ADEN

[Rotary Booty]

Andy, now I'm out of jet lag I had the bright idea of checking in my Flying Log Book which is a diary of all the trips I flew in Aden in 1966/67 etc. Falaise was the name of the Army Air Corps airfield in Little Aden that 45 Air Troop flew out of! I did some familiarisation trips for 45 Rifle Companies and the location is just shown as 'BP'. 'Amriga' was the name of one of the field firing ranges, and 'Ball Button' was another. There was an Army site called 'Waterloo Lines' but I remember that was in Big Aden near Khormasar. There was a prison at Sheik Othaman. Habilayn was the airfield camp on the road convoy route to Dahla, and we did convoy cover at Al Milah. I realise this still doesn't answer your question, but the names might ring some bells! Regards, Derek

[Andy O'Pray]

Cheers Derek, the names that you came up with all help untangle the old brain cells. I am still sure that we just referred to our camp as BP. Apparently the 9/12 Lancers called their camp Balaclava, according to their 1962 Christmas dinner menu. When a new cavalry regiment took over, they no doubt would have changed the name of the camp to their battle honour.

Aye Andy

[Mike]

I recall a guy, can't remember if he was a Royal, who went stir crazy up at Thumir. He decided that a good way to get back to blighty was to throw a couple of orange smoke granades into the officers latrenes, if you remember these were like a Sudan chair, with three traps either side, the officers had the delux version with seats & lids, anyway on the aforementioned day he waited until only five traps were occupied and let loose, word has it that five officers were scrubbing arse and bo***cks for weeks afterwards
I did hear that, that escapade did not earn him enough points for a flight home, HOWEVRE being a resoursefull lad he waited for an unattended full latrine and heaved a 36 into it, apparently that did the trick, the column went quite high and the wind leeway was such that a number of lines of tents had to be relocated! I do believe he spent some time at Her Majety's pleasure!

[Yorkie Malone]

And the other one where at happy Habilayn, there was a sort of culture of wereing a necklace/chain, but then opening a 7.62 round and heating it and melting the lead and attatching it to the chain. Real Ruggsie that was!!!

BUT

And there always has to be one who goes that bit further.

He got from Charlie Picket a .5 from the spotter of the Wombat. He sat there in his tent "cooking" it in a mess tin on a hexi block. Went out of the tent and BANG!! burnt a few tents down ..... I seem to remember he was put under close arrest for his own saftey

Happy days

SyY

[Mike]

Hexi blocks used to give you a godawfull taste in he back of your mouth and then your rations tasted the same, BUT PE was good for boiling water, provided you did'nt use too much!!!
I remember going through Shiek Offman on the way up to Dhala and the Radfan, in those days the road ended there and we followed the whadies up, the LR drivers used to catch the w.... locals with their yokes and tins of water on their shoulders, just clipping the outside tin at about 30mph, ensured a spin, not fast enough to catch the lads sitting at the rear of the LR but fast enough to give the little bugger a spinning head ache for a while. No wonder they hated us.
........ Nassa Tamam.... Mafish Shame Johnny

[Mike]

Dolly, following on from that episode, as I remember being told, that the said accused was given a stay of exicution and handed to the TQ who kept it in his grot, that was until it managed to open a tin of paint and spread it liberally over various items. The Baboon was then passed onto the crash tender crew who kept it in their appliance, but after just one night and having had the seats trashed, they in turn passed our little Yobo on to the local FNG/FRA who promptly put it in a pot and made a curry !...

[sully354]

I remember Ali goffer in 1967, I only owed him 10 fils when we legged it, honest,! I also recall the lads farting in his cap, he used to rush off to wash it shoutomg 'mafish shame' as he went.

[Spike Hughes]

I have vague memories of the 11th Hussars and the B Tp RHA using that camp, and it's name changing each time, Alma lines comes to mind, probably when the RHA were there.Falaise camp was occupied by the 17/21st Lancers ( into the valley of death ect ect) who used to display,outside their guardroom,some of the lances used in that futile charge. That was until some members of 45 Cdo, after a night out in their Sgt mess decided their need was greater. They were returned eventualy no harm done.I was there in 62/63 65/66 and again in 67 with 42 Cdo to cover the withdrawal.All a long time ago
Regards
Spike Hughes

[Andy O'Pray]

Hi Spike, Nice to have another mad jebel hopper on the forum. I recall the name Alma lines, also the lance incident and hasten to add, it was not I.

I am still certain that every time a new regiment took over the camp, the name was changed to their particular battle. As I recall it was named one thing on my first tour and had a different name during my second tour. If there was a change over in regiments during our particular tour, then there would have been another name change. That is probably why I just referred to it as the pongo camp.

Does anyone know what happened to the Sgt's mess budgie aviary?

Aye - Andy.