Mysterious Death at the British Defence Service Organisation, Baghdad, 1945

At the invitation of Dr Christopher Morris, ex-president of the now defunct RAF Habbaniya Association, I came across an old photograph of the Habbaniya War Cemetery in the association's photographic archive that showed something unusual. In the wide-angle shot of Plot 4, taken some time in the nineteen-fifties, all but one of the headstones was made according to the standard Commonwealth War Graves Commission design. The exception was a small wooden cross marking the burial in Plot 4 Row F Grave 1 and by enlarging the photograph I could make out the inscription, 'LIEUT COL ALBERT GRIFFIN BSDO (BAGHDAD) DIED 17-04-48 AGE 59'. As to how and where he died, there was no mention.

After further research I discovered that BSDO was the acronym for the 'British Defence Service Organisation', a not-widely publicised organisation that was established in Baghdad during 1948 to assist in setting up the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty. The BDSO played a crucial role re the British military's efforts to oversee and manage military operations and defence strategies in Iraq at that time, especially in ensuring the security of British interests in the region. The prime role of the BDSO was to maintain military oversight whilst supporting local governance - a complicated and delicate brief. The manner of death of a senior British army officer who died whilst in the service of the BDSO (be his death through illness, accident or murder) would no doubt have been kept confidential. Such was the case for Lt Col Griffin as I have not found any mention of his death in the British Newspapers at that time; unusual to say the least. It is fitting that the headstone for his grave would not be the standard army design as his funeral was most likely a civilian occasion. What IS interesting is the fact that when the Habbaniya War Cemetery underwent restoration in 2018/2019, with 289 of the 290 headstones rebuilt (the grave of First Officer Oskar Kristiansen of the Norwegian Navy was overlooked, but a new headstone for him will be made in the not-to-distant future and erected on site), the new headstone for Lt Col Griffin was made to look as if he was a civilian and not an army officer (see attached photo). I have tried to research the story behind the BDSO and the death of Lt Col Griffin but so far have hit a brick wall. I will update this post as and when I find more information. If anyone reading this can shed light on the BDSO, please contact me or add a comment to this post.

Original headstone for Lt Col Albert Griffin, BSDO, died Baghdad 17th January 1948

New headstone for Lt Col Albert Griffin, BSDO, died Baghdad 17th January 1948

Missing headstone for First Officer Oskar Kristiansen at Habbaniya War Cemetery, Iraq

Old headstone for First Officer Oskar Kristiansen at Habbaniya War Cemetery, Iraq, Plot 6 Row C Grave 1

Proposed new headstone for First Officer Oskar Kristiansen at Habbaniya War Cemetery, Iraq, Plot 6 Row C Grave 1