Shaibah Air Base: Difference between revisions
edited and expanded |
|||
| Line 31: | Line 31: | ||
'''Shaibah Air Base''' is a former [[Iraqi Air Force]] base in the [[Basrah Governorate]] of [[Iraq]]. |
'''Shaibah Air Base''' is a former [[Iraqi Air Force]] base in the [[Basrah Governorate]] of [[Iraq]]. |
||
It was established by the Royal Air Force 1920 as '''RAF Shaibah''' , the resident squadron was [[No. 84 Squadron RAF]] until 1940 when [[No. 244 Squadron RAF]] took over. 244 Sqn was involved in the [[Anglo-Iraqi War|Rashid Ali rebellion]] on 1941. RAF Shaibah was a small and primitive base in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. It expanded during the [[Second World War]]. By July 1942 RAF Shaibah was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq (see [[AHQ Iraq and Persia]]). At this time several units were based at Shaibah. They included:<ref>http://www.rafweb.org/Members%20Pages/ORBs/1942/1942_07_Middle_East.htm</ref> |
|||
It was established by the Royal Air Force about 1939 as '''RAF Shaibah'''<ref>[http://www.forcesreunited.org.uk/namearchive/units/RAFNames/RAF-Shaibah.html RAF Shaibah]</ref>, remaining under British control until the withdrawal of British forces in 1958 from Iraq. |
|||
*No. 115 Maintenance Unit |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
*No. 119 Maintenance Unit |
|||
*No. 8 S & T Column |
|||
In 1956 it was handed over to the [[Iraqi Air Force]], and tt then became an Iraqi Air Force base. It was abandoned after [[Operation Desert Storm]] in 1991. |
|||
It was captured by Coalition forces during the [[Iraq War]] of 2003 and it became the site of a [[British Military Hospital (disambiguation)|British Military Hospital]] and the Shaibah Logistics Base (SLB), but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces. In 2007 the SLB was handed over to Iraqi Army. |
|||
| ⚫ | |||
==References== |
==References== |
||
Revision as of 06:31, 13 July 2013
| Shaibah Air Base | |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 30°25′34″N 047°38′34″E / 30.42611°N 47.64278°E |
Shaibah Air Base is a former Iraqi Air Force base in the Basrah Governorate of Iraq.
It was established by the Royal Air Force 1920 as RAF Shaibah , the resident squadron was No. 84 Squadron RAF until 1940 when No. 244 Squadron RAF took over. 244 Sqn was involved in the Rashid Ali rebellion on 1941. RAF Shaibah was a small and primitive base in the desert with a harsh hot and humid climate. It expanded during the Second World War. By July 1942 RAF Shaibah was under the control of the RAF's Air Headquarters Iraq (see AHQ Iraq and Persia). At this time several units were based at Shaibah. They included:[1]
- No. 115 Maintenance Unit
- No. 119 Maintenance Unit
- No. 8 S & T Column
In 1956 it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force, and tt then became an Iraqi Air Force base. It was abandoned after Operation Desert Storm in 1991.
It was captured by Coalition forces during the Iraq War of 2003 and it became the site of a British Military Hospital and the Shaibah Logistics Base (SLB), but the original RAF buildings remain. While the SLB was in operation it was home to British, Czech, Danish and Norwegian forces. In 2007 the SLB was handed over to Iraqi Army.
Today, refurbished and known as Shaibah Airport, it is a small civilian airfield south of Basara in southeastern Iraq near the Kuwaiti Border, used by light private planes.
References
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency