her son Andrew was so intrigued by it all he is now going to read "For God, England and Ethel". Geoff Thornton (Crawley - UK) "You are indeed a gifted writer. The story is so full of action and the characters really come alive. I read well into the early hours of the morning to finish the book." Katie West (Reading, UK) "Your book is really good! I truly enjoyed it. If you can write like that, you deserve success." Sharon Willmott (Hadstock - UK) "I read your book in just three days. That will tell you how much I enjoyed it and couldn't put it down. I reckon you should have a great success there! You have a nice style which leads you on. It could make a good film, too! I don't know what they did to the cover - it's so velvety and soft." Denise Johnson (Epsom - UK) "I enjoyed your book, an interesting combination of your WW1 air war knowledge with an ingenious crime element - a real 'who dunnit'." Rev John Giles (Murwillumbah - Australia) For God, England & Ethel "I've been absolutely floored by your skill in taking what must have been truckloads of information and turning it into a damn good read. I was in the middle of reading 'Charles Kingsford Smith and those magnificent Men' by Peter Fitzsimons when your book arrived and I'm glad I put his down to read yours. You've both brought history back to life, but I think you've given him a run for his money! Well done! Bring on the next one!" Flt Lt Lee McDowall (RAAF - Adelaide, Australia) ". . . I have to admit that I have never read a story book before in all my 78 years. I have read many history books, manuals and articles etc but never a story such as you have written. I did get near to reading a Western in 1950 when on the troopship going out to join 6 sqn in Egypt, but I soon got fed up with that. I must say that your book grabbed me from day one and my wife could not drag me away from it. I felt I was serving on the Western Front living his [Fred's]experiences. I think I even dreamt about it a couple of times. You have certainly done an excellent job on your grandfather`s diary. I think it would make a good period film." Ken Hopper (ex 6 Squadron RAF, London, UK) "Just a note to let you know that I thoroughly enjoyed your book. I am full of admiration for those wonderful young men in the Royal Flying Corps. Your grandfather Fred was certainly a clever and talented man. Thanks for such a well-written book" Molly Hartridge (Canada) "I tend to look at aircraft stories and put them aside - sorry I did this with yours as I have enjoyed it so much. What a story! All that amazing research and effort. Your grandfather must have been an interesting man and incredibly loyal to his God, country and Ethel." Evelaine Berry (Kiama - Australia) "I loved your book! It was great to be transported back in time and to get an idea of what life was like for the people during that time. I have to admit to a sense of sadness when I read that your grandfather never made it back to Belgium and never saw his lady friend again. But I guess travelling back then wasn't as easy or cheap as it is now. And the planes they were in!" Ed Fitzgerald (Sydney, Australia) "I enjoyed your book very much. You must have put an enormous amount of research into it. It was extraordinary to me that you managed so convincingly, and with such imagination, to put youself into the hearts and minds of those airmen, in order to convey their experiences of that terrible war." Mike Stoker (Farnum, UK) "I read your book from cover to cover in four days! I enjoyed it very much and didn't want to put it down. What a pity the old boys of the RFC are now dead. How they would have enjoyed the detail, it really came alive! I bet Mother and Father are having a celebratory drink 'up there'. They would have been so proud of you - as I am!" Denise Johnson (Fred's daughter - UK) "I thoroughly enjoyed reading your book. It gives a very good account of what Squadron life would have been like in those days, much more so than reading the bare facts from the official records. " George Robertson (OC 6 Squadron 1978-1980) " Your book moved me. The characters simply came alive. When I came to the end I had to sit for an hour before I could come back to 'now'." Brenda Payne (Gloucester, NSW, Australia) "Your book was great - one of the best that I've read" The late Ray Bond (Maitland, Australia) "Thank you so much for the book. It is amazing and I enjoyed reading it very much. The maps are very good too." Liz Milward (Brandhoek, Belgium) ". . . it has been a very good read. I have visited all those [men] that have a known grave so it is especially poignant to me as I didn't know how some of them perished. When next I go [to Belgium] I will travel with the book. It was a nice twist at the end to see why you entitled it with that name." Phillip Millward (Official Historian, 6 Squadron, RAF, UK) "I