The location and current images of the abandoned Khanaqin Polish Military Cemetery in the Diyala region of central Iraq, close to the border with Iran. Khanaqin (Polish) War Cemetery This section of my website is under development and will be added progressivley over the next few weeks. In the meantime the following two News posts may be of interest: Location and size of Khanaqin War Cemetery, Diyala, Iraq Surviving headstones at the Khanaqin War Cemetery, Diyala, Iraq Introduction to the Khanaqin War Cemetery The Khanaqin War Cemetery is the final resting place of 545 (five hundred and forty five) soldiers, comprising four hundred and thirty seven (437) who were serving with the Polish forces, one hundred and two (102) with the Indian forces and three (3) Arab Legion fighters. I have attached below an Excel spreadsheet containing the names of each of the men who were buried there. For greater detail on each man buried at Khanaqin, visit the Commonwealth War Graves Commission page for the Khanaqin War Cemetery Memoria l which was erected at the Baghdad (North Gate) War Cemetery, Iraq, in lieu of a monument on the original site at Khanaqin. It should be noted (as far as can be determined without carrying out excavation of the remains or a more simpler method of confirmation using Ground Penetrating Radar) that the row of graves with the headstones broken off at the base indicate that the bodies of the fallen remain in situ and undisturbed. Khanaqin_Burial_Names.xlsx The History of the Khanaqin War Cemetery Location The cemetery is located This section of my website is under development and will be updated gradually over time The Current State of Khanaqin War Cemetery This section of my website is under development and will be updated gradually over time Khanaqin War Cemetery Today The current condition of the Khanaqin War Cemetery is worse than the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, with no perimeter walls, no standing headstones or even fragments of headstones anywhere on the site. The only visible markings that differentiate the cemetery grounds from the surrounding barren landscape are a row of headstone bases and a small fenced monument standing in the middle of the cemetery grounds. I do not have any details as to what, if anything, is written on the monument / memorial but it is hoped that in the near future it will be possible for the British Defence Attaché to Iraq to visit this cemetery as well as the other allied military cemeteries in Iraq and make a record of anything that remains today of the original Khanaqin cemetery.

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, the role it played in Italy during WW2 in 1944, 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. RAF Hinaidi, Baghdad, IRAQ 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/JCCC 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. Twelve months later in January 2025, costings were finally determined for the next stage of restoration, including flood mitigation works and the erection of a small temporary memorial. On the 1st March 2025 I was informed by the Area Director Africa and Asia at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission that: " . . . In relation to the ongoing preparation work for Ma’Asker we have made some progress. Developing the proposal for the next phase of renovation took a little longer than anticipated, however, a proposal has been sent to the MoD this week for their review, and we now await their response" On the 23rd May 2025 I received an update informing me that the MoD has approved the proposal and that quotes are being sought from local (Iraqi) contractors for the flood mitigation ground works and that it is hoped said works will be completed by the end of this summer. I'll update my home page as and when I receive further news on the restoration project. On another matter pertaining to the burials at Ma'Asker, 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. After a further nine months, I was relieved to receive 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 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 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 is the 300th grave at Ma'Asker. I have added my latest research to the Ramsay page on my website. 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 of the 290 people buried there, including the location and a photograph of every individual grave, not available on any other website or able to be obtained from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Click HERE to be directed to the section on Habbaniyah. 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 archives. Khanaqin War Cemetery The section of my website for the Khanaqin War Cemetery is under development and should be completed in May 2025. 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 . Steve ' Bus ter' Johnson New South Wales, AUSTRALIA CONTACT ME My Books To play, press and hold the enter key. To stop, release the enter key. Updated 30th May 2025 Recent News / Blog Topics Habbaniya War Cemetery - Plot 6 0 Habbaniya War Cemetery - Plot 5 0 Habbaniya War Cemetery - Plot 4 0 Habbaniya War Cemetery - Plot 3 3 Habbaniya War Cemetery Photos - Plot 2 2 Habbaniya War Cemetery Photos - Plot 1 10 Khanaqin War Cemetery - Location and Dimensions 16 Three Remaining Headstones at Khanaqin War Cemetery, Iraq 20 Old Map of Basingstoke Town and Waterways 28 6 Squadron Vampires at RAF Shaibah, Iraq 38 HM Troopship Dorsetshire 1927 18 Crash of 6 Squadron BE2d March 1917 8

