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Thread: Terrorism

  1. #1
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    Default Terrorism

    Quote Originally Posted by j.sabourn View Post
    If I remember Richard you sent me a picture of whom I matched up was his father who was I believe something like the head honcho government wise of Singapore before it fell to the Japanese. Alexander himself was born out east but think he attended boarding school in the UK . There was no airs and graces about him however. His father was Sir something Cooper but he never talked about it. He was also stationed at Aden airport at one time but walked off the job and caught one of his own flights to London . Even before these days of terrorism it existed then where it all otriginall started . Cheers JS.
    John, you probably know Aden fairly well. In the late forties, with a few mates we got into a taxi and before we knew it we were heading towards the border. The biggest, brawniest one of us convinced the driver to turn around and drop us back at the ship. The alternative might have been somewhat scary.
    Richard
    Last edited by Chris Allman; 17th March 2020 at 03:17 PM.
    Our Ship was our Home
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    Default Re: Terrorism

    The average person ashore who reads and believes what he is told about terrorism may not have a proper vision of the truth . Alexander Cooper told me stories about Aden which I only knew as a bunkering port at Steamer Point. To all intents and purposes it was the birthing point of today’s terrorism. He must have been employed there about the late 40s or early 50s and even then had to have 4 armed guards as a protection detail wherever he went. When you see the death and destruction displayed on TV screens it has been going on many years but just never got the publicity . I sailed as mate with a Capt. Turnbull from Glasgow, he was telling me one time he was at steamer point all ready to sail with the undocking pilot on board when the riots started ashore, the pilot walked off and refused the ship clearance. He told the mate to cut the last mooring rope to the buoy and went full ahead out the harbour. Ploughed into the pilot cutter and sank it and just carried on out the pest hole. He was always nervous in case we ever had to go back to Aden, no doubt if we had he would have done a disappearing act and I would have had to masquerade as him, however I wouldn’t be using his name. Cheers JS. PS Turnbull was on a Hogarth ship at the time before they were taken over by Lisles. He got made redundant from them and was very bitter, he finished up with me on a 37000 ton bulk carrier under the Nassau flag. Cheers JS
    Ps Richard Alex was 90 when he died and I should of been at his house that weekend as was a late do at the boys club, however I had just come out of hospital and after the meeting went straight home. He died that night and lay some time before passing away, so have always had a bit of guilt about it ,as if had been there could have got aid to him quicker , that was if memory correct but like Denis can make mistakes was in 2009 , so today would be over 100. Cheers JS
    Last edited by Chris Allman; 17th March 2020 at 03:17 PM.

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    My wife spent several years in Aden in her early life due to her father being posted there. They were from Edinburgh and were there when the K.O.S B.s. were in residence. Before all the trouble kicked off as a family visited all over and thought it quite pleasant, although in the latter part encountered armed guard on an armoured school bus. They were eventually evacuated from there on the Canberra sailing from Steamer Point. Some 10 years later after we married we went there on the British Cygnet. The old man, myself and our wives decided on having a run ashore for the full day. We went to all of the places that Marilyn (my wife) remembered. She was absolutely shocked as to how everything had deteriorated since her childhood days. All of the water wells built by the Brits. dry and covered in slime, animal skeletons still in the cages where they had died in Sheik Hoffman (spelling?) zoo including Tigers, etc. Roads, buildings, etc. decimated. Needless to say we engaged the taxi for the full day and when we went in for eats and bevies he waited for us. We even went through Crater which we were not meant to do guns in belts quite visible. The reason I write this is that everywhere we stopped they were begging us (the British) to come back to Aden as it was the best days that they had ever had. Every bar and restaurant visited to a man, + none of their air conditioning not working. It was a real eye-opener for us all. We did note a large influx of factories in the area which we were lead to believe were all Chinese/ Russian. All the locals said no good, please come back Johnny.
    R 800658 Kn

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    I never dock in Aden, round to Kharg Island in the Gulf I think it was the year after the troubles started. I can recall this event.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colin_Mitichell

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    My younger brother served with Colin Mitchel Campbell, “Mad Mitch” commanding officer is the first battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in Aden, he dealt with the terrorists with an iron fist and his men loved him, he was a legend , not loved by the U.K. government

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    In April 2008 my company won a contract to supply materials to an Indian contractor working on an LNG project for Total at Balhaf in Yemen, which is situated roughly half way between Aden and Al Mukalla.
    I flew to Sanaa via Dubai (8 hours transfer time n Dubai) with the instructions to take the Dash flight from Sanaa to Balhaf.
    Arriving in Sanaa I eventually cleared immigration and looked for this Dash flight; as none of the flight annunciators worked I had to ask several people who did not know but eventually was directed to go out of the airport and along the boundary wall for about quarter of a mile.
    Things started to wake up in my brain after noticing many long stares from locals and the large number of bullet holes in the walls.
    Rounding the end of the wall I found a little side gate and went in to find a little concrete block house with a large x ray machine and two guys engrossed in conversation. On enquiring they did not even look up just pointed to the belt, so placed my kit on then retrieved from the other end.
    Still not knowing where to go I asked again and again they did not look up, just pointed over the airfield to a warehouse with a small plane parked outside.
    Another quarter mile walk to this building and all became clear, the aircraft was a Dash 8, hence the flight name. The large warehouse door was open and there was a couple of dozen plastic seats inside where I was directed after having a name check with a guy carrying a clip board.
    I met the Indian project manager on the plane by chance and he said we would be picked up at the other to drive to the camp.
    When we arrived , the airstrip was inside the installation which was guarded by guys in pick ups with big machine guns.
    We waited for an hour and a half for our ride, the Indian boss was doing his nut. When the driver turned up he was shaking badly and I thought he was terrified by the bollocking he got but it turns out he had been to Aden with a couple of guys and a security guard (westerners not allowed out of camp) and on the way back they were stopped by armed men who were going to shoot the security guard because he was from N. Yemen, but fortunately the official army turned up and after a firefight drove them off.
    Half of the team I was working with were locals and during a chat with them they called people in Aden uncivilised, why, I asked, because they carry their guns in the market place, in Mukalla we do not.
    I asked if they all had guns, to which they replied yes, unanimously. Every boy gets his own gun when he is 12 and we teach them how to use them properly.
    So it seems like par for the course for these people.
    I could tel, you more about the cruddy shed I lived in but the memory of the smell makes me feel sick, I am off for my night time nip.

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    I spent six months running from the Gulf ports to the Aden refinery with BTC, were allowed to use the swimming pool there. Was glad when another tanker took over and we went home.
    Des

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    Ah, 'The Barren Rocks of Aden'. And there was a good story from the BBC that I viewed last year. Just in passing, we refuelled in Aden on the 'Port Saint John' in December 1950 and nearby was a French aircraft carrier; probably getting out of " l'Indochine" and it was a typically hot morning for Aden. Carrying full kits, about a dozen matelots were just about on their knees padding around the flight deck in the sun. I would imagine it was a 'morning after the night before. They were probably far better there than the alternatives.
    Richard
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b097tsyf

    Richard
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    Default Re: Terrorism

    Saw a few of those episodes Richard. Was probably made for public consumption . Never got to talk to any foot slogger stationed there on his opinions . JWS.

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    Default Re: Terrorism

    I copped out for that run 1960 on Br Advocate it was because of strikes back in UK ships were all taking bunkers at Aden, I think that was the story we were told. Rgds Den

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