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The Iraq
Levies (also known as the Assyrian Levies as they would eventually become
dominated by ethnic Assyrians) was the first Iraqi military force
established by the British in British controlled Iraq.[1] The
Iraq Levies originated in a local Arab armed scout force raised during the First
World War. After Iraq became a British Mandate, the force became a
minority manned force of mostly, Turcomen, Kurds and Assyrians who lived in the
north of the country while the nascent Iraqi Army
was manned by Arabs. Eventually it became mostly Assyrian manned and British
officered force while it was used mostly for the guarding of the RAF
bases in Iraq.
The
Levies distinguished themselves in May 1941 during the Anglo-Iraqi
War and were also used in other theatres of the Second
World War after 1942. The force thereafter grew and survived until it was
disbanded in May 1955 when control of RAF
Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah was handed to Iraq.
Organization
On 1
August 1919, the Levy and Gendarmerie Orders were published in which the
control of the Levies, and the duties of the Inspecting Officer of the Levies,
who were limited to inspection and administration, were defined. This put the
Levies under the control of three different people: the Inspecting Officer, the
Political Officer of the Area, and the Local Administrative Commandant. The
budget was dealt with by the Inspecting Officer, except in the Northern Iraqi
Provinces of Kirkuk,
Sulaimani
and Mosul Liwas, where Political Officers dealt with
it.[4]
Later the Levies came under their own OC Iraq Levies.
The
Levies consisted of a Headquarters (first located in Baquba, then Hinaidi
and then in Habbaniya), a Hospital (also in Habbaniya), and
numerous numbered field companies. Some of the field companies were later
organized into battalions for mobile operations.
History
The
Iraq Levies traced their history to the Arab Scouts organized in 1915 by Major
J. I. Eadie, of the British Indian Army who served as a Special Service Officer
in the Muntafiq
Division in Mesopotamia. He recruited forty mounted Arabs from the
tribes round Nasiriyeh,
for duty under the Intelligence Department as bodyguard for political officers in southern
and central Iraq. By 1918 The Arab Scouts increased to 5,467 Arabs, Kurds, Turkoman,
Marsh
Arab and Assyrian militia.[5][6]
In
1919 the force changed names twice, first to the Militia and then in July to
the Iraq Levies when Iraq became a British Mandate. On 12 Aug. 1919, the force
became known as the "Arab and Kurdish Levies."[6]
Also in 1919 the Iraq Levies were split into a strike force of 3,075 men, based
in Baquba, and district Police force of 1,786 men.[5]
On 1 August 1919, the Levy and Gendarmerie Orders were published in which the
control of the Levies, and the duties of the Inspecting Officer of the Levies, who
were limited to inspection and administration, were defined. This put the
Levies were under the control of three different people: the Inspecting
Officer, the Political Officer of the Area, and the Local Administrative
Commandant. The budget was dealt with by the Inspecting Officer, except in the
Northern Iraqi Provinces of Kirkuk, Sulaimani and Mosul Liwas, where Political
Officers dealt with it.
1920s
In
1921 at the Cairo Conference the mission of the Levies
became "The function of the Iraq Levies is to relieve the British and
Indian Troops in Iraq, take over out-posts in Mosul Vilayat (province) and in
Kurdistan, previously held by the Imperial Garrison, and generally to fill the
gap until such time as the Iraq National Army is trained to undertake these
duties."[5][8]
Up
to 1921 the Levies had consisted primarily of Arabs, Kurds, Turcomans
and Shabakis,
while the Assyrians
had fought independently alongside the Armenians
and Allied Forces in an Assyrian war of independence during
WWI. Now that Iraq Army was to be formed, the Arabs and other Muslim peoples
would be required to join it rather than to go to Levies. It was decided to
enlist ethnic Assyrians in the Levies.
The
Assyrians were prized for their discipline, loyalty, bravery and fighting
skills by the British, and were Eastern
Aramaic speaking Assyrian Church of the East or Chaldean
Catholic Christians, an ethnic and religious minority in a
generally Arab/Kurdish Muslim population.[9] In July
1922 Orders were issued in which no more Arabs were to be enlisted as they were
required to join the new Iraqi Army, and those serving could not re-engage, A 1922 treaty between
Great Britain and Iraq allowed for the continued existence of the Levies as
"local forces of the Imperial garrison" and that its members were
"members of the British Forces who are inhabitants of Iraq".By 1923
the ethnic composition of the Iraq Levies was 50% Assyrians, with a large
minority of Kurds, plus an attached battalion of Marsh
Arabs and a few Armenians, Mandeans and Turcomans.
In
July 1928 the Levies were transferred from the Colonial
Office to the Air Ministry and its Headquarters was transferred to Hinaidi.
