Hot, Hot, Hot

[Mike]

Over the past few weeks I have had the old brain cells kick started by threads that have orientated in and around Aden.
I was a young lad of 17years 10months when I arrived at Stansted for embarkation in a Britannia Turbo Prop, to Aden. I think I just about knew where it was and where I was going!
Our aircraft, full of Pongos, Crabs, Jack and Royal was delayed for 3 hours as they tried to shovel the ice and snow off the wings in a whiteout! WE eventually got airborne and so started an adventure, the like of which I could never have imagined.
Some 8 hours later we landed at Khormaxa(spell)airport Aden. bearing in mind that we left UK in sub zero temps with the snow falling, the next 5 minutes were not anticipated. Both fore and aft doors were opened, the cabin instantly became a oven with temps of well over 50C. No such niceties of a covered gangway to the terminal, but a 500 yard yomp to the terminal building and the sight of every man removing clothing in between.
45's barracks or Lines were at Little Aden some 20 to 30 miles on the other side of the port of Aden. All draftees were billeted in what was known ad the Complex, a large hanger like building which was sectioned off into 30 - 40 billets of about 4-5 men in each, each section's height was about 12 ft with an open air-conditioned (Fans) space to the roof this was Ok until everyone put their radio and records on the whole place became like Babble
The unit had shortly come back from Tanganyika, which is another story. Our first priority was to get acclimatise, this entailed runs over the adjacent Jebbles(Hills/Mountains) a truly knackering experience, I don't think I have ever done anything like it since this also trained you to use water efficiently(one Bottle per crack a good downing before starting and as much water you could take after). Another nice little jobby was to collect your pay from the top of one of these hills, I cant remember how many steps there were but if you stopped running on the way up, you had to start again and the rest of the unit remained waiting till you completed it.....needless to say you made it each and every time.
I could go on on the subject of Aden but fro fear of boring the lot of you I will hold fast and see what your reaction is.
Aye

[Sisyphus]

Mike

You've gone and made me all "Corps sick" (I've just invented it - a bit like "home sick") At about the same age I was off to Singers.

Don't all the old times seem (were) something special. You know, I can't remember any bad times?? Although I'm sure there must have been some. I just can't see service life these days coming close to what we enjoyed. Too much political interference and too few people spread too thinly.

In those days, it was all fans and no air conditioning. Mind you I still argue that fans are better and help you get acclimatised.

Anyway, thanks for jogging/prompting the memories. Great stuff

[Andy O'Pray]

Hi Mike,

The pay parade was atop Telegraph Hill. Someone on the Once a Marine site says that there were 846 steps plus a 300 foot rock climb. I never bothered to count them myself. It was a lot of work for six pounds, six shillings a week. I lie, I was a corporal then so I must have got at least a quid more.

Aye - Andy.

[Mike]

Having got acclimatised and had a couple of run ashore in Aden... Now there was a shock to the system. Because of the distance from Little Aden and the town of Aden we had to be transported there by 3 tonner which took about 3/4hr passing through several townships, across a causeway and down what was known as Mahala straits, a dual carriageway with tall flats either side which housed the army married pashes, I never ventured there but knew a few who did and got out alive! The put down area was Steamer Point which is where the NAFFI was, quite a dump as I remember, a bar a crappy beach with a ramshackled and badly maintained shark fence! A run in Aden was to relieve being hold up in little Aden where there was absolutely nothing except the beach.
So to get a decent meal, our rations on camp was mainly out of a tin, in Town you could get a steak and even a pork chop, all goods were duty free, cameras radios were the first items we bought. Booze was available Tinnies of Tiger, Tuska and Tennants and spirits of all denominations.
On occasions the Yanks would pull a warship into the bay for refuelling and usually liberty was granted, In uniform, We went a shore in civvies... Yanks in Port with nowhere to go, a fatal combination.. my overwhelming memory of the yank Matelots was how badly they were treated. The liberty boats would land the crew at HMS (Sheba)? part of Aden port,
A different matter when returning to the ship... a boot in the back or a wellie with a night stick and a push into the boat bellow, nothing civilities like 'Have a nice run Jack!'.... some passenger ships would pulled in, to re fuel, all would anchor in the bay and fuel barges would go out to them.
On one occasion the Canberra came in, one of the lads had a relative emigrating to Oz on board, so was invited on board along with a couple of Oppos, of which I was one. Well we had a great couple of hours and missed the call for 'Those going ashore muster at the gangway' and were just mentioning the anchor swing, when we realised she was underway! we just got ashore on the pilot boat, otherwise I think I might have emigrated!
One of the aspects of life out there that I found hard to take on was the Arab's attitude to life. It was nothing to them, they would Crush the legs of new born females so that they could go out and beg for the family once attained an age of 4 or 5. so often you could see these kids on what today would look like a roller board and propelled by their hands, a pitiful sight, And then there was their treatment of animals, perhaps better not mentioned, even on here!
Aden city was not exactly a safe place... a couple lads and I had been for a meal in one of the down town restaurants, we had finished and had paid, walked about 100 yards down the road when there was a huge explosion from where we had been, all hell was let loose, three people were killed and five badly injured, It had obviously been meant for us....! It shook us up for a while.... but... a good long Tom Collins or two soon calmed us down......after that episode I had always thought that My bullet had been fired!......Then the first trip Up country.

