Aden Casualty

[Chris B]

Working in Southport last week and stopped at the war memorial to read the names, reflect and show some respect for those who gave their lives for our freedom. It is an interesting memorial and covered conflicts from the Boer War, through WW1, WW2, Korea, Cyprus and Aden. The only name under Aden was Marine WRS Harrison, Royal Marines. Does anyone have any other detail of Mne Harrison, when he died, etc. Surely there must be some Aden veterans out there who remember the event? Whatever, I saluted him and took a drink to him in my hotel bar that night.

[Andy O'Pray]

Hi Chris B,

I don't have any personal knowledge of Marine Harrison's death. It could have happened anytime between 1962 to 1967. I would suggest that you try,

www.britains-smallwars.com/

Read through the threads of Aden and the Radfan, you may pick up some information from there. All I can tell you is that he is not on the list of marines buried in Aden, so his remains must have been returned to the UK.

Aye - Andy.

[Andy O'Pray]

Correction to the dates, 1960 to 1967.

Aye - Andy.

[Murphy]

The only Harrison I knew, who served and was injured in Aden, was Steve Harrison. I seem to recall that he was from up north. The memory gets a little vague, so many years down the line.

We joined 811 Squad, May 1964, passed out late Feb, early March 1965, and went to 45 Commando in Aden in April 1965. He joined a fighting company, and I went to Recce Troop. On an op up country, Steve was shot in the head, and his body was used as a target by the sniper. Another guy was hit in the hand trying to rescue him. I believe that the range was something in the order of 1000 yards - those things before metres - I can't remember exactly how many times he was hit, but he survived, albeit to be confined to a wheelchair.

A year or two after the incident, I saw an article in a magazine entitled "Snipers bullet pierced my son's brain", by his mother.

If it is the same Steve Harrison, when did he die, was any date given?

[Pilgrim Norway]

Hello terry - Your memory seems to be ok lad......

In addition to Andy's contribution - try this one :-

http://www.britains-smallwars.com/AVA/J ... ery11.html

Anyone you know ?

'Aye

[Murphy]

Hi Alan,

Couldn't find anything on the other link. Lots of interesting stuff about Aden, but, regrettably, nothing about Steve Harrison.

Looking very closely at the photo in your link, would that be yourself in the foreground?? Would that also be Arthur (Arfer)(Ainsworth??) in the background?? An oppo of Cheesemans?



Where do the years go?

[Pilgrim Norway]

Looks like Arfer in the background - and my backpack - but it was not
popular with what looks like desert ginger suits - was it.....

Now if that hat in the foreground had been a shade of jungle green and
held up with a clothes peg at the side - and matched the rest of the green gear, it could have been 'our' Recce.....

The khakis shone in the dark - right ?

It also looks like pre SLR - unless the weapon was Bagsy Baker's.
We used Bren mags on the SLR - like zips instead of buttons on your fly -
get there quicker...

'Aye

[Mike]

Interesting link that Pilgrim, although I had seen it before.
First Jim Buchanan and my path's must have crossed as I too arrived shortly after the lads returned from Tanganyika and then went up country to Thumir shortly after. He talks of Coca Cola and the SAS lads who lost their lived, these lads spent 24 hrs in my sanger which was, at the time, the foremost pickett.
I was also not far from and in the same incident as Dave Wilson when he caught a bullet in his chest, and was proud to be part of the burial guard of honour at his interment.

On a matter of pure drivel: Jim's ON was 21884 and mine 21984
Aye

[Pilgrim Norway]

Good one Mike !

There are a lot of 'incidents' on the pages - Some familiar -
I have difficulty in putting a date on some of them. ( Now ).

The Murphy and I were same place same time - so we have a lot of names to tag places and incidents with 'Up Country'....

Some of the stuff on the link seems to be pre 'us'

'Aye

[Chris B]

If it is the same Steve Harrison, when did he die, was any date given?

Murphy, no, mate, no dates were given, just the guys name, which I guess will make it difficult to pin down. But I reckon your oppo Steve could be the man.

[barryc]

Ah nostalgia (memories to you S Coy people) I too was a 45 member at around that time (Sigs Tp), arrived in time to travel south to Tanganyika and my first taste of at least some shots fired in anger. Numbers reasonably close to my 21680 too, but aren't we all getting old, at least on the outside?.


Barry

[Andy O'Pray]

but aren't we all getting old, at least on the outside?

Speak for yourself barryc, I am still drop dead gorgeous.

Aye - Andy. :painting:

[Andy O'Pray]

Hi Chris B,

I have scoured every bit of information that I have on Aden/Radfan and can find no information on marine Harrison. I was there 63/64 and again 66/67 and I can't recall a marine by that name being killed during these times. Perhaps it was, as has been suggested, that the person was injured and subsequently succumed to their injuries on return to the UK, this happened to quite a few people.

Normally we buried our dead in Aden, however, had a family requested that the remains be returned to the UK, I would imagine that this could have been done, probably at the families expense. Not all people who were wounded or killed are named in the history books.

Sorry we could not throw anymore light on this one. Murphy probably has the same guy.

Aye - Andy.

[Andy O'Pray]

Further to my last. An oppo of mine, Sgt Bob Purvis, had been severley maimed while serving in Dhala. He was casevacd to an RAF hospital in the UK, RAF Holton, I think. On my return to the UK I used to visit Bob in hospital. There were numerous guys on the ward who had been seriously injured in Aden, some of whom would probably have succumbed to their injuries. Our man Harrison could have met a similar fate.

As a footnote, I was advised that Bob dropped dead while shaving about 16 years ago, probably due to complications brought on by his injuries.

Aye - Andy.

[barryc]

Sorry Andy, you had obviously slipped my mind when I rashly made the comment about us old Aden hands getting old on the outside. I forgot about the black magic of HW rates, each with a painted portrait in the attic. Was Dorian Gray related to our dear Dolly I wonder?.

Barry