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The location and names of the commanding officers of the RAF Air Headquarters Iraq (Baghdad / Hinaidi) between 1922 and 1935 RAF Air Headquarters Iraq (1922 - 1935) Page 2 of "An Introduction to Iraq" provides details as to the location of the RAF Air Headquarters (Iraq) from its formation on the 1st October 1922 to August 1935 (the date the pamphlet was published). It also provides the names of the Air Officers Commanding during that period, the most recent being Air Vice Marshall W G S Mitchell CB, CBE DSO, MC and AFC.

Searchable database of the 196 men serving with 6 Squadron who gave their lives since the formation of the squadron in 1914. 6 Squadron Deaths Since 1914 Since the formation of 6 Squadron in January 1914, one hundred and ninety-six (196) men have died in service (this figure includes Captain Wilfred Picton-Warlow who crashed into the English Channel and drowned shortly after leaving the squadron to return to England). Only twelve of this number were buried at cemeteries in the United Kingdom as it has long been the custom of the Ministry of Defence to have service personnel buried close to where they were stationed at the time of their death and seven of the twelve men died in recent years when 6 Squadron was stationed in the United Kingdom. The table below lists the details for each man and can be sorted in any sequence or searched by name. Below the table is a graphic displaying the name os every 6 Squadron man, listed in alphabetical order within each time period (eg. WW1, 'between the wars', WW2 and post WW2). I would like to thank Phill Millward, official historian for the 6 Squadron RAF Association , for providing me with the full list of 6 Squadron casualties (as shown in the table below) as well as filling in the gaps as and when more details are determined. Note 1: Sixteen (16) of the men who died whilst in the service of 6 Squadron are buried at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery (renamed the Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery) in Baghdad. For more details, go to the Ma'Asker Cemetery section of this website. Note 2: Three (3) of the men who died whilst in the service of 6 Squadron are buried at the Habbaniya War Cemetery, 50 miles west of Baghdad. For more details, go to the Habbaniya Cemetery section of this website.

'An Introduction to Iraq' was a document given to everyone at RAF Hinaidi, showing the Cantonment as it was in 1935, with operational details and the RAF Units RAF Hinaidi Operations - 1935 This diagram of the RAF Hinaidi Cantonment was included in a 1935 pamphlet produced by the Royal Air Force for British Forces in Iraq, entitled "An Introduction to Iraq". The document is currently owned by James Offer but originally belonged to his uncle, Wing Commander Aubrey Rickards, who served in Iraq as the Officer Commanding 55 Squadron. James has kindly given me permission to reproduce selected pages of the pamphlet on my website as they give an insight into the day to day life British servicemen and civilian contractors (men and women) experienced whilst serving in Baghdad 'between the wars'. Click on any of the links below to see selected pages of "An Introduction to Iraq" Air Headquarters 30 Squadron 55 Squadron 70 Squadron 84 Squadron 203 Squadron 1 Arm Car Coy Wireles Stns Hinaidi Hospital Aircraft Depot RAF Stations Hinaidi Canton 6 Squadron spent more than seven years in total at RAF Hinaidi, from September 1919 until May 1924 and then from October 1926 until October 1929. Cliker HERE for its story.

Ethel Pocock grew up in the Victorian era wanting a career and her own family. It took almost four decades, to achieve her dreams, suffering personal setbacks and ‘The War to End All Wars’. This is her story . . . . . . The Cordwainer's Daughter - Maid of Kent ' Ethel Pocock, ‘Maid of Kent’, grew up wanting a career and her own family but Fate got in the way. It took almost four decades, numerous personal setbacks and ‘The War to End All Wars’ before she finally achieved her dreams. This is her story . . . . . . Ethel Pocock, my maternal grandmother, was a diminutive powerhouse of a woman, born in England to a Kentish cordwainer (bespoke shoemaker) in the middle of Queen Victoria’s reign, when women were not permitted to amount to much, no matter how talented they were. Growing up in a close-knit family with seven other siblings, her dream was to build a career as a buyer in the clothing industry and to one day have her own family. Fate had other ideas, however, and placed many obstacles in her way. Ethel's parents were accustomed to being around famous people of the day, with friends including writer Charles Dickens and politician Lloyd George, so Ethel came to understand the secret of success from an early age. Losing her closest sister who died from consumption at the age of fourteen had a deep impact on Ethel, strengthening her determination in reaching her goals in life, though it took almost four decades and WW1 for her to finally succeed. With the aid of tape recordings I made in 1965 of my grandmother reminiscing, as well as letters and photographs I have kept since I was a boy couple with extensive research carried out by myself and three willing researchers who live in the region where my grandmother grew up, I have been able to piece together Ethel’s story – much of it written in her own words. This, my seventh book, can be purchased from Amazon and other on-line book stores in most countries, either in paperback or hardback. Due to the fact that the book contains more than 100 photographs and images, it was not possible to create a Kindle eBook version. I tried but the output was clumsy and difficult to navigate. With regards the matter of pricing, as per my reply in the News section , this can vary depending upon where you live and which Amazon website you use to search for the book. In summary: As a rough guide, in the UK the paperback version is £10 and £19 for the hardback. In the US this represents US$14 and US$26 and in Australia, AU$19.00 and AU$37. Postage varies and can sometimes be at no cost, depending upon which Amazon website you are looking at, so it pays to look at Amazon.com , Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.au before you make a purchase. © 2026 Steve Buster Johnson. Proudly made by Wix.com

