Aden Diary

Anti-Tank Platoon.
Edited extracts from my Aden Diary's
January 1967

Sunday 1st
Reveille at 05:45 hrs
Parade at 07:15 hrs
Mount on Duty at Checkpoint Golf at 08:15 hrs.
Federal Republican Army troops now working with us on Checkpoint duty.
Monday 2nd
Dismount at 09:00hrs
Weapons inspection at 10:30 hrs
Rest of Day off
Tuesday 3rd
Mount on Duty at Checkpoint Bravo at 07:30 hrs
Wednesday 4th
Dismount at 08:00 hrs
CO's inspection at 11:30 hrs
Rest of Day off
1 grenade thrown in Sheikh Othman nobody injured
Thursday 5th
Camp Escort Duties 10:45 to 17:00 hrs. We get the bin men again.
2 grenades thrown at patrol 1 did not explode.
Friday 6th
Internal Security Platoon parade at 08:15 hrs
18:00 to 20:00 hrs doing snap checks at the cattle market area
2 grenades thrown at us, Cpl Higby and Pte Chapman injured, Lt Vietch Injured in Shoulder.
Saturday 7th
Internal Security Platoon parade at 10:30
12:00 to 14:00 hrs doing snap checks at the cattle market area
Sunday 8th
Internal Security Platoon parade at 09:30
4 grenades thrown in Crater at the Jocks
Monday 9th
02:00 to 06:00 hrs OP duty
06:00 to 08:00 hrs Road clearance duties searching for mines
09:00 to 12:00 hrs Camp Escorts
1 grenade thrown in Al Mansoura 2 local's died
Tuesday 10th
07:00 to 13:00 hrs Camp Escorts
17:15 to 21:00 hrs Searching vehicles at Checkpoint Bravo
Wednesday 11th
Internal Security Platoon parade at 09:30 hrs
1 FRA Soldier killed
Thursday 12th
05:30 Escort Sgt Howard from Checkpoint Golf
09:00 to 9:00 hrs Friday. Radfan Mobile's
Friday 13th
Finished Radfan Mobile's at 09:00 hrs
13:30 to 18:00 hrs Bravo Mobile
Saturday 14th
Bravo Mobile from 1730 hrs

Sunday 15th
Finished Bravo Mobile at 09:45 hrs
Refueled back at Camp, back out on Radfan Mobile until Monday
1 British soldier wounded in shoulder from AK47
Monday 16th
Finished Radfan Mobile at 08:00 hrs
13:30 to 18:00 hrs Bravo Mobile
2 grenades thrown in Sheikh Othman
Tuesday 17th
Maintenance, clean vehicle's and handover to B Company
Wednesday 18th
07:00 hrs duty at Checkpoint Golf [ 48hrs]
17:30 hrs 1 grenade thrown at Bravo mobile at grenade corner, mobile returned fire and injured terrorist, he later died in hospital.
Thursday 19th
Grenades thrown and shots fired at Cpl Keogh, Pte's Carpenter & Griffin whilst they drove round grenade corner, they fire 12 shots at the Taxi where the gunmen had fired from, Taxi got away.
Gun fight is started between NLF and Flossy over a car which lasted for over an hour, 12 terrorists are found dead. A patrol finds the wanted car containing mortar bomb fuses
Checkpoint Golf came under fire from AK47 small arms at 13:00 hrs from Byomi College we return fire and send in patrol but terrorist get away.
19:15 hrs 4 mortar bombs are fired at us but land in college ground's patrols goes out and discovers that 5 mortars had failed to fire
Friday 20th
Finished Checkpoint Golf at 09:00 hrs
1 grenade in Sheikh Othman
Saturday 21st
Training day, go out to Checkpoint Juliet beach ranges for target practice
Sunday 22nd
07:30 hrs Checkpoint Bravo
Chase vehicle driver [88 EK 66]
1 grenade in Steamer Point. 1 Jock killed 3 wounded
Monday 23rd
Finish Checkpoint Bravo at 07:30 hrs
15:46 hrs Escort duties to Al Mansoura prison
Tuesday 24th
05:40 to 12:00 hrs Camp escort duties. OP's room runner.
2 grenades thrown in Maalla. Shot's fired in Sheikh Othman
Wednesday 25th
05:10 hrs Singapore lines guard duties. Finish at 15:00 hrs
grenades thrown in Maalla
grenades thrown in Sheikh Othman
2 Women, 2 Children and 2 Soldier's are wounded in the Attack
1 Child dies as a result of attack
Shot's and Rocket launcher are fired at Al Mansoura Prison
Thursday 26th
05:45 hrs Camp escort duties
Friday 27th
08:00 hrs Servicing platoon's landrover's
Saturday 28th
01:00 hrs Drop off OP's then to C/P Golf to wait. 05:00 hrs pickup OP's. 17:50 hrs drop off Lt Vietch at Al Mansoura roundabout return at 20:00 hrs for pickup.
1 grenade thrown in Sheikh Othman
1 grenade thrown in Crater
Sunday 29th
I have got a day off, rest of the platoon on Checkpoint Golf
Monday 30th
Day Off
During a demo upcountry an Anti-tank gun blows up killing the crew of 4 and wounding 13 others who where watching [Guards Regiment]
Tuesday 31st
07:30 hrs Checkpoint Bravo. Finish at 08:00 Wednesday