was given a copy of your book for my birthday but wasn't expecting to enjoy it as I don't normally read historical novels. However, I was pleasantly surprised and absorbed by the story and style of writing." Emma Lee McDonald (Tweed Heads, Australia) " You probably won't remember me. We met at the Cherry Blossom [B&B in Vlamertinghe, near Ypres] on one of your brief trips to check the final details of your book. Im pleased to see that you found a publisher for your book, which I am going to read as soon as I get some time. Liz from the CB alerted me that it was out. Just wanted to say congratulations on your achieving your goal, and am looking forward to reading it. Also best of luck with the new book." Simon Cooper (UK) "Your work will be a very hard act to follow." David Perkins (Newcastle, Australia) "Generally I found it most interesting. I particularly liked the technical descriptions of flying, maintenance and observing the gun 'shoots'. Not so much interested in the social side so to speak. Please advise when the next part of the Trilogy is available." Brian Williams (ex 6 Squadron RAF, Willeton, Western Australia) "I have read your book and congratulate you on your very considerable achievement. I think it was a great read and was both a rollicking good yarn and a fascinating piece of history as I certainly knew nothing at all of the RFC beforehand. I particularly liked your use of appropriate RAF-style (slightly old-fashioned) vernacular. Naturally I can't pass an opinion on the accuracy of the facts portrayed, but they were very convincingly expressed - and I believe you............... My expectations were exceedingly exceeded. Very well done. Mike Penfold (Kangaroo Valley, Australia) "Emminently readable - somewhat I think like Neville Shute's books, which I love! A wonderful idea to produce an historical study in the form of a novel and the extent of your research leaves me gob-smacked! I so much enjoyed your fluent, readable style and the way that the story unfolds. The characters come alive - at the end of the book one feels that one knows them. Your lovely book has revived in me so many memories of the past." Katie West (Reading, UK) "I really enjoyed your book, given to me as a birthday present. I don't normally get much time for reading but I managed to get away and sit on the verandah so that I could read the last fifty pages uninterrupted." David (Hinton, Australia) "I haven't had the time to read as much as I would like to over the last few months but once I started reading your book, I couldn't put it down! I think you did an amazing job and I was particularly impressed by the way you described the flying scenes! It was almost like you were there and flying them yourself! It's hard to believe how rudimentary and fragile the flying machines were in those days and I have no idea how those pilots managed to fly a BE2c when they had the observer sitting in front of them obstructing their view! They were truly brave men. It was very sad that most of the men that Fred knew died in combat; especially Jock as he was my favourite character apart from Fred." Tracey Johnson (Port Stevens, Australia) "It is a most interesting and 'novel' way to write about his [Fred's] service life. I am personally interested in the book because my father was a pilot with 6 Sqn at Abeele from June to August 1917. He crash landed after returning from a shoot and was invalided back to UK. I hope you find the photographs interesting [ see photos of 6 Squadron on this website] - a small thank you for your well written novel." Squadron Leader Rob Glover (ex RAF, UK) "The first thing to strike me was the quality of the prose, not always seen even with renowned novelists. I went through to 'A' Level English thanks to the efforts of Algy Blaxall, Sammy Sanders and Killer Curtis and I am sure each of them would have marked you highly. I was less sure about the excessively polite conversation that never seemed to desert your servicemen whatever the circumstances. I know they were from a different generation but the War led to the involvement of many working class heroes. I learned a great deal about the lives of the fledgling pilots and their observers but for a while they seemed to be serving in a privileged zone well away from the muck and bullets. Perhaps relief is the wrong word but I noticed the change in 1917 as the casualty rate mounted. Your detailed notes, especially the biographical detail, were a real boon. They ensured the historical reporting was not lost in the drama of the lives of the individuals you featured." Geoff Thornton (High School friend, Crawleigh, UK) "I really enjoyed reading your book. Before now, the only WW1 aeroplane I knew about was the Sopwith Camel." - Ken Sawtell (Reedy Creek, Queensland, Australia) "Not normally my type of