Satellite image showing the location of the WW1 Royal Air Force Flowerdown facility and the nearby airfield at RAF Worthy Down, Winchester, UK RAF Flowerdown, located three miles north-west of Winchester just off the Stockbridge Road, was used for many purposes during WW1 and in the 'inter-war' years. It was however never used as an airfield, with the nearby RAF Worthy Down having more room to accommodate an airfield. Shown below is a satellite image of the Winchester region, with the sites of RAF Flowerdown and RAF Worthy Down shaded in yellow. No. 1(T) Wireless School, Flowerdown (a brief history) At the start of WW1, training of Royal Flying Corps personnel in the operation and repair of wireless transmitters and receivers was initially the realm of No. 9 (Wireless) Squadron, a squadron formed at St Omer in December 1914 from the HQ Wireless Unit. The squadron’s main aim was to provide instruction in the field and also to fly with other RFC squadrons to provide communication with allied forces on the ground. In April 1915, No. 9 Squadron was disbanded in France and re-formed in England at Brooklands to concentrate its training of RFC personnel at a single location. Before the end of 1915, No. 9 Squadron moved its operation to the Town Hall in South Farnborough, where it became known as the School for Wireless Operators. Twelve months later, in December 1916, The School for Wireless Operators moved once more, this time to the Blenheim Barracks, South Farnborough. The School for Wireless Operators grew rapidly and in March 1917 it ceased to be part of the Recruits Depot and became a Park under the Administrative Wing, with a greatly enlarged air training section. By this time there were a number of other “Wireless Schools” operating in the UK, the (Upper) Regents Street Polytechnic, Marconi House, Earls Court and Clapham, all in London. In October 1917, it was decided to concentrate all wireless training at Farnborough by amalgamating the Farnborough-based school with other training establishments, including the Wireless Officers and Wireless Mechanics Schools from Brooklands and also the Corps Squadron Operators School. The Farnborough training facility was soon ‘bursting at the seams’, occupying the whole of the Blenheim Barracks as well as the South Farnborough Town Hall and it was soon necessary for personnel to be accommodated in tents. With no way of expanding the existing facilities at Farnborough, it was decided to build a new school at Flowerdown, near Winchester. Construction commenced in October 1917 and the school, to be designated the No.1 (Training) Wireless School, was completed in less than twelve months, opening in August 1918. Fourteen wireless-equipped aircraft were brought in to assist with the practical side of wireless training, though these aircraft would be based and operate from the nearby airfield at RAF Worthy Down. The significant increase in courses and Royal Flying Corps men to be trained created a huge shortage of qualified instructors. In order to keep up with demand, many appropriately qualified officers and ‘other ranks’ returning from active duty on the Western Front (many through injuries that precluded them from returning to the Front) were invited to leave their squadrons and become wireless instructors at Flowerdown. My grandfather was employed as a wireless instructor, initially at Farnborough in early February 1918 and then later at Flowerdown until he was demobbed on the 24th January 1919. Though he married my grandmother shortly after he was declared medically unfit to return to France in late January 1918, he was not allowed to have her live with him at Farnborough/Flowerdown and had to obtain weekend passes in order to catch a train home to Basingstoke until he was demobbed in 1919. Incidentally my mother was born in June 1919, conceived on one of my grandfather’s weekend breaks from wireless instructrion! At 7:15 pm on the evening of 14th August 1918, (either at Farnborough or Flowerdown during the construction process when it still had an emergency landing strip ), my grandfather was in charge of a working party and happened to cross the 'straight' (landing area) without noticing that a BE2e (Serial C6943) was coming in to land. The lower wing struck him in the back and knocked him out. Fortunately he suffered only minor injuries, but my grandmother never allowed him to forget the fact that he had survived serving on the Western Front unscathed but had been injured on home soil due to his carelessness! As soon as the Farnborough training facility had been moved to Flowerdown in August 1918, the Brooklands workshops were also transferred there, as was the RNAS Wireless School for Operators, with the long-term plan that anyone involved in aerial work would be transferred to Worthy Down by the end of March 1919. Flowerdown and Worthy Down became respectively the centres for ground and air training of Wireless Operators as well as all aircraft involved in wireless training (the existing training flight supplemented by three Handley Page bombers). As the year progressed, more and more instructors left Flowerdown, as most had signed up for the “duration of the war” and were anxious to be released from the Royal Air Force. For a time In 1919, Flowerdown was also used as a demobilisation / repatriation Centre for RAF Officers from Canada, South Africa and other Commonwealth countries. The establishment continued to grow, with additional dugouts constructed for the housing of MK III* crystal receivers completed in June 1919. The aircraft used at that time for training purposes were two-seaters, the Bristol F2B Fighter fitted with Stirling spark transmitters and the Avro 504K. In July 1919, the No. 1(T) Wireless School, Flowerdown was renamed the Electrical and Wireless School. Royal Air Force Flowerdown Facility, Winchester, UK

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 .

A 'Man of Many Letters' is an ADHD self help guide to living with ADHD, OCD and ODD without resorting to medication, written by Steve Buster Johnson who has used these conditions to his advantage for more than seventy years. In many ways this book is an autobiography. A Man of Many Letters - ADHD Self Help A Man of Many Letters, an ADHD self help guide to living with ADHD, OCD and ODD was a most challenging writing project as it required me to re-live many childhood events that I would rather not have remembered. With the ever-increasing number of children and adults diagnosed with brain disorders, I thought it would be useful to write a self-help guide for sufferers and families alike, told by someone who has lived and achieved during a long life with a blend of several of these disorders. The aim of the book is to write of my experiences since I was a boy, detailing how the conditions affected me and how over time I succeeded in re-engineering the way I thought and lived my life, all without the benefit of being able to discuss my problems with anyone, especially as I did my best to hide that anything was wrong. Not only was I eventually able to come to terms with each condition, I also discovered ways of harnessing the advantages associated with a high-functioning but difficult to control brain, all w ithout any form of counselling or having to resort to the taking of medication . In this day and age where the importance of being "diagnosed" and being placed on a lifetime of medication seems to be paramount, having spoken at several ADHD Support Groups since publishing my book, I have come to terms with the fact that my book may only be of practical use to a small percentage of readers. But, if it helps but one person in a thousand, the project has been worthwhile. In the words of leading child psychologist Peter Evans MBBS FRANZCP, who wrote the Foreword for my book, "If you or someone you love are living with ADHD or OCD, I am sure this book will illuminate your own journey and help make what can be a difficult path that much more easy to navigate." Copies of A Man of Many Letters can be purchased on-line through the publisher Feed-a-Read or any of the larger on-line book stores.

Shown under this menu selection are 86 aerial photos taken by 6 Squadron of the Messines area before and after the Battle of Messines in June 1917 and printed by the No 2 Advanced Section Army Printing and Stationery Service - otherwise known as AP&SS Battle of Messines - Aerial Reconnaissance Photos by 6 Squadron Royal Air Force This menu item and the following 43 pages show the contents of an aerial dossier produced by 6 Squadron as part of its operations during WW1 over the Western Front. The photographic images (two to a page) show the effect of the allied bombardment before and after the Battle of Messines in June 1917 when the allies exploded 19 mines beneath the German lines on the ridge around Messines. Each of the 86 photographs is marked with a date and time stamp as well as mapping coordinates. In late 2016, David Weekes kindly sent me part of his WW1 photographic collection from the UK so that I could use the photographs in my own personal research as well as help others gain knowledge regarding aerial warfare and photography on the western front during WW1. He also expressed the desire that the documents eventually be donated to the British National Archives. To date I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to have the 6 Squadron "The Battle of Messines" aerial photograph dossier, printed by the No 2 Advanced Section A P & S S - Army Printing and Stationery Services - included in the AIR 1 collection alongside other 6 Squadron documentation that has survived the test of time, the sole reason given to me being the fact that the document has never been processed by the Air Historical Branch. Rather than deny others access to these important historical photographs that provide a direct comparison of the landscape of the region around Messines before and after the British attack on the German positions on the morning of 7th June 1917, For anyone unfamiliar with the military gridding system used by the Allies during WW1, I have reproduced two images here, the first taken from my book, For God, England and Ethel (showing the coordinates of two artillery 'shoots' carried out by 6 Squadron aircraft) and the second a summary of the areas of the Western Front around Ypres and Messines that are covered by one or more of the 86 photographs. For anyone interested in seeing 'then' and 'now' photographs of the area around Palingbeek, I recommend you visit Hugh Shipman's website The Palingbeek Time Machine . Battle of Messines - 6 Sqn Aerial Photos Summary Chart

The death of Leading Aircraftsman Sidney Ivor Kerslake of No 5 Armoured car Company was from a tragic accident in a British Armoured Car near Mosul in Northern Iraq in July 1925. The Death of LAC Sidney Kerslake, No 5 RAF Armoured Car Company Leading Aircraftsman Sidney Ivor Kerslake was serving with the Royal Air Force in 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. By December 1924, British troops had finally suppressed the Kurdish rebellion, though there remained outbreaks of hostility along the border in the north of Iraq. The role of No 5 Armoured Car Company at that time was to assist the Royal Air Force and British Army in holding back invading Kurdish tribesmen by providing on-the-ground support for the Vickers Vernon troop transport aircraft of 70 squadron and the Vernon bombers of 45 Squadron. The photograph immediately below the two images of Sidney Kerslake was taken by Sidney at RAF Mosul in 1923, and shows a 45 Squadron Vernon that had been fitted with bomb racks so that it could carry 36 bombs instead of the normal load of 11 passengers. The two photographs of Sidney show him wearing his ‘Mess’ uniform and carrying his dog “Billie” and also dressed for duty in his normal tropical working uniform. The Squadron Guard Room at RAF Mosul, photo taken by Sidney Kerslake in 1923 and also a Lancia 1ZM armoured car (though not one belonging to No: 5 Armoured Car Company). On the 5th July 1925, only two weeks after a change of government in Iraq, Sidney Kerslake (aged 22) was killed in an accident near Baiji, 85 miles south of Mosul. The Lancia Armoured Car 1ZM in which he was travelling burst a front tyre, causing the vehicle to roll over. This was not an uncommon type of accident in Iraq as the heavy armour plating on armoured cars made them top-heavy, especially in the event of a puncture on a sandy and unstable surface. Instead of being returned to RAF Mosul for burial, Sidney’s body was taken 170 miles south to the Armoured Car Group HQ at RAF Hinaidi in the southern suburbs of Baghdad and 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 news of Sidney's death was processed through the normal channels of the Air Ministry, but unfortunately did not reach his parents until late September, six weeks after the fatal accident. The reason for the delay was because Sidney's grandmother had been noted in Sidney's RAF Service Record as his 'next-of-kin' and it was therefore she who was notified of Sidney's death by the Air Ministry's main office in Adastral House, Kingsway, London (a building that would later have its name changed to Television House, home to Associated Rediffusion, ITN and ITV). To complicate matters, a second letter was sent to Sidney's grandmother, this time from the Air Ministry's Accounts Department in Whittington Road, Worcester, asking her to fill out the attached "Air Ministry Form 531"; a document that would prove she was indeed Sidney's next-of-kin and therefore be the beneficiary of Sidney's Service Estate. Copied below is a typical letter sent from the Air Ministry Accounts Department when processing the estate of deceased service personnel. As Sidney's grandmother was not in a position to claim she was next-of-kin, a copy of the request letter was posted to Sidney's father, the Air Ministry's Accounts department assuming in error that Sidney's parents had already been notified of Sidney's death. It was only after Sidney's father contacted the Air Ministry in London, that an official letter was written to the family on the 19th September 1925 confirming Sidney's death (see below). 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) since control of RAF Hinaidi was handed over to the Iraqi government in February 1938, but for reasons not yet apparent, the cemetery became neglected over the years. Today, only 71 of the original 300 headstones remain in recognisable condition (click HERE for photographs of the 71 headstones). Sadly, Sidney Kerslake’s headstone is not one of those that has survived and the area of the cemetery where his grave is located was until 2021 used as an access road for Iraqi lorries. However, after superficial examination by the contractors who built the new wall in October 2021, it appears likely that Sidney's remains have not been disturbed. It is hoped that in the near future work will re-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 whilst in the service of his country. My thanks to Claire Connolly for permitting me to post some of the photographs that belonged to Sidney Kerslake, her grandfather's brother. Claire is the latest person to have contacted me regarding a family member who died in Iraq and now lies buried in the abandoned Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. I hope that I will soon be able to offer more than empty promises when I receive queries from other descendants of servicemen and servicewomen whose bodies lie in unmarked British war graves in Iraq. 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. During Sidney Kerslake's service life he had seen action in Turkey and Iraq, being awarded three General Service Medals (GSM), one for the uprising in Constantinople, another for action in Kurdistan and a third for a disturbance in Sumer, southern Iraq - see newspaper cutting below that reports on his death.

