leigh kitchen

"Me as a 17 year old posing".

Photographs from Amunastra:

"Saladins supporting us".

"A road block which looks like it is outside our barracks as you can see the sea and it was not far from our peremiter fence".

I'd heard of arab suspicions that the British had assisited the Israelis, but not about British troops extracting Israelis from Crater.

Very interesting, as is obvious from what I asked in previous posts(& the replies), I wondered whether engineer meant part of a body of men, or an individual "specialist".

For 18th January 1967 the Incident Log records 7 x seperate grenade throwing incidents, 3 x unknown explosions & a vehicle search resulted in a find of anti aircraft shell fuses & detention of the driver.

These appear to be the two incidents that you're refering to, the wounding of the two Fusiliers & the unexploded grenade of a few hours later:

Incident Serial 282

Date / Time 180715 C

Grid Ref 03851254

Event 36 grenade thrown at OP tps moving into position to cover wall repairs. Grenade probably thrown from a Cafe. 2 SF hurt

Area CRATER

At 10:20 there was an incident involving a grenade being thrown at a vehicle of 1 Inf Wksp in Crater, & then

Incident Serial 284

Date / Time 181105 C

Grid Ref 03791258

Event Grenade thrown at working pty of 1 RNF repairing wall. Grenade failed to explode. 1 suspect detained.

Area CRATER

Two 1 RNF casualties are recorded for 18th January 1967:

At 07:15 hrs a Lance Corporal & a Fusilier of "Z" Company 1 RNF were slightly wounded by a 36 grenade thrown at troops moving into an OP in Haderdin Bazaar.

The L/Cpl was wounded in the back & legs, the Fusilier in the legs, both soldiers were admitted to KBH the same day.

The L/Cpl was released from the hosp[ital on the 31st. January.

Despite his wounds being recorded as "slight", the Fusilier was Medevac to UK on 23rd February.

Beyond the basic wording of the Incident Log I've no doubt that things felt a lot more personal & dramatic on the ground.

Nice little card, I have a few but not too many with insignia on, more the general flags & flowers types.

Have'nt got anywhere with a check re, George Mitton either Merv, there are a few listed but more detail's needed really, & officer's records are'nt to be found easily online.

The problem re. The Inns of Court is that they trained officers who were then sent to other units, they did'nt take part in The Battle of Loos as a unit.

A quick check of Medal Index Cards shows about 9 or 10 Allan/Allen / A Hiltons, one of whom is an officer, Allan Howard Hilton, 2nd Lt in The Royal Engineers. His card does'nt have an entry for the 1914-15 Star being awarded, which you would expect for a man who served at Loos.

I've got some idea that they were produced for the Drummy as headress or baldric badge, something like that, & that only a few were made, I don't know where I've got that idea from, it might just be a flight of fancy, it's just ringing bells from somewhere. Queen's Fusiliers, the more recent London Regt, I just can't place it.

Also worn by RRF, at least in the 1970's, were older style stable belts with leather strap fittings, previously worn by The Lancashire Fusiliers.

This particular one is named to a member of The Signals Platoon, H.Q. Company, 3 RRF.

The stable belt of RRF, the belt plates fittings are of brass other than the badge, which is of anodiused aluminium & identical to the cap badge other than that it has two fittings are shorter than those of the cap badge & it does'nt have the hackle attachment of the cap badge> The belt is shortened / lengthened by velcos strips sewn along parts of its length inside.

Thanks, you're putting flesh on the bones of this thread, real events described by someone who witnessed & was involved in them. It is fantastic to get this kind of first hand information.

An incident log will give a date, time, grid ref & a line stating "Grenade thrown at patrol failed to detonate no cas." or similar, this turns such an entry into a "real" & emotive incident.

This one of tin with a card insert, is to a Royal Engineer of WWII:

Visible in pthe photo in post no. 29 is a bedplate, a small (usually brass) metal plate stamped with a soldier's name & other details & displayed in his bedspace.

They identified the resident of that bedspace, sometimes they were fitted with a sliding plate to indicate the words "DUTY" or "OFF DUTY" or the word "DUTY" would be stamped on the back.

This one, unused, is to The Northumberland Fusiliers, & assuming that it's genuine ( purchased in the late 1970's) it pre-dates the regiments change of title to The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers.

Thank you, very interesting, the sort of personal experience from a member of 1RNF that online articles on Aden & the mutiny lack.

This is also what adds a personal element to articles about 1 RNF & Aden, makes it real.

It makes the pulse race a little even now for someone who was'nt there, particualrly as I knew some of the people you mention.

Some Welsh Guards shoulder titles, issued during the 1930's / WWII era:

Nice, impressive badges, attractive items.

I don't have much in the way of Welsh Guards stuff Merv, here's a link to a thread on a Welsh Guards Musician's cap:

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=43771&st=0&p=404878&hl=+welsh%20+guards%20+cap&fromsearch=1&#entry404878

Yes Merv, thanks - interesting grouping.

I have only a few Rhodesian GSMs & a few cap badges, with two cloth patches on their way in the post at the moment.

I'd like more of a collection but I just can't keep collecting everything I fancy.

Ah, who's this Merv?

Is that BSAP Commissioner's insignia or a lower rank?

I was there on that fateful day,sitting in the gym with the rest of Zulu company, with my suit on ready to come home.I went for a coke and saw my mate Wyley he was in the back of a landrover.I said what you doing he said it's okay we are just going on the outskirts of Crater he said Major Moncur told him they weren't going in as it was occupied at the entrances by people with machine guns.There was only two ways in .As he had contingents from the Argylls who had just arrived in Aden.Within minutes he was dead along with 20 others.It hurt me very badly as Wyley was not only very young 17 or 18 but a very good friend of mine.,i know who i blame but i have always kept quite.

Anything you can contribute to the thread, particularly from personal recollection, would be appreciated. As time passes it becomes more urgent to record the experiences of people who were there.

So often nowadays it seems that those who served through such times keep memories of their experiences to themselves or within an ever dwindling group of fellow veterans, perhaps feeling that nobody outside those ranks understands or is interested.

"Gilt & silver plated", measuring 90 mm x 65 mm, two lug fittings to the rear.

A Queen's Fusiliers badge?

This was advertised as a RRF helmet badge.

I have an idea that I've seen this in a photo in The London Regiment edition of "The Regiment" some years ago, but I have'nt got the magazine to hand.

I have an idea that this may actually be a helmet insignia of The Queen's Fusiliers, as unlikely as it seems.

The single badge photos are all of this 90 mm x 65 mm badge, note that the dragon's wing is laying down as per the design on the current bi-metal fur cap badge on which the St George & dragon have turned to face the same way as this & the cap badge (perhaps the same dies are used? The wing is not sticking up in the air as it does on the anodised cap, collar dog & the previous designs of fur cap badges. The area between the dragon & the base of the wreath on the mounted design is not voided.

The photo of four badges shows the large badge here with an anoidised aluminium cap badge & collar dog & the cast yellow metal fur cap badge for size comparison (but I have'nt got one of those nice big 14.5 cm badges to show with them).

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