Assyrian Levies

Assyrian Levies
Ministry of Information Photo Division Photographer · Public domain · source
Unit name	Assyrian Levies
Dates	1920–1955
Country	United Kingdom
Allegiance	British Empire
Branch	British Indian Army
Type	Paramilitary
Role	Imperial garrison
Size	Battalion to brigade-level elements
Garrison	Baghdad, Mosul
Notable commanders	Gertrude Bell, T. E. Lawrence, Sir Percy Cox

Assyrian Levies The Assyrian Levies were a locally recruited armed force raised and administered by the United Kingdom during the post-World War I period in Iraq to secure imperial interests and protect minority communities, particularly the Assyrians. Formed from survivors of the Assyrian genocide and veterans of the First World War campaigns, the Levies served under British officers and saw action through the interwar years and into World War II, before final demobilization in the 1950s.

Origins and Formation

The Levies trace origins to British wartime alliances with Assyrian leaders such as Mar Shimun XXI Benyamin and officers from the Royal Navy and British Army who sought local auxiliaries after the Mesopotamian campaign and the collapse of the Ottoman Empire. Early proponents included colonial administrators and explorers like Gertrude Bell and diplomats such as Sir Percy Cox, who negotiated recruitment among displaced Assyrian communities in Hakkari, Urmia, and the Simele region following the Treaty of Sèvres and the subsequent territorial rearrangements. Recruitment drew on veterans of the Ottoman–Persian frontier, former contingents associated with the Royal Flying Corps, and Christian minorities affected by the Assyrian genocide and the Armenian Genocide.

Organization and Structure

Administered by the India Office and later by the Iraq Levies Force structure under British command, the Levies were organized into companies and battalions with British and Indian Army officers providing leadership, training, and logistics. Command arrangements involved figures linked to the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1922) and the Mandatory Iraq administration, with garrisons in strategic towns such as Mosul, Baghdad, Kirkuk, and Basra. The force structure evolved to include mounted detachments, signals sections, and labour units modeled on units like the King's African Rifles and influenced by doctrine from the Royal Artillery and Imperial Service Troops.

Operational History and Deployments

The Levies conducted internal security operations, convoy escorts, and frontier policing during crises such as the Iraqi revolt of 1920, riots in Kirkuk, and border incidents involving Persia and Turkey. They were deployed to protect British diplomatic missions and oil installations linked to companies like the Anglo-Persian Oil Company and secured lines during the Kurdish rebellions and tribal uprisings associated with figures such as Sheikh Mahmud Barzanji. During World War II, elements served in defensive roles against potential Axis advances from Vichy France territories and in coordination with forces like the Royal Air Force and Indian Infantry Divisions.

Role in British Mandate Iraq and World War II

Under the British Mandate for Mesopotamia arrangements and subsequent treaties, the Levies supplemented garrison troops to uphold mandates associated with the League of Nations settlement and to support the British Empire’s strategic posture in the Persian Gulf and Transjordan. They stood alongside units from the Iraqi Army, the Royal Air Force, and the RAF Iraq Command in counterinsurgency operations and defended installations against pro-Axis coups and the 1941 Anglo-Iraqi War. The Levies provided local expertise during joint operations with formations such as the 4th Indian Division and interacted with Allied commands coordinating supply lines between Basra and the Soviet Union via the Persian Corridor.

Demobilization and Legacy

Following the gradual transfer of security responsibilities to the Kingdom of Iraq and changes after the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty (1930), the Levies faced downsizing, reorganization, and eventual disbandment amid rising Iraqi nationalism and the 1948 regional realignments. Veterans influenced Assyrian diaspora communities in Iran, Syria, Lebanon, and Australia, while survivors and officers appeared in memoirs and accounts associated with figures like Gertrude Bell and military historians covering the Mesopotamian campaign and Middle Eastern theatre. The legacy persisted in debates over minority rights after events such as the Simele massacre and in military studies comparing the Levies to other colonial auxiliary forces like the Sudan Defence Force and the Transjordan Frontier Force.

Equipment and Uniforms

The Levies were equipped with small arms and standard ordnance procured through British military channels, including rifles such as the Lee-Enfield, light machine guns like the Bren gun, and mortars comparable to those used by the British Army and Indian Army during the interwar period. Uniforms combined locally sourced garments with items issued by the War Office, reflecting influences from British Indian Army dress, khaki drill, and mounted cavalry accoutrements akin to the Royal Horse Guards. Vehicles for transport and reconnaissance were supplied via depots in Basra and Alexandria, and logistics were coordinated with naval facilities at Port Said and naval squadrons of the Royal Navy.

Category:Military units and formations of the United Kingdom Category:History of Iraq Category:Assyrian people