No. 1 Armoured Car Company RAF

The No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Iraq and which played a role in the defence of RAF Habbaniya during World War II.

Creation

On 19 December 1921, "Number 1 Armoured Car Company RAF" was formed at Heliopolis in the Kingdom of Egypt and then moved to Palestine, being disbanded there on 1 December 1923 with elements being absorbed into No. 2 Armoured Car Company RAF.^[1] During the 1920s further RAF Armoured Car Companies (Nos 3,4 5 & 6) were formed in Iraq but by 1930 they were consolidated into No1 Company with its base at RAF Hinaidi and sections at Mosul and RAF Shaibah.^[2]

Composition and organization

During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Number 1 Armoured Car Company RAF was composed of eighteen Rolls-Royce armoured cars^[3] and several [[Morris Motors|Morris tenders. These vehicles were among the last of a consignment of ex-Royal Naval Armoured Car Division armoured cars that had been serving in the Middle East since 1915.^[4] In addition to the Rolls-Royce armoured cars, the company had two ancient tanks, named "Walrus" and "Seal."^[5]

The Company was organised into a Headquarters and three sections. Each section had six armoured cars and two wireless tenders. The make-up of the Company did however vary from time to time. Various sections would be detached to other RAF bases in Iraq and on various duties throughout Iraq (and even beyond).

The Company was based at RAF Hinaidi Cantonment until it moved to RAF Habbaniya in 1936 (and Hinaidi became the Iraqi Rashid Airbase). RAF Habbaniya had purpose built, modern facilities for both men and machines in the Armoured Car Lines.

Renaming

On 3 October 1946 The Company was incorporated into the RAF Regiment and named No2701 Armoured Squadron^[6] On 25 February 1947, this unit was renamed Number 1 (Armoured Car) Squadron RAF Regiment.^[7]

See also

• Royal Naval Air Service
• RAF Iraq Command
• RAF Habbaniya
• RAF Regiment
• No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment
• 1941 Iraqi coup d'état
• Iraqforce
• Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF

Notes

References

• Warwick, Nigel W. M. (2014). IN EVERY PLACE: The RAF Armoured Cars in the Middle East 1921-1953. Rushden, Northamptonshire, England: Forces & Corporate Publishing Ltd. p. 664. ISBN 978-0-9574725-2-5. 
• Lyman, Robert (2006). Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Campaign. Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing. p. 96. ISBN 1-84176-991-6. 

External links

• RAF Regiment Official Site
• RAF Web
• RAF Habbaniya Association website

Royal Air Force Regiment
Royal Air Force portal
Active	Field Squadrons No. 1 Squadron RAF Regiment No. II Squadron RAF Regiment No. 15 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 34 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 51 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 63 Squadron RAF Regiment Biological Warfare Detection Squadrons No. 26 Squadron RAF Regiment No. 27 Squadron RAF Regiment RAuxAF Regiment Squadrons No. 501 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (County of Gloucester) No. 504 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (County of Nottingham) [Regiment Flight only] No. 2503 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (County of Lincoln) No. 2620 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (County of Norfolk) No. 2322 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (Highland) No. 2623 (East Anglian) Squadron RAF Regiment No. 2625 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (County Of Cornwall) Squadron RAuxAF Regiment No. 2602 Squadron RAuxAF Regiment (City of Glasgow)
Inactive	Armoured Car Companies No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF No.2 Armoured Car Company RAF No.3 Armoured Car Company RAF No.4 Armoured Car Company RAF No.5 Armoured Car Company RAF No.6 Armoured Car Company RAF Armoured Car Squadrons No. 2702 Armoured Car Squadron RAF Defence Squadrons No. 757 (Ground Defence) Squadron RAF No. 778 (Ground Defence) Squadron RAF RAF Regiment Squadrons List of RAF Regiment squadrons