Blog No. 301 – A WW2 Story: Cliff’s War Service, 1st of January to the 30th of June 1941, Part 1 – 10 July 2025

My purpose is to give hope to those who have lost hope. Without hope, we remain lost in the Shadow Lands.

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Map of Britain showing the approximate location of RAF Mildenhall. 

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Part of Wiki entry accessed on 9 July 2025 showing information about RAF Mildenhall in WW 2.

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Cliff’s Service Record says that as at 31 December 1940:

• He was an Aircraftman Grade 2;

• His character was Very Good;

• His trade was Sheet Metal Worker; and

• His “Proficiency” was Untested.

On 15 January 1941, while stationed at Number 8 School of Technical Training, Weeton, Cliff was hospitalised and he was not discharged from hospital until the 25th of January 1941.  The “Cas Form” validating this hospitalisation was “8/ 41” – number 8 of 1941.  The hospital stay was in the Station Hospital Weeton.

Curiously, the “Cas Form confirming Cliff’s “Arrival” after he finished his hospital stay is identified as “11/41”.  I deduce that the Service Record was updated in November 1941 with the hospital stay information – and perhaps other information.

The Service Record gives no indication of why Cliff was in hospital for 10 calendar days.  

If I am correct that this entry was placed in the Service Record in November 1941, this means it was inserted into the Service Record 6 months after Cliff had – according to the Service Record – started working at Mildenhall and long after he had left Number 8 School of Technical Training, Weeton.  This reinforces the suspicion that as well as the official Service Record, there was also a detailed personnel file from the official Service Record that was written up from time to time.  After Cliff arrived in Mildenhall, someone went through the personnel file, discovered information about the hospitalisation [or invented it?] and placed this information in the Service Record.

The RAF Weeton base hospital was located on a separate site from the main facility.

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Cliff never once mentioned being hospitalised while he was in the RAF.  Cliff was extremely tough minded and he could not have been hospitalised unless he was physically incapable of preventing it from happening.  Cliff’s hospitalisation in early 1941 is a genuine mystery.

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According to the Service Record, Cliff’s posting to Number 8 School of Technical Training, Weeton, lasted from 1 November 1940 to 30 May 1941.  While at Weeton, Cliff was trained as a coppersmith.  

An entry under “Mustering” states that as at 12 May 1941, Cliff’s RAF recognised trades were Coppersmith and Sheet Metal Worker.

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Given Cliff served in Iraq shortly after the Anglo Iraq War ended, what were the “highlights” of that war?  Wiki gives this information.

2 May 1941 - British forces at RAF Habbaniya in Iraq launched pre-emptive air strikes against Iraqi forces besieging them and the Anglo-Iraqi War began. 6 May 1941 - With much of the Iraqi air force destroyed and facing regular bombardment themselves, the Iraqi ground forces besieging RAF Habbaniya withdrew and the German Luftwaffe arranged the sending of a small force to Iraq. 7 May 1941 - Between Habbaniya and Fallujah, two Iraqi columns were caught in the open and attacked by forty British aircraft with the Iraqis suffering heavy casualties. 12 May 1941, the Soviet Union recognised Rashid Ali's "National Defence Government" in Iraq.  The Rashid Ali “government” had been installed with the overt help of Nazi Germany to choke off the supply of oil to Britain. 13 May 1941 - The bulk of the German "Flyer Command Iraq" (Fliegerführer Irak) arrived in Mosul to support the Iraqi government of Rashid Ali. 14 May 1941 - The RAF was authorized to engage German aircraft in Syria and on Vichy French airfields in neighbouring Syria. 17 May 1941 - British forces in the Habbaniya area advanced on Iraqi-held Fallujah and, in five days fighting, pushed the Iraqis out. 20 May 1941 - The German military mission to Iraq, Special Staff F (Sonderstab F), was created to support of "The Arab Freedom Movement in the Middle East”. Sonderstab F included Fliegerführer Irak and other elements already in Iraq. 22 May 1941 - Iraqi forces unsuccessfully counter-attacked the British forces in Fallujah and were rebuffed. 23 May 1941 - Hitler issued "Fuhrer Directive No. 30" in support of "The Arab Freedom Movement in the Middle East", his "natural ally against England." 27 May 1941 - British forces from the Habbaniya area began to advance against Baghdad and, within four days, approached Baghdad from the west and from the north.  Twelve Italian aircraft arrived at Mosul to join Fliegerführer Irak. 29 May 1941 - Members of the German military mission fled Iraq. 30 May 1941 - Rashid Ali and his supporters fled Iraq.

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According to the official Service Record, Cliff was transferred from Weeton to Mildenhall on 31 May 1941 – the very day after the fighting in Iraq had ended with the defeat of the German inspired and supported Rashid Ali “government” of Iraq.

Logic says that Cliff’s service in Iraq began on 31 May 1941 and that he probably boarded a ship for Iraq on 31 May 1941.  The entry claiming he was transferred from Weeton to Mildenhall on 31 May 1941 was created not because he started in Mildenhall on 31 May 1941 – but because this was the date when he left Weeton.  Officially, Cliff was banned from serving outside of the Home Establishment – but he did in fact serve in Iraq.  This meant the official Service Record had to reflect the official story rather than the actual events.

Cliff said that his service in Iraq lasted only a few weeks, but he never said precisely how long he was there.  Logic says he served in Iraq until all necessary repairs to the RAF planes in Iraq had been completed.  Once the necessary repairs and maintenance had been completed, he was then transferred to Mildenhall.

My best guess is that Cliff served in Iraq from 31 May 1941 to somewhere between 30 June and 15 July 1941.

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I know that after arriving in Australia, Cliff tried to join the Returned Services League in Eltham and Clayton.  I know that at both Eltham and Clayton, Cliff was refused membership because he had not officially served outside of the British mainland.  I know this infuriated him.  

My guess is that the same refusal of RSL membership also occurred when we lived at Fisherman’s Bend Migrant Hostel in Port Melbourne from 1952 to 1956.

Apart from being factually untrue in Cliff’s case, this RSL membership policy was stupid.  All servicemen and women serve wherever they are ordered to serve.  Barring any service personnel from membership because they did not serve outside their home country defies logic and common sense.

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By helping others to heal We help ourselves heal Remember those who preceded us. Give abundant Love Always

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Find the courage that Cliff found when he enlisted in 1940 and fought in Iraq in 1941.  Courage helped defeat monstrous evil.  We have the power to make this Earth into a much better place.

Banish hatred from your heart. 

Bravery multiplies with use.  

We can always find courage; it is free but its value cannot be calculated.