This page provides a brief biography of Flight Sergeant Ernest Handley, 6 Squadron Royal Flying Corps, using WW1 service record information and many other sources Flight Sergeant Ernest Handley - 6 Squadron Royal Air Force In 2016, I received an email from a WW1 researcher who lives at Alton Downs in Queensland, informing me of the surprising fact that a local man apparently flew with 6 Squadron during WW1. Up until that time, I was unaware of any 6 Squadron pilot who originated from Australia. In her email, Gloria Kelley told me she was looking into the wartime service details of the forty-eight soldiers whose names were on the Alton Downs War Memorial. When researching the background of the ten local soldiers who never made it back home after the Great War, she discovered that one of them was in fact a Royal Flying Corps pilot who served with 6 Squadron for eight months before being killed in a flying accident in England. After pooling our resources, Gloria and I were able to piece together the brief service life of Sergeant Ernest Handley. In the course of this investigation, I also came to the surprise conclusion that Ernest Handley would have known and worked with my grandfather (Fred Johnstone) during his time with 6 Squadron’s Wireless Flight. Here is the story of one of Australia’s early wartime aviators (see also my NEWS story about him). Ernest Handley was one of Australia’s first wartime aviators. In 1915, twenty-one-year-old Ernest was living in Brisbane. He became a member of the Queensland Volunteer Flying Civilians, an organisation formed by barrister Thomas Macleod to train civilians as aviators prior to them signing up for active service. Note: Though the Australian Flying Corps was formed in 1912, no flight training took place until 1914. In mid 1915, the AFC had several types of aircraft on charge under the name “Mesopotamia Half Flight”, operating in what is today’s Iraq. However, losses proved to be so great that the MHF was disbanded in December 1915, less than six months after it was formed. Despite this setback, 1 Squadron AFC was raised at Point Cook in January 1916 in response to a British request for Australia to raise a full squadron to serve as part of the Royal Flying Corps. Whether Thomas McLeod and his band of aviators would have been able to join the AFC had they remained in Australia instead of sailing to England, is a moot point. Ernest, along with several other members, helped Thomas Macleod build the first flying machine in Queensland, a French Caudron bi-plane reconstructed to incorporate a full-length fuselage, the work being carried out inside a Brisbane church hall. After learning all aspects of aircraft construction, Ernest was taught to fly the completed aircraft. On the 28th December 1915, Thomas McLeod travelled to England with Ernest and six other newly-trained pilots with the intention of enlisting in the Royal Flying Corps. They were following in the footsteps of two other members of the QVFC who left for England three months earlier. Upon his arrival in England on the 26th February 1916, Ernest Handley enlisted in the Royal Flying Corps, stating his skills as ‘Aviator for Miscellaneous’ on a Short Service Attestation form at South Farnborough before being given the rank of 2nd Class Air Mechanic. Two months later, Ernest gained his Royal Aero Club Aviators’ Certificate and after a further two months of training, was shipped overseas as a pilot and posted to 6 Squadron as a 1st Class Flyer on the 21st June 1916. Assigned to the Wireless Flight, Ernest was one of only a few pilots in the Royal Flying Corps who didn’t hold a commission and the first of several who would serve with 6 Squadron over the next two and a half years. A member of the ‘other ranks’, he was not permitted to enter the Officers’ Mess and was obliged to mess and bunk with his peers. This strictly-enforced directive made it difficult for Ernest to liaise with his fellow pilots on operational matters, nor plan missions with his observer, who almost certainly would have been an officer. At about the same time that Ernest Handley joined 6 Squadron, Thomas MacLeod, who was already a 2nd lieutenant pilot serving on the Western Front, wrote to the Brisbane Courier to provide its readers with an update as to how the members of the QVFC were faring in Europe. Macleod reported that of the nine men who left for England in 1915, five had already been offered commissions in the Royal Flying Corps and that all but one of them had been accepted for pilot training. In what appears to have been an unusual decision on the part of the RFC, and probably due to the volunteers’ previous flying experience in Australia, Ernest Handley and the three other men who were not offered commissions were listed as aviator-mechanics. One of them, Valdemar Rendle, was the man who taught Ernest to fly in Australia. Note: Valdemar Rendle quickly rose to the rank of Sergeant Pilot after being posted to the Western Front, before being offered a commission as a lieutenant and appointed acting flight commander. Thomas Macleod was promoted from lieutenant to captain by the end of 1916 (with a brief period OC 13 squadron) and was demobilised in 1919 holding the rank of major. It is interesting to note that only three of the original nine QVFC volunteers were killed during WW1. Ernest Handley quickly settled into his role as pilot with 6 Squadron, flying a two-seater BE2d (one of the first of its type to be received by the squadron) on artillery observation missions that required the use of a wireless set for transmitting messages, as well as several bombing missions. The increased capabilities of the BE2d over the ageing BE2c gave it an endurance of close to four and a half hours, bringing distant strategic targets within range for the first time in the war. On the 2nd August 1916, Ernest took part in a daring long-range combined bombing raid involving aircraft from five squadrons. It was a dangerous mission that would earn him the Croix de Guerre medal, though this honour was not gazetted until May 1917. The target for the mission was the Zeppelin storage facility in Brussels, at the extreme range of even the BE2d, especially as each aircraft was required to carry two 112lb bombs. Unable to take an observer because of severe weight limitations, each pilot had to fly alone with no-one to help with the navigation or defending the aircraft. Despite several mishaps along the way, the mission was a success, with Ernest Handley dropping both of his bombs from 3,000 feet on to the Zeppelin shed at Etterbeek, causing significant damage. After re-grouping to the west of Brussels at Strythem, the BE2s flew home under the protection of two separate sets of escort fighters (one of the FE2b escort fighters was flown by the then Sergeant James McCudden) and landed safely at their respective aerodromes with almost empty fuel tanks. The planning and execution of where and when the escort fighters would intercept the returning bombing force was finely calculated, leaving little to chance, but the plan worked. Note: For anyone wishing to know more details of this mission, please send me a message via the Contact page of this website. Though Ernest Handley remained with 6 Squadron for a further six months, there is nothing in the official records that details the rest of his time with the squadron, other than a forced landing he made on the 9th August 1916 after the engine failed on his BE2d while he was out testing the wireless with Lt W S Wright accompanying him as observer. Neither man was injured in the accident. In February 1917, Ernest was posted back to England as an instructor with the Wireless and Observation School at Brooklands Aerodrome in Surrey. According to an interview he had at that time with a London-based journalist from the Townsville Daily Bulletin, Ernest had every intention of returning to the Front. However, on the 20th August 1917, whilst piloting an RE8 on a training flight with his student 2nd Lt H S Jordan, the wings of the aircraft collapsed in mid-air and it crashed, killing both men instantly. As it was impracticable to send Ernest’s remains back to Australia, his body was transported two hundred miles north to the tiny village of North Coats, near Grimsby, and buried in the churchyard of St Nicholas. Ernest Handley’s grave is the only Royal Flying Corps grave in the cemetery at St Nicholas, though the headstone was carved in the same fashion as for any other Royal Flying Corps grave across the World (the photograph shown on this page was kindly provided by Brian Stafford, a resident of the North Coates region) . North Coates was the birthplace of Ernest’s father, who died in 1906 of appendicitis at his home in Alton Downs, Queensland, but there were distant relatives of the Handley family still living in North Coates. The following month, Ernest Handley’s name was posthumously transferred to the Australian Imperial Force, but due to bureaucratic delays between the governments of England and Australia, it wasn’t until January 1919 that Ernest’s personal effects were returned to his mother in Australia. In a cruel twist of fate, Ernest was killed only six months after his step-father died of natural causes. As a poignant post-script to this story, there is no mention of Sergeant Ernest Handley on the Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour because he was not officially listed with the AIF (Australian Imperial Force) until after his death. Nor is his name listed on any British Memorial. Ernest isn’t recognised on the 6 Squadron Roll of Honour either, as his death occurred six months after he left the squadron. All that remains today in Alton Downs to remind locals of the ultimate sacrifice that Ernest Handley made more than a century ago, is the simple inscription E HANDLEY on the front of a small marble WW1 memorial that stands in the middle of an isolated paddock next to the Alton Downs Community Hall in Queensland, Australia.