book, Steve, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it from cover to cover with great interest - you certainly succeeded in giving it multi-audience appeal! Looking forward to reading the next one!!" Angela Harmsworth (Gillingham, UK) "It's a good story and I think it will make an even better film. It's definitely a 'boys own adventure' depicting the swashbuckling attitudes towards war, the British attitudes and language of the day. Things have changed a little since then." James Price (Manly, Queensland, Australia) "I finally finished your book last night and thoroughly enjoyed it! It was my favourite time of the day - I would just sit back and let Fred take me away from all of my problems. What an incredible story and the fact that the majority of it is true is even better. When are you going to start writing the next one?" Adam Johnson (Sydney, Australia) "I have read and appreciated 'For God, England and Ethel' and you are to be congratulated. I found it very interesting and easy to read and I hope you are rewarded with many sales." Ron Edwards (Queensland, Australia)

This page of a Royal Flying Corps Book on airborne wireless explains the Continous Wave Receiver Mk III - Beat reception and spark signals Royal Air Force 1918 MK III Continuous Wave Receiver Beats This page of a Royal Flying Corps book on airborne wireless provides more information on the note in the telephone on a Mk III Continuous Wave Receiver, as used by the RAF in 1918 during WW1. It also explains beat reception of spark signals.

Satellite images showing the location and dimensions of the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery overlaid with the official 1964 Commonwealth War Graves Commission plan Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery - Site and Dimensions The Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery, renamed the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery when RAF Hinaidi (the headquarters for the British Armed Forces in Mesopotamia) was handed over to the Iraqi government in 1937, has long been abandoned and has over time 'fallen between the cracks' with regards the CWGC maintenance of the headstones and the security of the site itself. Below are three satellite images taken of the cemetery. The first image was taken in 2019 before my involvement in the project and shows the cemetery on the edge of a rubbish dump, with no protecting walls and a well-used track carved across the NE/SW diagonal. I have circled no less than five trucks captured in the image and have added a white rectangle to the image that marks the original perimeter of the cemetery. The second image was also taken prior to the construction of the new wall and is a close-up satellite photo of the cemetery overlaid by the original 1964 Commonwealth War Graves Commission plan. You can see that it is only by sheer luck that the track only impacts a small part of Plot 2 and it is likely that the remains of the men buried there have not been disturbed. For the location and comparative dimensions of the Khanaqin War Cemetery , Diyala, click HERE 2019 Satellite Photograph of the Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery Royal Air Force Casualties at the Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery In trying to determine the exact grave locations for two 6 Squadron men who died in a flying accident in 1922 (see the story on Flying Officer Edwin Ffoulkes-Jones ), I contacted Dr Christopher Morris of the RAF Habbaniya Association who was able to provide some of the missing pieces of the jigsaw. Dr Morris also provided me with maps of Iraq (one as it was in the 1920's and another drawn in 1944) as well as a list of Royal Air Force personnel who died whilst in service and were buried at the RAF Hinaidi military cemetery, located in the Zafaraniyah district to the south-east of Baghdad, between the Zafaraniyah road (the old route to Kut and Amarahnext) and Rashid airport. 6 Squadron was one of many Royal Air Force squadrons stationed in Iraq at one time or another and the squadron moved from Baghdad West to RAF Hinaidi in October 1922. By comparing the names against the 6 Squadron Book of Remembrance I conducted my own research over a period of twelve months with the kind assistance of Peter Burlton, researcher for the RAF Habbaniya Association. In summary, 197 of the the total number of 300 graves at Hinaidi belong to Royal Air Force personnel, the remainder for 72 British Army personnel, 2 Royal Navy men, 29 civilian contractors (including 5 women) and 1 baby girl who was only eight months old at the time of her death. I also researched the service records of the RAF aircrew, many of whom were decorated WW1 veterans. Click HERE for details. Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery / Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery Dimensions