Rare Photo of Ruined Fort at Abu Ghar, Southern Iraq, c1929

Here is another photo from Sian Sumners' albums produced by her grandfather when he served with the Royal Air Force in Iraq (RAF Hinaidi and RAF Shaibah) as a doctor with the rank of Squadron Leader during the late nineteen-twenties. This is a rare photograph of the ruins of the old fort at Abu Ghar in southern Iraq. It was taken c1929 when 84 Squadron was based at RAF Shaibah, 90 miles east as the crow flies from Abu Ghar. If you look carefully in the composite photo, you will see four DH9a aircraft of 84 Squadron in the background on the right hand side of the image. There is no record as to why a whole flight would visit Abu Ghar at the same time nor why a doctor would be allowed to accompany them as he would have to have taken the place of one of the observer/gunners.

Old fort at Abu Ghar, 90 miles west of RAF Shaibah in southern Iraq

Map of Iraq marking the location of the fort at Abu Ghar