153
depots, and installations in the vicinity of RAF Shaiba (but not the base
itself) and the local narrow-gauge railway network. Zone 3: Baghdad. Zone
4: Iraq LOC (Railways). Maqil-Baghdad West; Baghdad North—Kirkuk;
Tel Kotchek—Tel Ziouane (Syria); Baghdad—Maqil and Mosul.
In September 1941, a security control officer (SCO) was first stationed
at Tel Kotchek on the Syrian frontier. His task was to cooperate with the
Franco-Syrian authorities in seeing that the orders regarding entry into
and exit from Syria were complied with, and to carry out passenger checks
on trains running between Tel Kotchek and Tel Ziouane. These controls
worked very well, with the Defence Security Office (DSO) receiving
weekly entrance and exit lists from the SCO that provided them with all
relevant information about the Taurus Express passengers’ passports and
visas, which was then securely distributed by CICI throughout the Middle
East and the Levant. At the same time, however, there was a severe short-
age of security forces, leaving the borders of Iraq vulnerable in places. It
was therefore hoped that, when more FSS arrived from India, it would be
possible to extend similar arrangements to all other frontier posts, which
is indeed what subsequently happened.^6
By January 1943, a total of 19 field security sections were active in the
PAIFORCE theatre. Eighteen months later, the addition of 315 FSS
brought the maximum number in Tenth Army during the Second World
War to 20. The following 14 sections served in Iraq between 1941 and
1946: 35 FSS (Kirkuk), 71 FSS (Baghdad, Shaiba, Mosul), 72 FSS
(Baghdad [railway security], Shaiba, Mosul), 265 FSS (Kirkuk), 266 FSS
(Basra), 281 FSS (Basra), 401 FSS (Basra, Kirkuk, Erbil, Mosul, Tel
Kotchek, Baghdad), 402 FSS (Baghdad, Samawah, Kut, Khosravi, Amara),
403 FSS (Baghdad [including town, airport, and Nairn bus security]),
404 FSS (Maqil, Mosul, Baghdad), 405 FSS (Kirkuk), 406 FSS (Kirkuk),
407 FSS (Habbaniya), and 408 FSS (Shaiba, Qaiyara). The mobility and
reach of these units are evident from their postings (with multiple postings
listed above in chronological order), though postings to Persia are not
shown, nor are transfers to other war theatres, such as Italy.
For FSS members one of the most interesting and eventful postings was
railway frontier control on the Iraqi-Syrian border, a job handled mainly
by 401 FSS (April 1943–November 1944), a composite British/Indian
section under the command of D. Evand (FSO) and two WOIIs. Geoffrey
Household, who inspected the section in 1943, described them as ‘a
splendid section ... isolated, grossly overworked, learning the local lan-
guages, and apparently enjoying every changing month.’^7 From 1940
BORDER SECURITY AND BOOTS ON THE GROUND