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Aden Labour Corps the Medal Roll for the Aden Labour Corps in the 1402 Aden Pioneer Companies

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Aden Labour Corps the Medal Roll for the Aden Labour Corps in the 1402 Aden Pioneer Companies The Capture of Aden Communication between Britain and India was With this successful action, Britain gained its first exceedingly slow in the nineteenth century, as new territory under Queen Victoria. Aden was ships were required to travel via the Cape of annexed as part of the Bombay Presidency. It also Good Hope. In order to shorten the time that marked the beginning of a permanent military despatches could be passed between Bombay garrison. In May 1840 that garrison consisted of: and London, various overland routes were tried. 2 Battalion Artillery One of these was the Alexandria to Suez pony- Golundauze Battalion express. Consequently the Red Sea route became Engineer Corps popular and a need arose for a refueling station. HM 6th Regiment Aden was considered as it is situated about half- Bombay European Regiment way between Suez and Bombay, and possessed 10th Regiment Native Infantry an excellent sheltered port. 16th Regiment Native Infantry Negotiations were conducted between Commander Haines, Political Agent of the During the first few years following the capture Bombay Government, and the Sultan of Lahej, of Aden there were several attempts by the Arabs the owner of Aden, for the port and environs. to recapture it. On each occasion the military An agreement was made, but when it came to garrison, with the help of the Red Sea Squadron executing that agreement the Sultan’s son refused. of the Indian Navy, succeeded in repulsing the At this time a Madras ship, the Duria Dowlat, attacking tribesmen. under British colours, was wrecked near Aden, In 1858 a force composed of two or three compa- and the survivors were mistreated and the cargo nies of 57th Regiment, a wing of the 29th Bombay plundered by local Arabs. This, and the insults Infantry and a detachment from the Hon. Company’s that had been heaped upon Haines and Britain Ship Elphinstone, defeated an Arab force at Sheikh by the Lahej Sultan were enough to cause the Othman. Britain was now secure in Aden although, Bombay Government to send some ships of the a few further military actions did take place. Honourable East Indies Company Navy to take The first of these was the Expedition to Shugra the “Rock” of Aden by force. in December 1865, when trouble was experienced The ships sent were the Honourable East Indies with the Fadhli tribe. The tribe had plundered a Company’s sloop of war Coote, schooner Mahi, and caravan within gunshot of the Aden fortifications. barque Anne Crichton. Two Royal Navy vessels and A detachment of 300 men of the 101st Grenadiers troop transports were despatched from India to with a field force commanded by Colonel Wooll- join Commander Haines. They were HMS Volage, combe, C.B., Royal Artillery, attacked Bir and Asala, HM Brig Cruiser and the transports Lowjee Family destroying the latter. They returned to Aden on 9 and Ernaad, which arrived on 16 January 1839. January 1866. Another expedition under the same The troops on board were: The Bombay Euro- commander was sent to Shugra on 14 March to pean Regiment; 24th Regiment Bombay Native destroy the town and forts, which was the prin- Infantry; 4th Company of the 1st Battalion Artil- cipal stronghold of the Fadhli tribe. The Fadhli had lery; and 6th Company (Golundauze) Artillery. captured a dhow under British protection, massa- Ten garrison guns were included for the defence cred the crew, and sold the cargo. The British of the port. believed the Fadhli needed to be taught a lesson and After a naval bombardment had silenced the a detachment of artillery, with two field pieces, and Arab guns Aden was captured on 19 January 1839. three companies of the 109th Infantry Regiment 8 Armed Forces of Aden.indd 8 11/15/2011 11:16:59 AM The Capture of Aden and some sappers were despatched by HMS Lyra A few years later, in 1873, a force of British and Victoria. The seamen and marines from the Lyra, and Indian infantry with three guns marched to about 40 in number, worked with the artillery. The Al Hauta (Lahej) to protect the Sultan against the town was destroyed on 15 March and the troops Turks who had invaded his territory. After nego- were back in Aden the following day. tiations the Turkish troops were withdrawn. 