A brief history of No 1 Armoured Car Company RAF, from 1915 to 1932, when it supported the Royal Air Force bases in Mesopotamia No 1 Armoured Car Company RAF Page 9 of "An Introduction to Iraq" provides a brief history of the No 1 Armoured Car Company, from 1915 when it was employed in fighting against the Turks in Mesopotamia in the Battle of Ctesiphon to 1935 when it was supporting the Royal Air Force in defending its landing grounds and bases as well as long distance reconnaissance. At the time of publication (August 1935) the commanding officer of the No 1 Armoured Car Company was Squadron Leader (later Group Captain) Ronald S Sugden, CBE, AFC. For more details on the formation of Nos 3, 4, 5 and 6 RAF Armoured Car Companies, please click HERE .

Aerial photos of Dammstrasse and Pheasant Wood, one taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the attack on Messines and the other 1 day after the 19 mines were detonated 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Dammstrasse / Pheasant Wood The two photographs on Page 19 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 over Dammstrasse and Pheasant Wood, as defined by mapping coordinates 28. O. 9. D and 28. O. 9. B . The first photograph was taken on the 22nd March 1917 and the second on the 8th June 1917, 1 day after 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines

Two 6 Squadron aerial photos taken of the same section of the Ypres-Comines canal, the first prior to the bombardment and the second 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.

Schematic and notes for aircraft transmitter Type W as used in 1918 by my gradfather RAF 1918 Aircraft Type W Transmitter This page of the Royal Flying Corps book shows a schematic and description of the aircraft Type W transmitter, as used by my grandfather in 1918 during WW1 when he was teaching airborne wireless to RFC / RAF trainees.

