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Aden/Radfan/South Arabia in 1964
written by Alan F Millership
I arrived in Aden in Mid March 1964 at RAF Khormaksar, it was midnight and still very, very hot-84 F degrees. I joined the Station Police crew and we carried out routine policing and discipline duties throughout the camp area.Sgt Speakman, VC KOSB was also on the station at the HQMEC Public Relations Dept (Pte Speakman won his VC during the Korean War in 1951/52 fighting off a large number of Chinese machine gunners over many hours).We were called upon to assist with local taxi drivers when Speakman did not have enough cash to pay them after a night in town!!He was billeted in the Sgts Mess and worked out of the offices on Barrack Hill Steamer Point. He received his VC from the new Queen, Queen Elizabeth II-her first investiture of such a medal.
In mid April 1964 the RADFAN campaign started and we were dispatched to various parts of the protectorate to provide armed protection for RAF Installations. I was posted to RAF SALT PANS-a RX aerial site just north of Khormaksar near to the Army camp of CHAMPION LINES. The area was snow white with salt in the sand and the land divided into large acre areas with high sided walls around the edges. Sea water was pumped in using ancient windmills and as the water evaporated in the 52c degrees heat salt was left in the bottom which was collected and sold. If you fell on the sand it felt like rough sandpaper, cut into your skin-but you healed very quickly due to the amount of salt that had entered the wound whilst being injured. During my time there a Hunter Aircraft from Khormaksar-Sqn not sure of-crash landed on the aerial farm after the pilot had ejected safely. The camp staff provided secure guarding-once the ADEN Cannon shells had ceased exploding!!!
After a short spell here I was sent-volunteered if I recall correctly-to the sister site up country near to Sheik Othman and next to the Federal Capital-Al Ittihad. It was called RAF HISWA (Al Hiswah) was the TX aerial site consisting of some 200 250’ aerials out in the bondu. The signals centre was staffed by 24 signal techies, aerials maintained by 4 Aerial riggers and the police protection team were four RAF Policemen (I was the JNCOic) - I recall my colleagues as Tom Crawford/Jeff Parker/Norman Bland plus four/six RAF CHOWKIDARS- local national auxiliary staff to carry out the gate guards and provide look out facilities for the duty staff.
I remained at HISWA for the next 16 months before being returned to Blighty on 17 March 1966 very grateful to have survived my first encounter with terrorists, attacks by guns, grenades, mark 7 tank mines and RPG 7 rockets. I returned home aged just over 22 yrs having earned my first two Campaign service medals for service in the field. A grateful man got married –for the first time-on 21 May 1966 at St Mary the Virgin Church, Ross on Wye.
My RAF career went on from strength to strength with service seen in Honington,Faldingwoth,Cyprus, Northern Ireland (1970-75,terrorist area AGAIN!),Stanbridge,Northolt,Rudloe Manor,CIO Ilford and finally to Pand SS Northern Region as Test and Surveys Team Leader.I had many detachments to place like Bermuda, Canada,USA,Gander,Africa, Azores,Maarstrict,Germany,Malta,Khartoum and all over the UK and Isles.
I hold three campaign service medals-RADFAN,SOUTH ARABIA,NORTHERN IRELAND, the Queens Silver Jubilee medal – I was at the Royal review at RAF Finningley in Jul 1977-Royal car (s) Police Escort Door operative. The ACSM-Accumulated Campaign Service Medal and the LS&GCM-RAF. After nearly 25 yrs service I was retired to full pension on 9 Sep 1983 having enlisted nearly a ¼ of a century earlier on 19 Feb 1959 as U/T Clk Accts Boy Entrant 36th entry RAF Hereford. I was just 15yrs and five months old.
From 1983 I held various civilian appointments in retail security and distribution security before finally joining the UK University Sector as Head of University Security depts-first at Nottingham Trent,then to University of READING and finally at the University of BRISTOL retired for the ‘second time’ from Bristol on 31 Jul 2005.I oversaw the complex security arrangements at Nottingham Trent for the Honorary Degree award to the Rt Hon Kenneth Clarke PC,MP,the security containment of a young member of the Osama Bin Laden family- a French language student at Reading University post 9/11 until he was forced back to Saudi Arabia and the three year long 24/7 security arrangements for the PM Tony Blair’s elder son whilst he was on a History of Art degree course at Bristol University.
I was appointed as one of Her Majesty’s Justices of the Peace for the Royal Berkshire Commission on 19 May 2000- I now sit on the local Magistrates bench in North Somerset, Weston super Mare and in the City of Bristol Courts
I was admitted as a FREEMAN of the City of London on 1 Feb 2002 after being nominated by my Guild-the Guild of Security Professionals. This year, on 23 Jun 2007 I was installed as a full member of the Guild of Freemen of the City of London. All very proud occasions for me and my close family. Thus I now had completed some 50 years service to the crown. Country and local communities-1957 to 2007- and I will continue to serve the Crown as Magistrate until I am 70yrs old in 2013 and then as a JP until I depart this earth.I am pleasingly engaged as the Chairman of the Aden Veterans Association SW Branch /Somerset Group and this is proving to be most gratifying.
Hope you have enjoyed the journey from Aden to WSM-I certainly have !
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