Royal Air Force in Iraq and Sharjah during WWII - vol. 1
Call Number
AD.MC.013.v1
Date
1941–1942, inclusive
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943 (Role: Creator)
Extent
48 Leaves
- 108 gelatin silver prints, 3 poems printed on photographic paper
Language of Materials
English .
Abstract
This is the first of two photograph albums of Royal Air Force Leading Aircraftman C. J. Sainty, who served in Iraq and the Middle East during World War II. The first 32 photographs are taken during Sainty's period in India and show Bombay and the military camp at Colaba. During the Anglo-Iraq war of 1941, Sainty is transferred to the RAF base at Habbaniya and the photographs show Baghdad and the aircraft base and its residents. A special section entitled "The Fortunes of War. May 1941. R.A.F. v Rebels" is devoted to the Battle of Habbaniya and shows British and Iraqi tanks, guns and fallen aircraft, including a German Messerschmidt Bf 110. A few graphic photos of limbs and cadavers in the desert show the grim human toll of the war. Please note: This material has been digitized in its entirety and contains racist and culturally insensitive remarks).
Biographical / Historical
This pair of photograph albums contains a collection of photographs taken by Royal Air Force Leading Aircraftman C.J. Sainty, who served in Iraq and the Middle East during World War II. The photographs were taken in India, Iraq and Sharjah in 1941–43, including the Battle of Habbaniya (1941).
Arrangement
The collection was processed as it was received.
Scope and Contents
The first 32 photographs in this collection were taken during Sainty's period in India and show Bombay/Mumbai and the military camp at Colaba. During the Anglo-Iraq war of 1941, Sainty was transferred to the RAF base at Habbaniya and the photographs show Baghdad and the aircraft base and its residents. A special section entitled "The Fortunes of War. May 1941. R.A.F. v Rebels" is devoted to the Battle of Habbaniya and shows British and Iraqi tanks, guns and fallen aircraft, including a German Messerschmidt Bf 110. A few graphic photos of limbs and cadavers in the desert show the less glamorous side of the war. The second album shows many pictures of the cities of Baghdad and Basra. The photographs of Ashar, the heart of Basra, show daily life in this ancient city: a boatman, Arabian policemen in long coats, a barber, a craftsman, machine shop workers, a bread maker, a copper beater, long hand crafted river boats and a camel caravan. Photographs of a trip to northern Iraq show daily life in the country and endless vistas of desolate hills. The album concludes with various photographs of camp life at the RAF base in Sharjah.
Subjects
Topics
Places
Conditions Governing Access
Materials are open without restrictions at akkasah.org. For access to physical album contact Akkasah Center for Photography, akkasah@nyu.edu +971 2628 5531
Conditions Governing Use
Any rights (including copyright and related rights to publicity and privacy) are maintained by Akkasah Center for Photography, New York University Abu Dhabi. Permission to publish or reproduce materials in this collection must be secured from repository. Please contact Akkasah Center for Photography, akkasah@nyu.edu +971 2628 5531
Preferred Citation
Identification of item, date; Album: Royal Air Force in Iraq and Sharjah during WWII - vol. 1; AD_MC_013 v.1; box number; folder number or item identifier; Akkasah Center for Photography, New York University Abu Dhabi.
Material Specific Details
One oblong album (22 × 16 cm) with 106 photographs (2 coloured) and one oblong album (33 × 24 cm) with 161 photographs, most of them with handwritten captions in English. The photographs vary in sizes, measuring from 4.5 × 6 cm to 25 × 19 cm. The smaller album: string tied tooled black cloth boards, with an ownership inscription in white ink faintly visible at the front bottom. The larger album: string tied beige cloth boards.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Album purchased from Antiquariat Inlibris, Rathausstraße 19, 1010 Wien, Austria, in 2015.
Custodial History
Akkasah, the Center for Photography at NYU Abu Dhabi, acquired the collection in December 2015.
About this Guide
This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-08-21 19:10:12 +0400.
Language: Description is written in: English, Latin script.
