Jonathan Walker - Aden Insurgency: The Savage War in Yeman 1962-67

ADEN INSURGENCY

ADEN
INSURGENCY

THE SAVAGE WAR IN YEMEN
196267

by
Jonathan Walker

First published in Great Britain in 2005 by
Spellmount Ltd

Reprinted in 2014 by
Pen & Sword Military
An imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS

Copyright Jonathan Walker 2005, 2014

ISBN 978 1 47382 763 9

The right of Jonathan Walker to be identified as Author of this work has been asserted
by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is
available from the British Library

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Contents

For my late father
Sir Gervas Walker

One of the rewarding aspects of researching a part of Britains End of Empire story is discovering the rich pool of personal experiences that can still be related first-hand. Many of the central participants, as well as those who played lesser parts in the South Arabian episode, have kindly recounted their experiences for this book. I would like to thank those I have listed at the end of my acknowledgements, for giving me a greater understanding of the life of British servicemen, officials and civilians during the Aden Insurgency.

I am especially indebted to Glencairn Balfour-Paul, who retains an encyclopaedic knowledge of the Middle East, for his hospitality and for imparting his knowledge of Britains withdrawal from her Arab dependencies. My thanks also to another expert Arabist, Stephen Day, whose knowledge of the myriad tribes and terrain of South Arabia is unsurpassed. Ronald Bailey, another ex-ambassador from the Arab World, gave me valuable insights into the colourful pre-revolution Yemen.

General Sir John Waters and General Sir Richard Lawson pointed me towards useful sources and I am grateful for the benefit of their extensive knowledge. During his lifetime, I enjoyed many spirited discussions about South Arabia with Major-General John Cubbon and, although he left no papers, his son Robin has kindly provided background details. Major-General W B Sandy Thomas did chronicle his role in the early years and has generously allowed me to quote from his records. Similarly, my appreciation for hospitality and advice from Brigadier Sir Louis Hargroves, who imbued me with tales of soldiering in the Radfan and left me in no doubt as to the ferocity of the enemy. Brigadier David Baines gave me much valuable advice and encouragement as well as important information on the horse gunners, while Lieutenant-Colonel John Jago helped me trace RHA veterans.

Curators and Archivists in Regimental Museums were generous with their limited time and resources, none more so than Colonel T Vines of The Prince of Waless Own Regiment of Yorkshire. Colonel Dick Sidwell RM was, as ever, a most helpful source of information on the activities of the Royal Marines Corps. Four Five Commando, Royal Marines were the longest serving unit in South Arabia and I am indebted to Colonel Robin McGarel Groves, a former Commanding Officer, for his assistance and recollections of operations.

The Rev. Robin Laird kindly helped with contacts and sources and convinced me as if it was ever in doubt that Army Padres have always provided invaluable support to soldiers in the front line as well as in reserve; that was certainly true in Aden and I am grateful for help given by The Office of the Deputy Assistant Chaplain-General.

My research was made easier by the help of Kate OBrien at the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives, Kings College, London. Hannah Watkins offered similar support at the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Bristol, and I am also grateful to Gill Spence and the staff of Sidmouth Library who supplied me with an endless stream of printed books on the Arabian Peninsula and insurgency warfare. My thanks also to Murray Graham for his help with the early story of Aden. His knowledge of BPs important role in this region brought me into contact with the BP Archive at the University of Warwick an invaluable and often overlooked source. Peter Housego, the BP Archive Manager, was most helpful in granting permission to quote from their extensive records. My investigations into the Yemen civil war, as well as the Aden Insurgency were greatly assisted by records held in the Arab World Documentation Unit, University of Exeter. The Assistant Librarian, Ahmed Abu-Zayed, and his colleague Bobby Coles were most helpful in allowing me access to this splendid resource centre for research into all aspects of the Gulf region and Arab World.

I am indebted to Simon Tidswell for his knowledge on RAF sources and to those veterans, Chris Golds and David Malin of 43(F) Squadron, who described in vivid terms the exhilaration of flying one of the great classic aircraft. Mike Rudd of the Hunter Flying Club at Exeter Airport made time between Air Shows to demonstrate the mechanics and armaments of the Hawker Hunter, while Bob Douglas was generous in helping me with information on 84 Squadron as well as allowing me access to his extraordinary collection of regional maps.

Bryan Curryer was most helpful with police links, and through Joe Tildesley and the National Association of Retired Police Officers (NARPO) I was able to reach many ex-policemen and ex-servicemen who had served in Aden.

Ann Cuthbert coloured in my previously rather black and white views of civilian life in Aden. Her acute and amusing anecdotes brought light relief and balance to a story dominated by military operations. Barbara Binns provided very welcome material on medical services, and I am most grateful to Jasper Humphreys, Joe and Lindsay Roderick, Dr David Hall, Robin Knight-Bruce and Linda Kellett, all of whom gave me valuable support. The prolific author, David Foot, offered wise counsel as well as encouragement, and I am also grateful to his fellow Pickwickian, Major Roddy Mellotte, for his sorties into the more discreet corridors of the Foreign Office.

Although the insurgency took place nearly forty years ago, the loss of a young son is never repaired: I am therefore indebted to Bill Rose and Pamela Davis for their frank and moving discussions with me concerning the loss of their sons, and for making their papers available.

I am grateful to the following for allowing me to examine or quote from archive material within their collections: The Trustees of the Liddell Hart Centre for Military Archives; The Arab World Documentation Unit, University of Exeter; British Petroleum Limited; The Trustees of the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Bristol. While Crown copyright still subsists in material held in the National Archives, Kew, London, since 1999 permission to publish extracts is not required in the case of documents unpublished at the time they were deposited.