AHQ Iraq was a command of the Royal Air Force

Royal Air Force

The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...

 (RAF).

History

The command was formed on 1 November 1941 by renaming HQ British Forces in Iraq, the former RAF Iraq Command

RAF Iraq Command

Iraq Command was the RAF commanded inter-service command in charge of British forces in Iraq in the 1920s and early 1930s, during the period of the British Mandate of Mesopotamia. It continued as British Forces in Iraq until 1941 when it was replaced by AHQ Iraq...

. AHQ Iraq was renamed AHQ Iraq and Persia on 1 January 1943. AHQ Iraq and Persia was a sub-command of Middle East Command

RAF Middle East Command

Middle East Command was a command of the Royal Air Force formed on December 29, 1941 by renaming Headquarters RAF Middle East. During the early part of the Second World War the Command was one of the three major British service commands in the Middle East, the others being the British Army's...

 which itself was a sub-command of the Mediterranean Air Command

Mediterranean Air Command

The Mediterranean Air Command was the official Allied air force command organization in the North African and Mediterranean Theater of Operations between February 18 and December 10, 1943. MAC was commanded by Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder whose headquarters were established next to those...

. AHQ Iraq was reformed by renaming AHQ Iraq and Persia, 1 Mar 1946. AHQ Iraq was disbanded by being renamed AHQ Levant, 1 May 1955. One of the two main stations in Iraq, RAF Shaibah

RAF Shaibah

RAF Shaibah was an RAF station situated at Shaibah about 13 miles south west of the city of Basrah in Iraq. The area was the site of a battle with Turkish Forces during the Mesopotamian campaign of the First World War....

, was handed over to Iraqi control in 1956.

The RAF maintained a presence in Iraq until May 1959, when RAF Habbaniya

RAF Habbaniya

Royal Air Force Station Habbaniya, more commonly known as RAF Habbaniya, was a Royal Air Force station at Habbaniyah, about west of Baghdad in modern day Iraq, on the banks of the Euphrates near Lake Habbaniyah...

 was closed. The long-present Iraq Levies were disbanded in May 1955.

Some of the units and commanders assigned to these commands for four different dates during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

 are illustrated below.

AHQ Iraq and Persia Order of Battle
Commanders and Assigned Units

AHQ Iraq AVM Champion de Crespigny 27 October 1942	AHQ Iraq and Persia ^Champion de Crespigny or Willock 10 July 1943	AHQ Iraq and Persia AVM Robert Willock June 1944	AHQ Iraq and Persia AVM Robert George January 1945
No. 215 Group ---- - No. 244 Squadron No. 244 Squadron RAF No. 244 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a bomber unit in the Middle East in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No... , Blenheim, Vincent, & Catalina	No. 215 Group ---- No. 208 Squadron No. 208 Squadron RAF No 208 Squadron is at present a reserve unit of the Royal Air Force based at RAF Valley, Anglesey, Wales. It operates the BAe Hawk aircraft.-World War I:...  Det., Hurricane No. 244 Squadron No. 244 Squadron RAF No. 244 Squadron RAF was a Royal Air Force Squadron formed as an anti–submarine unit in World War I and a bomber unit in the Middle East in World War II.-Formation and World War I:No... , Blenheim No. 1415 Flight (Met.), Gladiator	unknown	unknown
No. 214 Group ---- No. 237 Squadron No. 237 Squadron RAF No. 237 Squadron was a Royal Air Force aircraft squadron. During the Second World War the unit was formed from No. 1 Squadron Southern Rhodesian Air Force for operations in North Africa.-History:...  (Rhodesia) Hurricane

Notes:

AVM=Air Vice Marshal; Det.=Detachment; Met.=Meteorological

^For the precise date of 10 July 1943, when the Allies

Allies of World War II

The Allies of World War II were the countries that opposed the Axis powers during the Second World War . Former Axis states contributing to the Allied victory are not considered Allied states...

 invaded Sicily (Operation Husky), it's not clear whether Air Vice Marshal Hugh Champion de Crespigny

Hugh Champion de Crespigny

Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny CB MC DFC was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Iraq during World War II.-RAF career:...

 or Air Vice Marshal Robert Willock

Robert Willock

Air Vice-Marshal Robert Peel Willock CB was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Iraq during World War II.- RAF career :...

 was in command of AHQ Iraq and Persia.

AHQ Iraq and Persia was renamed AHQ Iraq on 1 March 1946.

AHQ Iraq

• 1942 Air Vice Marshal H V Champion de Crespigny
  Hugh Champion de Crespigny
  Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny CB MC DFC was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Iraq during World War II.-RAF career:...
  
   (19 February 1942)

AHQ Iraq & Persia

• 1943 Air Vice Marshal H V Champion de Crespigny
  Hugh Champion de Crespigny
  Air Vice-Marshal Hugh Vivian Champion de Crespigny CB MC DFC was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Iraq during World War II.-RAF career:...
  
   (1 January 1943)
• 1943 Air Vice Marshal R P Willock
  Robert Willock
  Air Vice-Marshal Robert Peel Willock CB was a senior Royal Air Force officer who commanded British Air Forces in Iraq during World War II.- RAF career :...
  
  
• 1944 Air Vice Marshal R A George
• 1945 Air Vice Marshal S C Strafford
  Stephen Strafford
  Air Marshal Stephen Charles Strafford CB, CBE, DFC, RAF was a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II and the following years.-RAF career:...
  
  

AHQ Iraq

• 1946 Air Vice Marshal S C Strafford
  Stephen Strafford
  Air Marshal Stephen Charles Strafford CB, CBE, DFC, RAF was a pilot in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I and a senior officer in the Royal Air Force during World War II and the following years.-RAF career:...
  
  
• 1947 Air Vice Marshal A Gray