British Forces Aden was the name given to the
British Armed Forces
The British Armed Forces, also known as His Majesty's Armed Forces, are the military forces responsible for the defence of the United Kingdom, its Overseas Territories and the Crown Dependencies. They also promote the UK's wider interests, s ...
stationed in 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 ...
during part of the 20th century. Their purpose was to preserve the security of the Protectorate from both internal threats and external aggression.
History
British Forces Aden was originally formed as Aden Command in 1928.
[Air of Authority - A History of RAF Organisation - Overseas Commands - Middle East and Mediterranean]
On its establishment, Aden Command was a
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 ...
(RAF)
command
Command may refer to:
Computing
* Command (computing), a statement in a computer language
* COMMAND.COM, the default operating system shell and command-line interpreter for DOS
* Command key, a modifier key on Apple Macintosh computer keyboards
* ...
which was responsible for the control all British armed forces in the Protectorate. It was renamed British Forces in Aden, or simply British Forces Aden, in 1936 and renamed again in 1956 as British Forces Arabian Peninsula.
[ In 1959 ]Middle East Command
Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
was divided into two commands split by the Suez Canal
The Suez Canal ( arz, قَنَاةُ ٱلسُّوَيْسِ, ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia. The long canal is a popular ...
.[''Royal Corps of Signals: Unit Histories of the corps (1920-2001)'' by Cliff Lord and Graham Watson, Page 54]
/ref> The two parts were ''British Forces Arabian Peninsular'', which was based at Aden
Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
, and the remnants in Cyprus
Cyprus ; tr, Kıbrıs (), officially the Republic of Cyprus,, , lit: Republic of Cyprus is an island country located south of the Anatolian Peninsula in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Its continental position is disputed; while it is geo ...
which on 1 March 1961 was renamed Near East Command Near East Command was a Command of the British Armed Forces. It was only active from 1961 to 1962, but its subordinate Near East Land Forces was active from 1961 to as late as 1977.
History
In 1959 Middle East Command was divided into two command ...
.[
On 1 March 1961 British Forces Arabian Peninsula was renamed, again, this time as Middle East Command (Aden).][ The senior commanders were Air Marshal Sir ]Charles Elworthy Charles Elworthy may refer to:
* Charles Elworthy, Baron Elworthy (1911–1993), Chief of the Defence Staff
* Charles Elworthy (scientist) (1961–2023), New Zealand economist and social scientist
{{hndis, Elworthy, Charles ...
, C-in-C Middle East; Rear Admiral Talbot, Flag Officer, Middle East The Flag Officer, Middle East was a command appointment of the Royal Navy, established for two distinct periods from 194658 and then from . From the appointment was located in the Suez Canal Zone or, after the Suez Crisis, in the Cyprus area; when ...
; Major General Jim Robertson, GOC Middle East Land Forces
Middle East Command, later Middle East Land Forces, was a British Army Command established prior to the Second World War in Egypt. Its primary role was to command British land forces and co-ordinate with the relevant naval and air commands to ...
; Air Vice Marshal David Lee, Air Officer Commanding, Air Forces Middle East, and GOC East Africa Command
East Africa Command was a Command of the British Army. Until 1947 it was under the direct control of the Army Council and thereafter it became the responsibility of Middle East Command. It was disbanded on 11 December 1963, the day before Kenya bec ...
. The GOC and AOC were working from the command HQ at Aden while FOME initially was at Bahrain with his headquarters at HMS Juffair. FOME moved to HMS Sheba in the naval dockyard at Steamer Point after the 1961 Kuwait crisis (Walker, Aden Insurgency, 90); Rear Admiral Talbot seemingly moved on May 1, 1962. Naval forces reportedly included three frigates, the Amphibious Warfare Squadron, the commando carrier , and 45 Commando Royal Marines based ashore at Aden
Aden ( ar, عدن ' Yemeni: ) is a city, and since 2015, the temporary capital of Yemen, near the eastern approach to the Red Sea (the Gulf of Aden), some east of the strait Bab-el-Mandeb. Its population is approximately 800,000 people. ...
. 45 Commando had arrived on 23 April 1960, disembarking from ''Dunera'', and settling in BP Camp, which had been turned over by 1st Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment
The Royal Warwickshire Regiment, previously titled the 6th Regiment of Foot, was a line infantry regiment of the British Army in continuous existence for 283 years. The regiment saw service in many conflicts and wars, including the Second Boer War ...
.
At the end of November 1967, following the British withdrawal from Aden at the end of the Emergency, the remaining British Forces in the Arabian Peninsula
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate ...
, including units at Salalah
Salalah ( ar, صَلَالَة, Ṣalālah) is the capital and largest city of the southern Omani governorate of Dhofar. Its population in 2009 was about 197,169.
Salalah is the third-largest city in the Sultanate of Oman, and the largest city ...
and Masirah
Masirah Island ( ar, جَزِيْرَة مَصِيْرَة, Jazīrat Maṣīrah), also referred to as Mazeira Island or ''Wilāyat Maṣīrah'' ( ar, وِلَايَة مَصِيْرَة), is an island off the east coast of mainland Oman in the ...
