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In reviewing the hundreds of photographs taken at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery over the past 3+ years (the first batch being taken by staff of the British Embassy in Baghdad during the first visit to the abandoned CWGC cemetery in March 2020), I have been able to identify a further five headstones from fragment photographs, bringing the total number of identifiable headstones to 74. For a complete list with photographs, click HERE . Here are the latest headstones to be identified: AC2 Albert Corkill of the RAF HQ, Iraq who died of Bubonic plague on the 14th May 1922 LAC William Fincham of 55 Squadron RAF, who was found hanged at RAF Hinaidi on the 30th June 1926 LAC William Self of the RAF Aircraft Depot, Iraq, who died of Typhoid fever on the 21st July 1927 AC1 Arthur Fryer of the RAF Aircraft Depot, Iraq, who died of acute Nephritis on the 18th May 1928 Sgt George Garlinge of the RAF Aircraft Depot, Iraq, who died of Septicaemia on the 16th June 1929

I have just completed (3rd February 2024) interactive diagrams of the Habbaniya War Cemetery and Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery which have links to all 290 headstones at Habbaniya and the 71 headstones at Ma'asker (all that remain from the original 300 graves). New headstones were erected at Habbaniya during the restoration of the cemetery in 2018/19 but the headstones at Ma'asker are old and the condition of the headstones range from complete to fragments. I have attached a couple as examples as well as links to the appropriate pages of this website. https://www.stevebusterjohnson.com/habbaniya-cemetery-restoration/habbaniya-burial-locations https://www.stevebusterjohnson.com/hinaidi-cemetery-headstone-photos Headstone of CSM H Jackson at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, Baghdad Headstone of Bombadier W H Green at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, Baghdad Headstone fragments for Sergeant Pilot David Hume of 30 Squadron, buriued at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, Baghdad

When the Iraqi forces lay siege to RAF Habbaniya on the 2nd May 1941 (part of the Battle of Habbaniya), the British were caught unawares. Though they were able to evacuate women and children from the base (some of whom had only recently escaped from Baghdad to the safety of Habbaniya) there was no operational RAF squadron based on the airfield to carry out counter-attacks against the enemy. There was however one RAF unit at Habbaniya, the No 4 Flying Training School RAF, equipped with Mk I Oxfords. The Mk I Airspeed Oxford was a converted civilian aircraft used for training flight crews, equipped with a machine gun turret on the top of the fuselage and capable of dropping practice bombs from the belly of the fuselage. The Oxfords were quickly fitted with machine guns and bomb racks and it was in an Oxford that Flight Sergeant Harold Brattan took part in the Battle of Habbaniya, flying with a gunner who would release eight 20 lb bombs, the maximum weight the aircraft could carry, during day and night raids on enemy positions. Sadly, on the 8th May, two days after the end of the siege, whilst flying at low level on a bombing raid near Ramadi, twenty-one miles west of Habbaniya, Sgt Brattan was struck by a sniper’s bullet and killed. His gunner, AC1 Kenneth Clifton, took control of the aircraft and successfully landed back at RAF Habbaniya at the third attempt. For this, Kenneth Clifton was awarded the DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal). Harold Brattan was buried that day in the RAF Habbaniya War Cemetery, Plot 1 Row G Grave 8. The day after I added photographs of all 290 headstones at RAF Habbaniya to this website, I answered Lynn Brattan's query on the 'Find a Grave' website by adding a photograph of Flt Sgt Brattan's headstone. In reply, Lynn sent me an email explaining her connection to Harold - the content of Lynn's message being " Thank you so much for photo of Harold's gravestone. I will show my mum in law . . . . . . . She briefly went out with Harold and dated Harold just before he died and then dated and married Harold's brother William. " I have attached several photos to this post which add detail to Harold Brattan's death and the bravery of Kenneth Clifton in bringing the aircraft under control and returning to RAF Habbaniya. The first photograph is of Harold Brattan. Note also that the first headstone photo is of the original headstone and the second is of the new headstone that was erected in 2019 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission when the Habbaniya War Cemetery was completely restored. The group photo is of the members of the No: 4 Service Flying Training School, taken in February 1940. Added June 2024 For anyone wanting to read the full story of the Siege of Habbaniya, Richard Chancellor has just informed me of a book entitled "The Big Little War", by James Dunford Wood . Siege of Habbaniya book, 'The Little Big War' The Siege of Habbaniya 1941 - poem written at that time of the battle

