The Aden Protectorate Levies (APL) were an Arab military force raised for the local defence of the
Aden Protectorate
The Aden Protectorate ( ar, محمية عدن ') was a British protectorate in South Arabia which evolved in the hinterland of the port of Aden and in the Hadhramaut following the conquest of Aden by the Bombay Presidency of British India ...
under
British rule
The British Raj (; from Hindi ''rāj'': kingdom, realm, state, or empire) was the rule of the British Crown on the Indian subcontinent;
*
* it is also called Crown rule in India,
*
*
*
*
or Direct rule in India,
* Quote: "Mill, who was himsel ...
. The Levies were drawn from all parts of the Protectorate and were armed and officered by the British military. They used the
Lahej
Lahij or Lahej ( ar, لحج, Laḥj, links=no), also called al-Hawtah, is a city and an area located between Ta'izz and Aden in Yemen. From the 18th to the 20th century, its rulers were of the Abdali branch of the Al-Sallami tribe who trace th ...
emblem of crossed ''
jambiyah
A jambiya, also spelled janbiya, jambya, jambia and janbia ( ar, جنۢبية ''janbīyah''), is a specific type of dagger with a short curved blade with a medial ridge that originated from the Hadhramaut region of Yemen. They have spread all ov ...
'' (traditional curved double-edged dagger) as their badge.
History
Foundation
The APL were formed on 1 April 1928 primarily to protect
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the United Kingdom's air and space force. It was formed towards the end of the First World War on 1 April 1918, becoming the first independent air force in the world, by regrouping the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and ...
stations following the change of status of Aden to an Air Command in April 1927. Their secondary role was to be that of assisting the civil police. The APL also organized a camel troop.
Prior to 1928 the British garrison in Aden had comprised one British and one
Indian
Indian or Indians may refer to:
Peoples South Asia
* Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor
** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country
* South Asia ...
infantry battalion, plus
Royal Artillery
The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...
units and detachments of
sapper
A sapper, also called a pioneer (military), pioneer or combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefie ...
s and miners. A locally recruited infantry unit, known as the 1st Yemen Infantry, had been raised in the Aden Protectorate during 1917-18 for service in World War I but had been disbanded in 1925.
Organisation
Colonel M.C. Lake of the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
was the first Commanding Officer until Lt. Col. J.C. (Robby) Robinson took over command in 1929 and remained as C.O. till 1939. In 1928 the APL comprised two British officers and six platoons of Arabs recruited from the various tribes that lived in the foothills or the higher mountainous regions of the protectorate. Each platoon comprised one officer and 34 non-commissioned officers and men, as well as 48 camels and 8 mules to carry them, their supplies, and equipment. During the early years of the APL's existence a number of junior commissioned officers and senior NCOs were Indian.
The APL Depot Battalion, the Levies' base and training organisation, was based in
Aden Colony
Aden Colony ( ar, مستعمرة عدن, ), also the Colony of Aden, was a British Crown colony from 1937 to 1963 located in the south of contemporary Yemen. It consisted of the port of Aden and its immediate surroundings (an area of ).
Pr ...
. The Depot included married quarters, a
neonatal
An infant or baby is the very young offspring of human beings. ''Infant'' (from the Latin word ''infans'', meaning 'unable to speak' or 'speechless') is a formal or specialised synonym for the common term ''baby''. The terms may also be used to ...
clinic, a school for children, the APL Band, and the APL Camel Troop. Air supply and other repair and supply units also were based there.
The APL Hospital (ALH), located near
Khormaksar, was a 160-bed RAF general hospital that provided free medical care to the APL's 1,500 men active members and their families, and also to former members, about 10,000 people in all. The ALH also provided the medicines to the APL. The hospital CO was an RAF doctor; two RAF warrant officers and an administration and supplies staff assisted him. Three RAF doctors and a surgeon, assisted by local doctors, provided medical coverage. The other RAF personnel were two male nurses, two laboratory technicians and a pharmacist. Local people made up the rest of the staff and all of them would have been trained on site.
Arab officers
Arab officers were called ''Bimbashis'', with one in each battalion being responsible to the Commanding Officer for Arab Administration. They held
Governor's Commissions as 2nd lieutenant (''MulazimIth Thani''); lieutenant (''Mulazim Al Awal''); captain (''Rais''); and major (''Wakil Qaid Ith'' Thani). During the period of RAF control prior to 1957, a different system of Arab rank designations had been in place at all levels. The senior Arab rank was that of lieutenant colonel (''Qaid Al Awal'').