Satellite image showing the current state of the abandoned Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, Baghdad, formerly the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery and a location map with cemetery dimensions Ma'Asker / Hinaidi Old Burial Photos The Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery (now known as Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery) has long been abandoned and has to date seemed to have 'fallen between the cracks' with regards the Commonwealth War Graves Commission maintenance of the headstones and the security of the site. I have been contacted by more than one hundred direct descendants and distant relatives of those buried at Ma'Asker who were interested in finding out more about their forbears' service in Iraq, but only a handful of people possessed any photographs or documentation that had survived the last one hundred years. Most of the photos were of very poor quality but there were a few that I thought would add to the story of what went on at RAF Hinaidi and I have included them below. The first two photographs were taken from the south-eastern corner of Plot 3 looking towards the north-western corner of the cemetery. The first was taken in c1935 and the second in 2020 before the new cemetery wall was built. My thanks to Bill Palmer of the 55 Squadron RAF Association for giving me permission to use the 1935 photograph which he found in the 55 Squadron Association's photographic archive. It should be noted that 55 Squadron suffered more than any other RAF squadron in the deaths at Hinaidi, with a total of 25 burials. For more information on 55 (Bomber) Squadron, take a look at its excellent website . Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (formerly Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery) c1935 Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (formerly Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery) 2020 Headstone of LAC Robert Raw (Aircraft Depot Iraq) Cliff Thornton kindly sent me a photograph of the headstone for LAC Robert Raw's grave, Plot 2, Row A, Grave 3. The photograph of the headstone was taken shortly after Raw was buried (2nd June 1935) and is looking west with Plot 1 in the background. Note that the unused grave (Plot 1, Row D, Grave 3) is evident by the lack of a headstone immediately behind Raw's grave. Note also the cracked state of the cemetery ground and lack of foliage, showing that the cemetery had recently been flooded. I've added a photograph of the wreath placed on Raw's grave and the badge given to him when he undertook his apprenticeship training at the Technical Training School at RAF Halton. Buried at Mosul Cemetery Prior to Being Moved to Hinaidi Bill Palmer also sent me a photograph that he received as part of an enquiry to the 55 RAF Squadron Association. At first glance it appeared to be showing the final resting place of a 55 Squadron sergeant/pilot and an aircraftman from 6 Squadron at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery. Upon further examination, especially as the headstones for the two graves were side by side though the men were killed nine months apart, I realised that this was not a photograph of Hinaidi, but of the RAF Cemetery at Mosul. Sergeant/Pilot Charles Dicks of 55 Squadron was killed taking off from Mosul whilst conducting the regular mail run between Mosul and Baghdad in DH9A Serial No: 9911 on the morning of 27th July 1924. AC2 Edward Barber was the observer in a 6 Squadron DH9A Serial No: 4961 on the 18th April 1925 when the aircraft exploded in mid-air during a bombing raid near Mosul due to a petrol leak. Barber and his pilot Flying Officer Rupert Pontifex of 6 Squadron were both killed. The three men were initially buried at Mosul but their bodies were exhumed at a later date and re-buried at Hinaidi. Though the photograph below only shows details of two men, it is highly likely that the partially visible third headstone is for FO Rupert Pontifex. Headstone of LAC William Bartlett (6 Armoured Car Company) Peter Reichelt recently contacted me regarding a photograph he found in his father's collection - a snapshot taken in the nineteen-twenties, while the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery (later renamed the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery) was still part of the RAF Hinaidi Cantonment, under the protection of the Royal Air Force. The men standing behind Willian Bartlett's headstone (Plot 3 Row H Grave 4) are dressed in the uniform of the RAF Armoured Car Companies. On the right in the photograph is the headstone of Flying Officer Ellis Reid of 1 Squadron RAF (Plot 3 Row H Grave 5) and the headstone on the left is for Alexander Noble (Plot 3 Row H Grave 3), a private in the Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment. Peter has kindly permitted me to reproduce the photograph here. To see the exact location of each of these graves, please click HERE to see a diagram of the cemetery. Funeral and Headstone for AC1 David Oldfield, RAF Aircraft Depot, Baghdad It is not clear how Aircraftsman First Class David Oldfield died on the 20th August 1930, though it was most certainly due to a disease or illness that was contracted whilst he was serving with the Royal Air Force Aircraft Depot in Baghdad. In looking at the burials at Ma'Asker around that time, apart from aircraft flying accidents, the causes of death included Malaria, acute Appendicitis, Typhoid, Septicaemia, Heatstroke and Sandfly fever. Living conditions on the base at RAF Hinaidi were extremely difficult, mainly due to the hot and unforgiving climate. The photographs for AC1 Oldfield's funeral were sent to me by his great nephew Kevin Godward who kindly gave me permission to include them on my website. The grave location is Plot 1 Row B Grave 11. The partially obscured headstone to the right (Plot 1 Row B Grave 12) in the first photograph is for Corporal Lucius (Lucian on CWGC records) Anderson of the Royal Air Force Fire Station Section 8 who died on the 8th August 1930 from sandfly fever leading to heat hyperpyrexia. The headstones in the background are for a baby girl Phoebe Marks (Plot 1 Row A Grave 11) and Sergeant George Garlinge (Plot 1 Row A Grave 12) of the RAF Aircraft Depot, who died of Septicaemia. Note the vacant grave location at Plot 1 Row A Grave 13. Though the dates of death for the burials in Plot 1 Row A Grave 14 and Plot 1 Row A Grave 12 were in April and June 1929 respectively, this plot remained unused for the life of the cemetery, as were Plot 1 Row D Grave 3, Plot 2 Row B Grave 1 and Plot 3 Row N Grave 8. To this day, no reason has ever been determined for the three vacant plots Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery (formerly Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery) c1923 The photograph below was taken from the north-western corner of Plot 3, with the camera focussed on the grave of Flying Officer Lionel Hooton (Plot 3 Row A Grave 9) and pointing in a south-easterly direction towards the southern perimeter fence, just in from of the raised bund. The graves in the photograph are of Plot 3, with only Rows A through F used. This would date the photograph early in the use of the cemetery, namely the latter part of 1923 (refer to Grave Sequence / Breakdown for more details). Note the non-standard headstones for Rows A and B, with burials in Row dating from July 1922 to October 1922. F/O Hooton was one of twenty Royal Air Force pilots buried at Ma'Asker who were WW1 veterans, representing over the years forty RAF squadrons. Four of the pilots were official wartime flying 'aces' and many had been decorated for bravery and courageous acts during the Great War. I have added some of the grave numbers on the photograph below which can be cross-referenced with the other charts and diagrams on this website. Two of the headstones can be seen in later photographs (also included on my website in the Ma'Asker RAF Cemetery pages): 1. Private Barnabus Brown Plot 3 Row B Grave 4 - this headstone survives to this day, though it has been damaged over the years. It is one of the few headstones for which a recent photograph has been taken, though it is hoped that more photographs will become available once restoration work has commenced on the site. Click here to see the image. 2. Private Andrew Rae Plot 3 Row E Grave 1 - this headstone can be seen in the photograph further up this page showing the funeral procession for AC1 David Oldfield, who died in August 1930. Note how much had been achieved regarding the standardisation of headstones and the beautification of the cemetery in the 7 years since the first photograph was taken. Note also that all of the grave allocations in Plot 3 had been filled by February 1929. Funeral of Sqn Ldr Jasper Cruickshank, Officer Commanding No: 6 Armoured Car Company This photograph was taken on the 20th February 1925 at the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery and shows the burial service for Squadron Leader Jasper W Cruickshank, the Commanding Officer of the No: 6 Armoured Car Company, who died from Typhoid and was buried in Plot 3 Row I Grave 14. In the foreground of the photograph, two black crosses (X) mark the grave of another member of the No: 6 Armoured Car Company, LAC John Bliss, who died of shock on the 7th October 1924 after receiving multiple burns and was buried in Plot 3 Row H Grave 7. Note that a headstone has yet to be erected on the grave next to LAC John Bliss, Plot 3 Row H Grave 6, despite the fact that Private Harry Rankin of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers died on the 12th November 1924. This photograph was taken from the southern end of the as yet unused Plot 3 Row I, looking towards the northern perimeter of the cemetery. Funeral of Sir Gilbert Clayton - High Commissioner to Iraq in 1929 Sir Gilbert Clayton The photographs below were sent to me by Sian Sumners, grand daughter of Wing Commander Philip Harry Perkins, who served as a pilot in WW1 and after the war served as a doctor at RAF Hinaidi. He was a keen photographer in his spare time and took many photos, including these of the funeral for Brigadier General Sir Gilbert Falkingham Clayton KCMG KBE CB, who was the High Commissioner to Iraq at the time of his death in September 1929. These images are remarkable in that they show the thousands of Iraqis who lined the road leading to the RAF Hinaidi Cemetery (Ma'Asker Al Raschid), such was the respect they had for Sir Gilbert, a man who was instrumental in putting the country of Iraq on the map. Though the main part of the headstone/monument has been destroyed the base remains in situ over Sir Gilbert's grave, located mid-way between Plot 1 and Plot 2. In the background of the third photograph can be seen the headstones of Plot 3, with the crowd of spectators standing in the unused eastern section of the cemetery and the yet-to-be-used Plot 2. Funeral of LAC Ernest Guy Rosevaere - Armoured Car Coy HQ Leading Aircraftsman Ernest Guy Rosevaere (the personal driver of Wg Cdr Primrose, who commanded the Armoured Car Companies when they were set up in Baghdad in late 1922) died only two weeks after his arrival in Baghdad and was buried at the Ma'Asker cemetery at RAF Hinaidi in Plot 3 Row D Grave 14. For the complete story, click HERE . Death of Leonard Marks, Electrician and Father to Phoebe Marks Anchor 1 Over the past few months I have had several conversations with Ron Workman and Lucille Mole (the children of Dorothy Marks, Leonard Marks’ second daughter) and they have kindly provided me with family photographs and details as to the movements of the Marks family before and after the deaths of their grandfather Leonard Marks and his first-born child Phoebe, both of whom were buried in the Ma’Asker al Raschid RAF cemetery. Ron and Lucille are very keen to see the cemetery restored and have offered to pay for new headstones for both Phoebe and Leonard Marks if that proves to be possible. Leonard Marks and his brother Frank were born in Fremantle during the time their British parents were working in Australia (their father was a doctor, their mother a senior nurse). In their late teens (c 1923) Leonard and his elder brother Frank took jobs in Baghdad at RAF Hinaidi working for the Royal Air Force in the Works and Building Dept, with Frank already a seasoned oil driller. Leonard was an electrician and he lived off-base in rented accommodation in Old Baghdad where he became friends with Rosemarie Hannah (known as Marie) whose grandmother owned the building in which they were both living. Leonard and Marie were married in Baghdad at the beginning of 1928, when RAF Hinaidi was the centre of operations for all British Forces (Army, Navy and Air Force) in Mesopotamia, present day Iraq. Leonard moved in with Marie and commuted to work at RAF Hinaidi by motorcycle. Marie gave birth to their first child, Phoebe, on the 6th November 1928. Sadly, Phoebe died on the 17th July 1929 when she was only eight months old and she was buried in the Hinaidi cemetery, Plot 1, Row A Grave 11, located in the south-western corner of the RAF Hinaidi cantonment. At that time the cemetery was named the Hinaidi RAF (Peace ) Cemetery but the name was later changed to the Ma’Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. The cause of Phoebe’s death remains unknown, as no death certificate has been found despite extensive research. Marie was already six months pregnant at the time of Phoebe’s death and gave birth to her second daughter Dorothy in October 1929. Three and a half years later, in May 1934, Marie gave birth to her third daughter, who she named Leonora. On the morning of the 11th September 1934 at RAF Hinaidi, a local native employee at the Works & Building Depot was engaged in a dispute regarding his pay with civilian contractor James White. During the argument, the man pulled out a pistol and fired a number of shots, fatally wounding James White and seriously wounding Leonard Marks who was sitting next to him in the office. James White died that day in the RAF General Hospital and Leonard Marks succumbed to his injuries in the same hospital on the following day, the 12th September 1934. On his deathbed, Leonard made his brother Frank promise to look after Marie and his two daughters, five-year-old Dorothy and four-month-old Leonora. Leonard Marks was buried next to James White in the same cemetery as his daughter Phoebe, less than twenty yards away from her grave in Plot 1. Their grave location were Plot 2 Row A Grave 13 and Plot 2 Row A Grave 14 respectively. The extended Marks ‘family’ remained in the family home in Old Baghdad for a short while before Marie’s grandmother sold the building to buy a modern house in New Baghdad. When RAF Hinaidi closed in 1938, Frank, Marie and her two daughters moved to RAF Habbaniya where Frank took up a position associated with maintaining the British oilfields in Kirkuk. At about this time, Frank planned to marry Marie and he set off on a trip to England where he intended to obtain a divorce from his first wife. Sadly, before he had even left Iraq he caught an eye infection whilst driving across the desert. The infection quickly spread to his brain and he died. In 1948, when Dorothy was nineteen, she married a sergeant in the British Army and later gave birth to two children, Ron and Lucille. Tragedy was to strike the family yet again, when in 1963, Dorothy’s husband was run over by a police car in mysterious circumstances in Baghdad and died of his injuries. Ron was fourteen and Lucille was just nine years old. Over time, Ron and Lucille both married and moved to England. Lenora, Marie’s youngest child, grew up in Baghdad with her mother, Frank and Dorothy and eventually married a German before moving to live in Germany. They had three children, Barbara, Jurgen and Christina, all of whom are married. I often wonder how life would have been different for the Marks family had Phoebe grown to adulthood and her father Leonard not been murdered. I have reproduced here photos of Leonard Marks’ funeral procession (with his wife Marie following the coffin carrying a wreath) and his headstone, the headstone photo also showing part of Phoebe’s headstone in the background. I have also attached a press cutting describing the incident and a present-day photograph of Phoebe's headstone. Sadly, Leonard Marks' headstone is not one of the 71 headstones (out of 300 burials) that has survived the decades of neglect at the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery. To see Phoebe's headstone as it is today, click HERE . Anchor 2 Burial of Corporal Mark Osborne LXX (70) Squadron Royal Air Force Corporal Mark Cyril Osborne was posted to LXX (70) Squadron at RAF Hinaidi as a chef / butcher on the 8th February 1933. A little over two years later he succumbed to heatstroke and heart failure in the RAF General Hospital Hinaidi on the 25th July 1935 and was buried in the Ma'Asker Cemetery (then named the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery) in Plot 2 Row 2 Grave 2. His grand-daughter, sent me photographs of her grand-father as well as of his burial ceremony which she has kindly permitted me to attach below.