, were reorganized under Headquarters British Forces Gulf,[ which was based at RAF Muharraq in ]Bahrain
Bahrain ( ; ; ar, البحرين, al-Bahrayn, locally ), officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, ' is an island country in Western Asia. It is situated on the Persian Gulf, and comprises a small archipelago made up of 50 natural islands and an ...
. British Forces Gulf was placed under the command of Rear Admiral John E. L. Martin, previously the last Flag Officer, Middle East The Flag Officer, Middle East was a command appointment of the Royal Navy, established for two distinct periods from 194658 and then from . From the appointment was located in the Suez Canal Zone or, after the Suez Crisis, in the Cyprus area; when ...
, who handed over to Air Vice Marshal S B Grant on 4 April 1968. The command was disbanded on 15 December 1971.
Organization in 1939
The structure of the units based in Aden in 1939:
Aden Colony
* Headquarters
* Aden Squadron, Royal Corps of Signals
The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS or R SIGS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communi ...
* Aden Protectorate Levies
The Aden Protectorate Levies (APL) were an Arab military force raised for the local defence of the Aden Protectorate under British rule. The Levies were drawn from all parts of the Protectorate and were armed and officered by the British militar ...
– 4 Battalions
* 2/5th Battalion, Mahratta Light Infantry
The Maratha Light Infantry is a light infantry regiment of the Indian Army. It traces its lineage to the Bombay Sepoys, raised in 1768, making it the most senior light infantry regiment in the Indian Army. The class composition of the regiment ...
* 20th Fortress Company, Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is a corps of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces and is heade ...
* 5th Heavy Regiment, 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 ...
* 9th Field Battery, 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 ...
* 15th Air Defence Battery, Hong Kong and Singapore Royal Artillery
Commanders
Commanders have included:[
]
Aden Command
*8 March 1928 Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force, where it originated, as well as the air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. It is sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank i ...
W G S Mitchell
*5 September 1929 Group Captain C T MacLean (later Air Commodore)
*7 August 1931 Group Captain O T Boyd
*20 January 1934 Group Captain C F A Portal (Air Commodore from January 1935)
*2 December 1935 Air Vice-Marshal
Air vice-marshal (AVM) is a two-star air officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force. The rank is also used by the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence and it is sometimes ...
E L Gossage
British Forces Aden
*1 July 1936 Air Commodore W A McClaughry
*28 September 1938 Air Vice-Marshal G R M Reid
*10 September 1941 Air Vice-Marshal F G D Hards
*12 January 1943 Air Vice-Marshal F H MacNamara (RAAF
"Through Adversity to the Stars"
, colours =
, colours_label =
, march =
, mascot =
, anniversaries = RAAF Anniversary Commemoration ...
)
*12 March 1945 Air Vice-Marshal H T Lydford
*8 March 1948 Air Vice-Marshal A C Stevens
*1 March 1950 Air Vice-Marshal F J Fressanges
*11 March 1952 Air Vice-Marshal D Macfadyen
*12 October 1953 Air Vice-Marshal S O Bufton
*17 September 1955 Air Vice-Marshal L F Sinclair
British Forces Arabian Peninsula
*30 September 1957 Air Vice-Marshal M L Heath
*19 September 1959 Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal (Air Chf Mshl or ACM) is a high-ranking air officer originating from the Royal Air Force. The rank is used by air forces of many countries that have historical British influence. An air chief marshal is equivalent to an Admir ...
Sir Hubert Patch
*3 August 1960 Air Marshal Sir Charles Elworthy
Commanders (Air Forces)
Air Forces Middle East
* 1959 Air Chief Marshal DJ Pryer Lee
* 1961 Air Chief Marshal F Rosier
* 1963 Air commodore J E Johnson
* 15 December 1965 Air Vice-Marshal AH Humphrey
See also
* RAF Khormaksar
Royal Air Force Khormaksar or more simply RAF Khormaksar was a Royal Air Force (RAF) station in Aden, Yemen. Its motto was "Into the Remote Places". During the 1960s, it was the base for nine squadrons and became the RAF's busiest-ever station ...
* List of British Army installations
This is a list of British Army Installations in the United Kingdom and overseas. British overseas bases are concentrated in Cyprus, Brunei, Kenya, the South Atlantic and Germany.
Overseas installations
Belize
British Overseas Territories Berm ...
* List of Royal Air Force commands
This is a list of Royal Air Force commands, both past and present. Although the concept of a command dates back to the foundation of the Royal Air Force, the term command (as the name of a formation) was first used in purely RAF-context in 1936 w ...
References
Bibliography
*
{{British armies, commands, and corps during the Second World War
Royal Air Force commands
Joint commands 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
Aden in World War II
Military units and formations in Aden in World War II
Military history of Aden during World War II
Military units and formations established in 1961