Photos from Iraq between the wars

[Wirelizard]

Most folks here are probably aware that Iraq was a British protectorate of sorts for most of the time between the two world wars, with the RAF especially active in the area.

The San Deigo Air & Space Museum's Archive has an account on Flickr, and they've just posted a huge collection of photographs from interwar Iraq. Here's a more or less random sampling:


Iraq mounted police by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr


Baghdad police by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr


Armoured car by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr


Weston Zoyland practice camp by San Diego Air & Space Museum Archives, on Flickr

I'm not sure that last picture is still from Iraq, but it's a great picture. The full collection is several hundred photos here on Flickr. Well worth a look.

[Plynkes]

I reckon your suspicions about the last photo are correct, going by the caption. Westonzoyland is in Somerset rather than Iraq. The RAF had a base there for much of the 20th Century.

[Arlequín]

Plynkes is right on the money. The planes look like Westland Wapitis, though it's hard to tell exactly... which would place the pic around the 1930 - 40 mark. Thanks for the link too Wirelizard!

[carlos marighela]

Former RAF Western Zoyland is slap bang next to where the Battle of Sedgemoor took place. The Royalist army were camped in the village of Westonzoyland. Lovely zummerzet name that.

Excellent source of photos , good find.

[Genialjim]

Thats a fantastic find for any one intrested in Jazz age imperialism.

Thanks for posting

[Wirelizard]

Having gone through more of the collection now than when I posted here last night, there are a number of photos in it from the UK, as well as various points in the Med, Egypt, the Trans-Jordan, Palestine and of course Iraq. The photographer seems to have been posted all over the area at various times.

Glad people are enjoying it. The Flickr Commons (the scheme under which archival photos like this get from various museums up onto Flickr) is an awesome setup, lots of great stuff, and institutions all the way from the Smithsonian and Library of Congress down are involved. The San Diego Air & Space Museum Archive just joined Flickr Commons not too long ago, but they've already got a spectacular set of images up.