I had a query regarding the location of 4 Squadron Royal Air Force during the German Spring Offensive in 1918 and determined that the squadron was based at St Omer between the 16th April and the 18th September 1918. St Omer was the home of the British Air Park between October 1914 and May 1918 as well as many of the Royal Air Forces squadrons from time to time. For the interest of anyone who might wish to visit the actual location occupying the present-day racecourse and aerodrome at St Omer I have produced a set of aerial images of the same area, with photographs taken in 1918 and a satellite image (courtesy of Google Maps) taken in 2024 - see attached image.

Leading Aircraftsman Sidney Ivor Kerslake was serving with the Royal Air Force in No 5 Armoured Car Company at Mosul in Mesopotamia (now part of Northern Iraq) at a time when there was a great argument between the British, Turkey and the Arabs as to whether the city of Mosul should be part of Turkey or remain under the control of the British mandate. At that time, the role of No 5 Armoured Car Company was to assist the RAF in holding back invading Kurdish tribesmen by providing on-the-ground support for the Vickers Vernon troop transport / bombers of 45 and 70 squadron. Attached to this story is a photograph taken at Mosul by Sidney Kerslake of a 45 Squadron Vernon that had been fitted with bomb racks and sights and able to carry 36 bombs instead of 11 passengers. Also attached are two photographs of Sidney, the first in his ‘Mess’ uniform and carrying his dog “Billie”, and the second in his normal tropical working uniform. The last photograph is of the squadron guard room at Mosul.   On the 5th July 1925, only a few days before the British Government was to present its case to have Iraq admitted as a member of the League of Nations, Sidney Kerslake (aged 22) was killed in a road accident whilst travelling in a Lancia Armoured Car of No 5 Armoured Car Company (photo attached of a similar vehicle). Unfortunately the circumstances and outcome of the accident were not recorded. Sidney’s body was transported back to the Armoured Car Group Headquarters at RAF Hinaidi in Baghdad and he was buried with full military honours at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery (name later changed to the Ma’asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery) in Plot 2 Row D Grave 8.   The Ma’asker Al Raschid RAF cemetery has officially been maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Defence (who own the land on which the cemetery is sited) ever since control of RAF Hinaidi was handed over to the Iraqi government in February 1938. For reasons unknown, the cemetery became neglected over the years, so much so that only 71 of the original 300 headstones remain in recognisable condition (click HERE for photographs). Sadly, Sidney Kerslake’s headstone has not survived, though it is most likely his remains have not been disturbed. It is hoped that in the near future work will commence on Stage 2 of the restoration at Ma’asker, so that the body of Sidney Kerslake will again be awarded the honour and respect as it was almost a century ago when he died in the service of his country. My thanks to Claire Connolly for permitting me to post some of the photographs that once belonged to Sidney Kerslake, her grandfather's brother. Claire is the latest person to have contacted me regarding the appalling condition of the Ma'asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. I sincerely hope that I will soon be able to offer more than vague promises whenever I receive queries from the descendants of servicemen and servicewomen whose ancestors lie in unmarked British war graves in Iraq. If you would like to read a more detailed story about Sidney Kerslake, click https://www.stevebusterjohnson.com/lac-sidney-kerslake   For the full history of RAF Hinaidi and the Ma’asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, including the completion of Stage 1 of the restoration project (viz. the construction of a new perimeter wall) and future restoration plans, visit the RAF Hinaidi or Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery  pages on this website.

