Archive - 1/1 East Anglian Regiment Sets off for Aden

[Stanchion]

Here is a clip from local TV showing the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Norfolk & Suffolk) setting off for their two year posting to Aden.
One or two points:
According to wiki they where in Harwich prior to Aden but I believe it is actually Felixstowe.
The reporter is a young Martin Bell who had already completed his NS with the Suffolk Regiment on active service in Cyprus.
The capbadge is noticeably larger than when they became 1 R,Anglians
They would have little idea of what was in store as the Aden trouble didn't start until a few months after their arrival; although
I suspect the CO was privy to the planning for the Radfan campaign
The CO, Col Dye, was later Commander of the Federal Regular Army at the time of the Aden mutiny and later rose to Maj Gen
He seemed a bit shy about his origins as the Independent reported in his obituary;
"But his origins remain deliberately obscure. This very private man left a letter with his
regimental historian declaring he would not divulge details of his early life.
The regiment has no record of his birthplace or school."
He was in fact, born in Gt Yarmouth and attended Gt Yarmouth Grammar School.]

http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/213860

 

[exspy]

The reporter is a young Martin Bell who had already completed his NS with the Suffolk Regiment on active service in Cyprus.

I downloaded and read Bell's The End of Empire : Cyprus : A Soldier's Story. A very good read written by a short-service NS officer. I'm sure the stories he recounts would have applied equally to the East Anglians.

I don't know how the battalions managed to function having over 100 other ranks taken on strength and another 100 struck of strength every two weeks. (Or was it every month? My memory is fuzzy.) My favourite story was Bell's exit interview with his CO. Just prior Bell was in the Adjutant's office where said Adjutant loudly went up one side of Bell and down the other, criticizing everything about him including his haircut (it was Bell's final week in the Army). Right after this verbal abuse, the CO asked Bell if he could be talked into staying. Bell, in his polite manner, declined.

Thanks for posting the video,

Cheers,
Dan.

 

[retread2]

Here is a clip from local TV showing the 1st East Anglian Regiment (Norfolk & Suffolk) setting off for their two year posting to Aden.
One or two points:
According to wiki they where in Harwich prior to Aden but I believe it is actually Felixstowe.
The reporter is a young Martin Bell who had already completed his NS with the Suffolk Regiment on active service in Cyprus.
The capbadge is noticeably larger than when they became 1 R,Anglians
They would have little idea of what was in store as the Aden trouble didn't start until a few months after their arrival; although
I suspect the CO was privy to the planning for the Radfan campaign
The CO, Col Dye, was later Commander of the Federal Regular Army at the time of the Aden mutiny and later rose to Maj Gen
He seemed a bit shy about his origins as the Independent reported in his obituary;
"But his origins remain deliberately obscure. This very private man left a letter with his
regimental historian declaring he would not divulge details of his early life.
The regiment has no record of his birthplace or school."
He was in fact, born in Gt Yarmouth and attended Gt Yarmouth Grammar School.]

http://www.eafa.org.uk/catalogue/213860

Re the badge, they wore the badge of the East Anglian Brigade until they later became the Royal Anglian Regiment incorporating all the battalions of the East Anglian Brigade, eg Leicestershire Regiment. Theirs was one of the first badges I collected in Aden as a ten year old. I now cringe at my collection method - bailing up members of foot patrols to ask if they had any 'spare' badges.

 

[Busterdog]

1st East Anglian took over from 1 KOSB in Waterloo Lines, early 1964.
1 KOSB returned to Aden 4 months later for operations in the Radfan.....