The Origins of the Iraqi Air Force

After the creation of the Iraqi Army in 1921, the country decided to establish an air arm to support their ground troops and increase the combat capability. Thinking small at the beginning, Iraq planned to develop its air force depending on their needs and the financial situation of the country. Following an agreement signed with the British in 1924 within the framework of the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty of October 1922, the latter committed to withdraw its RAF squadrons from Iraq, being them replaced slowly by Iraqi units.

After tough negotiations and several delays which got to put a strain on the already fragile Iraqi-British relations, it was finally agreed that six Iraqi pilots would be trained at the British Air Force College in Cranwell. The names of these students were: Mohammed Ali Jawad, Natiq Mohammed Khalil Al Tai, Musa Ali Talib (all three in the final year of military school), Nasser Hussein Al Janabi (second year of military school), Hifzi Aziz (fourth grade of High School) and Bashir Yaacoub (a clerk at the Ministry of Finance).[1]

On 19 May 1927, the students left Baghdad and were accommodated with English families for the purpose of learning the language before the start of the course. On 1 August 1927, Hifzi Aziz and Bashir left Baghdad after completion of their military training. On that same day, Mohammed Ali Jawad, Natiq Mohammed and Musa Ali were granted the rank of Second Lieutenant, as were their colleagues at the military school back in Baghdad who graduated on the same date.

8 April 1931. The first Iraqi pilots with their British instructor before their trip to Iraq. From right to left: Mohammad Ali Jawad - British Pilot Instructor Carter -  Natiq Mohammad Al-Tai -  Hafzi Aziz -  Musa Ali -  Akram Mushtaq. (DR)

On 1 September 1927, the six students finally joined the RAF College in Cranwell for a two-year course. Simultaneously, a total of 16 Iraqis enrolled a three-year technician course at Camp Rashid in Baghdad in order to be able to maintain the aircraft once Iraq received their first units.[2]

The six pilots did their best to adapt to the British way of life and strict military education. During the training, however, Bashir Yaacoub failed to learn to fly, having to return to Iraq in 1928 where he joined military school.[3]

The first five Iraqi pilots. (DR)

On 22 August 1929, the remaining five students finished the training and were awarded their pilot insignias. Then, four of those five students enrolled RAF squadrons, where they kept flying until the Iraqi planes were ready to be flown to Iraq. The fifth pilot, however, Lt. Nasser Hussein, had to go back to Iraq due to health problems and was later assigned to a RAF squadron located at Camp Rashid.

The five de Havilland DH-60 Gipsy II Moth with their first serials. (DR)

The first Iraqi air force squadron commander, Lt. Mohammed Ali Jawad poses on the Gipsy II Moth (s/n 1). He would become the first commander of the RIQAF with the rank of Colonel. Later, he would be assassinated together with the Army Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. Bakr Sidqi, in August 1937 at the Ghazlani camp in Mosul. (DR)

SECOND GROUP

Some months before the first pilot had graduated, a second group had left Iraq, in June 1929, to start a new course beginning on 1 September 1929. This group was formed by Majid Al Din Abdul Rahman Al Naqeeb, Ibrahim Jawad, Abdel Wahid Helmi and Mahmoud Mahdi.[4]

THIRD GROUP

A third group departed for the United Kingdom in September 1930. This would be the last group to be trained abroad at the time, as it was planned that the rest were to be trained in Iraq. Lt. Sami Fattah was the leader of this group which he had joined as a volunteer with Lt. Mohammed Yassin, Naji Ibrahim and Akram Mushtaq. They were sent to the Aviation School in Sealand shortly followed by Lt. Bahjat Rauf and Lt. Jeremiah Naser.[5]

Lt. Hafzi Aziz is greeted next to one of the Iraqi Gipsy II Moths. (DR)

THE FIRST FLIGHT

Iraqi negotiations for the acquisitions of their long-awaited planes finally succeeded and the British government agreed to sell the Iraqi government five unarmed de Havilland DH-60 Gipsy II Moth. After the Iraqi were officially handed over the five aircraft during a special ceremony that took place in England on 15 March 1931, the Iraqi Ministry of Defense assigned the new Iraqi pilots the task of bringing the five aircraft to Baghdad. The pilots trained hard to prepare for such a long journey home. Given the limited range of the five aircraft, some external fuel tanks needed to be attached to the planes. However, the pilots needed to use a manual pump to transfer the fuel to the main aircraft tank, making the flight in such circumstances very difficult.  

