Radfan '64

Discussion in 'Postwar' started by Charley Fortnum, Feb 3, 2020.

  1. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    For those interested in the Radfan campaign there are mentions of it within a short thread on a mainly US blogsite: A small war: Aden till 1967 Just checked the links shown there work (except one which has been deleted).

    Professor Clive Jones @ Durham University is an expert and author on Aden. See his bio & publications list: Professor C.A. Jones - Durham University

    Charley I will add your discovery to the cited blogsite thread in a moment.
     
  3. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    Good stuff.

    I suspect that those dead YouTube links once pointed to this:



    And here's the later BBC effort:

     
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  4. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Charley,

    No the only 'dead' link I found was to Clive Jones opening speech at the Aden Exit conference in 2017.
     
  5. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    David,

    From the first post there:

    I get 'Video Unavailable' for all three.
     
  6. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    This is an excellent find CF, thank you so much for posting it up, it is very, very much appreciated.

    And for you CF, and davidbfpo, and other good folks who frequent these pages, here's a little associated information re Appendix 1 of Annex L (appropriate extracts from said appendix added too).

    Again Charley, thank you.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
    1 Lance Corporal Baker MM.jpg
    2 Lieutenant Edwards MID (Posthumous).jpg
    3 Extract from.jpg
    4 Account of Ops.jpg
    5 22 SAS 1.jpg
    6 22 SAS 2.jpg
     
  7. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Here's the rest of Annex L (and its extras)

    Boxouts are mine by way of picking out parts that could sit in any number of existing threads on WW2 Talk.

    And all the contents of not only this annex but all the others relating to other units after action reports readily lend themselves to "boxouts" too (had to call a halt somewhere, but all is extremely interesting stuff).

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
    7 22 SAS 3.jpg
    8 22 SAS 4.jpg
    9 22 SAS 5.jpg
    10 22 SAS 6.jpg
    11 22 SAS 7.jpg
    12 22 SAS 8.jpg
    13 22 SAS 9.jpg
    14 22 SAS 10.jpg
     
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  8. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Extract re 22 SAS in Arabia from "Honour to the Airborne PART 2" by David Buxton, plus further London Gazette entries from 1966.

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
    Radfan 22 SAS.jpg

    LG Major Williams and Trooper Dodd.jpg
     
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  9. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Pg.137 of the document above at Pt.15 refers to weapons. I assume the preference for the LMG over the GPMG means the Bren LMG?
     
  10. JimHerriot

    JimHerriot Ready for Anything

    Yes, the Bren (as was) in 7.62 Nato, the L4. A veritable Rolls-Royce of LMGs, much more portable, and manageable too dare I say, than the dear "jimpy".

    In and out of mothballs aplenty, and I wouldn't be surprised if there are still some readily to hand even now.

    Delta Force chaps tried the HK equivalent in the 60s/70s, but much coveted the L4 (which of course their procurement overseers wouldn't let them have because a) it was deemed "old", and b) it would only take (in their eyes) a "limited" capacity 30 round box magazine, as compared to the newer, belt or box fed, HK).

    Ultimately, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"!

    Kind regards, always,

    Jim.
     
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  11. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    I came across a few great photographs. Unsure of their origin.

    3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 Para) during heavy fighting in the Radfan Hills, British Protectorate of Dhala.

    tumblr_o024xwLPng1rji3x6o1_640.jpg Screenshot 2021-06-09 at 12.54.42 AM.png Screenshot 2021-06-09 at 12.54.55 AM.png

    Source:
    Our Forgotten Wars
     
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