Blog No. 315 – Cliff in Bomber Command, The War Winds Up, Part 2 – 26 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 showing the British/USSR invasion of Iran during WW 2.  Photo from wiki.

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6th Armoured division of Soviet Union Army in the streets of Tabriz, Iran in August 1941; photo from wiki.

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According to the Service Record, on the 1st of November 1945 Cliff was posted from 32 Base to Mildenhall.  This posting lasted until the 12th of December 1945 – a period of 6 weeks.

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I doubt that Cliff’s work location changed on 1 November 1945.  I think Cliff was already working at Mildenhall.  The Base System says that 32 Base was disbanded on the 16th of November 1945 and the Service Record was altered to show that Cliff’s official posting was now Mildenhall.  

There was an additional reason for this notation on Cliff’s service record which had nothing to do with any change of Cliff’s designated workplace.

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The “Reason” column on the Service Record next to the change to Mildenhall shows that for the first time since his RAF enlistment, the indication in the “Reason” column changed from “H” to “F”.

What did this change mean?

Until this time, the Service Record always contained the letter “H” in the Reason column.  This meant Cliff was under the control of “Home Establishment” and therefore he could not be posted overseas without the consent of Home Establishment.

Once the notation “H” appeared in the Service Record, it remained there until it was changed to “F” (for Field). Service Records of those posted overseas had the letter “F” inserted in the Reason column.  

In translation, as from 1 November 1945, Cliff continued at Mildenhall, but he could now be posted overseas.

I know Cliff was in fact posted overseas for a short while because he told me the RAF had sent him to Tehran in Iran.  I had no idea then that the British military was ever in Iran during WW 2.  At least in theory, Cliff continued to be eligible for posting overseas until his RAF discharge on the 21st of May 1946.  His posting to Iran occurred between the 1st of November 1945 and his RAF discharge on the 21st of May 1946.

The Service Record does not show Cliff ever had any overseas posting, so although the Service Record was altered to make an overseas posting lawful, the RAF never recorded the trip to Tehran as a formal “posting”.  In theory, Cliff remained in his official posting and made a trip to Tehran as a normal part of his duties. This meant the trip to Tehran did not need to be recorded as a “posting”.

What was Cliff doing in Iran?

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Wiki says this about the British and Iran in WW 2.

The Anglo-Soviet invasion of Iran … was the invasion of the Empire of Iran during World War II by Soviet, British and other Commonwealth armed forces. The invasion lasted from 25 August to 17 September 1941 and was codenamed Operation Countenance. Its purpose was to secure Iranian oil fields and ensure Allied supply lines (see Persian Corridor) for the USSR, fighting against Axis forces on the Eastern Front. Though Iran was neutral, the Allies considered King Reza Shah to be friendly to the Axis powers, deposed him during the subsequent occupation and replaced him with his young son Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. The new Shah signed a Treaty of Alliance with Britain and the Soviet Union in January 1942, under which Iran provided non-military assistance to the Allied war effort. Article ⅝ of this treaty, although not entirely trusted by the Iranian leader, committed the Allies to leaving Iran "not more than six months after the cessation of hostilities". In September 1943, Iran declared war on Germany, which qualified it for membership in the United Nations (UN). At the Tehran Conference in November of that year, Roosevelt, Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin reaffirmed their commitment to Iranian independence and territorial integrity, with a willingness to extend economic assistance to Iran. The treaty ruled that Iran was not considered to be "occupied" by the Allies but instead a member of the Allied Powers. When the deadline for withdrawal arrived on 2 March 1946, six months after the end of World War II hostilities, the British began to withdraw, but Moscow refused, citing "threats to Soviet security". Soviet troops did not withdraw from Iran proper until May 1946, following Iran's official complaint to the newly formed United Nations Security Council, which became the first complaint filed by a country in the UN's history, and a test for the UN's effectiveness in resolving global issues in the aftermath of World War II. However, the UN Security Council took no direct steps to pressure the Soviets to withdraw.

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In November 1945, the British military was preparing for their withdrawal from Iran and that withdrawal had to be completed by the 2nd of March 1946.  I presume Cliff was sent to Tehran to assist with the British withdrawal.  The Iranian people must have been very unimpressed about the invasion and occupation by the British and Soviet armies.  

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Date 25–31 August 1941 (6 days) Location Iran (Persia) 32°N 53°E Result Anglo-Soviet victory Abdication of Iranian monarch Reza Shah on 16 September 1941 Rise to power of Iranian crown prince Mohammad Reza Pahlavi Opening of the Persian Corridor by the Allies to support the Soviets against the German invasion Territorial changes Military occupation of Iran for the remainder of World War II Soviet occupation of northern Iran British occupation of southern Iran

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