This page provides brief biographies of some of the pioneers of 6 Squadron Royal Air Force, using WW1 service record information and many other sources 6 Squadron (RAF) Pioneers WW1 Pilots who served with 6 Squadron From time to time, researching WW1 airmen reveals details of 6 Squadron airmen that doe not appear in the official records and, as time allows, I will add to this section. At present, there are links to stories concerning the following eight 6 Squadron airmen: Lieutenant Colin Cuthbert Gemmil Girvan Flight Sergeant Ernest Handley 2nd Lieutenant Edgar Bissett Lieutenant Geoffrey Maidens Walter Gaven Cato Lieutenant Cecil H Coxe Flying Officer Edwin Ffoulkes Jones Captain Robert Reeder Lieutenant Graham Price

Ten aerial photos of the White Chateau, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the allied bombardment and just before the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - White Chateau The two photographs on Page 9 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. Both photographs were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron over the White Chateau (near Palinbeek - not the White Chateau at Hollebeke), east of St Eloi, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 4. B and 28. O. 4. C , each area measuring 500 yards square. The first photograph was taken on the 24th April 1917 and the second on the 5th June 1917, 2 days before 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. The two photographs on Page 23 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 were taken of the white chateau at Hollebeke (as distinct from the White Chateau at Palinbeek), defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 12. B . The first photograph was taken on the 6th April 1917 and the second on the 12th June 1917, 5 days after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. Note the incredible destruction caused by the allied bombardment prior to the start of the Battle of Messines. The two photographs on Page 24 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 were taken of the white chateau at Hollebeke (as distinct from the White Chateau at Palinbeek), defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 12. B . The target for the destructive shoot was a farm at 12 Rosettestraat, GPS coordinates 50°48'11.9"N 2°56'43.4"E. Today there is still a farm at that location. The first photograph was taken on the 6th April 1917 and the second on the 14th June 1917, 7 days after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. Note the arrows marking the site of an enemy artillery battery, slightly to the west of the Ypres-Comines canal. 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - East of Hollebeke White Chateau The two photographs on Page 26 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 were taken of two destructive shoots on hostile batteries approximately one kilometre to the east of the White Chateau at Hollebeke. The upper photograph was taken on the 29th April 1917 and is misclassified regarding its coordinates, which should be 28. O. 12. B and not 28. Q. 7. A . The lower photograph is of the same shoots but taken of coordinates 28. O. 13. A and printed upside down. The date the lower photograph was taken is unknown. The exact locations of the two shoots are 1) On the hedge line of a field 100 metres west of Klijtgatstraat 1-5, GPS coordinates 50°48'23.9"N 2°57'15.4"E and 2) On the line of a stream/hedge 200 metres north of Hollebekestraat at 50°48'23.5"N 2°57'36.0"E. 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Destructive Shoot at Hollebeke The two photographs on Page 33 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 west of the Ypres-Commines canal (present day location 50°48'16.4"N 2°56'46.1"E - a few metres south of the junction of Rosettestraat and Kortewildestraat and 500 metres south-west of the site of the Hollebeke White Chateau) immediately prior to the Battle of Messines, map coordinates 28. O. 12. b and 28. O. 12. a . The upper photograph was taken on the 1st May 1917 and the date of the lower photograph was 7th May 1917.

