| Anti-Tank
Platoon |
| Edited
extracts from my Aden Diary's |
| 12th
October 1966 until 31st December 1966 |
|
| We
arrived at RAF Khormaksar in Aden at 14:30 hrs.The heat is
overpowering when the aircraft door's are opened it's like a blast
furnace. We are taken to Radfan Camp which is only 15 minutes away
in buses with RAF armed guards.
|
| Friday
14th |
| Settled
in at Radfan Camp, What a sight, sand everywhere, we are living in
old tents in the desert sandwiched between the Airbase and Signal's
station. In the evening we where taken down to the Mermaid club at
Steamer Point to relax.
|
| Saturday
15th |
| Muster
Parade at 07:30 hrs collected kit, rest of the day off. Went down
to the NAAFI.
|
| Sunday
16th |
CSE
show in Radfan camp.
Attack on Al Mansoura prison by a blindicide
[ Belgian made Rocket ]
|
| Monday
17th |
09:00
hrs On Standby Platoon.
Searched houses by Al Mansoura Prison for ammo and grenades,
nothing found except a rusty old empty cartridge case.
Searched 3 vehicles at Checkpoint Charlie.
20:30 hrs after an explosion was heard in the
Kutcha hut village near Checkpoint Golf, we searched the area for a
body of an arab believed to have blown himself up. Nothing found.
|
| Tuesday
18th |
09:00
hrs Finished Standby Platoon.
10:00 hrs Collected a Landrover and took Cpl Stocks, Pte Kendall,
Pte Russell and 2 SCLI men around the Causeway and Oil tanks area
for familiarization patrol.
13:00 hrs Took over a 3 ton Bedford [ 44 EL 91 ] and took off duty
men to Mermaid club.
Returned at 16:00 hrs
|
| Wednesday
19th |
| 13:00
hrs Mermaid club run again. Returned at 16:00 hrs
|
|
And
so ended my first week in Aden.
|
| Sunday
23rd October 1966 |
| 17:30
hrs Escort to OC Irish Fusiliers
|
| Monday
24th |
| Main
Body starts arriving, part of HQ Company and A Company. |
| Sgt
Smith's patrol [ Recce Platoon ] are ambushed in Al Mansoura
by an SAS patrol, Cpl Watson killed, Sgt. Smith injured rest
OK. |
|
|
On
patrol at 18:00 hrs searching vehicles and people at grenade
Corner, returned to base at 22:45 hrs.
|
| Saturday
29th |
| 2
grenades thrown at Pompadours |
| 1
grenade thrown at Irish Fusiliers, in Sheikh Othman
|
| Sunday
30th |
09:00
hrs to 12:00 hrs
Scrubber line patrols
15:00 hrs to 18:30 hrs
22:00 hrs to 01:30 hrs
Mon "
|
 |
|
Scrubber line
|
| Monday
31st October. |
05:00
hrs to 09:00 hrs Scrubber line patrols
Rest
|
| Tuesday
1st November. |
09:00hrs
to 12:00 hrs Scrubber line patrols
15:00 hrs to 18:30 hrs
22:00 hrs to 01:30 hrs Wed
|
|
These
patrols continued with no days off until the Saturday 19th November
when a New System was brought into use.
|
| Monday
7th |
05:00
to 09:00 Scrubber Line patrols
15:00 to 18:00
Scrubber patrol with AV432
|
| Tuesday
8th |
| Day
off
|
| Wednesday
9th |
01:30
to 05:15 Scrubber Line patrols
12:00 to 15:00
22:00 to 01:30
Scrubber line patrol with Saracen in support of A Coy
|
| Thursday
10th |
09:00
to 12:00 Scrubber Line patrols
18:00 to 21:00
Caught Arab crossing Scrubber Line.
|
| Friday
11th |
05:00
to 09:00 Scrubber Line patrols
15:00 to 18:00
Got bogged down in Salt Pans near Checkpoint Juliet at 15:45 hrs
took control over 3 hours to send out recovery wagon to pull us out
finally got out at 20:20 hrs
|
| Saturday
12th |
01:30
to 05:15 scrubber line patrols
12:00 to 15:00
22:00 to 01:30 |
Saracen
and AV432 both got Mined.
Saracen lost 2 wheels and AV432 its left/hand tracks nobody hurt
|
| Thursday
17th |
| Mobile
patrols
|
|
Escorted Ambulance to Grenade corner to pick up injured squadies.
|
| Sunday
20th |
| 03:00
hrs to 0900 hrs Mobile patrols
|
| Monday
5th December |
|
|
|
| 11
mortar bombs fired at Radfan Camp at 13:15 hrs |
|
|
1 lands near Sergeants mess, |
|
| 1
outside C/Sgts tent in front of the anti-tank platoon who are forming up
ready to go on a mission it fails to explode in the soft sand we are
lucky. |
|
| A
total of 7 men are injured. |
|
| We
found the mortar tubes in the Kutcha hut village next to camp, not all
mortars had fired. |
|
18:00
to 07:30 hrs Tuesday
Enforcing Curfew in Sheikh Othman.
|
| Monday
12th December |
| Checkpoint
Charlie 06:00 to Tuesday 06:00
|
| Wednesday
14th December |
| Checkpoint
Golf 06:00 to Thursday 06:00
|
| Friday
16th December to Friday 23rd December |
| Radfan
Mobiles these where for 24 hour periods from 09:00 to 09:00 the next day
with 24hrs off in between
|
| Saturday
24th December |
| Radfan
Camp escort duties 18:00hrs to 23:59hrs
|
| Sunday
25th December |
| Day
Off Lunch 11:30 to 13:00
|
| Monday
26th December |
| P&O
guard
|
| Wednesday
28th December |
| Checkpoint
Juliet
|
| Thursday
29th December |
| Special
Duties
|
| Friday
30th December |
Checkpoint
Charlie 06:00 to Saturday 06:00
Federal Republic troops now on duty at Checkpoints.
|
| Saturday
31st December |
| Finished
Checkpoint Charlie at 06:00 Rest of day off.
|
|
And
so ended 1966 we saw in the New Year with a few Beers in the NAAFI and then
to Bed ready for revielle at 05:45 to go onto Checkpoint Golf at 09:00
|
| |
|
|