Iraqforce was a British and Commonwealth formation that came together in the Kingdom of Iraq. The formation fought in the Middle East during World War II.
Background
During World War I, the
British Army defeated the
Ottoman Army in the Middle East during the Mesopotamian Campaign. Subsequently, the League of Nations designated
Mesopotamia as the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. From 1920 to the early 1930s, RAF Iraq Command was created as an inter-service command in charge of all
United Kingdom forces in the mandate-controlled Kingdom of Iraq and was commanded by an RAF officer normally of
Air Vice-Marshal rank.
In 1932, the British mandate in Iraq ended and according to the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of 1930, the United Kingdom was permitted to maintain troops in Iraq. In 1933 or 1934, RAF Iraq Command was renamed the British Forces in Iraq. By the late 1930s, these forces were restricted to two Royal Air Force stations, RAF Shaibah near Basra and RAF Habbaniya west of Baghdad.
On 1 April 1941, during World War II, Rashid Ali seized power in Iraq via a coup d'état. Ali was supported by three senior Iraqi Army officers and one Royal Iraqi Air Force officer, known as the Golden Square. Rashid Ali proclaimed himself Chief of the National Defence Government.[Playfair, p. 178] His new government was immediately recognised by Nazi Germany; it was openly pro-Nazi and anti-British.
Nomenclature
The ground forces from
British Raj that landed in Basra were initially known as
Sabine Force (Major-General William Fraser). From 8 May 1941, Fraser was replaced and the forces in Basra were commanded by Lieutenant-General
Edward Quinan. On 18 June, Quinan was placed in command of all ground forces in Iraq which included
Sabine Force and
British Forces in Iraq as
Iraqforce. From 21 June,
Iraqforce was called
Iraq Command.
[Lyman, p.19] On 1 September 1941, after Persia (modern
Iran) was invaded,
Iraq Command was renamed "Persia and Iraq Force" (
PAI Force).
[MacMunn, passim] PAI Force was still commanded by Quinan and he still reported to India Command.
Iraqforce was variously responsible to
GHQ India, Middle East Command and then Persia and Iraq Command.
Prelude
Sabine Force was despatched from
Karachi by GHQ India to seize the port of Basra and to supplement the British Forces in Iraq at RAF Shaibah and RAF Habbaniya. British
Prime Minister Winston Churchill saw Basra as a major supply base in the future for material from the
United States. Churchill did not recognise Rashid Ali's "National Defence Government" as legitimate. Churchill also wanted to reinstate a more compliant Iraqi government and to protect British interests in Iraq, notably the oilfields of which the British-owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company was concession holder. On 18 April, a brigade from Karachi landed and captured Basra; on 30 April, a second brigade arrived. The Rashid Ali government demanded that the British forces be removed from Iraq and Iraqi forces took up positions around RAF Habbaniya. On 2 May, British aircraft from Habbaniya launched a surprise attack on Iraqi forces throughout the country.
Military operations
Anglo-Iraqi War
During the ensuing war, a force from the British Mandate of Palestine, known as
Habbaniya Force (shortened to
Habforce), advanced into Iraq from Transjordan.
Habforce, with
Kingcol in the lead, was to relieve the British garrison forces besieged at the Royal Air Force treaty base at RAF Habbaniya. The threat to Habbaniya was removed by actions of the garrison before any elements of
Habforce arrived. After it arrived,
Habforce and a portion of the Habbaniya garrison then advanced through
Fallujah to capture Baghdad. By 31 May, an armistice had been signed and the government collapsed. From early May, the troops in Iraq were under the operational control of Army Headquarters, Middle East Command in Cairo, reverting to India command on 18 June.
[Wavell (1946), pp. 1–4 in ] From 21 June,
Iraqforce became known as the
Iraq Command.
Syria-Lebanon Campaign
In June and July 1941, after Iraq was secured, elements of
Iraqforce/
Iraq Command took part in the Syria–Lebanon campaign and, while active in Syria, they once more came under the authority of the Cairo Headquarters.
Anglo-Soviet Invasion of Persia
In late August 1941,
Iraq Command conducted the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia, in conjunction with forces advancing from the
Soviet Union. A new formation,
Hazelforce, based on the 2nd Indian Armoured Brigade was formed within
Iraq Command during this effort. On 1 September, after Persia (modern Iran) was secured,
Iraq Command was renamed "Persia and Iraq Force" or
Paiforce.
Paiforce was still commanded by Quinan and he still reported to India Command. In January 1942, Persia and Iraq once again came under Middle East Command
[Wavell, (1946), p 10 in ] and, in February 1942, Quinan's headquarters was re-designated as Tenth Army.
In 1942, with the growing threat from the German advance in the Caucasus, it was felt that the area should come under a General Headquarters which could bring a specific focus to the area. Previous experience of controlling the area from Cairo and Delhi had not proved ideal and both these General Headquarters were by this time fully committed in the Western Desert Campaign and to the Burma Campaign respectively. In August 1942, it was decided therefore, as part of the changes made bringing in Harold Alexander and Montgomery to Middle East Command and Auchinleck to India Command, to create a new Persia and Iraq Command, to be led by General Sir Maitland Wilson and based in Baghdad.[Mackenzie, p. 591]
Orders of battle
Iraq, May 1941
Commanded by Major-General William Fraser (until 8 May). Lieutenant-General Edward Quinan (from 8 May).