Searchable database of the 23 members of five RAF Armoured Car Companies who were buried at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery between December 1921 and December 1937. Armoured Car Company Deaths (1922 to 1935) Of the 197 RAF personnel buried at the Ma' Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery), 24 were serving with the Armoured Car Companies stationed in Mesopotamia (Nos 1 and 2 of the Tank Corps in Egypt and Trans Jordan and Nos 3, 4, 5 and 6 in Iraq) or at the Armoured Car Wing HQ. Note that No 2 Armoured Car Company remained under the control of the Tank Corps (later the Royal Tank Corps which was eventually absorbed into the Royal Tank Regiment with seven other and moved away from operating in Egypt and Jordan in 1923 to India) whereas the other five Armoured Car Companies remained under the control of the RAF operating in Iraq and were later absorbed in to the RAF Regiment. Click HERE for the history of the RAF Armoured Car Companies. Listed in the table at the bottom of this page, appearing in chronological order of date of burial, is a summary of the twenty-four Armoured Car Company men who died, the cause of their death and the location of every grave. Service details and honours are also provided for each of the officers as well as the various RAF units served by each officer during his RFC / RAF /Army career. You can sortt by a column, scroll through the data or search by entering a character string. Note that two of the men buried at Hinaidi were commanding officers of No 6 Armoured Car Company, with the first, Squadron Leader Andrew Cruikshank, the officer commanding when No 6 Armoured Car Company was formed in 1922. Note also that four of the officers listed were WW1 veterans who between them shared one OBE, one MBE, one MC and a MiD. For full details behind the deaths of two Armoured Car Company men buried at Ma'asker Al Raschid, click on Rosavaere or Kerslake . Note also that (unlike the other Armoured Car Companies) No 5 Armoured Car Company which was stationed within the Hinaidi cantonment, fell directly under the control of No 6 Squadron RAF. Pictured below is a solitary 6 Squadron Bristol FB2 Fighter stranded in the desert with mechanics working on the Rolls Royce Falcon III V-12 engine that has been removed from the airframe by means of a makeshift hoist. In the background are several armoured cars and transport lorries as well as many tents and about twenty men, most likely from No 5 Armoured Car Company. The second photograph was taken at about the same time and is an aerial shot of 6 Squadron's Bristol FB2 'Brisfit' Serial No: F4731 Armoured Car Company Burials (1922 to 1935) Armoured Car Company Burial locations at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery

Six 6 Squadron aerial photos taken of various sections of the Ypres-Comines canal, the upper photos prior to the bombardment and the lower photos 6 days after the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Ypres / Commines Canal The two photographs on Page 11 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The two photographs were were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron over the same 500 x 500 yard section of the Ypres-Commines canal, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 5. A . The first photograph was taken on the 6th April 1917 and the second on the 13th June 1917, 6 days after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Ypres / Commines Railway The two photographs on Page 13 were taken by an RE8 of 6 Squadron, part of the squadron's aerial reconnaissance operations over the Western Front during WW1. The two photographs were were taken over the same 500 x 500 yard section of the Ypres-Commines railway line, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 6. A . The first photograph was taken on the 3rd May 1917 and the second on the 13th June 1917, 6 days after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines. 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Barrage Near the Ypres-Commines Canal The two photographs on Page 39 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 targets west and east of the Ypres-Commines Canal immediately prior to the Battle of Messines, map coordinates 28. O. 4. c and 28. I. 35. b . The upper photograph was taken on the 5th June 1917 and the date of the lower photograph was 3rd June 1917.

Schematic diagram of the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery with surviving headstones and men who were decorated. Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery Grave Utilisation Grave Allocation - Names of Deceased The diagram below provides the names of the 300 men and women who were buried at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAFCemetery (formerly known as the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery and later the Ma' Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery between 1921 and 1937. The graves highlighted in green or yellow indicate that the headstone is still present, complete or in damaged condition respectively. The letter 'X' in a grave location denotes an unused grave. The graves coloured in blue are for men who were decorated. To see photographs of the 71 (now 76 as at November 2025) headstones that have survived the ravages of time (some of them complete whilst others have been damaged), click HERE .

This page shows the schematic diagram of the 'Flewelling Super' single valve wireless set 1918 Flewelling Super Single Valve Wireless Set This page shows the schematic diagram of the 'Flewelling Super' single valve wireless, a cutting taken from the Daily Express newspaper, dated some time in 1918.

6 Squadron Aerial photos (before and after) of destructive shoot on an enemy battery near Pastoor Blankistraat prior to the Battle of Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Pastoor Blankestraat The two photographs on Page 27 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 were taken to show the effect of a destructive shoot (before and after photos) on a hostile battery off the Pastoor Blankestraat, Heuvelland, prior to the Battle of Messines, defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 17. C . The first photograph was taken on the 23rd April 1917 and the date of the second was 18th May 1917. The exact location of the battery is at the corner of a field 100 metres east of the house at Pastoor Blanckestraat 2A, GPS coordinates 50°47'25.6"N 2°55'37.3"E.

The Greek Alphabet symbols pertaining to airborne wireless as used by the Royal Air Force in 1918 Royal Air Force 1918 Greek Alphabet Symbols This page is taken from a Royal Flying Corps wireless instruction book and shows the Greek alphabet symbols, used in early airborne wireless.