 I served as an L.Fitt(GC)QC RRG at Comm Center Aden. I was posted to Aden in February 1967 from HQP&SS London. I remember arriving at some unearthly hour of the morning, when it was still dark and dumping my gear in this transit billet on the hillside and thinking to myself - what a dump!! But things weren't so bad I soon adapted to the routine. I did my first "chuff-chart", spent time in the swimming pool, the NAAFI, and chased the rollers on the beach. I did my fair share of guard duty and would like to remind the "cocky" little Army Captain who tried to rush my post, that even Air Marshall's trembled at the thought!!! I remember doing duty at Tarshine, Cemetery Gates, the NAAFI and beach area, the DOC,The Powerhouse, etc. I remember the "Maalla Run" guarding the school kids. The M36 Grenades, the crack of automatic fire every now and then. I remember the flood, the water rushing down from the COMM CEN and the RR Room being about a foot deep in water. For the next week the Barren Rocks suddenly bloomed as if by a miracle, covered in green herbage and yellow flowers. The sportsfield was flooded as was the mess. I remember being refused a stengun on escort duty and having to take a .303 rifle in a Mini instead!!! With a machine gun rattling away in the background, I would also like to thank the armoury sergeant for refusing to issue me with a rifle because I did not have my weapons card!!! I have sad memories of those brave Northumberland Fusiliers who were murdered in Crater and their colleagues in the Argylle & Sutherland Highlanders, under "Mad Mitch" who sorted the situation. I remember the armour plated landrovers with their angle iron mounted on the front with slots in it to cut any wire stretched across their path. We had a sand storm once my bed was like sandpaper for a week!! I remember the evening that the fuel tanks at Hiswa were blown up, there was a huge glow and these "small" cans kept popping up in the air. The fire burned for about 12 hours. I remember SHQ being mortared with anti-personell mortars and evrybody running down the side stairs - they would have been safer inside!!! Our tea-boy "Ish" was showing the whites of his eyes!! There were good days and bad, but funnily enough, I can't remember the bad 'uns!!! All the best everyone and remember: "When you get to heaven, you'll hear St. Peter yell "Come in you lads from Aden, you've done your tour in Hell!!!!" | 