Repository
Akkasah: Photography Archive (NYU Abu Dhabi)
Container
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: Graphic Materials)
View Inventory
The front cover of RAF in Iraq and Sharjah VI., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Inside front cover of The front cover of RAF in Iraq and Sharjah VI., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Clockwise from top left: views of a cape from a ship, a portrait of a serviceman and street views of Bombay (Mumbai), India., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Fruit sellers, a shoe shiner and knife grinder in Bombay (Mumbai)., 1941
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Occupations
Clockwise from top left: a hackery, the Prince of Wales Museum in Bombay (Mumbai), a soldier reading, and a charpai bed., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Portraits of a man sitting in an alley with a dog., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Clockwise from top left: views of a building before and after rain, general city street views, and a view of Hornby Road (Dadabhai Naoroji Road)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
A Portrait of a woman with a man, and a portrait of the same woman., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Page captioned "Some pukka sahibs". Clockwise from top left: Group portraits of servicemen with Inidan Chefs, five men posing by a swimming pool, three group portraits of men wearing pith helmets., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Occupations
An empty page of the album., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Clockwise from top left: men at a Breach Candy Club in Bombay (Mumbai), a street view from the canteen of the base at Colaba, Mahatma Gandhi Road in Bombay (Mumbai), and the Gateway of India, Bombay (Mumbai)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Two portraits of servicemen., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Portraits of servicemen stationed in Colaba, Bombay (Mumbai) alongside Indian workers., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
The sign for the Royal Air Force base in Habbaniyah, Iraq, indicating the distance to Baghdad and London., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Clockwise from top left: Iraqi men and women, a mosque in Baghdad, and three men near a camel., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
From left to right: People passing over the Fallujah Bridge, and two images the RAF base Habbaniyah., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Portraits of four servicemen in Iraq., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Places
Clockwise from left to right: A chatty (cooking vessel), a view of Sealand Road, and Air Headquarters Iraq., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Subjects
Topics
Places
The shoreline around Lake Habbaniya (Habbaniyah) and a portrait of two fishermen., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
A portrait of a man getting out of a pool in Habbaniyah, Iraq., 1942
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Top: men posing in a shed with the caption "Any bets?'. Bottom: a date plantation in Habbaniyah, Iraq., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Cattle being herded., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Subjects
Topics
Places
Habbaniya (Habbaniyah) Cemetery., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Habbaniya (Habbaniyah) Cemetery., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Four portraits of servicemen, one stands in front of a Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI) refreshment facility., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Clockwise from top left: the grounds at the back of the Habbaniya camp, a view of Kenley Road, and Air Headquarters Iraq (link ref n000016)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Occupations
An album page with English writing: The Fortunes of War. RAF VS Rebels, May 1941
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Two photographs of cannons captioned "Iraqi guns"., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Two photographs of armoured vehicles captioned "British-made war tanks and armoured cars, used by rebels"., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Places
Top: A tank; Bottom: a wrecked airplane., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Two photographs of a wrecked Messerschmitt Bf 110 airplane and servicemen surrounding one., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Two photographs of the skeletal remains of a body., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Two photographs of the skeletal remains of a body., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
A hand-tinted photograph of two men and a dog., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
A hand-tinted photograph of four men wearing matching outfits., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
A poem entitled The Siege of Habbaniyah (Please note: This material has been digitized in its entirety and contains racist and culturally insensitive remarks)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
A poem entitled "The Call of the West" (Please note: This material has been digitized in its entirety and contains racist and culturally insensitive remarks)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Genres
Places
A group portrait of four RAF servicemen - Snapper, Son, Spike, and Johnny in Habbaniyah, Iraq., 1942
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Left: a shell hole in the roof of the NAAFI canteen. Right: four men in bathing suits., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Portraits of men in the Tigris Palace Hotel and overlooking the Tigris River., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Image
Two portraits of the same serviceman., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Places
Group portraits of three servicemen playing pool/billiards and sitting outdoors., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Places
Image
Group portraits of servicemen sitting and riding in a carriage., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Left: houses; Right: women carrying water from the Euphrates River (Please note: This material has been digitized in its entirety and contains racist and culturally insensitive remarks)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Left: a dried river bed; Right: a group portrait of five servicemen., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Places
Group portraits of five servicemen posing with a dog in Habbaniyah, Iraq., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Captioned: Magneto repair section.Left: a group portrait of five soldiers posing with a dog; Right: a group of two soldiers in Habbaniyah, Iraq., 1942
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Views of Al Rashid Street in Baghdad, Iraq., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
Three portraits of servicemen., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Topics
Places
A poem entitled Demobilization Form (Please note: This material has been digitized in its entirety and contains racist and culturally insensitive remarks)., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
Genres
Places
The back inside cover of RAF in Iraq and Sharjah VI., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
Subjects
The back cover of RAF in Iraq and Sharjah VI., Circa 1941 - 1942, inclusive
box: AD_MC_013_v.1 (Material Type: graphic materials)
Extent
1 Photographic Prints
Creator
Sainty, C. J., Active circa 1941-1943