After WW1, 6 Squadon was re-deployed to Mesopotamia (present day Iraq) in 1919. This is an account of the move. 6 Squadron - Redeployment to Mesopotamia 1919 The discovery of a photo album once belonging to an observer who joined 6 Squadron in 1919 has proved to be far more significant than at first glance. By delving deeper, I was able to determine the full extent of the difficulties faced by 6 Squadron at that time, when men who had just come out of a world war were called upon to redeploy to the harsh environment of Mesopotamia. After the Armistice, 6 Squadron remained in France, continuing to support the cavalry and engaged in aerial policing and photographic duties. At the beginning of 1919, the squadron was based at Gerpinnes in Belgium, having moved thirteen times in the previous twelve months. With the majority of other ranks signing up for the ‘duration of the war’ and many officers having either returned to their army units or left the employ of the RAF, many feared that the squadron would be reduced to a cadre and eventually disbanded, the fate of most RAF squadrons after WW1. Many of the squadron’s older aircraft were in a poor state of repair, with seven RE8s having to be struck off charge due to water damage from prolonged periods in the open air. In an attempt to keep the squadron up to strength, air crew were brought in from other squadrons, 15 Squadron in particular, and the decision was made to include the Bristol FB2 Fighter in the RE8 line-up as and when replacement aircraft were needed. It was during this period of uncertainty that Lt Ernest Kent transferred to 6 Squadron as an observer, little knowing that in two months he would be stationed in the Middle East. A keen photographer, Ernest brought with him photographs taken during his wartime days at 15 Squadron, a practice he would continue at 6 Squadron. In April 1919, Major George Pirie (later Air Chief Marshall Sir George Pirie, KCB, KBE, DFC, MC), 6 Squadron’s commanding officer since July 1918, received orders to pack up the squadron immediately and move 600 miles south to Marseilles. From there the squadron would be transported by ship to Mesopotamia where it would join forces with 30 Squadron in a peace-keeping role. With no Bristol Fighters (at that time) in the region, 6 Squadron was brought up to strength with RE8s and its Bristol Fighters sent to other squadrons. Five days after receiving the order, the squadron travelled by train to Marseilles and over the next two weeks men and equipment were loaded on to three ships, the SS Malwa which left on the 14th May with the majority of officers and other ranks, the SS Syria the following day with most of the remaining officers and men and three weeks later the SS Clan Stuart, loaded with eighteen RE8s as well as the squadron’s lorries and equipment, under the supervision of just one officer and two other ranks. In total, 45 officers and 138 other ranks left for Mesopotamia, the majority of men new to the squadron. Lt Ernest Kent was one of the officers who embarked on the SS Malwa and he took many photos of the journey, a few of which are included with this article. The seven day voyage to Port Said was fast and uneventful, but instead of remaining on board to pass through the Suez Canal and Red Sea on the final leg of the journey, they were ordered to disembark and wait three weeks in the Suez rest camp. Eventually they were allowed to re-embark, this time on the SS Hong Moh, a ship that had one third the displacement of the SS Malwa and was thirty years older. The journey was cramped and difficult, especially as they encountered bad weather on the Red Sea, and it wasn’t until the 18th July that the ship finally docked at Basra. Note: Two years later, the SS Hong Moh was wrecked during bad weather, with the loss of 1000 lives. The tribulations were not over for 6 Squadron, for within four days of landing more than one hundred men fell sick with sand fly fever. Though most fully recovered within a couple of weeks, one of the flight commanders, Captain H J Hunter, an ex 15 Squadron associate of Ernest Kent, was struck down twice with sand fly fever and then malaria, all in a space of three months. Never fully recovering, he was eventually struck off the strength of 6 Squadron in January 1920 and returned to the UK for ‘Home Establishment’ duties. Despite all of these setbacks, including the fact that many of the RE8s had been damaged in transit and that every rigger was suffering the effects of sand fly fever, the first RE8 took to the air on the 23rd July, just five days after being unpacked at Basrah. Two days later, a total of six RE8s had been made airworthy and flown successfully without incident. Six squadron was again operational. “And the rest,” they say, “is history.” P.S. My thanks to Mark Kent, grandson of Lt Ernest Kent, for allowing me access to his grandfather’s personal photograph album, a few of which are reproduced below that were taken of 6 Squadron's move to Mesopotamia in May 1919.

