Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF

Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF

The Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was a military unit of the British Royal Air Force (RAF) which was part of Habforce and Kingcol during World War II.

Contents

Creation

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. Copenan.

Composition

Fordson armoured car waits outside Baghdad while negotiations for an armistice take place between British officials and representatives of the Iraqi rebel government.

The Number 2 Armoured Car Company RAF was equipped with Rolls Royce armoured cars and Morris tenders. These were retained until 1944.

During the Anglo-Iraqi War, the company was initially located in the British Mandate of Palestine[1] and was composed of eight Fordson armoured cars.[2] "Fordson" armoured cars were Rolls Royce armoured cars which received new chassis from a Fordson truck in Egypt. Photographs[nb 1] show some of these vehicles with turrets fitted with what appears to be a Boys anti-tank rifle, a machine gun, and twin light machine guns for anti-aircraft defense.

Renaming

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. 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.

See also

Notes

Footnotes
  1. ^ [1] Photographs of Fordson armoured cars.
Citations
  1. ^ Lyman, p. 57
  2. ^ Lyman, Iraq 1941, pg. 25

References

  • Lyman, Robert (2006). Iraq 1941: The Battles for Basra, Habbaniya, Fallujah and Baghdad. Campaign. Oxford, New York: Osprey Publishing. pp. 96. ISBN 10: 1-84176-991-6. 
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