By
1928 the levies had become entirely Assyrian. The Marsh Arab battalion became
the 7th Battalion of the Iraq Army. The force then expanded rapidly and became
known as "Shabanas", a Turkish
word meaning a semi-military gendarmerie. Its primary duty was now to protect Royal
Air Force bases in Iraq.
As
the Assyrian manned force became more disciplined they rendered excellent
service; during the Arab
rebellion of the 1920s they displayed, under conditions of the greatest trial,
steadfast loyalty to their British officers.
In 1920 the Assyrians had given proof of their
great discipline and fighting qualities when the Assyrian camps at Mindan and
Baquba were attacked by Arab forces, the Assyrians defeating and driving off the Arabs.
1930s
In
1931 Levies and Iraqi army units were patrolling Barzan district. Government
troops implied government control, which Shaykh Ahmad still wanted to avoid.[10]
On 1
June 1932 the Assyrian levies presented a signed memorial to their Commanding
Officer stating that "all the men had decided to cease serving as from 1st
July." The reason was Britain had "failed adequately to ensure the
future of the Assyrian nation after the termination of their mandate over
Iraq."
1940s
During
1940/41 Iraq joined the Axis powers and the Battle of Habbaniya took place. During the Rashid Ali rebellion in 1941 the base was besieged by
the Iraqi
Army encamped on the overlooking plateau. The siege was lifted by the units
based at Habbaniya, including pilots from the training school, a battalion of
the King's Own Royal Regiment flown in at the
last moment, Number 1 Armoured Car Company RAF,
and the RAF's Iraq Levies. The subsequent arrival of a relief column (Kingcol), part
of Habforce
sent from Palestine, then a British mandate, combined with
the Habbaniya units to force the rebel forces to retreat to Baghdad. The Levies
then recruited an additional 11,000 men, mostly Assyrians but also some Kurds
and Yezidi.
"They
had dug trenches and were determined on destroying the Assyrians and taking
their properties and possessions. Assyrians painfully remembered the massacre
of 1933 in Simele
and the surrounding villages and pledged "Never Again!". They
remembered the raping and pillaging of defenseless Assyrian villagers."
By
1942, the Iraq Levies consisted of a Headquarters, a Depot, Specialist Assyrian
companies, 40 service companies and the 1st Parachute Company, which consisted
of 75% Assyrian and 25% Kurd. The new Iraq Levies Disciplinary Code was based
largely on the Indian Army Act.
By
1943 the Iraq Levies strength stood at 166 British officers controlling 22
Assyrian companies, 5 Mixed Assyrian/Yizidi companies,
10 Kurdish companies, 4 Gulf Arab companies and 3 Baluchi
companies. Eleven Assyrian companies served in Palestine and another four served in Cyprus. The
Parachute Company was attached to the Royal Marine Commando and were active in Albania, Italy and Greece. In
1943/1944 the Iraq Levies was renamed the Royal Air Force Levies.
In
1945 after the Second World War 1945- the Iraq Levies were reduced to 60
British officers and 1,900 other ranks and the RAF
Regiment took over command of the Levies and Army personnel would gradually
be replaced by RAF personnel. During October 1946 the Iraq Levies battalions
were redesignated as Wings and Squadrons to conform to the RAF Regiment
procedure. In December the Kurdish Squadrons in Cyprus and the Persian
Gulf were returned to Iran.
1950s
The
RAF Levies continued its escort and RAF Bases
guard duties into 1954 where it consisted 1200 Assyrians, 400 Kurds, and 400
Arabs. The RAF Levies was disbanded on 2 May 1955, King
Faisal was present along with members of the government, as RAF
Habbaniya and RAF Shaibah were handed back to the Iraqi Government,
although the RAF
remained at Habbaniya until May 1959.[13]
195 Assyrians, out of 515, volunteered for service in the Iraqi Army.
At 0800hrs on 3 May 1955, the Levy's quarter
guards were relieved by guards from the Iraqi Army. A minor and passing
event but it did signify the end of an era as now the Levies had ceased to
exist.
The British offered financial compensation,
vocational training, and resettlement in civilian life to members of The RAF
Levies. Those members with 15 or more years of service were pensioned off.
Those with less than 15 years were given a gratuity of one month pay for each
year of service. Also, the Levies received full pay up to and including the
second May. For those who were to be discharged on that day received pay and a
ration allowance for 28 days terminal leave; plus they received a civilian
clothing allowance and a free railway pass to their homes. Those Levies receiving
vocational training had their current rates of pay and allowances continue
until the end of their training.
Levy ranks
Levy
Officer Rank were derived from Ancient Assyrian Military Ranks:
Rab
Khaila; Force Leader
Rab
Tremma; Leader of 200
Rab
Emma; Leader of 100
Rab
Khamshi; Leader of 50
