12 Facts About Iraq Levies

The Iraq Levies originated in a local Arab armed scout force raised during the First World War.

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.

Iraq Levies 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.

Iraq Levies consisted of a Headquarters, a Hospital, and numerous numbered field companies.

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 World War I Now that an Iraqi Army was to be formed, the Arabs and other Muslim peoples were required to join it rather than to go to the Levies.

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In July 1928 the Iraq Levies were transferred from the Colonial Office to the Air Ministry and its headquarters was transferred to Hinaidi.

The Iraq Levies then recruited an additional 11,000 men, mostly Assyrians, but some Kurds and Yezidi.

In 1945, after the Second World War, the Iraq Levies were reduced to 60 British officers and 1,900 other ranks.

RAF Iraq Levies continued its escort and guard duties into 1954; when it consisted of 1,200 Assyrians, 400 Kurds, and 400 Arabs.

The RAF Levies were disbanded on 2 May 1955, and 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.

Those Iraq Levies receiving vocational training had their current rates of pay and allowances continue until the end of their training.

General Service Medal for Iraq was established in 1924 and was awarded to the Levies by King Faisal I for operations in Iraq between 1924 and 1936.