No. 45 Squadron deaths at RAF Hinaidi
Aug 16
2 min read
Between the 16th May 1922 and the 17th January 1927, No. 45 Squadron was based at RAF Hinaidi, operating the Vickers Vernon troop carrier for the whole of that period. Whilst based at RAF Hinaidi, nine of the squadron's men lost their lives in the service of their Country and were buried at the now abandoned Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery located at the southern end of the Hinaidi cantonment, on land that is still owned by the Ministry of Defence. Originally named the Hinaidi RAF Peace Cemetery, it was renamed the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery in 1961. According to the CWGC Annual Reports the cemetery was last maintained in 1974 and is now in a derelict condition, though a new wall was constructed around the used part of the cemetery in October 2021. Only 77 identifiable headstones have survived at the cemetery today but sadly no headstones remain are for any of the 45 Squadron burials. Pictured below is a Vickers Vernon of 45 Squadron, this particular aircraft used as an air ambulance, though others were used for troop transport, occasional bombing missions and the mail run between Baghdad and Cairo. Many of No. 45 Squadron's duties were shared with the No. 70 Vickers Vernon aircraft, also based at RAF Hinaidi in the early nineteen-twenties.
The reasons for the nine No. 45 Squadron deaths when the squadron was stationed at RAF Hinaidi were varied. Vickers Vernon Serial No: J7143 crashed taking off from RAF Hinaidi on the 26th July 1926, with two 45 Squadron men listed amongst the seven fatalities, including the pilot (see casualty list below). At the time this was the worst single fatal accident for the RAF since WW1. Two earlier deaths of No. 45 Squadron men were aircrew who happened to be flying a Bristol F2B Fighter. Why they were flying this type of aircraft is not known, though it might have been an aircraft on loan from 6 Squadron, which was also based at RAF Hinaidi at that time. Another man died of a gunshot wound to the head, though the casualty card states "accidental death" as the cause.
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