6 Squadron RAF, Ma'Asker & Habbaniya Cemeteries
70 Squadron (now LXX Squadron) Royal Air Force
Page 6 of "An Introduction to Iraq" provides a brief history of LXX (70) Squadron (one of the Royal Air Force squadrons to be based at RAF Hinaidi during the inter-war years). At the time of publication (August 1935) the commanding officer of 70 Squadron was Wing Commander William Sowrey, DFC, AFC. The photograph is a view of the airfield at RAF Hinaidi, looking north-west from the main take-off / landing area towards the hangars used by 70 Squadron and 55 Squadron. Sapper Road runs vertically on the left side of the photograph.
Click HERE to see a photograph of a 70 Squadron aircraft involved in an airlift of 500 troops to Kirkuk in 1923.
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Click HERE to see a photo of a 70 Squadron Hangar in flames.
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Note that 11 men from 70 Squadron (aka LXX Squadron) lie buried at Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery with four of the headstones still surviving, though knocked over and damaged. The four headstones are are for LAC Kenneth Breach, AC1 Thomas Cemerey, LAC Leslie Milligan and LAC Edward Denham.
This photograph was kindly sent me by Pauline Collins, the grand-daughter of Corporal Mark Cyril Osborne of LXX (70) Squadron, who served in Iraq for two years before dying of heat-stroke and Heart failure in July 1935 and buried in the Ma'Asker Al Raschid RAF Cemetery, part of RAF Hinaidi. Amongst his possessions was a menu for the farewell dinner at LXX Squadron, when new arrivals came from England and others left their Baghdad posting. Note the captions in the top cartoon, "Here we are again" from the new arrivals as they arrive in Baghdad and "Hard Luck" from the resident Sergeant Major in reply. The menu is signed by the Commanding Officer of LXX Squadron, Wing Commander William Sowrey, DFC, AFC.