This page provides a brief biography of Captain Robert Reeder, 6 Squadron Royal Air Force, who served with the squadron from November 1917 until his death in January 1918 Captain Robert Reeder - 6 Squadron Royal Air Force Lieutenant Robert Reeder Robert Reeder was the eldest son of Captain and Mrs R J Reeder of 19a Emmanuel Road, Balham, though Mrs Lilian Maude Reeder had resided at Malmains Road, Dover prior to WW1 when her husband was on foreign service. Robert matriculated from the County School, Dover, on the 25th November 1910, having excelled during his time at school at sports, especially cricket. After leaving school he attended college Joined the Barton Road School, Dover, as a teacher. Whilst there he became attached to the Officers’ Training Corps, soon after the outbreak of war in August 1914. Leaving his life as a teacher, Robert joined the Artists’ Rifles and served in Ireland during the Sinn Fein Rebellion. On the 11th July 1916, Robert Reeder gained a commission as a 2nd Lt in the Artists’ Rifles and transferred to the 10th Battalion, Manchester Regiment of the Territorial Force (Army Reserve). Two months later, he became attached to the Royal Flying Corps where he undertook flight training and after a few months received his pilot’s brevets. On the 5th May 1917, Robert Reeder was gazetted as a Flying Officer and posted to the No 2 Aircraft Depot in France. After two weeks, Robert was posted to 52 Squadron RFC as a pilot. 52 Squadron was based at Longavesnes, France and flew various types of BE2 which were later replaced by the RE8. Whilst on leave in August 1917, Lt Robert Reeder married Mabel Gertrude Nowers (only daughter of Mr and Mrs F G Nowers). The ceremony was at St Bartholomew’s Church, Dover, after which the couple moved to 13 de Burgh Street, Dover. Robert returned to 52 Squadron on the 6th September 1917. On the 3rd November 1917, after being promoted to Flight Commander and (acting) Captain, Robert was posted to 6 Squadron RFC, based at Abeele, only two weeks before the squadron moved south to Bertangles, near Amiens. On the 30th November 1917, 6 Squadron received a brand new presentation aircraft from the Government of Johore No: 13 - RE8 Serial Number B6493. On the 7th December 1917, Captain Reeder went on leave (whilst 6 Squadron was re-organising for its new and temporary role of training Army staff officers in the effectiveness of the Royal Air Force), returning from leave on the 21st December. Since he had gone on leave, all the 6 Squadron observers had been sent away to other squadrons, as they would not be needed until the squadron became operational again in March 1918. Two weeks later, on the 6th January 1918, whilst taking an army staff officer Captain H J Scales on a flight to demonstrate the effectiveness of aircraft in bombing, ground attack and contact work with allied infantry, Reeder's RE8 B6493 (less than a week old!) was in collision with another RE8 B5035 of 6 Squadron whose pilot was carrying out a similar instructional flight with another army staff officer, Major R N Ford of the Royal Fusiliers. Both aircraft and all four men were killed in the subsequent crash. Though never confirmed, it was thought that the attention of the crew of one of the aircraft were concentrating on using the gunsight whilst aiming at a ground target and lost sight of the second aircraft until it was too late (more in my book, Over the Western Front ). Captain Reeder was buried at the Doullens Communal Cemetery Extension No 1, plot IV. A. 12. On the 30th March 1918, Captain Robert Reeder’s younger brother Charles Edward (sole surviving son of Captain R J Reeder, ex Royal Engineers before WW1 and later working at the Foreign Office) married Clara Hoskins of 7 Avenue Road, Dover, at St James’ Church, Dover

Two aerial photos of the White Chateau, Ravine Wood and Dammstrasse, taken by a 6 Squadron RE8 prior to the bombardment and immediately before the attack on Messines 6 Squadron Aerial Photos - Ravine Wood & White Chateau The two photographs on Page 10 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 taken east of St Eloi, as defined by the mapping coordinates 28. O. 10. A and 28. O. 4. C , each area measuring 500 yards square and include sections of Ravine Wood and the White Chateau (NOT the White Chateau at Hollebeke). The first photograph was taken on the 8th April 1917 and the second on the 3rd June 1917, 4 days before 19 mines were detonated beneath the German lines along the Messines ridge at the start of the Battle of Messines.

This section of my website is dedicated to the Habbaniya Military Cemetery, to provide the location and name of every burial as well as photographs of each and every headstone in the 6 plots within the the walls of 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. 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. See also the news story on the Iraq Levies Memorial . A