Orders, Decorations and Medals

Royal Air Force Levies L.S. & G.C., G.VI.R. 2nd issue, with clasp, Royal Air Force Levies, Iraq (5460 Sgt. Mehdi Chewal) contact marks and edge bruising, otherwise about nearly very fine and very rare £700-900

See Colour Plate VII

This rare award was instituted in 1949, and was terminated in 1955. After the First World War the RAF took over responsibility for defending much of British territory in the Middle East, as a few aircraft were considered to be as efficient in remote areas as static army garrisons. In Iraq, local levies were raised to assist the RAF, and were for most purposes considered to be a part of the RAF, although they were commanded by army officers in the main. During the Second World War, the Iraq levies remained loyal during the Rashid Ali Revolt and by 1944 they numbered over 10,000. After the war their strength was much reduced, and when the British withdrew from Iraq they were disbanded. A total of about 300 medals were issued, about 40% of which were awarded to locally-commissioned officers. Despite the apparent high numbers issued, only a small handful of medals is known to exist today, probably reflecting the turbulent history of that region in the years since the Second World War.