[Playfair, p. 186.]
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10th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General W.A.K. Fraser (until 16 May). Major-General William Slim (from 16 May).
[Mackenzie, p. 101]
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13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers (reconnaissance regiment in armoured cars)
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3rd Field Regiment Royal Artillery
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32nd Field Regiment Royal Artillery
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157th Field Regiment Royal Artillery
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20th Indian Infantry Brigade- Brigadier Donald Powell
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2nd battalion 8th Gurkha Rifles
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2nd battalion 7th Gurkha Rifles
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3rd battalion 11th Sikh Regiment
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21st Indian Infantry Brigade- Brigadier Charles Weld
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4th battalion 13th Frontier Force Rifles
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2nd battalion 4th Gurkha Rifles
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2nd battalion 10th Gurkha Rifles
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25th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Ronald Mountain
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3rd battalion Jat Regiment
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2nd Royal battalion 11th Sikh Regiment
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1st battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
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Ground Forces at RAF Habbaniya - Air Vice-Marshal Harry Smart (until 5 May). Colonel Ouvry Roberts (from 5 May).
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1st battalion The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)
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1,200 Iraq Levies - Lieutenant-Colonel J. A. Brawn
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Number 1 Armoured Car Company RAF
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Habforce commanded by Major-General John Clark
[Maritn, p. 44]
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Mechanized squadron of the Transjordan Frontier Force - Refused to enter Iraq and were disarmed.
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Detachment of the Arab Legion - John Glubb "Glubb Pasha"
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Striking force Kingcol - Brigadier James Kingstone
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4th Cavalry Brigade
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Composite Household Cavalry Regiment
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The Warwickshire Yeomanry
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The Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
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237th Battery 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
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A & D Companies, 1st Battalion Essex Regiment - Major K. F. May - Accompanied by two Bren gun carriers. Personnel carried in transport of the Royal Army Service Corps.
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One anti-tank troop, Royal Artillery
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Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF
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Two supply companies, Royal Army Service Corps
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Main Body - Lieutenant-Colonel John Nichols, Military Cross
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Headquarters 1st Cavalry Division (elements)
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1st Battalion Essex Regiment
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60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
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One Battery of anti-tank guns, Royal Artillery
Formed from existing units in early June:
Arriving At Basra on 9 June:[Lyman, p. 88]
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17th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 8th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier Douglas Gracey
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1st Battalion Royal Fusiliers
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1st Battalion (Prince of Wales Own Sikhs) 12th Frontier Force Regiment
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1st Battalion 5th Royal Gurkha Rifles
Arriving at Basra on 16 June:
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24th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Roger Le Fleming
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2nd Battalion 6th Rajputana Rifles
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The Kumaon Rifles
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5th Battalion 5th Mahratta Light Infantry
Syria: June–July 1941
Commanded by Lieutenant General Edward Quinan
During the Syria–Lebanon Campaign Iraqforce consisted of:
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10th Indian Infantry Division -Major-General William Slim
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20th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Donald Powell
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21st Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier C. J. Weld
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25th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Ronald Mountain
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17th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 8th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier Douglas Gracey
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Habforce - Major-General J. G. W. Clark
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4th Cavalry Brigade - Brigadier J. J. Kingstone
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1st Battalion The Essex Regiment
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Arab Legion Mechanized Regiment
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237th Battery 60th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery
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An Australian battery of 2 pounder anti-tank guns
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169th Light Anti-aircraft Battery
Iran: August–September 1941
Commanded by Lieutenant General Edward Quinan
During the Anglo-Soviet invasion of Persia (Iran) Iraqforce was renamed Paiforce, consisting of:
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10th Indian Infantry Division - Major-General William Slim (took overall command of the ground forces)
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8th Indian Infantry Division - commanded by Major-General Charles Harvey
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18th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Rupert Lochner
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19th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Charles Ford
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24th Indian Infantry Brigade (until 11 September) - Brigadier Roger Le Fleming
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25th Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 10th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier Ronald Mountain
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13th Duke of Connaught's Own Lancers
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Hazelforce - Brigadier John Aizlewood
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2nd Indian Armoured Brigade Group - Brigadier John Aizlewood
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9th Armoured Brigade (formerly the 4th Cavalry Brigade) - Brigadier John Currie
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21st Indian Infantry Brigade (detached from 10th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier C. J. Weld
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6th Indian Infantry Division (from 11 September) - Major-General James Thomson
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17th Queen Victoria's Own Cavalry (Poona Horse)
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27th Indian Infantry Brigade - Brigadier Alan Blaxland
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24th Indian Infantry Brigade (transferred from 8th Indian Infantry Division) - Brigadier Roger Le Fleming
See also
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RAF Iraq Command
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Tenth Army (United Kingdom)
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1941 Iraqi coup d'état
Notes
Footnotes
Citations
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officially published in
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in
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External links