World War II
During the
Second World War
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
the APL was expanded from 600 to 1,600 men. The Levies operated in Aden and the Western Aden Protectorate but also provided garrisons at
Socotra Island
Socotra or Soqotra (; ar, سُقُطْرَىٰ ; so, Suqadara) is an island of the Republic of Yemen in the Indian Ocean, under the ''de facto'' control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council, a secessionist participant in Yemen ...
and
Sharjah
Sharjah (; ar, ٱلشَّارقَة ', Gulf Arabic: ''aš-Šārja'') is the third-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates, after Dubai and Abu Dhabi, forming part of the Dubai-Sharjah-Ajman metropolitan area.
Sharjah is the capital o ...
. By 1939 an APL anti-aircraft wing had been created, which shot down an Italian plane in the course of the war.
In 1942 a six-year process of replacing
British Army
The British Army is the principal land warfare force of the United Kingdom, a part of the British Armed Forces along with the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. , the British Army comprises 79,380 regular full-time personnel, 4,090 Gurk ...
personnel serving with the APL with
RAF Regiment officers and airmen commenced. This policy led to the reorganisation of the Levies into a tactical force of two wings, each about the equivalent of a battalion, plus an administrative wing. A third infantry wing was added after 1948
Postwar
During the
December 1947 anti-Jewish riots in Aden City, some Arab personnel of the Levies proved ineffective in controlling inter-communal violence and fired indiscriminately into Jewish houses, killing several of the inhabitants.
The Levies reverted to
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the new Ministry of Defence (MoD). This article contains text from ...
control in 1957 with British Army officers and NCOs replacing RAF secondees. The AFL headquarters was at Seedaseer Lines in Khormaksar. "Up country" forward bases and garrisons were maintained at
Dhala
Dhale or Dhala, also spelled Dali and Dhalea and sometimes prefixed with Al or Ad ( ar, الضالع, Aḍ-Ḍāliʿ), is the capital town of Dhale Governorate in south-western Yemen. It is located at around , in the elevation of around 1500 metr ...
,
Mukalla
Mukalla ( ar, ٱلْمُكَلَّا, ') is a seaport and the capital city of Yemen's largest governorate, Hadhramaut. The city is in the southern part of the Arabian Peninsula on the Gulf of Aden, on the shores of the Arabian Sea, about east of ...
,
Seiyun
Seiyun (also transliterated as ''Saywun'', ''Sayoun'' or ''Say'un''; ar, سَيْئُوْن Hadhrami pronunciation: , Literary Arabic: ; Old South Arabian: 𐩪𐩺𐩱𐩬 ''S¹yʾn'') is a city in the region and Governorate of Hadh ...
,
Beihan
Beihan ( ar, بيحان), also known as Bayhan al Qisab (), is a town in western Yemen. The town had 13,234 inhabitants as of 2004. It was formerly the capital city of Emirate of Beihan, and today is the capital of Bayhan District in the Shabwah ...
,
Zinjibar
Zinjibar ( ar, زِنْجِبَار ''Zinjibār'') is a port and coastal town in south-central Yemen, the capital of Zinjibar District and the Abyan Governorate. It is located next to the Wadi Bana in the Abyan Delta. From 1962 to 1967, it was t ...
,
Ataq
Ataq ( ar, عتق), alternately spelled Attaq, is a small city and the capital of Shabwah Governorate in Yemen. Ataq is 458 km south east of Sanaa. The difference in elevation of the city is about 70 m with generally partially flat topography ...
.
Lawdar
Lawdar is a town and seat of Lawdar District in south-western Yemen. It is located in the Abyan Governorate. It is served by Lawdar Airport.
History
In October 2010, riots took place in Lawdar. A military force from Hadramut
Hadhramaut ( a ...
and
Mukeiras.
In 1958 the APL, supported by British troops and the RAF, repulsed border intrusions by Yemeni forces in the Jebel Jihaf region. Border clashes with North Yemeni tribal groups continued through the late 1950s.
By 1961 the APL consisted of four rifle battalions, each of which had a weapons company equipped with
82mm Mortars and Medium Machine Guns and a Signal Platoon, and a Mechanical Transport Company. A Medium Artillery Battery equipped with eight
Ordnance QF 25-pounder
The Ordnance QF 25-pounder, or more simply 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was the major British field gun and howitzer during the Second World War. Its calibre is 3.45-inch (87.6 mm). It was introduced into service just before the war started, combin ...
Field Guns stationed at
Dhale and
Mukeiras, and a fifth rifle battalion were raised in 1964, after the Levies had become the Federal Regular Army. The APL was a brigade-equivalent force with its own air supply and air liaison officers and a Senior Arab Officer. Additional units included the APL Armoured Car Squadron raised in 1962 at
Beihan
Beihan ( ar, بيحان), also known as Bayhan al Qisab (), is a town in western Yemen. The town had 13,234 inhabitants as of 2004. It was formerly the capital city of Emirate of Beihan, and today is the capital of Bayhan District in the Shabwah ...
with fourteen
Daimler Armoured Car
The Daimler Armoured Car was a successful British armoured car design of the Second World War that continued in service into the 1950s. It was designed for armed reconnaissance and liaison purposes. During the postwar era, it doubled as an inter ...
s, the APL Signal Squadron, the APL Band and the APL Camel Troop. The APL Camel Troop was a ceremonial unit.