Thanks to the assistance of fellow researcher Paul McMillan, I have been able to find sufficient evidence to prove that the 'vacant' grave in Plot 3 Row G Grave 2 was in fact the final resting place of AC1 John Maxton Ramsay, who died in the RAF Hospital at Hinaidi on the 17th July 1924 from enteric fever, perforated intestine and general peritonitis, aged 22. At the time he was serving with No 6 Armoured Car Company, based at RAF Hinaidi. Before the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is able to update their records, my findings will have to be ratified by the JCCC (Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre). I have attached to this post photos that support my findings. UPDATE MAY 2024 With no progress made by the CWGC, MoD or JCCC on my submission since April 2023, I spent two weeks of further research to establish beyond doubt that John Ramsay lies in Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, notably his birth certificate, Military Notice of Death and a cemetery photograph that clearly shows a headstone in a plot that is officially "Vacant' but fits the timeline of his death perfectly. I presented my new findings to the CWGC in May 2024 and these were passed on to the MoD and JCCC. More than a month later I still have received no response. For details of my full submission refer to this PAGE on my website.

This photograph was taken by the then Pilot Officer (later Air Commodore) David W F Bonham-Carter from the cockpit of a 6 Squadron Bristol F2B Fighter, showing a second 6 Squadron F2B flying over the yet to be completed RAF Hinaidi cantonment (taken in late 1922 to early 1923). In the bottom right hand corner can be seen some of the aircraft hangars and the north-western corner of the RAF airfield. The centre of Baghdad is in the middle of the photograph where the River Tigris meets the horizon. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of Jim Cownie, grandson of the photographer. Bristol F2B Fighter of 6 Squadron flying over the RAF Hinaidi Cantonment, Baghdad, c1922/23

Peter Arthur Burlton - Head Researcher RAF Habbaniya Association It is with great regret that I have to report the death of Peter Burlton, who for many years was the head historian of the now disbanded RAF Habbaniya Association. In his capacity as a military researcher, Peter spent countless hours at the Public Records Office in Kew and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission headquarters researching the history of the various Royal Air Force bases in Iraq, most notably RAF Habbaniya and RAF Hinaidi. Peter's knowledge and research into the British men and women who died in Iraq and were buried at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (formerly the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery) were invaluable to me in 2018. At that time I had hit a 'brick wall' with bureaucratic obstacles preventing me from determining the reason why this cemetery for British Service personnel had been abandoned by both the Commonwealth War Graves Commission and the British Ministry of Defence, upon whose land the cemetery had been built back in the early nineteen-twenties. I was also finding it difficult to build up a complete list of the 299 (now recognised as being 300) men, women and one baby girl who were buried there. Peter came to the rescue by giving me access to his records as well as persuading the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to provide him with a copy of their records for the Ma'Asker cemetery, which until that time had not been made available to the general public. From this database I was able to research the military service history for most of the men who were buried at Ma'Asker and eventually build up a portfolio of photos and background details from descendants of the dead and others who had served in Iraq and expressed interest in the project. Over the past six years, with the help of Peter and the invaluable assistance and driving force provided by two Defence Attachés at the British Embassy in Baghdad, some progress has been made in restoring the Ma'Asker Cemetery to its former glory. Though Peter did live to see the cemetery emerge from being part of an Iraqi rubbish dump and made secure with a new brick wall constructed around its perimeter in October 2021, it is sad that he will not witness the next and most important phase of restoration, that of re-making and erecting the 300 headstones at Ma'Asker. Though our work has been unofficial and 'behind the scenes' on a voluntary basis, I dearly hope that one day Peter's contribution to the restoration of the British cemeteries at both RAF Habbaniya and RAF Hinaidi will be officially recognised. Rest in Peace Peter. (Refer also to the main story page for Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery )

