ROYAL AIR FORCE

Hokitika Guardian, 13 May 1933, Page 6

ROYAL AIR FORCE

OPERATIONS IN THE EAST,

POLICING WILD TRIBESMEN

LONDON, March 31

Sir Philip Sassoon, in presenting the Air Estimates in the House cl Commons, spoke of the useful work ol tue Royal Air Force on various occasions in the East. Early in the year, he said, there occurred in Northern Irak a good example of the police work of the Royal Air Force. The suppression of a. turbulent tribal cJiief/ secure in the savage wildness of a district where the mountains rose to a height of nearly 10,000. t. and road communications were almost nonexistent, presented a most difficult problem. The local ground forces sent to dislodge him failed to reach their objective and parties of them were cut off from their supplies and became seriously short of food and ammunition. Tlie; Air Force was then called in to co-operate. Its first task was to sue-, emu- the isolated parties of ground troops. Over one and a-half tons of food were dropped in a single day by five machines vor the relief of the isolated forces, repeated journeys being made to and fro between Mosul and the scene of operations.

Use of a Loud-Speaker

Two other aircraft conveyed and dropped a further two tons of blankets and other supplies for the use of another marooned contingent. Proclamations calling upon the tribesmen to surrender and giving -them notice that air action u ould otherwise he taken against them wore then' broadcast in. the vernacular from a troop-carrying aircraft which had been fitted with a highpowered loud-speaker. Active operations irom the air had to be undertaken against certain recalcitrant sections, but complete success was ultimately achieved. •

Another operation and one which contained \ important lessons for the future, was the transport, by air from Egypt to Irak of a battalion-of British infantry. During last summer unrest arose among the Assyrian levies in Irak and, as a measure of precaution, it was desired to send a small contingent of British infantry at short notice to. that country. These troops were not required to undertake active operations, but simply to exercise a stabilising influence on, and, if necessary, to replace .the levies for the time being.. Large troop-carrying aircraft were to convey 562 officers and men of the Ist Northamptonshire Regiment, with necessary equipment, over a distance of 800 miles in less than one week. The work was carried ’biff In. the height of summer under most difficult climatic conditions, and was completed without untoward incident. .

A Profound Impression.

In. no other, .way could'.assistance have been given-,in.; such; strength and at such short notice. The sudden arrival of' this' battalion' of British troops out of the very ..skies, impressed the Middle East as soiirlbthing'.almost superhuman. Undoubtedly’ the moral effect'of such an example’: of the long arm of the British 'Government had been very great. He welcomed this episode as «, most effective piece of close and cordial co-operation between the Army and the Royal Air Force to achieve a common purpose.