| No. 2 Armoured Car Company | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1922 - 1946 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  Royal Air Force |
| Battle honours | see Awards and honours |
The Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) which was based at Amman in what was then called the Transjordan. It was the counterpart of No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF, which performed a similar role in Iraq.
On 7 April 1922, "Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF" was formed at Heliopolis in the Kingdom of Egypt. The company was placed under the command of Squadron Leader M. Copeman. [1]
In the pre-war period, the Company served in Palestine, on Internal Security duties, during the unrest from 1936 to 1939. During the Second World War it was engaged in active service operations in six separate periods of action. It served in the Western Desert on four occasions, was famously part of Habforce during the Iraqi insurgency in the Spring of 1941, and followed this up, as part of Kingcol , by taking part in the Campaign in Syria, in the Summer of 1941. At the end of the war, it returned to Syria, on garrison duties.
Western Desert: The Company served in the Western Desert in the Ground Defence role, protecting the forward Landing Grounds (LG) of the Desert Air Force, on three occasions. In the winter of 1941-1942, toward the end of a very active year, it guarded the advanced landing strips during the British advance and defended the landing-strip ground-party rearguards when Rommel counter-attacked. On this occasion, both RAF Companies were involved. After rest and refit, it was back in the Ground Defence role when Rommel initiated his offensive, defending the airstrips. The final offensive in Africa began in November 1942, again with both RAF Companies involved, and continued across Libya and into Tunisia.
Armoured Reconnaissance unit:
The wartime baptism of fire for the unit, however, was as a unit of the Western Desert Force, patrolling the wire to give warning of the impending Italian invasion. Two sections of the Company joined the similarly-equipped, and very hard-pressed, armoured cavalry regiment, the 11th Hussars. On arrival, in September 1940, the Sections were combined to form a Squadron, which was designated as 'D' Squadron of the Hussars. The RAF cars stayed in this role over the winter of 1940-1941, and took part in the halting of the Italian advance, and the subsequent British counter-attack. The RAF cars were involved in the Battle of Bardia and of Beda Fomm. They provided the screen on the great chase to 'cut the corner' and trap the enemy in Cyrenaica. When the Squadron was finally recalled, in February 1942, it had been operationally active for 5 months, and had been as far west as El Agheila.
Iraq:
When RAF Habbaniya was besieged during the Anglo-Iraqi War, the Company was performing airfield defence duties in the Western Desert. At Habbaniya, the defenders included the comrades of No.1 Armoured Car Company, RAF. On 5 May 1941, No.2 Armoured Car Company received orders to proceed with all haste to Iraq as part of Habforce and Kingcol, arriving at the oil pumping station H3 on the Palestine / Iraq border, having covered some 1,000 miles in 4 days. They were in advance of Kingcol. Half of the Company, led by the unit commander, Sqn. Ldr. Michael Casano (1913-2006), proceeded into Iraq and captured Rutbah Fort. For his actions during the Revolt, Casano was awarded the Military Cross (MC). [2] The Company was composed of eight Fordson armoured cars. [3] "Fordson" armoured cars were Rolls-Royce armoured cars which received new chassis from a Fordson truck in Egypt. Some of these vehicles with turrets fitted with what appear to be a Boys anti-tank rifle, a machine gun, and twin light machine guns for anti-aircraft defence. [4]
Syria:
Immediately following the Relief of Habbaniya, the battle-hardened Company was kept on, by a desperately over-stretched Middle East Command, for the campaign in Syria.
On 3 October 1946, Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was incorporated into the RAF Regiment and was renumbered 2702 Armoured Car Squadron. On 25 Feb 1947, after pressure by Squadron members and veterans, it was renumbered as Number 2 Armoured Car Squadron. [5] Seven years later, the armoured cars were gone and the unit was named Number 2 (Field) Squadron RAF Regiment. On 1 January 1970, the Squadron title changed again, this time to Number 2 Squadron RAF Regiment.
The Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was equipped with Rolls-Royce Armoured Cars and Morris tenders. These were retained until 1944, although by then Rolls-Royce had long-since ceased production of the Great War-era vehicle, and the Rolls-Royce bodies were fitted onto Fordson chassis.
The unit operated in Sections, each of a half dozen cars. The armament was a Vickers machine gun, mounted in the turret, and twin Brownings, for Anti-Aircraft protection. Fordson armoured cars also appear to have been armed with a Vickers machine gun, a Boys anti-tank rifle and a Lewis gun.
In 1951 the squadron was awarded a standard or ceremonial flag in recognition of 25 years service. The standard displays the squadron battle honours:
The standard was presented to the squadron on 25 November 1959. [6]
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The 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, also called the Rashid Ali Al-Gaylani coup or the Golden Square coup, was a nationalist coup d'état in Iraq on 1 April 1941 that overthrew the pro-British regime of Regent 'Abd al-Ilah and his Prime Minister Nuri al-Said and installed Rashid Ali al-Gaylani as Prime Minister.
The Rolls-Royce Armoured Car was a British armoured car developed in 1914 and used during the First World War, Irish Civil War, the inter-war period in Imperial Air Control in Transjordan, Palestine and Mesopotamia, and in the early stages of the Second World War in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Anglo-Iraqi War was a British-led Allied military campaign during the Second World War against the Kingdom of Iraq under Rashid Gaylani, who had seized power in the 1941 Iraqi coup d'état, with assistance from Germany and Italy. The campaign resulted in the downfall of Gaylani's government, the re-occupation of Iraq by the British, and the return to power of the Regent of Iraq, Prince 'Abd al-Ilah, a British ally.
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Brigadier James Joseph "Joe" Kingstone DSO & Bar MC CBE, DL was an officer in the British Army during the First and Second World Wars.
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Michael Peter Casano, MC, was a Squadron Leader in the Royal Air Force during the Second World War.
Flyer Command Iraq was a unit of the German Air Force (Luftwaffe) sent to Iraq in May 1941 as part of a German mission to support the regime of Rashid Ali during the Anglo-Iraqi War. The mission was part of a larger effort to gain support in the Middle East for the Axis Powers against the United Kingdom and its allies during World War II.
The No.1 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Iraq and which played a role in the defence of RAF Habbaniya during World War II.
Royal Air Force Hinaidi or more commonly known as RAF Hinaidi, is a former Royal Air Force station near Baghdad in the Kingdom of Iraq. It was operational from 1922 until 1937, when operations were transferred to RAF Habbaniya.
Gocol was a flying column created by the British Army shortly after the Anglo–Iraqi War had ended.
Kingcol was a British Army flying column created during the Anglo-Iraqi War.
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Mercol was a flying column created by the British Army shortly after the Anglo-Iraqi War had ended.
The RAF Armoured Car Companies were part of Britain's Royal Air Force (RAF) based in Iraq, Palestine and Transjordan. They were formed to operate with aircraft squadrons to suppress insurrection and maintain peace in the area in the aftermath of World War I.
The Assault on Rutbah Fort was fought during the Anglo-Iraqi War between British and Transjordanian forces and Iraqi forces loyal to Rashid Ali.
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