When the Iraqi forces lay siege to RAF Habbaniya on the 2nd May 1941 (part of the Battle of Habbaniya), the British were caught unawares. Though they were able to evacuate women and children from the base (some of whom had only recently escaped from Baghdad to the safety of Habbaniya) there was no operational RAF squadron based on the airfield to carry out counter-attacks against the enemy. There was however one RAF unit at Habbaniya, the No 4 Flying Training School RAF, equipped with Mk I Oxfords. The Mk I Airspeed Oxford was a converted civilian aircraft used for training flight crews, equipped with a machine gun turret on the top of the fuselage and capable of dropping practice bombs from the belly of the fuselage. The Oxfords were quickly fitted with machine guns and bomb racks and it was in an Oxford that Flight Sergeant Harold Brattan took part in the Battle of Habbaniya, flying with a gunner who would release eight 20 lb bombs, the maximum weight the aircraft could carry, during day and night raids on enemy positions. Sadly, on the 8th May, two days after the end of the siege, whilst flying at low level on a bombing raid near Ramadi, twenty-one miles west of Habbaniya, Sgt Brattan was struck by a sniper’s bullet and killed. His gunner, AC1 Kenneth Clifton, took control of the aircraft and successfully landed back at RAF Habbaniya at the third attempt. For this, Kenneth Clifton was awarded the DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal). Harold Brattan was buried that day in the RAF Habbaniya War Cemetery, Plot 1 Row G Grave 8. The day after I added photographs of all 290 headstones at RAF Habbaniya to this website, I answered Lynn Brattan's query on the 'Find a Grave' website by adding a photograph of Flt Sgt Brattan's headstone. In reply, Lynn sent me an email explaining her connection to Harold - the content of Lynn's message being " Thank you so much for photo of Harold's gravestone. I will show my mum in law . . . . . . . She briefly went out with Harold and dated Harold just before he died and then dated and married Harold's brother William. " I have attached several photos to this post which add detail to Harold Brattan's death and the bravery of Kenneth Clifton in bringing the aircraft under control and returning to RAF Habbaniya. The first photograph is of Harold Brattan. Note also that the first headstone photo is of the original headstone and the second is of the new headstone that was erected in 2019 by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission when the Habbaniya War Cemetery was completely restored. The group photo is of the members of the No: 4 Service Flying Training School, taken in February 1940. Added June 2024 For anyone wanting to read the full story of the Siege of Habbaniya, Richard Chancellor has just informed me of a book entitled "The Big Little War", by James Dunford Wood .

This photograph was taken by the then Pilot Officer (later Air Commodore) David W F Bonham-Carter of several Vickers Vernon transport aircraft of 70 Squadron RAF parked inside the main 70 Squadron hangar at RAF Hinaidi, Baghdad, c1923. The image is reproduced here with the kind permission of Jim Cownie, grandson of the photographer. Vickers Vernon of 70 Squadron at RAF Hinaidi, Baghdad c1923

6 Squadron Hurricanes were  involved in the build-up to Operation ‘Flounced’ as well as the raid itself, both in attacking ground targets on the island of Brac in the Adriatic Sea as well as carrying out sorties against shipping from the squadron’s bases in Italy. However, no casualties were suffered by 6 Squadron during the two days of the actual raid, not on the island nor in the air. As can be seen in the main story on my website , four 6 Squadron pilots lost their lives during the months of May and June in 1944, so they are possible candidates for the memorial to 6 Squadron on Brac. With two of the men who died in known graves, it is more likely that the memorial atop of the highest point on the island is honouring the two 6 Squadron pilots who left Vis on the 23rd May 1944 for a reconnaissance patrol and lost their lives while taking part in the sinking of an enemy ship 160 km NW of Brac but whose bodies were never recovered . Their names were Flying Officer William Tye and Flying Officer John Neville Grey.

With 150 Blog/News items as well as more than 250 pages of information on numerous topics, I have decided to add a 'Search' function to my website. On any page you can type a word or group of words in the 'Search Text . . . . ' box just below the main menu and every occurrence of that text string will be displayed. See attached image for an example of a search for the word 'Basingstoke'.