[Yorkie Malone]

Yes but when you went to the galley to have your scran you had to were a "SHIRT" not a vest or a negitive shirt. These tossers that come into the pub now wearing a negitive shirt get short shift as it's not hot itll it's120 in the shade. There is decorum ??? isn't there??!!??

SyY

[Andy O'Pray]

What a clean living young lad you must have been in those days Mike. En route to Aden proper one had to pass the Kuchi huts. Shufti binta and all that.

You are right Yorkie. Even up in Dhala you had to wear a shirt in the galley.

Aye - Andy

[Mike]

You are both right... and I still do ..... wear a shirt when out.....Royal Breeding... I have stopped weraing a blue balzer, corps badge grey flannela and black shoes!... Andy I remember the villages well, the other was Shufti Kush!............ Mafish Shame.....Jojohnny

[Mike]

Talking about the galley... It was there that I came face to face with the legion of cockroaches...the most in one place that I'd ever seen.... not a pretty sight especially at night!... buggers nearly carried me away!
Anyone remember the ENSA shows, I think they called themselves that, when Clinton Ford and a bevie of crumpet came out and did a show in the galley. He got rocks and the girls got chased!
Silly thing to do, as I remember the crumpet had to be placed under guard away from the animals! We never did have another visit while I was out there

[Andy O'Pray]

For the amusement of the old hands in Dhalla. Don't tell the new guys about the hawks, just watch them carrying their scran across the open from the galley to the dining tent, as said hawks make off with their steaks. They soon learned to cover their scran while running the gauntlet.

Watching the shit kicker flicks in the open in Dhalla, until one realised that the gunfire was not coming from the cowboys and indians.

Aye - Andy

[Mike]

I worte:
When I returned to the company I would end up with a radio on my back and packing a GPMG, perhaps the most useless and dangerous weapon I ever came across:

Sorry Jos and gentlemen......A slip of the finger/brain at 0235hrs in the morning.......the weapon I meant to mention was the SMG

[Artist]

Just wondering if any of you buggers took part in the siege of Carthage!

Apparently the Romans won! (now just where did I put that tin hat and flak jacket?)

Artist

[jos]

'When I returned to the company I would end up with a radio on my back and packing a GPMG, perhaps the most useless and dangerous weapon I ever came across. '

Sorry Mike can't agree with you on that...
The gimpy (GPMG) was the best mg I have ever used.

JOS

[SMOKING]

I'm with you Jos,
possibily a slipup...what not to do with a s.m.g.

SMOKING

[barryc]

Ha! the Sterling, great weapon for Aden , where the dissys fired in from 800 or even a 1000 yards ( slightly smaller numbers in Napoleon's metres) and if it all became too much to bear you could give them a 30 round mag in reply, all rounds plopping to earth 600 to 800 yards short.

[Andy O'Pray]

The gun of the day was the Vickers MMG. 4,500 yards with Mk 8Z ammunition, or if you only had Mk 7Z ammunition, a mere 2,800 yards. Now we are talking machine guns.

Barry, after I went back for the 66/67 tour we had exchanged our SMG's for AR 15's, a bit better.

Aye - Andy.