The first participation of Khalil Jassim in combat was at the Anglo-Iraqi War when the coup of 1941 Iraqi coup d'état took place and followed by British air raids and attacks on the Iraqi army position near Habbaniya RAF Habbaniya. He showed a lot of courage and rescued his unit from dying from thirst after they lost their directions in the Iraqi desert near Fallujah after the heavy air raids. He ran for a very long distance alone and reached to some Bedouins and asked them for help and water to rescue his unit which they complied and sent with him a couple of horses and camels with water.