JY1BB 1952 Jordan

RAF Station in Amman

The British Royal Air Force (RAF) operated from two air bases in Jordan, RAF Mafraq and RAF Amman, from 1931-57.
"Jordan, from its establishment as a separate mandated country in 1920, relied totally on the British for air support.Two air stations were constructed, one in Amman (RAF Amman) and one in Mafraq (RAF Mafraq), and were officially opened in 1931.

Soon Trans-Jordan set up her own flight for air operations. In the first place using only old and outdated aircraft, quite suitable for training and observation, but useless against modern, better equipped combat machines of the other states in the region. By 1950, the flight consisted of a D.H.Rapide, 4 Percival Proctors, 2 D.H Tiger Moths and two Auster Autocrats. In may 1950, the Jordan government proposed to establish a small air force, limited in shape and size to a training flight, plus a small Air Observation Post (A.O.P) squadron to consist of six Austers with photographic capability.
 
King Hussein recognized the vital need for adequate air support and decided to expand and acquire fighter jet aircraft. On September 25th 1955, the Arab Legion Air Force was renamed the Royal Jordanian Air Force (RJAF) after the United Kingdom’s decision to donate nine Vampire jet fighter-bombers to Jordan. In April 1956, the command of the RJAF was transferred from the British to the Jordanians whereby Major Ibrahim Othman became the first Jordanian Air Force Commander. By 31 May 1957, Mafraq and Amman Air stations had been evacuated by the British and handed over to the RJAF.

On 19 November 1953, the British Cabinet agreed to station an armoured squadron in Ma'an for training with the Arab Legion in accordance with the Anglo-Jordan Treaty.
The Jordanian Government subsequently requested that the squadron be based in Aqaba instead.

See paragraphs 3-5 of the memorandum to the British Government Cabinet from the Secretary of State for Foreigb Affairs "Stationing of British Troops in Jordan".

I assume the ZC7 pefix was used initially as the amateur radio licences would initially have been issued by the British Military, and not by the Jordanian Government, as the above mentioned memorandum states, in paragraph 3:
"The move has not yet been authorised owing to the unsatisfactory attitude adopted by the Jordan Government in regard to the Israel proposal for high-level talks about the Israel-Jordan Armistice, and the risk that our action in sending forces to Jordan (which is bound to become known) would be regarded as encouraging Jordanian intransigence."

Paragraph 5 states: " Her Majesty's Ambassador therefore recommends that we should inform the Jordanians: (i) that we are sending the armoured squadron forthwith; <snip>

Paragraph 5 also states:
"(The Anglo-Jordan Treaty does not provide for the permanent stationing of British ground forces in Jordan, but only for their engaging in joint training operations " for a sufficient period in each year ".)

Thus, if the stationing of British Forces had been regularised by the end of 1954, one would assume that subsequent licences would have been isssued by the Jordanian authorities, with a JY prefix. Are there any QSLs in 1955 and later that support that deduction?

QSL Patrick Rigg Collection
Info courtesy of 5B4AHJ