On 8 April 1931, the Iraqi pilots finally began their historic journey. The route: London, Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Milan, Zagreb, Belgrade, Aleppo, Ramadi, Baghdad. Lt. Hifzi Aziz, one of the pilots from the first group taking part in this journey, recalled:

“The aircraft were made of light wood aimed for training and they could reach a speed of 80 miles per hour. The price of each plane was 500 IQ dinars and we used to race cars driving under us. We traveled the seas and the high mountains and we crossed France from north to south, then Italy from west to east, then Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, Syria and finally Iraq. A distance of more than 3,000 km!”

The Gipsy II Moth's overflying Iraqi airspace. (DR)

When the planes finally arrived in Baghdad on 22 April 1931, the pilots were greeted by a cheering crowd. Also, an official ceremony took place where they were welcomed by King Faisal I, Prince Zeid, Prince Ghazi, the ministers, a large number of state employees and groups of schoolchildren. That date, 22/4/1931, was then marked as the birthday of the Iraqi Air Force, which was also known as the First Arab Air Force.

The five de Havilland DH-60 Gipsy II Moth would constitute the ‘A’ Flight of the 1st Squadron based at Al Rashid AB, commanded by Lt. Mohammed Ali Jawad. Equipped with five aircraft and a few pilots, the RIQAF was originally the Iraqi army's air arm. On 27 December 1931, the RIQAF added a 'B' Flight to the 1st Squadron with the arrival of three more de Havilland DH-60 Gipsy II Moth, flown from Egypt to Baghdad by pilots of the second group. Finally, on 20 April 1932, three de Havilland DH-80A Puss Moth dual planes arrived in Baghdad to constitute the ‘C’ Flight.[6]

A historical photo taken in April 1931. In the middle, Nuri Alsaeed, on his right Jameel Alrawi, and to his left Dr. Abdullah Aldamlouji. Behind them, the first Iraqi pilots in the IQAF history. (DR)

SOME HISTORICAL FACTS

-The first RIQAF casualty was the late Lt. Hilmi Abdul Wahid, who perished on 18 February 1932 when his Gypsy Moth crashed into the water during a low flight over the Tigris River.

-The first air crew to crash was on 19 April 1932, Lt. Natiq Al Tai and first soldier mechanic Sayed Mohammed Abbas, during a recon mission on the foothill of the Mount Shirin in the Barazan area during the Ahmed Barzani revolts.

Lt. Hilmi Abdul Wahid, center, perished on 18 February 1932 when his Gipsy II Moth crashed into the water during a low flight over the Tigris River. (DR)

Sources:

-Abousi, A. (2003). The capabilities and strategic roles of the Iraqi Air Force in the period 1931-2003. p, 45-49.

-OIAA archive.

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[1] Given the fact that Hifzi Aziz and Bashir were civilians, they were sent to Military School for a period of three months in order to receive some military training before their departure to England.

[2] Upon completion of this course, it was planned that they continued to work together with RAF personnel in Iraq to gaining some experience until the first batch of Iraqi planes arrived.

[3] After graduating, he would be appointed the command of the technical department.

[4] They also trained at the British Air Force College in Cranwell. One of them failed to complete the course and had to return to Iraq. The three remaining students ended their training and were granted their pilot insignias on 22 August 1931. They would return to Baghdad aboard three ‘Gipsy Moths’ via Egypt - Palestine - Eastern Jordan – Iraq. A fourth plane was also to be delivered by it crashed on the way to Iraq due to poor weather conditions.

[5] Lt. Akram Mushtaq would join the first group, which was already flying with the RAF squadrons, in order to replace Lt. Nasser Hussein.

[6] Sold to the Iraqi Air Force on 12 April 1932. This third trip, led by Mohammed Ali Jawad/Lt. Sami Fattah was accompanied by his first two lieutenants, Jeremiah Nasser/Mohammed Yassin and two British officers. Sami Fattah recalled the return journey from London to Iraq via Paris, Marseille, Milan and Belgrade, where they were confronted by a heavy storm, heavy clouds and continuous rain that forced them to take off at Zagreb airport. After an improvement, they flew to Belgrade, Sofia in Bulgaria and Istanbul, landing at Al Rashid Camp on 20 April 1932.