On 30 November 1961, following the creation of the South Arabian Federation, the APL changed its name to the Federal Regular Army. After 1967, most of the troops and many native officers of the Levies joined the newly formed South Yemeni Army, or People's Democratic Republic of Yemen Armed Forces. The new Army consisted of a merging of the existing units of the APL with the 7,000 troops and units of the Marxist
National Liberation Front guerilla organisation that had spearheaded the anti-British insurgency movement. British-trained personnel were considered politically unreliable and were purged from the reorganised armed forces of the newly established
People's Republic of Yemen
South Yemen ( ar, اليمن الجنوبي, al-Yaman al-Janubiyy), officially the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (, ), also referred to as Democratic Yemen (, ) or Yemen (Aden) (, ), was a communist state that existed from 1967 to 19 ...
.
Awards
Officers and other ranks of the Levies were awarded the following:
* One
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly of other parts of the Commonwealth, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typ ...
(D.S.O.)
* Seven
Military Cross
The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level pre-1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth countries.
The MC i ...
es (M.C.)
* Two
Military Medal
The Military Medal (MM) was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the British Army and other arms of the armed forces, and to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for bravery in battle on land. The award ...
s (M.M.)
* One
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
(O.B.E.)
* Three
Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...
s (M.B.E)
* One
British Empire Medal
The British Empire Medal (BEM; formerly British Empire Medal for Meritorious Service) is a British and Commonwealth award for meritorious civil or military service worthy of recognition by the Crown. The current honour was created in 1922 to ...
(B.E.M.)
Insignia and uniforms
The badge of the APL, worn in various designs from the 1940s on, included crossed ''
jambiya
A jambiya, also spelled janbiya, jambya, jambia and janbia ( ar, جنۢبية ''janbīyah''), is a specific type of dagger with a short curved blade with a medial ridge that originated from the Hadhramaut region of Yemen. They have spread all ov ...
s'' (double-edged Adeni daggers) under a crescent and star, with the motto "Peace be with you" in Arabic.
Throughout its history the APL wore the
khaki drill
Khaki drill (KD) is the British military term for a type of fabric and the military uniforms made from them.
History
Khaki colour uniforms were first introduced in 1848 in the British Indian Army Corps of Guides. As well as the Corps of Guid ...
uniform of the
British Indian Army
The British Indian Army, commonly referred to as the Indian Army, was the main military of the British Raj before its dissolution in 1947. It was responsible for the defence of the British Indian Empire, including the princely states, which co ...
, complete with a Punjabi style ''
pagri
Phari or Pagri (; ) is a town in Yadong County in the Tibet Autonomous Region, China near the border with Bhutan. The border can be accessed through a secret road/trail connecting Tsento Gewog in Bhutan () known as Tremo La. the town had a popula ...
'' (turban). When on service in the "up-country" hinterland of the Protectorate, a simple khaki head-roll or ''
mashedda'' was adopted by all ranks, modeled on that of the
Audhali
Audhali ( ' or '), or the Audhali Sultanate ( ar, سلطنة العوذلي '), was a state in the British Aden Protectorate. It was a founding member of the Federation of Arab Emirates of the South in 1959 and its successor, the Federation of Sou ...
tribe from whom many of the Levies were recruited. A white ceremonial uniform with green turban and waist-sash was worn by both the Camel Troop and the Guard of Honour.
See also
*
Iraq Levies
The Assyrian Levies (also known as the Iraq Levies) were the first Iraqi military force established by the British in British controlled Iraq. The Iraq Levies originated in a local Arab armed scout force raised during the First World War. After I ...
, a similar unit in Iraq
References
;Citations
;Bibliography
*
*
*
*
*
External links
*
* {{cite journal, url=http://www.pharmj.com:80/editorial/19991218/articles/aden.html , title=National Service in Aden , first=I. C. , last=Taylor , journal=The Pharmaceutical Journal , volume=263 , number=7076 , pages=1018–1019 , date=December 1999 , archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080907212107/http://www.pharmj.com/editorial/19991218/articles/aden.html , archive-date=7 September 2008 , url-status=dead
Aden
British colonial regiments
Regiments of the United Kingdom
20th-century establishments in the Aden Protectorate
1928 establishments in Asia
1928 establishments in the British Empire
Military units and formations established in 1928
Military units and formations in Aden in World War II
Military units and formations established in 1967