Tag Archives: Iraq

The Original Camouflage: Khaki Part I – The Origins and Use in the British Army

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The late 19th century saw the era of “Red Coats” pass as British soldiers on campaign donned khaki – which was soon to become the first true universal camouflage

Today camouflage has gone high-tech, with digicam or “digital camouflage” being the preferred pattern. This utilizes small micro-patterns as the method for effective disruption, as opposed to the large blotches of cover, which could be easier to spot with the naked eye. This is of course leaps and bounds over the earliest camouflage, which consisted of solid patterns. Among the earliest was khaki. While known for the casual pants, khaki has a long history as the first widespread military camouflage.

This is part I of a multiple part series on the origins and development of “the Original Camouflage.” Continue reading →

The British Commonwealth Soldier in the Kingdom of Iraq 1941 (Recreated)

IRAQ 1941The formation of Rashid Ali’s ‘National Defence Government’ in Iraq and its strong ties to Germany and Italy seriously threatened the British position in the Middle East in April 1941. As tensions mounted, the Iraqi Army began a siege of the RAF airbase at Habbaniya. In response, the British created a force to relieve Habbaniya from existing units in the British Mandate of Palestine. First Cavalry Division was an element of the newly created ‘Habforce’ (as it became known). Originally arriving in the Middle East in January of 1940 as a garrison and occupation force, the First was the last mounted division in the British Army. Continue reading →

The Arabian Keffiyeh

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The traditional Arab headdress is often – and quite erroneously – called a “turban.” While it may have a shared origin with the Indo-Pakistani turban, including the fact that both are made of cloth, and were originally worn to provide protection from the sun, these are two distinct types of headdress.

The Arabian head scarf is known as the ghutrah, shemagh, but most commonly is referred to as the keffiyeh. It is commonly worn in arid regions; usually is made of cotton and features a distinctive woven check pattern that is believed to have originated in ancient Mesopotamia. Continue reading →