Basra, Iraq - Shaibah Logistics Base on the outskirts of Basra City was handed to the Iraqi Army on 24 Apr 07. This follows the handover of the Old State Building (20 Mar) and the Shatt al-Arab Hotel (8 Apr) (both in Basra City) and forms part of an undertaking made by the UK Prime Minister in February 2007.
The handover ceremony was held in Camp DANEVANG, part of the Shaibah Logistics Base and was attended by General Habib - the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 10th Division Iraqi Army, Brigadier Paul Jaques- Commander Force Support, Multi-National Division (South East) (representing the GOC) and Colonel Kim B. Petersen - Commander of the Danish Battalion.
A flag changing ceremony signified the formal handover of the camp which will become the home of 10th Division's newly formed 5th Brigade and its Divisional Training Centre.
The day also marked the end of an historic British connection with Shaibah. The area was first occupied on March 9, 1915 as part of the Mesopotamian campaign in World War 1. The RAF established a camp at Shaibah in 1920 and a British presence was maintained until 1959 when it was handed over to the Iraqi Air Force. The British returned to the site upon in 2003 and established it as a logistics base. At the peak of Shaibah's activity, it was home for around 8000 troops from 13 different nations.
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