9 Armed Forces of Aden.indd 9 11/15/2011 11:16:59 AM Directory of Units 1st Yemen Infantry Turkish troops based at Lahej during the First World command of the regiment, it was officially desig- War posed a serious threat to the port of Aden, and nated the 1st Yemen Infantry. While recruiting took a Movable Column of British and Indian troops was place, there was an Arab Labour Corps, which was employed in harassing the Turkish force. Captain mainly composed of men from the hinterland, who M.C. Lake (later Lieutenant Colonel Lake, C.M.G., had knowledge of the Turkish military occupation OBE) of the 101st Grenadiers organized a band of of their villages. They had come to Aden in the tribal irregulars for skirmishing and intelligence hopes of finding better conditions and more profit- gathering in 1915. They patrolled the area of land able work under the British flag. On the disband- between Sheikh Othman and the Turkish garrison ment of the Labour Corps, some of the best men in Lahej with great success, perhaps because they were selected for the 1st Yemen Infantry. At first, were more suited to the environment than the other two companies were recruited of approximately Allied forces in the area. This irregular tribal band 400 men, later increased to four companies, and was regularized as the 1st Yemen Infantry in 1918, finally reduced to three in 1922. Over 1,000 names although partially raised in 1917 under the title of appear on the medal roll for the British War and the Arab Legion. On Major M.C. Lake assuming Victory medals. The unit was based at Sheikh 1 Yemen Infantry, Aden, 1921 (David Birtles) 10 Armed Forces of Aden.indd 10 11/15/2011 11:17:00 AM Directory of Units Officers and British N.C.O’s of the 1st Yemen Infantry, c.1920. The officer commanding, Captain M.C Lake appears in the second row, second from left. The tall officer in the centre is Lt. Pearce, later Captain, Queen’s Royal West Surrey Regiment. The R.S.M appears on the far left of the front row (Bill Cranston) Othman in the vacated Aden Troop accommoda- bandolier, while officers wore a Sam Browne. All tion. Colonel Meinhertzhagen inspected the force Arabs and British Warrant Officers and Senior in 1923 and reported that their military value was Non-Commissioned Officers wore full-length nil. As a consequence of his report, the unit was puttees. disbanded in 1925. In 1900 the Bombay Sappers and Miners included a British officers and men wore a solar topee with service company in Aden. It appears that this service a diamond flash on the left-hand side with the company was replaced by a fortress company in 1902 words YEMEN 1st INFANTRY, in white, in three as no further reference to it in Aden is mentioned tiers. Brass metal shoulder titles with the same in Sandes’ The Indian Sappers and Miners. By 1903 words as the topee flash were also worn. Arab the Fortress Company was renamed 23 (Fortress) soldiers and officers wore their own distinctive Company, 3rd Sappers and Miners and was located khaki pagri with a plain coloured flash on the in Aden. 23rd (Fortress) Company, Royal Bombay left-hand side. All ranks wore a khaki tunic and Sappers and Miners, as it became known in 1921, shorts, with a leather belt. Soldiers wore a leather remained in Aden until disbanded in 1928. 45 (Aden) Rifles An infantry unit known as the Aden Rifles was notification number 1588 of 1916. With an establish- formed on 1 January 1917, by Army Department ment of one Reserve Company, this unit was recon- 11 Armed Forces of Aden.indd 11 11/15/2011 11:17:00 AM ARMED FORCES OF ADEN stituted as an Indian Defence Force unit, with the way along the barrels their slings falling symmetri- designation of 45 (Aden) Rifles from 1 April 1917. cally behind a scroll across the butts – at about 30 This volunteer force was raised from the local popu- degrees upwards on each side – inscribed ADEN lation and a small number of British officers, for the RIFLES. Voided throughout, the badge is brass and defence of Aden during the First World War. Officers has lugs. of the Company were Major Harold Berridge OBE 410 Rifleman S.O. Whitley, 45th Aden Rifles, who raised the unit and was attached to RE, Major Indian Defence Force, was awarded Mentioned James Bett Grey, who became the Commandant, in Despatches (Aden Field Force G.G.O. 1747, Captain Henry Zoro Roycroft, Lt. Cyril Eric Leman, dated 27 August 1920). His MID was awarded Lt. Stanley Nicholas Day, Lt. Thomas Williamson for showing great coolness, courage and devotion McLachlan, 2/Lt Eric Randal and Supernumerary to duty under fire when driving the steam roller Captain Edward Merle Duggan. With the general during the construction of the Robat Road. Though demobilization and down-scaling of forces in the under shell fire every day while at this work he Indian Army, the company was disestablished never withdrew his roller out of range even when in 1920. Although some sources indicate the unit the machine was hit by shrapnel. existed until 1934, this was probably on paper only.
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